After All These Years

Loving her was Red

Songs to go with the chapter:

Red - Taylor Swift

A Little Bit You're - JP Saxe

I Don't Want To - Alessia Cara

......

Julia shifted uncomfortably at Sophie's brash confrontation, ignoring the not unfamiliar flash of anger that flared up. Relax, she told herself. This isn't Chase Devineaux. "Well...uh, she's the old friend I went to meet, her name is Scarlett. I met her years ago when I worked with Interpol." Truth. Lie. Half-truth. Julia counted off silently.

She probably should have felt worse for lying to her girlfriend. But it was for her own good. Right? There was no telling what ACME would do to her if they found out she had told a civilian about their existence. But they had been prominent in the news of late, even going so far as to having their name mentioned, so there was no telling what they would do. Better to be safe and not tell her, Julia told herself, trying to assure herself of her own decision.

Regardless of Julia's inner conflict, Sophie wasn't buying it. Her dark eyes smoldered as if she had miniature fires in place of her irises. "That's crap Julia. You expect me to believe that? You called her Carmen. When I walked up, you were smiling into her eyes like you were in love with her. So who is she really? An old ex? You two certainly had a hard time taking your eyes off of each other," she scoffed.

As if it weren't common practice to glance occasionally at the person you were having dinner with.

Julia sighed, eyes downcast. "It's complicated. But we never dated." Not officially. Although she wouldn't deny the fact that she had wished it on many occasions. Because who in their right mind wouldn't want Carmen for themselves? "Her name is Carmena Valdez. But you would know her better as Carmen Sandiego."

Disbelief and instant recognition flashed across Sophie's face. "That international superthief that was constantly in the news years ago? The superthief that no one has been able to locate since she disappeared?"

Julia studied Sophie's face warily. "That would be the one."

"How the hell do you know her? And why did she show up here out of the blue when several governments are trying to find her so she could take you out to dinner?"

Why indeed. "I hadn't asked. Because we haven't seen each other in quite a few years? It is common practice to catch up with your...friends every once in a while," she said.

"You didn't ask because you were too busy reveling in her presence to wonder why she's actually here," Sophie muttered.

Julia closed her eyes against the headache brewing behind her eyes and sighed. She was getting quite tired of Sophie's spitefulness and thinly veiled resentment. Why would I really need to? She feared she knew the answer already, and the answer she suspected wasn't completely for the same motives Carmen had first presented to her. Not that she would ever tell Sophie that.

Julia just hoped that Carmen had enough decency to recognize the legitimacy of her relationship and leave her in peace. Asking her outright would just give her confirmation of the fact that there could still be existing feelings between them. But maybe Sophie could just give me a single moment of goddamn peace instead of being insecure about a woman I haven't seen in years, Julia thought fiercely, clenching her hands into fists in her pockets.

Rather than voicing her frustrations, Julia set her lips in a hard line. "There's nothing going on with her, Sophie. We're just friends. Like I've been trying to tell you."