Love & Conditions (New York Billionaires Book 2)

21| Party

I changed the chapter name

TW: Sexual Assault

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Party

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Chapter 21: Party (Jules's POV)

"You'd rip her to shreds," I whispered mostly to myself, watching him carefully. 

"You bet I fucking would," he replied, holding my gaze. Christian and I were arguing too much in the short time we were forced to spend together and again and today I thought I'd try my best to prevent that. Obviously, it's impossible for us not to argue at all but today hadn't gone all the way south. 

Yet. 

"You can't fight my battles for me, Christian," I said, shaking my head softly. 

"I don't want to. I know you can stand up for yourself. But I don't like seeing you in trouble." He tore his gaze away from mine first and turned to stare out the window, his jaw ticking as he clenched it. "I can't stand to see someone hurt you." Then he added, "And that's not the first time I've told you that." 

"Things used to be different." 

He faced me again. "The first time I told you that, we despised each other." 

"Not more than we do now." 

Lifting a sharp brow at me, he watched me doubtfully. "Are you sure about that?" 

"Jules, get up," Audrey whined, throwing a short white satin slip dress at me out of my closet. 

I caught it with a groan and ran a finger over the diamond straps. "I really don't feel like going tonight, Audrey." 

"Are you kidding me? Finals just ended, everyone's going to this party." She paused and then sat at the foot of my bed. "Do you really not want to go? I mean..." She shrugged then, "I'll stay with you." 

"Please, don't do that. You've been looking forward to this party all week. It got you through finals." 

"Are you sure? You know it's not a party if you're not there." 

"That's such a lie," I laughed. 

"Well, not for me. Everyone says we're joined at the hip. I like it better when that's true," she grinned, her nose scrunching up. I chuckled, watching her, still holding onto the dress I planned to wear tonight. "We're the lives of the party though," she announced, pointing a finger at me before she slipped into the bathroom and started getting ready. Only a few seconds later, she threw her makeup brush down and came back out, stomping a foot. "Jules!" 

"All right!" I began standing up, spreading the dress out on my bed. "Let me get ready," I muttered, grabbing my makeup bag and sitting on the floor in front of the full-body mirror. 

She squealed, reaching down and grabbing my shoulders from behind, shaking me aggressively, making me yell through my laughter with annoyance and amusement. "I love you!" she screamed in my ear before going back into the bathroom while I stared at her like she was crazy.