❝ so I lay my head back down and I lift my hands and pray to be only yours ❞
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Kaylie somehow ended up asleep on Julian's shoulder that night. And so he gently lifted her into his arms and carried her into his apartment. He chose the softest blanket he had and gingerly laid it over her sleeping figure on his bed.
The last thing he remembered that night was lying on the sofa, staring at the ceiling with a wide smile across his face.
"Hey," a gentle hand on his cheek prompted him to slowly blink his eyes open. As they adjusted to the morning sunlight streaming though the window, he was greeted by Kaylie's beaming face beside his.
"Did you carry me all the way down here?" She asked. Kaylie had squeezed herself between the sofa and the coffee table so she could sit herself right before Julian. The corners of his lips curled upwards, and he pushed himself up.
Kaylie quickly occupied the empty space he had created. "You're really light," he looked at her. A giggle escaped her lips and she began rambling about how she hadn't managed to weigh herself yet. But the words fell short of Julian's attention.
Because all he could see was the twinkle in her eyes as she laughed, and the joy that washed across her face so perfectly as she spoke. "And beautiful," the words slipped from his mouth before he could stop himself.
Kaylie stopped mid sentence, a brief look of surprise passing her features. But then her cheeks began flushing a shade of pink, and she had to look down, smiling sheepishly. When her gaze fell back onto Julian, he wasted no time in closing the gap between their faces.
How could a single kiss speak for something no words can ever convey?
It was in that moment she understood how. Because in what she remembered of her life, she had never felt happier.
Pulling apart from each other, her hand made it's way to his cheek and she caressed it, drowning herself willingly in his eyes. But in her eyes, he saw it. That hint of uncertainty. That hint of guilt. The elephant in the room.
"Let me talk to him," Julian whispered. "No," her hand left his face as her gaze fell downwards. "Let me do it," she whispered, almost to herself. "Kaylie-" She only had to intertwine her fingers through his for him to stop.
"Let me," she repeated, her hands clasping over his as if to comfort him. A small smile followed, and that was enough to render him speechless. All Julian could do was nod in reply.
---
The car came to a halt in front of Kevin's apartment complex. Inside the vehicle, its two occupants remained silent for a moment, unsure how to proceed.
"Thank you," Kaylie eventually flashed him a gentle smile, "I guess I'll see you later then." She was about to open her door when Julian reached out a hand. "Kaylie wait," he said.
Kaylie fell back into her seat. She looked at him with curiosity in her eyes, causing him to hesitate a little. "I'm... I'm sorry," he uttered, doing his best to hold her gaze. "I'm sorry for putting you in this... mess," he glanced away for a second as he looked for the word.
That night he had spent thinking about nearly everything. About Kaylie mostly. But the thought of Kaylie always landed him back to the thought of Kevin. His teammate. His companion. His friend. Kevin most definitely deserved none of this. Remember the way he looked at her?
But could he really just ignore his own feelings for her?
"No, please don't," she shook her head, "if anything I should be the one apologizing. My life is in complete shambles and somehow I still let you walk right in like this." A small chuckle escaped her lips, as if she was amused by her own luck.
"And for that, I'm sorry," she reiterated. She really was. Sometimes she wondered if all this was worth it. If trying to live her life the way she wanted was something she wanted to fight for. But was it really worth it if at the expense of Kevin's feelings?
Julian sighed, shaking his head. "Kaylie, I willingly and wholeheartedly walked in myself. And I don't care how broken your life is right now, because I will pick up every single piece and put them back together until my hands bleed. And Kaylie Stark, that is a promise."
She couldn't suppress the smile that overran her lips. "I hate it when you say my name like that. Because then I know you really mean it," she bit her lower lip, still smiling widely. It was contagious the way her lips curled upwards beautifully.
"But what if I don't want you to pick up those pieces? What if I don't want to hurt you?"
He hadn't been prepared for that question. Though the answer came almost naturally. He reached for her hand, squeezing it tenderly. "Then let's make new ones. New memories. You and me."
It was like time stopped at that very moment, and Kaylie had not a worry in the world anymore. Because this man before her was making everything a million times better. Everything about it just felt so right.
And all she wanted was for it to stay that way.
---
im so in love with Julian and i feel so much pain for Kevin IT ACC HURTS
ps, thank you for reading my lovelies ily all v much <3
