Beauty and the Sexy Beast

[23] Moving On

My heart stopped in my chest before picking up speed until it was about ready to leap from my throat.

Samantha just said the very word I had been waiting for, for almost six months now. Only I wasn’t so sure it meant the same thing as it did, I don’t know, six months ago.

Julian and I had just begun to hit it off even though he was still full of surprises. Then there was Trace, my unruly companion. How was that going to work? We were supposed to have this in depth connection that was nowhere near breakable, yet I was supposed to, just leave him?

I knew he could not just come with me as if he were a little puppy dog adopted from the pound. He had needs and frankly, those needs were far more important than my own.

So, if I were to sum it up in one word. That word would be pure and utter shock.

One minute Julian is being possessive and moody. The next he’s just letting me go? What the hell was going on!?

My suitcases were now laid out on my bed as Samantha proceeded to pull my clothes from my dresser drawers and closet putting them neatly away.

I tried to get a grasp on the situation as she ignored my floundering mouth. I was speechless. I couldn’t form a coherent thought let alone a whole sentence.

One word managed to escape as I let out a deep breath, “What?”

Without looking at me or stopping what she was doing she said, “You’re going home.”

She said it with no emotion whatsoever.

“You’re kidding,” I said, a small laugh escaping in hysteria.

“I assure you, this is no joke. You’re flight is set to depart no later than six tonight,” with every word it felt like the temperature dropped until my blood ran completely cold.

I ran out of the room, needing more answers than she seemed capable of giving.

I ran right into a rock solid torso as I rounded the banister at the bottom of the stairs.

“Oaf,” I heaved as I nearly fell on my butt.

A pair of hands snaked around either of my arms holding me upright before I could hurt myself further.

“Julian!” I shrieked as I caught his eye. “What the hell is going on!?”

He let go of me after a long stare and walked around me heading toward the kitchen.

“Answer me!” I hollered after him.

He froze in the doorway, with his back still to me he said, “You’re getting what you’ve been asking for since you arrived. Freedom.”

With that, he proceeded to walk away from me.

“Bullshit!”

This time when he froze his entire body went rigid. His hands forming tight fists at his sides.

One second he’s about twenty strides away in the next room, the next second he has me pushed up against the wall, “Don’t you get it? I want nothing more to do with you. I’m bored.”

He sauntered back off in the direction he had been heading, leaving me breathless. My chest was so tight it felt like he had reached into it and was squeezing the life out of my heart.

“How could you say that? After everything that’s happened, after everything you just said not even a half an hour ago! What is wrong with you?”

He just  continued walking, not even glancing back in my direction once.

“Don’t expect me to come crawling back to you, Julian.”