Masquerade (Masquerade #1) (5 page)

Before I can think too much, my phone starts buzzing. I look down at it to see it’s Alan.
Shit. I was supposed to call him.

I swipe my phone quickly. “Hello?”

“Hey, Red. I’m so sorry about tonight. I promise I will make it up to you.”

“How’s your sister?” I say, a little more harshly than I meant to.

“She’s good now. I really hated leaving, but she was really messed up bad this time. All her dumbass friends just let her do it. Will you forgive me?”

“Yes. I’m sorry for being ugly. It’s just she always pulls this shit,” I say, feeling a little bit bad for being mean.

“I know, Red. I’m sorry is all I got. I hope one day Ginny will straighten herself out. Thank you for always being understanding. How was your evening?”

“It was good. I met a new brother of yours. He is really nice. He walked me home to make sure I got here okay.”

“And this new brother would be Chris, right?”

“Yeah. You’re not mad, are you?”

I hear a smile in his voice. “No, Red. I just will be thanking him for making sure he got my girl home okay.”

“Good.”

“Baby, you need to get some sleep. You sound tired.”

“Okay. I love you.”

“I love you too.” The line goes dead.

Chapter Six

Chris has become a permanent fixture in my life. I can talk to him about anything, and he does the same. We get to know each other more and more every day we are together.

Alan and I are still together. He is so happy to know that I have Chris in my life to watch out for me when he can’t. His sister is causing more problems than Alan or his parents can handle. They put her into a facility for drug and alcohol abuse. She was in there for six weeks. She came out better than ever until her ex waltzed back into her life.

She is a mess this time. No one can seem to help her, but her brother still goes to save her. I get so upset sometimes with him leaving to help a girl that is never going to help herself. Don’t get me wrong. I understand she is family, but sometimes you have to let them fall before they can get back up.

Needless to say, Alan is grateful for Chris. If he is unable to make a date or take me to a party, I always have Chris there to step in. I actually set him and Mindy up. They are casually dating, as Mindy would call it. In other words, they are dating, but they are able to screw other people, meaning she is doing the screwing. It seems to work with them, so I say nothing.

It is the night before graduation day. We have all finished our exams and received word that we will be getting our diplomas. The frat decided to put on a big end of the year/senior party. Mindy and I get dressed up to the nines for the night’s festivities.

We are meeting Alan and Chris at the frat house since they had to be there to help get everything set up. We get there a little bit before anyone else starts to show up.

I walk into the house to find it decorated with crape paper thrown over all the beams in the ceiling and the kitchen fully stocked of beer and liquor. I see Chris before I see Alan.

Chris walks up with a solemn look on his face. “Julia, I don’t know how to say this, but Alan—”

I cut him off quickly. “Had to leave to go and get his cracked out sister. Fucking figures.”

“I’m really sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. The least he could have done was call me himself.” I feel my face on fire from being so enraged.

“Well, he said he didn’t have time because he really needed to get to her. He said he would call after a while.” Chris clutches me in a hug. “I will be here for you. I tried to tell him to call you, but he just kept saying he had to leave. I really hate that he did this to you. You deserve so much better than that.”

I hug him back tightly. Pulling back, I look up at him. “It’s all good,” I say, grinning. “We’re getting drunk tonight. He’s not ruining my fun.”

He kisses my forehead chuckling. “Well then, let me fix you a drink.”

I’m on my seventh or eighth drink, I think. Hell, I can’t remember. I just know I feel tipsy at the moment. I finish the last bit of the drink in my hand and walk back to the kitchen for another one.

I look around and catch Mindy all over some guy I have never seen before. You know, she really is a tramp. I mean that in the friendliest way possible.

I feel the alcohol even more now, and I need to find a seat before I fall over. I walk outside the front door and sit down on the porch, letting my legs dangle off the side.
Damn short people problems.
Even drunk I feel him before I see him.

“Julia, I have been looking for you. Are you all right?”

I look up at him with the biggest shit eating grin. “Hell yeah. I’m all right. I am more than all right. I am feeling marvelous, Christopher.”

He sits down beside me. “I think after this drink you are done, sweetie.”

I stick out my bottom lip. “Why?”

“Because you are saying words like marvelous and calling me Christopher, so I think you are done.” He lets out a hearty laugh.

“Fine, meanie. Have it your way.” I chug the rest of my drink and hand him the empty cup.

I lean my head on his shoulder. “You know what, Chris?”

“What is it, Jules?”

“I love you. I always have, but I have been too scared to admit it.”

I hear him clear his throat. “Well, I love you too. You’re my best friend.”

Raising my head of his shoulder, I look him in the eye. “No. I mean I love you, love you. Every time you’re around, I get butterflies in my stomach. I can’t ever stop looking at you.”

“I think you have just had a little too much to drink, Julia. Let’s get you home.”

I Jump off the porch. “Dammit, Chris, I haven’t had too much to drink. I am telling you how I feel. Are you not listening to me?”

He jumps down after me. “I’m hearing you, but let’s get you home, and we will talk more there, okay?”

“I think I can handle that, but shouldn’t you tell Mindy where we are going?”

“I have already texted her, which she probably won’t notice since she is practically having sex on the dance floor.”

