I help Julian get snacks ready. We make bread pizzas, cheese sticks, mixed fruit slices, and smoothies. Then we sit down to watch a sci-fi fantasy film. Besides romcoms, I enjoy watching this genre.
“So you don’t watch romantic comedies?” I ask while the movie’s opening credits are still playing. I then shove a cheese stick into my mouth.
He takes a bite of the pizza before responding. “I’ve seen some romance films for music references.”
I take a moment to admire his good looks. He’s dressed in loose cream-colored sweaters that expose his bare chest and white sleep bottoms. I still can’t get over how he made love to me over the piano, and now I’m turned on all over again. It’s exhilarating.
“I like romcoms,” I say, grabbing a piece of pizza and biting on it to distract myself from my filthy thoughts. “I suppose it’s a girl thing. Kristoff never watched romantic movies unless he was with me.”
He puts down his food and looks at me. “Would you like to watch one instead?”
Crap. I should not have brought up my ex-boyfriend. It’s a bad habit.
“No, no!” I wave my hand. “I’m a sci-fi fan as well.” I shift my gaze to the television, and the opening scene begins to play. It’s an alien film, not about an invasion, but with a magical twist. I first saw the trailer a few months ago.
We’ve settled in to watch the second half of the show in silence. We’ve already eaten all the snacks, and I’m slowly holding the smoothie cup and sipping on it while enjoying the scenes. I also like that there is a little romance in it. I move closer to Julian because I scream like hell whenever something scary happens.
“Oh, no! He’s going to attack him, but he’s out of mana! Don’t go there, you idiot! Oh my God!”
Julian laughs as he strokes my leg.
“What?! I thought he was going to die. What’s the point of their mission if he dies?”
“He’s not going to die. He’s the main character.”
His reactions are just like Kristoff’s.
But I like how everything feels normal—like we’re just a typical couple who enjoy talking about ourselves, watching movies, eating together, waking up in each other’s arms, and maybe having a lot of sex. Yes, particularly the last one.
Simply put, this was something I lacked in my previous relationship. Julian just makes an excellent lover. He always made sure I was having a good time. It’s as if I’ve finally rediscovered the essence of life I had previously lost. I now know that I can put my trust in him.
I turn my attention back to the movie.
There are moments when I glimpse a reaction on his face. His brows crease whenever there is an intense fight scene, and he groans when the lead character starts losing. His many facets fascinate me, and I feel like there’s much more to discover about him.
Half an hour later, the film concludes with a satisfactory ending. The protagonist survived and defeated the demon boss but could not marry the woman he loved because she was from another world. It makes more sense because it isn’t your usual finale. The post-credits scene, on the other hand, hinted at a sequel.
Julian turns off the TV and gets up. “It’s time to go to bed. You have an early class tomorrow.”
“Sure, after I help you clean.” I refer to the tableware that was used for the snacks.
“I’ll take care of it. Just go to bed.”
“You did the cooking. I’ll do the cleaning. I can sleep and eat whenever I want. It’s only fair to divide the chores.” I get to my feet and raise my arms. “Oops! That sounds like we’re living together.”
Smirking, he folds his arms across his chest. “It sounds like a suggestion and not a bad one.”
His idea makes me giggle. “You can’t possibly be serious.”
“Why not?”
“Are you really serious?”
He murmurs something I don’t understand and smiles warmly. But, if I read his lips correctly, he said, ‘we’ll get to that,‘we can’t do that.“Fine. Go ahead and take care of whatever it is that you want, and I’ll fix the bed.”
“Yes, sir!” I respond enthusiastically and kiss him on the cheek. Julian then walks to his room, and I bring the dishware to the kitchen.
When I’m finished, I go straight to Julian’s room, where he is talking on the phone by the window.
“No, I don’t care if she keeps appearing there, Peter. I don’t care if you call for security, send her away, or stop her from getting into the building... I know it’s been two years... Are you even listening?” Julian stops, sighing. “She fucking what? No, I’ll talk to Rafe and Dad, goddammit... What were they thinking? No, you listen to me. Stella is already dead to me. I don’t give a damn about any bullshit she may try to peddle this time...”
I jerk back at the mention of Stella’s name coming from his mouth, and his rage reaches me from a few meters away.
Stella Pierce must still have an impact on him. And, based on what I heard, he’s speaking to a ‘Peter.’
When Julian hangs up, he turns around, and our eyes meet. His expression relaxes.
“Is everything all right?” I have a question.
“No.” His voice is barely audible, but it’s heavy and tense. He throws the phone on the bed and slumps it on the cushion. He pinches his nose bridge with his elbow on the tip of his knees.
I sit beside him. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“Stella visited Rafe in his office. But it’s nothing to be concerned about.”
“Well, it sounds important, making me even more concerned about you. You look so angry.” I search for his eyes, but he’s hiding them.
He draws me in close and kisses my hair. “I need to see my brother tomorrow morning to sort this out, so I’m afraid I won’t be able to drive you to your apartment. I’m sorry.”
“I’ll be fine. But why do you think she did that?”
“Trying to win them over, I suspect? I need to find out tomorrow.”
“Does she want you back?” I had to ask. What will happen to me if that is Stella’s intention?
I know I haven’t met the Sebastians officially, but I did meet Adam at the party. Will they like me or hate me as the Stevens did? But it’s not like Julian can introduce me to them. It’s a bad idea because I’m his student. It will also appall them, particularly his mother. Rachel Sebastian seems to be a very sophisticated woman.
God. Just thinking about it makes me anxious.
Did they like Stella when Julian was still dating her?
“What? No, precious, it’s probably just business,” Julian reassures softly, stroking my back.
“But please tell me everything later.”
Julian thumbs my chin. “You’re still worried. I assure you I will not let her do whatever she wants. Let’s stop worrying and enjoy the rest of the night, okay? Peter’s call was distressing enough. We don’t want him to ruin this.”
“Who’s Peter?”
“Ah. He’s one of my closest friends. He works for Sebastian Records.”
“Then tell him he can’t call at this hour.” I pout.
He chuckles, amused. “I like it when you get riled up.”
I frown at him. “You’re making fun of me again.”
“Of course not. I just think you’re adorable. Anyway, he already knows about you.” He lowers his head to the curves of my neck and starts kissing me, but his last statement got me.
I push him a bit and look into his eyes, puzzled. “What did you say?”