Manhunt

Chapter 9

The week had gone by incredibly fast, making Monday night's events seem almost fictional. Things remained normal between her and Zane, and they continued to hang out and talk as if she hadn't tried stabbing him within twelve hours of them meeting. Sydney had confirmed that she gave him her number, following it with the words you're welcome before giving Julia a wink. Considering she had a mostly pleasant time on Monday—minus the fight, of course—she had decided to leave it be. But eventually, she needed to confront the fact that he was an agent. She needed to confirm why his family moved here—if him having a family was even true. She gritted her teeth, irritated by her pessimistic thoughts. She blamed her upbringing.

Almost every night following the reveal, they shared phone calls, staying up late to talk about whatever came to mind. He had even joined her and Sydney in watching Caroline's swim meet, cheering alongside them as their friend ripped through the pool with her teammates. It had been his first time witnessing a swimming competition, and he developed a newfound respect for those who swam so hard that they couldn't even climb out of the pool by the end of their race. For him, it was interesting to see others fight so hard in something that wasn't life or death.

Julia learned more about Zane's hobbies, dislikes, and interests, finding his love for comedy particularly fitting. Every chance he'd get, he'd make a joke, often getting Caroline and Sydney in trouble during class from the roars of laughter they'd share. Frustratingly enough, Julia kept thinking back to the sweet things he had said to her, still surprised by how easily he was able to say such embarrassing words. Feeling a blush creep up again, she shook her head to clear her thoughts. She couldn't have already started to form a crush on him...she only knew him for less than a week.

She wasn't going to be one of those girls who instantly fell for a guy they didn't even know. Love at first sight, who believed in that anymore?

After discovering that the town he resided in wasn't what he had hoped for, Zane learned that everyone remained mostly to themselves. Although the agents' unknown origins initially made him uncomfortable, he eventually relaxed, finding that aside from this town, his school was mostly normal. She couldn't reveal Virtus to him, but he didn't expect her to, much like how she didn't expect him to reveal anything about his organization. The only thing they knew about one another was that they were still their respective group's trainees.

There was a sense of comfort knowing that he understood what it was like to live a double life. He had expressed the same sentiment one night, before stating how grateful he was to have met Julia. She couldn't help but to feel the same. It made things easier. Being the only one of her agency to attend a normal school made it difficult to talk about mundane things with her teammates, who all attended the private institute funded by Virtus.

Sighing, Julia crawled out of bed before heading to the shower, clearing her thoughts as she formulated the next steps for her to get ready for the wedding. The ceremony was in the late afternoon, followed by the reception in the evening. Considering she grew up with Larissa, she wanted to be there for the moment she got married—she wouldn't miss it for the world. But with the amount of time she'd take to get ready, she needed to get her arrangements started as quickly as possible.

Finishing up in the shower, she brushed her teeth before rushing to blow dry her hair, hoping it wouldn't frizz out on her. Once she saw her locks were behaving, she plugged in her hair straightener while she went into her closet to grab the dress. Pulling it out from its hanger, she brushed her fingers over the plum-colored material of the dress, giving it another once over. It was a peplum dress that stopped around mid-thigh, with thick off the shoulder straps and neckline. Julia decided on a pair of strappy silver heels with accessories to match, deeming it a safe option to go along with the dress.