Royal Pain in the Ass (58 page)

“
Juliet, it
’
s freezing.
” Xavier
’
s teeth chattered.

“
Is it?
”
I was so numb.
 
I must be that drunk.

Xavier pulled me against him.
  “You
’
re freezing.
”

“You
’
re warm though.
” 
I wrapped my arms around him.
  “Let
’
s go home.
”

I woke up and snuggled back into the covers.
 
That
’
s when I realized the warmth I was feeling was a solid warmth.
 
There was an arm around my back and my head was resting on something very warm and solid.
 

“
What
’
s the matter, Juliet?
” Xavier
’
s chest vibrated as he spoke softly.

I pretended to be asleep.

“
You are awake and we both know it.
”

“
Morning.
”
I sighed looking up at him.
 
His eyes were still closed and I would have believed he was still asleep.

“
What
’
s the matter?
”

“
Nothing.
”

Xavier opened one eye and gave me a skeptical look.
  “
I don’
t buy that for one moment.
 
I know you better than that.
 
Tell me what
’
s bothering you.
”

“
Did we um . . . you know.
”

Xavier sighed.
  “
I knew this would happen.
”
He sounded angry now.
  “I fucking knew.” 
Xavier removed his arm from my back and moved me away from him.
  “ I can
’
t do this.
”

“Can
’
t do what?
”

“You. 
This.
  I can
’
t do it.
”

“
But, what?
”

“
Juliet, last night, you were . . . insistent.
 
Had I been sober, I would have done the right thing and said no.
 
Three bottles of wine and you found yourself a bottle of peach schnapps and we were gone.
”

“Oh,”

“
And I see the regret etched on your face as clear as day.
 
I won
’
t do this.
  I
’
m going back.
” 
Xavier got out of bed and I couldn
’
t process what he just said.

“
Wait, what?
”

“I
’
m leaving, Juliet.
  I can
’
t take this.
 
You only want me when you
’
re drunk. 
I won
’
t be that person for you.
 
I just won
’
t.”

“
Wait, Xavier.
”

“I can
’
t wait anymore.
”

It felt the like air had just been knocked out of me.
 
I couldn
’
t catch my breath.
 
Leaving?
 
He was leaving?
 
What?
 
How could he just leave?
 
I needed him.
 
I needed to be around him.
 
I needed to be with him.
 
He was the first person to let me feel again.
 
I needed him.
 
I wanted him.
  Oh god. 
I loved him.

“
Then don
’
t.”
I breathed.
 
But he didn
’
t hear.
 
My door closed behind him and I felt the tears burst forth.
 
I couldn
’
t have stopped them if I tried.
 
I didn
’
t. 
I just let them flow.
 
I curled myself into a ball and sobbed into my pillow doing my best to keep quiet.
 
I didn
’
t want him to see me like this.
 
I didn
’
t want him to know how much I needed him.
 
How much I wanted him.
 
How much I wanted to be with him.
 
I didn
’
t want him to see me weak.
 
I couldn
’
t believe he was leaving.
 
But if he was leaving, I wouldn
’
t let him see me weak.
 
I wouldn
’
t let him see me cry.
 
I was cold.
 
Freezing.
  Oh god. 
He was going to leave.
 
I felt the numb I hadn
’
t felt in ages. 
I didn
’
t welcome it back.
 
I knew I was going to be empty again if he left.
 
And it was all my fault.

I hadn
’
t moved from that spot since he left the room. I hadn
’
t responded when anyone knocked on the door.
 
I didn
’
t know what to say or what to do.
 
I just cried myself to sleep.
 
When I would wake up, I would just cry myself back to sleep.
 
I did this until I heard the crash.
 
I looked at the clock.
  4:12 am. 
I was exhausted, but when I heard Maverick scream and then silence I was at full alert.
 
I pulled myself out of bed, my body aching and cramped from not moving.
 
I opened the door and saw him. The son of a bitch himself. Chase was in Maverick
’
s room.
  And
God help us all, he had a gun.

 “
Ch-chase?
”

“
Juliet, come here.
”

“
What are you doing?
”

“
You are coming with me.
”

“
What are you doing?
”

“I
’
m getting what is rightfully mine.
”

“I
’
m not yours.
 
And I never will be again.
 
You need to understand that.
 
You lost your chance.
”

“
Fine, then he loses his chance too.
” Chase
’
s voice was higher than it should have been.
 
He pointed to gun at Maverick
’
s still form.
 

“
What did you do to him?
”

“
He was making too much noise.
 
He wouldn
’
t be quiet.
”

“Dude, he
’
s three.
 
You have a gun.
 
He was scared.
”

“
I shut him up.
 
I had to.
 
Juliet,
”

“
Chase, what do you want?
”

“
I want you.
 
I want you to be mine again.
”

“
What if I say no.
”

“
Then I
’
ll kill him and you.
 
If you won
’
t be with me, you won
’
t be with anyone else.
”

Oh dear god.
 
Chase had completely gone off the deep end.
 

“
Juliet?
”
I heard Xavier behind me.
 
He couldn
’
t see into Maverick
’
s room.
  “
What was that noise?
”

Chase pointed the gun at me and put a finger to his lips.
 
Then he pointed at Maverick and drew his finger across his throat.
 
Those cold blue eyes narrowed.

“
Where
’
s Amanda?”

“
I think she
’
s still sleeping.
 
What
’
s going on?
”

I risked a glance at Xavier and hoped the terror was as plain on my face as it felt.
  “It
’
s nothing.
”
I lied.

“
Of course it
’
s nothing.
”
Xavier growled.
  “
Since it
’
s nothing, I should just go back to bed then, shouldn
’
t I? 
I have an early flight.
”

“
Wait.
”

“
No, Juliet, if you want to be this way, that
’
s fine.
 
I just can’
t deal with it anymore.
”

I looked back at the room and Chase was nodding.
  “
Xavier, please.
” 
I didn
’
t know what to say.
 
I knew Chase was crazy.
 
I couldn
’
t let Maverick get hurt.

“
Juliet, unless you have something to tell me, I
’
m going to bed.
”

“Xavier,”
I hissed, hoping my voice was as frantic as I felt.

Xavier turned and looked at me.
  “
Please,
”
I mouthed help.
 
Xavier noticed and eyed me carefully.
 
I looked back in the room and Chase was making a shooing motion with his hand.
 
If Xavier left now, I was screwed either Maverick was going to get hurt or I was going to be forced into something I wanted nothing to do with.
 
Xavier took a tentative step closer.

Chase pointed at me and then pointed in front of himself.
 
He wanted me in that room.
 
That was the last thing I wanted, but I had to get Maverick out of there.

“
Juliet?
”
Xavier asked.
  “
What are you looking at?
”

I shook my head, but Chase noticed.
  “
If that prick comes into view I
’
ll shoot him and the boy both.
”
I froze.

Xavier immediately was in a fighting stance.
  “
Is that Chase?
”

I nodded.
  “He
’
s got a gun.”

“
I will fucking kill you all.
”

“
Chase, you don
’
t want to do that.
”
I started as calmly as I could.