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24. Julianna
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Consolation Prize 25. Colton
They told me that to make her fall in love, I had to make her laugh. But every time she laughs, I’m the one who falls in love. —Unknown“Let’s go out,” I suggested the next night as I patted Julianna’s thigh in encouragement.It was night two of Aunt Flow’s visit and since there was no action going to go on in the apartment—except for that one little blow job I’d begged from her about two seconds after I’d arrived, but that had been nearly two hours ago—I was getting cabin fever.Even Juli’s roommates were gone. She told me they often disappeared whenever she had her period because it made her so cantankerous, though I’d yet to see her even mildly moody.Glancing up from the really boring show on the television we’d been watching about how cement was made, she blinked at me from big brown eyes.“And do what?”I shrugged. “I don’t know. Let’s get something to eat.” We hadn’t had supper, and I was always ready to eat.She blinked as if startled. “You want to go out to dinner with
Consolation Prize 26. Julianna
Most of us don’t need a psychiatric therapist as much as a friend to be silly with. —Robert BraultFriendship is a like a rainbow between two hearts. —Unknown“I think I’m done with this pansy-maker,” Colton announced, pulling the ice pack away from his eye. The paramedics had given it to us when they’d first arrived and checked him out. It was beginning to drip with condensation as he held it out away from him.“I’ll go return it to them,” I offered, taking it from his hand.“Thanks, baby doll.” He kissed me in gratitude.Red and blue lights flashed over me as I approached the ambulance where they’d just restrained the drunk who’d fought with Colton enough to successfully get him inside. I could see two paramedics in the vehicle with him as they wrapped his arm with a temporary sling, while a third stood just outside the opened doors, talking to a pair of cops.One of the officers noticed me and nodded respectfully. “We’ll take him to jail once they get him checked out at the ho
Consolation Prize 27. Julianna
I knew I loved you when suddenly “home” went from a place to a person. —UnknownThe next day was a Saturday, no college classes, so I didn’t have to worry about how I was going to act around Colton in philosophy. I’d never told a guy I loved him over the phone before. Actually, the only other person I’d said it to had been Shaun, and he’d proposed directly after that and we’d spent the rest of the day in bed together.I shuddered with revulsion, just thinking about him and that day, while a nasty taste filled my tongue. Remembering other guys felt wrong now. I kind of wished everything had started with Colton because he was the only thing that felt right.And yet I was sitting here stressing about how I was going to behave around him the next time I saw him.We both knew we loved each other now.What would I say to him about it? Just blurt it out again first thing? What if he retracted his part of it because he really had gotten a concussion the night before, and he’d been delirio
Consolation Prize 28. Colton
I love my eyes when you look into them. I love my name when you say it. I love my heart when you touch it. I love my life when you are in it. —UnknownThe ringing of a cell phone on the nightstand about a foot from my head woke me from a pleasant dream. Needing to shut it up as soon as possible, I blindly swiped out my hand and captured the bleating device. Somehow I was able to slide my thumb across the front and answer it without cracking open a single eye.“’Lo,” I croaked.A beat of silence followed before a hesitant voice asked, “Colton?”Brandt.“Yeah. What d’you want?” I mumbled, yawning as I tried to get my brain to function.“I, uh.” He emitted an uneasy laugh that had me finally opening my eyes. Then he said, “Nothing. I mean, I wasn’t trying to call you. Sorry, I must’ve misdialed.”With a grateful groan, I slurred, “Good.” Now I didn’t have to think and come up with a rational response to whatever he wanted. “I’m going back to bed.”Clicking off the call, I started
Consolation Prize 29. Colton
Family: like branches on a tree, we all grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one. —UnknownBrandt dropped his hand where he’d had it raised to knock. His gaze settled on me before he said, “I knew I hadn’t called the wrong number.”I shrugged. “You know, you could’ve just checked the call history on your phone instead of coming all the way over here to figure that out, right?”He narrowed his eyes at my smart-ass reply. “What the fuck are you doing here, Colton?” Then he dropped his gaze to where my hand was linked with Julianna’s, and his eyes bulged with disbelief.She tightened her grip on me. I wasn’t sure if she was nervous or trying to be supportive. But I did know she wasn’t ashamed of being caught by him with me, which was all I needed to know.So I blinked at my brother and shot back just as accusingly, “What the fuck are you doing here? You’re the married one of us two.”He shot me a grow-up look and muttered, “I’m trying to figure out why you were answ
Consolation Prize 30. Julianna
One day someone is going to hug you so with that all of your broken pieces fit back together. —UnknownI was pacing my living room and waiting for word back from Colton about how things had gone with his brother—who was not my favorite person at the moment—when Tyla blew into the apartment, crying hysterically.She slammed the door behind her and started to storm toward the hallway but shrieked when she saw me lurking nearby.“Oh my God, JuJu.” She pressed her hand to her heart. “You scared the shit out of me. What’re you doing here?”“I live here,” I said slowly before reaching out to catch her arm. “Are you okay?”“No,” she wailed, burying the heels of her palms into her eye sockets. “I did it. I broke up with him. I told him to go shove it where the sun didn’t shine. Oh my God, JuJu. What am I going to do?”“Well, first you’re going to sit down,” I told her gently as I took her arm and led her toward the couch. “Then you’re going to drink the cup of hot tea I make you and you’
Consolation Prize 31. Julianna
When someone else’s happiness is your happiness, that is love. —UnknownColton straightened with surprise. “Wait, what?” His eyes went wide and scared as they darted between me and Tyla. “Pregnant?”I blinked at my roommate, utterly confused. “Yeah…what?” I asked Tyla.“Well…” She blinked at me, clearly confused. “You said something about jostling your ovaries.”I glanced toward Colton. He glanced back at me. And we both burst out laughing.Tears were streaming down my face and Colton still couldn’t calm down enough to help me explain our inside joke when Tyla finally lifted her hands, and said, “Never mind. I don’t want to know. You and your happy new relationship is making me ill.”“No, wait.” I dove at her, grabbing her arm. “I’m sorry. We’ll stop. I’ll behave, I swear.”“Yeah, I won’t touch her for the rest of the night,” Colton promised, right before sending me a big wink and then scooting me off his lap. Then he turned all his attention to Tyla. “This is your night. We’ll
Consolation Prize 32. Colton
Find a heart that will love you at your worst and arms that will hold you at your weakest. —UnknownI stayed with Julianna until morning, and I swear we held each other a little tighter all night long as if we both feared someone was going to barge into her room and physically tear us apart, namely her dad.After her alarm went off, we knew we needed to get up and prepare for a day full of classes, but we didn’t want to move just yet. We lay there, staring up at her ceiling as we remained wrapped around each other in our safe little cocoon.“Is it bad that I want to hunt down your ex and kick the shit out of him for telling your dad?” I asked.She huffed out a laugh. “Honey, get in line. I would love nothing more than to punch him in the throat right about now.”“I can’t believe he and your dad still talk. I mean, your dad knows why you divorced him, right?”When Julianna swallowed audibly, I looked at her. “Julianna?”With a sigh, she closed her eyes. “I just told him I felt li
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