I swiftly turned my head and spotted an older man smoking a cigarette while leaning against a wall with three other people. "Hey, honey, come over here, and we'll show you how three real men treat a beautiful woman like you!" I rolled my eyes, but before I could take a step, my roommates returned and surrounded me. "Get lost, man!" Kyle shouted. "What's wrong with you, you pervert, hitting on women younger than you?" Mark yelled. Kent remained silent but placed his hand on my shoulder to shield me from them. "Look, you guys, it's fine," I grumbled. "Just take it easy." I sighed, finally finding my chapstick. Although it wasn't right, it wasn't anything new. I knew he wouldn't try anything with three other guys present. "Guys like that give the rest of us a bad name," Mark said to me, and I snorted. "Don't take it too personally," I reminded him, and Kent released his grip on my arm. I didn't want him touching me, and I didn't want his problems near me. I capped my chapstick, but
Tonight, I feel like I'm in my element. Every fiber of my being seems to thrum with energy. After the trying week I've endured, the sheer joy of tonight almost feels surreal. But I yearned for this happiness, this sense of fun and liberation. Abby proved to be the perfect drinking companion, sharing my enthusiasm for dancing. Our moves might not have been impressive, but the sheer delight we found on the dance floor made it all worthwhile. "Let's grab some shots!" Abby beckons, and I nod in agreement. We rush back to the bar and order vodka shots, clinking our glasses together before downing them. I grimace slightly, feeling a shiver race down my spine, but I suppress the reaction as best as I can. "One more?" "We've already had about seven, should we really continue?" I inquire, and she responds with a nonchalant shrug. "Perhaps not, but let's indulge in one more," she pleads with clasped hands, and I relent. "Jäger?" "Sure, it's budget-friendly!" I confirm, and she leans in to s
Dane? Like a great dane? Who names their children such peculiar names? It sounds almost like a fabricated moniker for a vampire from a Twilight novel. "Hello, I'm Julianna. Nice to meet you," I say warmly, extending my hand, which he shakes. "Are you attending Brown?" "No, I'm no longer in college. I dropped out a few years ago," he responds with a shrug. "You're a student?" "Yes, I'm in my fourth year, almost done," I mention. "Oh, you're almost finished! I was about to say, you don't look like a typical student; you seem a bit older," he laughs, and I raise my eyebrows. "Not in a bad way, but you come across as quite mature," I smile when he says that. I was indeed an adult and had always appeared a bit older than my age. "So, if you're not a student, what do you do?" "I work on developing software," he tells me, which elicits a quizzical look from me. "And why are you hanging out at a student hotspot like Apex?" I ask with a smile, and he chuckles. "Well, perhaps I was about
I can't recall anything from the weekend. On Sunday, I stayed holed up in my room, dedicating the day to perfecting my project. I intentionally took the day off work to ensure I could focus. I knew I hadn't treated Kent well on Saturday. I had been intoxicated and had let out all my frustrations on him. I yearned for a return to the way things used to be. I enjoyed our conversations, and it bothered me that he was distant when I knew he could be different. Then there was Chase, and the whole situation was driving me insane. I couldn't fathom what I had done to make him kiss me like that. Last night, sleep eluded me as my mind swirled with worries and thoughts. I couldn't comprehend how guys were complicating my life, but they were. Back at home, I didn't have any guys interested in me, and I preferred it that way. Now, I had to navigate Kent, Chase, and even Dane. On top of that, I had to give a presentation about my thesis. I had no choice but to put them all on the backburner unt
"When we're done here, we'll talk more and send you a full letter, but we're very interested in your research, Julianna," says Doctor Carlton, and I smile. It's the first time I've felt the stress leave my back since I started working on my presentation. "We're going to go ahead with your project, and we're looking forward to your next presentation in the new year." "Thanks, and I'm glad you like it." I walk forward, smile, and shake each of their hands. "And I really appreciate your time today." "Of course," he says with a smile. "We want to thank you for being so prepared and working through the technical problems. It's clear that this was important to you." I tell him, "It was...important to me," and he smiles and nods his head. "Thank you for being there for me during the change." "Of course, Julianna, have a good day and let me know if you have any questions," he says, and I quickly start to get my papers and laptop together. As I rush out of the room, I smile and wave briefly
"Julianna, there's yet another vase waiting for you on the step!" The sound causes me to groan as I push myself away from the desk in my bedroom. The entire week, Chase has been sending flowers to me; I don't know if it's to try and apologize or what, but I can't deal with him right now because the grind never stops and I have school things to get done on top of what I already have to do at work. "What is it that they are doing this time?" When I got back to the living room, I saw Mark holding a vase that was full of red roses. "What are those?" I asked. "Oh my goodness, why can't he at least send some nice flowers?" I let out a sigh as my irritation grew. "Not a fan of red roses, are you?" I laugh at his jokes while removing the vase from his grasp and placing it on the countertop in the kitchen. I despise them because of how cheesy they are. I informed him about it. "Up until now, they've all been red roses; if they were another kind of flower, I'd probably display them in my bed
