What happened to your date???
Me:He’s inside talking to two other women. I’m sitting on the porch wishing I smoked so I could have a valid excuse to be outside during the party.
Bella::(
Bella:What a jerk!!!
Bella:At least you have Julian to keep you company.
I try to think up a proper reply, but my mind blanks. I haven’t told Bella about the kiss because I knew she’d give me shit for it. But at the mention of his name, the only thing I can think about is Julian in love with someone else. Who is this person? Someone far more put together than me, I’m sure. Someone at work I’ve seen him hang out with, or maybe even someone at the party at this very moment. I’m half tempted to peek through the window and examine his every interaction with the people around him.
In the end, I lock my phone with a sigh and place it face down on the table. I wish this night would end already. Behind me, the door cracks open. I spin around, dreading another encounter with my brother or, worse, Nathaniel sans women wondering where I went. But it’s Julian. I can’t decide if that’s better or worse.
“Tonight sucks, huh?” He gives a low, derisive chuckle.
“You could say that.” Words aren’t enough to describe how grateful I am that my voice comes out steady. I stand up from the chair and take in a gulp of fresh air, willing it to recenter me. Then I fold my hands behind my back, suddenly feeling shy for no discernible reason. “Am I self-absorbed?”
His brows crease. “What are you talking about?”
“We focus so much on me when we hang out,” I explain. “You hardly ever talk about yourself. I feel like you know me better than I know you.”
“You know me, Leti,” he says, something indiscernible in his eyes. “Maybe even more than your brother does, at this point.”
“That can’t be true. He’s your best friend, though I can’t imagine why.”
“You know what? After tonight, neither can I.”
I glance up at him, surprised. “Why are you? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“We don’t have much in common, but that’s never seemed to bother him.” He shrugs. “I…I had a hard year when we met, and he was there for me in a way other people weren’t.”
I wait for more to come, but that seems to be all he has to say. I want to ask him what made his year hard, comfort him the way my brother apparently could. Learn him the way he learned me. Would he push me away if I tried?
“What’s your favorite color?”
He ignores me, stepping forward until he’s standing right in front of me.
“Where’s your date?” he asks instead of answering my question. When I don’t say anything, he heaves an annoyed sigh. “Blue.”
“Mine too.” I inwardly curse myself.Don’t make this about you.Clearly I’ve done that enough already.
“I know,” he says, surprising me. “Your room. Everything in it is blue.”
“Fair enough,” I grumble. “Favorite food?”
Another sigh, longer this time. “Does this really matter?”
“Biggest pet peeve?” I blink up at him. “Oh, wait. I know.Me, right now.”
He smirks but doesn’t contradict me. “Tamales.”
“Which question are you answering?”
“Both,” he says. “They’re a hassle to make. I’ve tried it a couple times. But they’re worth the effort.”
I nod, satisfied.
“My turn now,” he says. “Where’s Nathaniel?”
