“Fine.” London sighs, taking a few bags from Julianna.
Charleigh does the same, and they start to head back to Julianna’s bedroom.
We’re halfway there when Charleigh shouts over her shoulder, “I guess it’s safe to say we aren’t going to Club Verona!”
“Fuck, no.” Julianna snorts behind me. “Not making that mistake again. After last time, I made sure to do my research. I took note of every club Rome owns within the five boroughs.”
I laugh with the rest of the girls as I gripmy phone, aware of Holt’s unanswered text still sitting there. I know I need to decide, and I know I’m only fooling myself if I say I won’t even consider it.
It’s the fact I’m even considering it in the first place that has me not responding. Maybe I’ll just spend the rest of my life haunted by the memory of our one date. It would already be more than I’d bargained for, considering I’ve committed myself to remaining single for the rest of my life.
Maybe I could do this with Holt, though. Julianna’s right. I don’t fall in love with anyone. Fake dating him should be easy. After all, I’d be doing him a favor by actively rehabilitating his image as it’s crumbling.
I’ve already begun to convince myself to let loose tonight, forgetting all thoughts of Holt and this fake dating scheme. I can figure this out another night.
We’ve made it just outside the threshold to Julianna’s room when she grabs my hand. “Hey, Selene?”
I stop and spin around.
I’ve admired Julianna’s beauty for years. She’s stunning with her chestnut brown hair and cobalt blue eyes, but this time is different than any other time. I look at her, and immediately, my mind swings back to Holt.
Intense yet kind. It’s in the Capuletis’ DNA.
“Yeah?”
“Please don’t tell Holt it was me.”
“Jules.” My shoulders drop, a sense of dread rushing through my veins.
“Please?”she begs, sliding her hand down my arm to squeeze my hand. “I know you said you don’t know if you’re going to keep seeing him, and I know it isn’t right for me to ask you to keep this from him, but if you do, please don’t tell him. I promise that I will soon. I need to be the one who tells him. He needs to hear it from me. I own this one.”
I swallow, nodding in understanding. It needs to come from her. It should.
I may be considering dating Holt Capuleti—well, sort of—but first and foremost, I’m Julianna’s best friend.
“I promise.”
“Thank you.” She breathes a sigh of relief, and so do I.
Then Julianna hooks her arm in mine, ushering me into her room, but the sudden realization that getting Holt off my mind tonight will be next to impossible when I’m spending it with his sister hits me at once.
Even if I weren’t spending the night with Julianna, though, I still wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about Holt. As much as I can’t stop thinking about him, I don’t want to. I fear, in the end, I’ll crash and burn.
SIXTEEN
HOLT
This fucking woman.
She’s all I’m thinking about. She’s everywhere I look. She’s in every breath I draw. My lungs burn and my hands twitch. How is it possible to have fallen this fucking hard?
I thought I’d hit rock bottom all these years, watching Selene from a distance. But now? Now, I’m royally fucked.
Every day, I wake up disappointed to turn over and not see her shining green eyes. How can I miss her in my bed when she’s never even been in it?
Waking up frustrated, once again, I cancelled all my morning meetings and hit the gym, then headed back to my place to check in with Cory to make sure he and Macy were safe. After he assured me they were, I ignored another message from Treena, asking when I was seeing Selene again. Over the past few days, all she’s done is remind me of needing to keep the gossip columns intrigued. She needs fresh pictures of us together, growing closer.
A message from my father, reminding Julianna and me of our monthly visit to our mother’s gravesite was the final straw. I couldn’t fucking take it, and if I receive another message fromanyone other than Selene, I’m going to scream. So instead, I head back to my personal gym.
