I’m resting on Julian’s chest when the sun shines through the window. I bury my face against his side and inhale his pleasant male scent. His smell from last night still lingers on his body.
Julian is truly mine now.
“Good morning, beautiful.” He rolls to the side and faces me. “How are you feeling? Are you sore?”
“A little. But I like it sore.” It’s as if his manhood is still impaled on me. We had sex until after three, and I apparently had countless orgasms. I loved every moment.
He kisses my forehead as he embraces me. “Stay like this a little longer.”
“I have school at nine. And you have one at ten.”
“Then stay with me again tonight.”
“I can’t. I need to write new music for the competition. That, as far as I remember, was your idea.”
“Then do it here. I’ll help you.”
“No way.” I sit up and move away from him. “I don’t think I’ll be able to work with you around like this. It will also be unfair to others. That feels like cheating.”
Julian rests his arm on the back of his head. “It won’t be cheating. I’m not a member of the panel. My brother is, as well as a friend.”
“Really? That has yet to be announced.”
“It’s not a secret, but they’re still working on the final set of judges.”
“I guess having an affair with my professor is a privilege.”
“Don’t refer to yourself as an affair,” he chastises. “Anya, you’re more than that. You’re my girlfriend.”
A snarl of air catches in my throat.
Girlfriend! I’m Julian Sebastian’s girlfriend!I clear my throat. “Okay. So, which of your brothers will be on the panel?”
“Carter. He’s currently Sebastian Entertainment Group’s CMO.”
“What about the friend?” Please don’t tell me it’s Stella Pierce. Please, please.
“You’ll find out later. I doubt you’ve heard of him. He works for Sebastian Records.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. Thank God, it’s not her.
“A friend who works for your label. Well, that gives me even more reason not to slack off. If you truly want to help me, we can do so at school. I’ll win on my own merits.”
He pinches my chin. “This is exactly why I think you are deserving of that spot. I’m rooting for you.”
“And I don’t like special treatment regarding my studies, okay? We can be like this outside of school, but please leave me to do what I’m good at. Besides, there are more talented students in my class.”
“I agree. Both Ben and Maria are exceptional songwriters. Your friend Lora’s ability to conduct makes her a good musician.”
I grimace. I always feel a little weird whenever Maria’s name is brought up. Julian thinks she is exceptional. She is, after all. I just don’t like her personality.
“I’m up for the challenge.”
“Of course you are.” He grabs my waist and pulls me onto his arms.
“Hey!”
“Come here whenever you can. The code for my door is 120319.” He strokes my hair affectionately, causing a ticklish sensation on my nape.
I giggle. “I won’t remember it if you say it like that.”
“I’ll send you a text, and Fred will drive you to your apartment.”
“Will I see you at school?”
“Yes. I’d also like to see you often, if possible.” He quickly rolls over me. He gives me a soft kiss between his smiles, but then he stops.
“What?”
“I heard the door.”
“Are you expecting someone?”
“No, but stay here.” He rushes out of bed and out of the room. I take it as a sign that I should get up as well.
I quickly gather my clothes from the floor and put them on. I then go to the bathroom to wash my face. When I come out, Julian is waiting anxiously for me. He has a stern expression on his face.
“Well?”
He puts his hands on his hips. “Kristoff is here.”
“What?!” I hiss harshly, and if a heart can really jump out of one’s chest, mine has already dropped to the floor. My knees have suddenly become flimsy. “Did you tell him I’m here?”
“Of course not!” he hisses back.
“What is he doing here?”
“He wants to talk to me about something.”
I yank on the hem of his T-shirt. “He can’t know I’m here.”
“I’m aware.”
“What should we do?”
“Stay here, okay?”
My shoulders drop. “Oh, God! He’s going to find out. He can’t find out now. We’re not ready.”
“Anya, it’s fine,” he says calmly, pulling me against him. “Everything will be fine, okay? Leave this to me.”
I nod. “Yeah.”
“I’m sorry, precious.” He kisses my forehead and then walks back outside. I then make a hesitant walk to the slightly open door.
“Hey, man. Do you have company?” Kristoff asks.
“You can say that,” Julian admits. “So this is not a good time.”
Kristoff chuckles. “I’m sorry for the trouble and for the sudden visit.”
“What’s up?”
