• Tomorrow Will Be Different • {J.C} (P.1)

•Chapter Thirty-Three•

        "You what?" Albert's hand clamped down on the strings of the fretboard, ceasing all sound coming from his guitar.

        Julian's eyes roamed the empty rehearsal space, wishing he had moved up the time everyone had agreed to meet.

He just wanted to tweak a few things before everyone showed up. Albert had only tagged along because of carpool.

"You heard me." Jules mumbled as he adjusted Fab's hi-hat. He tried to appear calm under Albert's scrutiny, but inside, he was reeling.

        "Are you fucking insane?" Albert strained as he closed the space between them. "You are- you're fucking insane."

"I had a lapse in judgement." Julian spoke in his own defense.

        "Breaking into someone's house is not a lapse in judgement... it's fucking insane." Albert pulled the guitar strap over his head, propping his Fender on the stand.

"He wasn't even there—besides, I didn't really break in... I used Erin's keys."

         "That woman is gonna be the death of you... I mean it. You need to stop tryin to get with Erin—it ain't gonna happen." Albert pointed with wide, serious eyes.

        Julian's lips twisted down into a frown. He looked to the floor beneath his feet, rocking back on his heels. He pulled out a soft pack of Marlboro reds from his pocket, tapping out a cigarette from the opening of the corner.

By the time he placed the filter between his lips, Albert was looking at him—he had already figured it out.

        "You slept with Erin."

Jules scoffed out a laugh; his brows furrowed as he flashed a lopsided grin, as if he couldn't believe Al had the audacity to accuse him of such a thing.

        "You did- you had sex with Erin." Albert insisted as he stepped even closer. "I should've known- how else would you have known about the marks? It's not like Erin would've just showed you. Gettin' that woman to admit to anything is like pulling teeth."

        Smoke billowed around Julian's face as he lit the end of his cigarette, carefully sliding the lighter back into the pocket of his jeans.

        "Okay, yeah- I had sex with her... but so what?" Julian admitted with a shrug.

He made his way over to the vacant metal chair, needing to sit down. Deep down, Julian knew that having sex with Erin was consequential, no matter how nonchalant he tried to seem about it. Having sex with Erin was a big deal—a very big deal.

        "So you had sex with her, broke into Mike's apartment, and then you... pissed in his bed?—Did I hear that right?"

"No, but it crossed my mind."

         "It's got a bit of a Shakespeare vibe, don't you think?" Al smirked with a shake of his head.

"There's no tragedy... at least not yet. There will be though if I ever run into him—if he ever comes near her again." Julian confessed.

Every time Jules thought he could let it go, he would think of the contusions scattered all over Erin's body. Michael would have his day soon, Julian was sure of it.

       "So, you um... you have feelings for her?" Albert asked. He already knew that Julian did; however, he needed to know how intense those feelings were.

"I mean, I care about her... obviously." Julian hesitated.

        "Reel it back a little."

"I don't understand what that means." Julian mumbled.

        "I know Erin a hell of a lot better than you do-"

"Do you?" Julian smirked, squinting an eye through a cloud of smoke that lingered around his face.
"That He-Man tin she told me to look for in your top drawer definitely had me wondering."

        "Erin doesn't know what she wants. The girl has been lived through vicariously her entire life; her Mom really fucked her up. Which then led her to Mike, and we both know how that turned out. She's at a point in her life where she's just trying to figure shit out." Al tried to explain delicately.

Albert knew that Julian was smart, but he wasn't sure he had the capacity to fathom what he was trying to say without crushing him. He feared that his feelings for Erin had reached beyond the point of no return; Jules would inevitably get hurt.

        "Everyone's tryin to figure shit out." Julian tried to insist, very much aware of what Albert had just implied.

Erin would never surrender herself to Julian in the same ways he would for her. she was simply incapable. Which only meant one thing—Jules would have to suffer for what others had done to her.

        "Just reel it back a little. Don't, you know... fall into the big L-word."

Julian scratched the side of his head, causing his shaggy brown tresses to shake vigorously—it was already too late.

The thought of the way Erin had looked at him while he was inside her put his mind at ease. That look had to mean something, Julian was sure of it.

Of course he was worried, but he was reassuringly comforted by the memory of Erin beneath him.

        "Erin's a good person," Albert explained. "If you did end up, you know... hurt... it wouldn't be intentional."

"I know." Julian spoke low, unable to look Albert in the eye.

        "So, He-Man came in handy, huh? Dude, you seriously gotta stock up." Albert picked up his guitar again, placing the strap over his shoulder. Time was drawing near for the rest of the guys to arrive.

"I am stocked up, I have been for a while now. I just didn't wanna take a chance on killing the mood, you know?" Julian stood, dropping his cigarette into the aluminum can by Fabrizio's drum set. He turned around to see Albert was glaring at him.

        "You guys fucked in my bed?"

"Relax, everything's been washed. That was the first thing Erin did-"

"Don't do it again—you hear me?"

"It won't happen again."

"If it does... I will piss in your bed. I will do to you what you almost did to Mike, you understand me?"

       Julian mashed his lips together to contain a self satisfied grin. If the moment were to present itself again, Jules knew that he would, indeed, do it again.

        Julian didn't care where, as long as it was with Erin—he'd have her anywhere. Having his own bed desecrated was worth it.