Royal Pain in the Ass, page 26
“James, I have to go.” I hung up and shook my head.
“Juliet?” I turned and saw Xavier, looking concerned. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing important.” Xavier pulled me into a hug and I pulled away. He didn’t stop me. “It’s nothing. Really.”
“If you say so.” Xavier sighed. “Well, what would you like to do?”
“I think that I want to have some fun.”
Xavier raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? And how do you want to do that?”
“Juliet! You’re going to catch your death out here!” Xavier shouted chasing me down to the beach, the bottle of schnapps still in my hand.
“Nah!” I smiled. “That’s an old wives tale! You can’t get sick from the cold. The only thing you can really get is hypothermia or frostbite and it’s not cold enough for that.” I shouted back as I ran across the dock. “Hurry Xavier!” I ran to the lifeguard stand and climbed up.
“Juliet! Don’t fall. Be careful.” He called chasing after me.
“What?” I asked as I looked back. “Oh shit!” I lost my grip and landed in the sand. I started laughing hysterically.
“Juliet, are you alright?” Xavier asked, his voice slightly slurred but concern etched in it.
“Yeah! I’m as peachy as my schnapps.” I smiled up at him and took another swig.
“I think you’ve had enough.”
I took another long swig. “Enough? I’m not sure I know what that word means.”
“Juliet. You are drunk.”
“I know!” I burst out laughing. “The stars are so pretty.”
“Yes, yes, they are.”
“Xavier, come down to my level.”
“Excuse me?”
“Give me your hand.”
Xavier extended his hand and I yanked him down and started laughing as he landed beside me. “Ow,” Xavier groaned.
“Aww, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” I rolled over on top of him and kissed him. “I just wanted to do that.”
“You can do that any time.” Xavier smiled as he kissed me back. I rolled off of him and cuddled next to him staring at the clear night sky for I don’t know how long. It was awesome. Then I had a fantastic idea.
“Oh my god!”
“What?”
“I have a great idea.”
“What’s that?”
“Let’s go swimming!”
“Juliet, it’s too cold to go swimming.”
“Nu-uh.” I jumped to my feet and pulled my shirt over my head. “Let’s go.” I called as I started pulling off my jeans.
“Juliet!” Xavier hissed. “Put your clothes back on.” I pulled off the rest and ran into the water.
“Come and get me!” I laughed as I crashed into the waves. It wasn’t long before Xavier joined me.
“Juliet, it’s freezing.” Xavier’s teeth chattered.
“Is it?” I was so numb. I must be that drunk.
Xavier pulled me against him. “You’re freezing.”
“You’re warm though.” I wrapped my arms around him. “Let’s go home.”
I woke up and snuggled back into the covers. That’s when I realized the warmth I was feeling was a solid warmth. There was an arm around my back and my head was resting on something very warm and solid.
“What’s the matter, Juliet?” Xavier’s chest vibrated as he spoke softly.
I pretended to be asleep.
“You are awake and we both know it.”
“Morning.” I sighed looking up at him. His eyes were still closed and I would have believed he was still asleep.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.”
Xavier opened one eye and gave me a skeptical look. “I don’t buy that for one moment. I know you better than that. Tell me what’s bothering you.”
“Did we um . . . you know.”
Xavier sighed. “I knew this would happen.” He sounded angry now. “I fucking knew.” Xavier removed his arm from my back and moved me away from him. “ I can’t do this.”
“Can’t do what?”
“You. This. I can’t do it.”
“But, what?”
“Juliet, last night, you were . . . insistent. Had I been sober, I would have done the right thing and said no. Three bottles of wine and you found yourself a bottle of peach schnapps and we were gone.”
“Oh,”
“And I see the regret etched on your face as clear as day. I won’t do this. I’m going back.” Xavier got out of bed and I couldn’t process what he just said.
“Wait, what?”
“I’m leaving, Juliet. I can’t take this. You only want me when you’re drunk. I won’t be that person for you. I just won’t.”
“Wait, Xavier.”
“I can’t wait anymore.”
It felt the like air had just been knocked out of me. I couldn’t catch my breath. Leaving? He was leaving? What? How could he just leave? I needed him. I needed to be around him. I needed to be with him. He was the first person to let me feel again. I needed him. I wanted him. Oh god. I loved him.
“Then don’t.” I breathed. But he didn’t hear. My door closed behind him and I felt the tears burst forth. I couldn’t have stopped them if I tried. I didn’t. I just let them flow. I curled myself into a ball and sobbed into my pillow doing my best to keep quiet. I didn’t want him to see me like this. I didn’t want him to know how much I needed him. How much I wanted him. How much I wanted to be with him. I didn’t want him to see me weak. I couldn’t believe he was leaving. But if he was leaving, I wouldn’t let him see me weak. I wouldn’t let him see me cry. I was cold. Freezing. Oh god. He was going to leave. I felt the numb I hadn’t felt in ages. I didn’t welcome it back. I knew I was going to be empty again if he left. And it was all my fault.
I hadn’t moved from that spot since he left the room. I hadn’t responded when anyone knocked on the door. I didn’t know what to say or what to do. I just cried myself to sleep. When I would wake up, I would just cry myself back to sleep. I did this until I heard the crash. I looked at the clock. 4:12 am. I was exhausted, but when I heard Maverick scream and then silence I was at full alert. I pulled myself out of bed, my body aching and cramped from not moving. I opened the door and saw him. The son of a bitch himself. Chase was in Maverick’s room. And God help us all, he had a gun.