When I hear a knock on the door and some talking, I start getting dressed. She's here way too early. Before I leave, I quickly change into my clothes and put on some nice shoes. Then, I grab my purse and check myself in the mirror to make sure I look good. I pick up the roses for her and walk down the hall. What surprises me is how Kent can make my mother laugh, no matter what story he tells her. He even brought her a glass of water. "Uh, hi, Mom," I say quietly. Usually, she rushes to me for a hug, but Kent was chatting with her. "Oh, Julianna!" I give her a hug when she smiles. "You can have these," I tell her as I hand over the flowers. "Be careful. She's happy," Kent says. "We were just talking about how interesting your thesis presentation was." "Really?" I ask, raising my eyebrows, and he nods. "Yeah, it's pretty cool," he says with a casual shrug. "I told you to be ready when I told you to," Mom says, and I sigh. She pokes my arm. "You said to be ready at a quarter to,"
My mother has been talking about Kent ever since she had dinner with him. It's only been two days, but she's already mentioned him twice. I'm not sure what she sees in him. Kent is tall, handsome, can be kind, has a confusing charm, and smiles with dimples, but I don't understand what's so special about that. Ugh, here I go again. Even though we're finally getting along, I can't stop my mind from wandering to him when it shouldn't. We've agreed to be friends, and he's made it clear that he knows the boundaries and won't cross them again. I need to let go of this silly thing that's driving me crazy for no reason. He can't be in a relationship. What he's told me should be enough, and his actions and what I've seen support his words. I know Kent has a lot on his mind, and I suspect he didn't have a great childhood. He's dealing with enough, and I don't want to add to his burden. We can keep this a secret because it was just a mistake between friends. I can control my feelings, and he
After 2 years... Kent "Today has to be perfect." I've been super busy preparing for this day for the last few weeks. It has to happen tonight, or she'll suspect something's up. Juls is getting her master's degree today, and I've never been prouder. She's incredibly smart, always reading or researching. That pile of library books in our office never seems to shrink. She's applied to Ph.D. programs all over, but I think she'll stay at Brown. I'm okay with that because I don't want anything to change about our lives. Well, except for one thing that I hope to change today. I finished my MBA a few months ago and started working full-time downtown. I'm in marketing for now but aiming for investment banking and trust. I know my path, and with time and connections, I hope to take care of us. Juls keeps saying she'll stay in school because she doesn't know what else to do, but I think it's the other way around. School and academia bring out her best. Her eyes light up when she learns some
"We're almost there," Kent insists, turning on his car's signal. I feel like we're in the middle of nowhere, and we've been driving for over an hour. Kent refused to tell me our destination because, as he put it, "I would just g****e where we're going, and then it wouldn't be a surprise anymore!" The weather was gradually getting less cold, not warm yet but no longer snowing or freezing. I was on my last spring break, trying to finish my thesis and schoolwork. We recently received information about our upcoming graduation. In about a month and a half, we would be finishing our undergrad degrees. It was still surreal to me, moving from starting a university degree to finishing it. Kent had been discussing plans for the summer, including hiking trips, which I pretended not to dread. I wasn't much of a hiker, but I was willing to do it with him. We signed our lease for next year, securing that cute little apartment on the other side of campus. The thought of moving in with him excite
"I got my email." Even though Doctor Binkley said I have a spot, I'm still nervous to open it. Maybe I should've waited to open it when I'm alone, but I can't wait. I'm opening it on my way out of lecture. I open the email, quickly reading the first few lines. But at the top, there's a big box that says 'congratulations' and 'welcome!' My heart immediately slows down, and I feel relieved, clutching my phone to my chest. It's official; I'm staying at Brown next year. That means I'll be with my family, my school, and, of course, Kent. We can start our life together, still have our friends and continue studying, but we'll be together. I remember how tough that month at Northwestern was, how much I missed him, and how I felt like I had no support. I need to text my parents and tell them the news. They've been anxiously waiting to hear what I'd do about my living situation next year. But I'll do it later. Right now, I just want to go home and be with someone I love. I pull out my phone