We start walking when I realize I can’t even stand up straight. Chris lifts me back up on the porch and tells me to get on his back.

I do as I’m told, leaning my head on his back, taking in his smell. I could stay here all night. We get to the dorm, and he takes his key out to unlock the door. He lays me on the bed, takes my shoes off, and covers me up.

“Mister, I still want to talk.”

“If you would hold on a minute, I was going to lie down beside you then we can talk.”

He takes his shoes off and climbs into bed with me. He wraps his arms around me, kissing my cheek.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“For starters, I’m not too drunk to know how I feel about you.”

“You know. I love you too.”

I turn to face him. “Seriously, Chris. I love you like in a boyfriend kind of way.”

I lean up, grapping his face and turning my head. I lay my lips gently on his. I gage whether or not he is going to let this happen. He seems to have gone stiff, so I put more pressure on his lips. He grabs my head to deepen the kiss.

He licks my lips, seeking entrance with his tongue. He swirls his tongue with mine, making me moan in his mouth. He pulls back, nipping my lip.

I have never been kissed that way. He has my head spinning, and it isn’t from the alcohol. I feel like I have sobered up from that kiss.

“Holy shit, Chris.”

“My words exactly.” He leans down, pecking my lips. “Julia, I have loved you from the first time I saw you. I just knew you were with Alan, but tonight when you said all those things, it really hit a nerve. Please, tell me that tomorrow morning you won’t regret what we have done or said.”

I grab his face, kissing him again swiftly, “I will not regret this. I need this. I love you. I hated seeing you with Mindy. It tore me up inside.”

“Julia, how do you think I have felt? I have watched you and Alan for almost a year now. Sweetie, I was waiting for my time to have you. Now that I do, I’m not letting you go.”

“Good. There is only one thing that I need to do. I need to talk to Alan. I don’t want to do it first thing in the morning though. Is it okay if I wait until after we have gotten our diplomas?”

Sweetie, you tell him when you think you need to. I will be here waiting. I have waited for a year. I’m not going anywhere.” He leans down, kissing me ever so gently. “You need to get some sleep, Jules. We have a busy day with graduation.”

I close my eyes, but I know he thinks I am going to forget all about this. I know I won’t. I have been waiting for this day.

I wake up, jumping out of bed as hear Mindy’s alarm going off. That was not the best thing to do considering how badly my head is throbbing. I walk over to her alarm and unplug the son of a bitch. I get myself a bottle of water out of the mini fridge. I look on top of the fridge to see our Ibuprofen bottle sitting there. I decide to take three and climb back into bed.

I am covered up, almost asleep when I comprehend that I am the only one in my room. I peek out from underneath my covers to look again. Nope. No one is here.
Am I missing something?
I shrug my shoulders and pick up my phone to see what time it is. I have about four hours till graduation.

I roll back up in my covers, thinking about the previous night. I had so much fun but drank way too much. All of a sudden in the pit of my stomach, I start feeling nauseous. I close my eyes to make the nausea stop, and then I remember that I wasn’t alone last night. Someone was here with me.

Oh, Shit!
Chris brought me home last night, and I declared my love for him. I even kissed him. I touch my lips with my fingers, still feeling his lips on mine. I smile at the memory, thinking it was well worth the wait.

I fly up out of the bed panicking, gripping my head as the pain rushes all over the top and straight down to the bottom of my skull. I let out a loud, “Fuck. What about Alan?” I know I need to tell him. I told Chris I would. I need to talk to Chris.

I run to the bathroom and force my hair into a messy bun. I look at my reflection in the mirror and catch a glimpse of my face. Massacre runs under my eyes, and to be honest, I look like I have just been hit by a train. I find a rag to wash my face quickly and brush my teeth.

I run back out into my room to pick my shorts up off the floor and shove them on while finding a bra to put on underneath the t-shirt I already have on. I find some flip flops and push them on my feet, and I find my keys sitting on my desk. Clutching them, I haul ass out of the door and run full force.

Running a couple of blocks over, I finally reach the frat house’s door and hurl it open. I rush up the stairs and down the hall to find Chris’ room. I take in a few deep breaths and knock.

I knock three more times till I hear, “I’m coming. Hold on a damn second.”

I am standing there looking around when the door swings open.

“What the hell do . . . Julia, what are you doing here.”

“We need to talk.” I walk around him to get into his room and turn around to look at him.

He shuts the door. “So . . . is everything okay.”

Really? He is asking if everything is okay. What the hell?
I walk up to him and reach up for his face. I bring it down to mine and kiss him sweetly.

“I didn’t forget what happened last night. Why did you leave me?”

He puts his hands in his hair. “I didn’t want Mindy to come in and see us there in the bed together.”

“I call bullshit. She has seen us asleep in the bed together plenty of other times you have fallen asleep with me.”

He lets out a long sigh. “I was scared. I wanted you to forget, but I wanted you to remember. You have a fucking boyfriend, Julia, who happens to be my friend too.”

“You think I don’t know that, but, sweetie, I am in love with you. I have been for a year now. I want you and nobody else. Please tell me you feel the same.”

The next thing I know, I am being thrown on the bed with him following on top of me. He kisses me with so much passion. He pulls away from the kiss too soon to look down at me. “Does that explain how I feel about you?”