I’m not sure if Kristoff’s voice became quieter or didn’t respond, but I heard Julian’s voice instead.
“Melissa acted crudely. You saw what she was about to do.”
“I’m in a difficult situation. Anya is upset with me because of Candice, and she won’t believe me. I don’t know who else to talk to,” Kristoff says again.
“Did you talk to her about it?” Julian inquires.
“I did, but I couldn’t explain everything because she wouldn’t listen. Julian, what I told Anya is true. Candice and I broke up before I came to college. But Mom messed things up. She told her friends we had reconciled and that I had become engaged overnight. They’re all lies. Fuck!” Kristoff’s voice echoes around the living room.
“Then why were you in LA with her?” Julian asks the same question I do.
“She followed me there. That’s it! I told Anya already,” he almost exclaims. “I was waiting for her apartment with Lora the night Dad collapsed... to explain. But Candice came. I didn’t have time to argue because Dad was in critical condition. He is, by the way, still alive. The next thing I knew, Candice was on the plane with me.”
For a moment, silence envelops them.
He has a valid point. I was so angry at him that I didn’t try to hear his side of the story. But he can’t expect me to continue our relationship when the entire world knows he’s dating Candice. Besides, Lora’s version differed from his narrative.
Lora stated Candice was engaged to someone and was just waiting for the right moment to introduce him. Candice either lied to her sister, or Kristoff was inventing a new ‘plot’ in the story.
“Why did you come here?” Julian queries, his tone flat.
“Please, Julian. I want Anya to believe me. Could you help me?”
Oh, God. No. No, please. He can’t ask Julian that.
“Why would I do such a thing?”
“I have no one to ask. Lora is upset with me too.”
“You’ve handled the situation carelessly. Instead of hiding, you should’ve told them about your situation.”
“I know! I understand, but please, I’m going crazy. Anya means everything to me. She can’t just dump me like that.”
“What do you want?”
“Could you please speak to her?”
“And what makes you think she’ll listen?”
“Because she’s a huge fan of your music.”
“That has nothing to do with this.”
“Julian, I can’t afford to lose her now, please. I knew she was the one for me when I saw her.”
Kristoff has said those words to me before, and I remember how wonderful it felt after he proved his resilience—that he’d never give up until I finally dated him.
When I think about the times we spent together, the sadness I felt then comes back. He was there for me when I had no one else. We were happy, and he was why I forgot how lonely my life was.
Everything was fine at the time, but something had changed. I felt an unfathomable emotion for Julian that I had never felt for Kristoff.
No, I’ve felt that way since I first met Julian.
Julian is still silent. How difficult it must be for him. He was Kristoff’s mentor.
“You’ve got to believe me,” Kristoff continues. “Because if not you, then who?”
“Why don’t you just tell her that?”
“I don’t know who because...”
“Because you knew you’d already lost her,” Julian concludes. “Am I right?”
Silence.
“I feel that way, but isn’t it too soon?” Kristoff probes. “There has to be room for me in her life. I can’t give her up. Do you think she’s already dating someone else?”
“All right, how about this? I can’t help you,” Julian says.
“Why not?”
“Because that’s your personal life, Kristoff. It’s not for me to decide whether she can forgive you. I won’t help you too because it’s inappropriate. Do you think she’d like that? No, because forgiving you is entirely up to her.”
I’m curious if Julian knows I’m listening or if he said those words to me. Is he asking me directly if I’d forgive Kristoff after hearing their entire conversation? Nonetheless, I admire Julian’s calmness and patience and his refusal to comply with Kristoff’s request in a good sense.
Kristoff exhales harshly. “You’re right. That will only infuriate her. I’ll try to call her again. But hey, don’t you have class today?”
“Yes, within an hour.”
“Can we go together?”
“No. I have something else I need to get done first.”
“Oh, yes. I had forgotten you were still preoccupied.” Kristoff chuckles. “Who’s the new girl?”
“All right, no more questions. Go!” He pushes Kristoff to the door. “You’re going to be late.”
“Why the suspense? Do I know her?”
“Just go!” Julian urges. “Now.”
“Fine. See you later.” The sound of a door closing resonates all across the living room.
I rush away from the door and sit back down on the bed. A moment later, Julian enters.
“He’s left. You can come out now. I’ll call Fred to drive you home,” he says, but I notice that the sweetness in his voice is no longer present.