Untimely Love (Book 3)

♠Chapter 39♠

♠CHRIS♠

My phone was ringing again. It's been days of nonstop ringing. Once it became obvious that I wasn't responding to the group chat, that's when everyone started calling.

It wasn't as if I fell off the face of the earth with no sort of explanation; two weeks ago I told them I needed some time to myself. Even though I turned my location and chat notifications off, and put my phone on silent after, I still told them something.

The only calls I answered were from my parents. I preferred when I only had to ignore texts, it was easier because I didn't see them anymore. Now I had to constantly watch my phone ring at least thrice a day for the past five days because I didn't have the heart to block them or hang up.

This time, it was Julia. Before this, everyone else called, even Jess and Mar, but never Jules. I contemplated answering this one, her smiling face on the screen tempting. But the call ended so I turned my attention back to the TV.

I'd been rewatching a bunch of Disney movies to take up my free time and get my mind off things between final projects and assignments. I needed minimal drama and non-emotionally stressful things and Zack & Cody were doing the job.

I reached for another slice of pizza from the box on the table in front of me. The doorbell rang and I fell back against the couch, sighing up at the ceiling.

At the last possible second, I sat up quickly and snatched the remote to mute the TV. Seconds passed with no other sound. As I'm about to go back to my show, I heard her.

"Chris!" Julia called. "I'm wearing heels and my feet hurt."

Sighing, I fell back on the couch again. Out of everyone that could show up. I had nothing against Jules at all. But I wouldn't deny that she could be pretty demanding when the situation called for it. This was a situation that called for it, and I wasn't in the mood for an interrogation. I didn't want to be rude to her either, not with the fact that we hadn't held a decent conversation in so long.

"Please?"

I shook my head with a snicker but groaned as I dragged myself up, slipped on my slides, and headed to the door.

"I told you I was fine," I said the second I opened it, eyeing the two people there. Two for Christ's sake.

Jules stood there smiling. And behind her was Kolton, waving and grinning obnoxiously hard. Julia shrugged, handbag swaying in the crook of her elbow. "Well I haven't seen you in a long time and we were in the neighborhood."

"Were you?" I retorted skeptically.

"I didn't have a choice," Kol said, holding his hands up defensively.

She leaned back, eyeing me. "You're being so grumpy and mean, babe."

"Look, I'm busy that's all- it's not like I didn't explain that." I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, almost resting against the doorjamb.

Kolton had the decency to look sheepish at least. "Sorry, I tried but you know-" He gestured to Jules wordlessly.

Humming, Julia peered around me. "Can we come in?"

My hand slipped down the side of the door to the knob, my temple pressing against the wall. "Do you really have to?"

She eyed me again. "You have someone over? If that's what it is, I'd be happy to leave." She batted her eyelashes.

Any smart person in my situation would probably lie. I didn't realize the potential until after I gave her a look that turned down that idea quickly while simultaneously saying it was absurd to even think it.