"I hate school sometimes." Yes, I like researching and finding answers to questions no one's ever thought of before, and I like my degree, but the coursework sucks. I'm sick of reading pages and pages of scholarly articles and books and writing a new paper every other week. My honors project is draining every ounce of energy from me, and I was starting to worry if it was even worth it anymore. I hadn't heard about Brown's Master's program yet, and that's the whole reason for this extra burden. Today was Tuesday, one of my busier days. I only had class today until noon, and then I usually spent the rest of the day grinding out work. Today I had to meet with Doctor Binkley and discuss my work. It was something we did monthly to make sure I felt like I was always on the right track. Kent had a break after his class at one-thirty, and we were planning to meet up and study together until his next class at four. Then I was planning to go home and take it easy. I take the elevator up to
I wake up in the middle of a large bed with Kent beside me. We were completely tangled in bedsheets, just beside each other in a beautiful room. I sigh, feeling my body ache and my head pound, but it's bearable. I shuffle over slightly, laying my head on his chest and snuggling back into his side. That seems to get his attention. He moves under me and groans slightly, eyelids fluttering. I feel his lips press a simple kiss to my temple, and I smile. "Hey, Juls," he mumbles. "Hi," I whisper back, watching his eyes open slowly. He grins at me easily, running a hand through my hair. "How do you feel?" he asks, and I shrug. "I have a headache and I'm tired, but I'm okay," I sigh, tracing my fingertips down the center of his chest. "I had a lot of fun last night." "Good," he whispers, putting his hand over mine on his chest. "I know how hard you've been working and all the crap we've been dealing with." His voice is thick with sleep, deep and raspy. "It was nice to have a day that wa
"It's been an amazing night and an unbelievable birthday. I'm pleasantly tipsy, happy, aware, and buzzing," I express. It looks like all three of our friends have scored phone numbers tonight, giving Kent and me some alone time. I notice the place clearing out, and I realize it's probably time to head home. The bar is closing in about thirty minutes, and it's close to three in the morning. "Want to go somewhere else?" Abby asks as we wait for our jackets. I sigh and shake my head. I'm ready to devour some greasy food, drink water, and snuggle into bed with Kent. We've teased about getting intimate, but with all our roommates around, it's not a possibility. I've let go of that idea and just want a relaxed and easy night. "I'm good," I sigh, and she nods with a simple shrug. "Thanks a lot for everything; this night was so, so fun!" "I'm thrilled you enjoyed it!" She insists, giving me a hug, and I grin. Kent retrieves our coats, and I sigh, not looking forward to facing the cold a
It was nice to feel noticed by him, nice to know that he always seemed to care about what I was up to. I'd never felt attractive before I started dating Kent. We all round up the last of our coats and shoes while the Uber's on its way. I get my coat on, and I feel Kent slide his hand along the small of my back. I gasp a bit quietly and look up, seeing his cocky grin. "You look nice," he whispers, and I chuckle, feeling his fingertips slide around the edge of my waistband. Soon we're all piling into an Uber, and I hear Abby chatting up the driver in the front seat. I'll always be envious of her confidence and how she talks to people like she's known them forever. We grab a quick dinner at a pizza place around the corner. Everyone pushed that we should go somewhere nicer, but I didn't want to. I just wanted to go out and have fun with my friends. I hadn't gone out in a long time, not really since before Christmas, and I'd spent way too much time feeling lonely, buried in work and ove
"Did you want to stay longer?" Kent asks as we step into his car, and I smile, closing the door and putting my seatbelt on. "No, we've been there for hours," I mumble, safely tucking my birthday card into my coat's inner pocket. "If we stay longer, we're staying for dinner." Time with my family was amazing, it meant the world to me, and I was thankful I had it so close to my birthday. "Your parents are really cool," he admits, turning on the car and shifting it into drive. "No, they really aren't," I snort. "Did you miss the part where mom pulled out my baby album and sang my favorite lullaby? To all of us?" I ask, and he chuckles. "Or my dad talking about his Master's thesis? His theoretical chemistry Master's thesis?" "You know what I mean," he defends. "They're...people. Like real, normal, kind people who care about everyone." "I guess they have that going for them, huh?" I laugh, and he smiles. "I can't believe that check, that's not like them. They don't just hand out money
We head inside, and I take a deep breath, walking into our house. My family's house always makes me feel happy, like I'm somewhere safe and full of love. Mom's burning some cinnamon candle, and I can hear noise from the kitchen. "What's that smell?" Kent asks, and I laugh. "Mom loves scented candles, it's probably some clearance one that she picked up from somewhere," I explain, unsure where the nearly offensive candle was. Kent hated strong scents; he claimed they gave him headaches. "Sorry." "It's okay, just... don't go burning anything like that at our place," he says, and I chuckle, reaching for his hand. "Hello?" I call, bringing Kent to the kitchen, and mom gasps, hopping up from the stove and running over. "Juls," she whispers, squeezing the life out of me. "I'm so glad you could come." "Me too, I missed you," I whisper, and she pulls back, rubbing my arms in that aggressive mom-like way. "And I missed you, oh! You're so beautiful and smart-" "Okay, mom," I mumble, and s