Spaceking

Chapter 23: Missed Your Chance

"Come on," he mulbled as he unlocked his phone for the third time in a minute. "Please answer me." He dialed the same number as the messages were sent to. He was nervous, almost pushing his phone through his head.
"Hello, welcome to voicemail," a woman's voice sounded harshly through his ears. He sighed frustrated, standing up and throwing his phone away. It bounced against a wall before landing safely on the sofa.
"What are you doing at this moment, Joanna?"

I pulled away from the soft lips, sighing deeply. I had felt my phone vibrate through my backpocket, and I was almost ninety-nine percent sure who it was. He had been calling me and sending me messages almost nonstop since I had left England, starting when I was home a day. All of his messages and voicemails were the same.
Please talk to me, I don't want to lose you, Jo.
It had been almost two months now, and I hadn't responded to any of his messages. I never called him back. He hurt me a lot, and I expected it, but it somehow still caught me by surprise. The first few days had been really hard, actually it had taken me two weeks before I dragged myself back to my work and lessons. But it was better now. Much.

"Are you alright, Jo?" Julian asked me as he wiped some hair out of my face. His lips were swollen and looking very pink. They looked like they could use even more kissing.
"Mhm?" I asked. My voice sounded groggy, like I was tipsy. "Uhh yes, of course. I just felt my phone vibrating," I said, reaching for backpocket. I was stradling Julian on the sofa in my room. "Oh, you need to call back?" He asked me, rubbing my back. Honestly, he was very good at all this kind of stuff. I unlocked my phone to look at my notifcations. Three texts, one missed call. All from the same contact. Danyul. I was surprised I had never even changed his name to just Daniel, but decided it would be no use. I never answered him anyway. His last text read: Joanna, you mean so much to me. I know I hurt you, but please talk to me.
Missed your chance, I thought. I threw my phone on the sofa next to me, turning back to Julian. He was watching me very carefully with those irresistable green eyes of him. I unwillingly thought back of brown ones, but shook the tought away. "Nope," I said, popping the p, "it's not important. I'll call back later." No I won't.
"Mhm, perfect," Julian sighed, bringing his face to my neck. I grinned. "Yeah? Why is that?" His nose snuggled the crook of my neck, and he said: "Because that means I have you for me a little longer," before he started to place kisses on the soft skin. I sighed happily. But then I took a grip on his jaw and turned his face up to mine. We stared at each other. "I have never seen such beautiful shade of grey," he whispered before I shushed him with my lips.

The first day I went back to work, I was yet again taken aback by Julian's beauty. Our relation was still awkward and uneasy the first few days, but then, the fourth day, Amber was there when I arrived.

**One month and eight days before**

"You remembered our date tonight, right?" A light voice sounded. I recognized it immediatly, and I flinched. Amber was here. And they had a date tonight. "Uhhh," Julian hesitated and his gaze met mine as I walked in. I headed to the room in the back, where I hung my coat and left my bag. "Goodmorning you two," I said. Julian smiled genuiely at me, but Amber ignored me. She was still scowling at Julian, who was placing the new books on shelves. I started unpacking the next box, helping him. I worked in silence as they talked.
"Julian?" Amber said. "You didn't forget, did you?"
I saw him flinch a bit. I looked at him. Was he tired of her? He didn't look like he liked her that much anymore. "Actually, Amber, I didn't plan on going on a date," he said as he turned around and walked up to her. He gave me a last wink.
"What do you mean, silly boy?" Amber tried to laugh it off, but I saw her worried eyes meet mine. She looked at me in a hateful way before smiling sweetly at Julian.
"I mean, Amber," he sighed, "exactly what I said. I don't want to go on a date with you tonight. Or ever again, for that matter." He said it like it was no big deal, but both mine and her eyes widened at his statement. Did he just break up with her? With me in the same room? God, now I had to watch all the drama.
But there wasn't that much drama. She didn't start crying or shouting. It kind of dissapointed me. The only thing she did, was glaring at  me, before leaning close to Julian. "You don't think I didn't know what was going on right?" She said softly to him. She could have been telling him she loved him, that was the tone she used. "I know you two kissed," she glared at me again. Julian's head snapped at me, eyes wide. My cheeks became hot. How did she find that out?!
"You probably couldn't stop thinking about her after that, right? But you knew you couldn't just dump me, and you tried to forget her. It was easier when she left for a month," every word she said surprised me. I looked at Julian, but he didn't look like he was going to deny it. Was what she said true?
"But then she came back. Just four days ago, you were almost over her, and then she came back. Just as cute as before, right? You immediatly fell hard again. I don't mind, Julian, I was almost tired of you too. But that you had to do this in front of that little girl," she ponited at me, "isn't something I'll easily forget. I hope for you she's just as good in bed as me."
That was the last thing she said before turning around and leaving the shop. I was frozen in place, my head hot. Julian turned to me, looking like he wanted to say something, but a customer entered the shop just then. He mouthed later at me.
Almost two hours later, as I was waving goodbye to a customer, Julian leaned on the counter next to me. "You know," he said as he watched me closely. His green eyes stared in my light grey ones. "Amber may be a bitch, but she sure isn't dumb."

**Back to present**

"Happy one month anniversary," Julian mumbled before he connected our lips again.

(A/N: I feel like I'm on a roll. The drama last chapter was the thing I looked forward to write the most, and now I feel like writing the rest will be easier. Next update? Think about three, four days.
Ikr, on the best roll ever.)