“Ch-chase?”
“Juliet, come here.”
“What are you doing?”
“You are coming with me.”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m getting what is rightfully mine.”
“I’m not yours. And I never will be again. You need to understand that. You lost your chance.”
“Fine, then he loses his chance too.” Chase’s voice was higher than it should have been. He pointed to gun at Maverick’s still form.
“What did you do to him?”
“He was making too much noise. He wouldn’t be quiet.”
“Dude, he’s three. You have a gun. He was scared.”
“I shut him up. I had to. Juliet,”
“Chase, what do you want?”
“I want you. I want you to be mine again.”
“What if I say no.”
“Then I’ll kill him and you. If you won’t be with me, you won’t be with anyone else.”
Oh dear god. Chase had completely gone off the deep end.
“Juliet?” I heard Xavier behind me. He couldn’t see into Maverick’s room. “What was that noise?”
Chase pointed the gun at me and put a finger to his lips. Then he pointed at Maverick and drew his finger across his throat. Those cold blue eyes narrowed.
“Where’s Amanda?”
“I think she’s still sleeping. What’s going on?”
I risked a glance at Xavier and hoped the terror was as plain on my face as it felt. “It’s nothing.” I lied.
“Of course it’s nothing.” Xavier growled. “Since it’s nothing, I should just go back to bed then, shouldn’t I? I have an early flight.”
“Wait.”
“No, Juliet, if you want to be this way, that’s fine. I just can’t deal with it anymore.”
I looked back at the room and Chase was nodding. “Xavier, please.” I didn’t know what to say. I knew Chase was crazy. I couldn’t let Maverick get hurt.
“Juliet, unless you have something to tell me, I’m going to bed.”
“Xavier,” I hissed, hoping my voice was as frantic as I felt.
Xavier turned and looked at me. “Please,” I mouthed help. Xavier noticed and eyed me carefully. I looked back in the room and Chase was making a shooing motion with his hand. If Xavier left now, I was screwed either Maverick was going to get hurt or I was going to be forced into something I wanted nothing to do with. Xavier took a tentative step closer.
Chase pointed at me and then pointed in front of himself. He wanted me in that room. That was the last thing I wanted, but I had to get Maverick out of there.
“Juliet?” Xavier asked. “What are you looking at?”
I shook my head, but Chase noticed. “If that prick comes into view I’ll shoot him and the boy both.” I froze.
Xavier immediately was in a fighting stance. “Is that Chase?”
I nodded. “He’s got a gun.”
“I will fucking kill you all.”
“Chase, you don’t want to do that.” I started as calmly as I could.
“Don’t you tell me what I want to do!” Chase shouted.
“Chase, if you kill us all, we can’t be together.” Xavier gave me a reassuring nod as he came closer.
“What?”
“We can’t be together if you kill me.”
Chase seemed to think this over for a moment. “True.”
“So, I think we should talk. Just talk.”
“Talk about what?”
“About this.”
“No. I don’t want to talk about this.”
“Whatever you want to talk about then.”
“I want you back, Jules. I’ll do anything to make that happen. Anything.” Chase pointed a shaking hand with his finger on the trigger at Maverick. “Come here or I’ll shoot him.”
“Okay, I’m coming. Nice and slow.” I took a tentative step closer. If Chase was going to hurt someone, it wouldn’t be Maverick. I spared him a glance and could already see a bruise blossoming across his face. Oh Chase was so going to pay.
I looked at Chase’s shaking hand. I had one shot at this. If I messed up, well, it wasn’t only myself I was gambling with. “I’m coming, it’s all good, Chase. We don’t have to do it this way. We’re all sensible human beings. We can work this out.” He did what I wanted. He relaxed a fraction and the gun lowered a little to where it wasn’t pointing at Maverick anymore. I did the only thing I could think of. I lunged at him and for the gun. I heard the deafening shot and I felt warm liquid. I looked down and saw the red before anything.
“Juliet!” Xavier screamed. He punched Chase and he was out cold. “Juliet!” Xavier screamed. I knew he was screaming, but it sounded a million miles away. I couldn’t feel anything. Both of Xavier’s hands were pressing against my stomach. His mouth was moving but I couldn’t hear anything but the blood rushing in my ears.
Everything was fringed in white. It was like everything was edged with sea foam. It was kind of pretty. My eyelids felt heavy and I felt like I was filled with sand. I was tired. So tired. All I wanted was to sleep. I closed my eyes, just for a moment. When they opened I saw a bright white light and people dressed in white. I blinked and I was somewhere else. Someone put a mask over my face and I felt my eyes close again.
I woke up and didn’t recognize where I was. I heard an annoying beeping. Why would someone leave something beeping. It was annoying as hell. I was tired and I wanted nothing but to go back to sleep, but I had to know where I was. I looked down and realized I was in a bed. I was taking in my surroundings. A hospital. I was in a hospital. Why was I in a hospital? My head felt foggy and hurt the harder I tried to think.
I looked and tried to focus my eyes. The beeping was a heart monitor. Maybe it was a good thing it was still going.
I noticed a figure slumped in a chair. It didn’t look comfortable, but I recognized him at once. Xavier was sleeping in my hospital room. I couldn’t help but smile, images started coming back and my smile wilted. He was leaving. He probably was just making sure I didn’t die, then he’d be on a flight back home. He was leaving.
I looked down at my hands. My stomach hurt, not like a stomach ache, like it was beaten or something. I looked down and lifted my hospital gown. There were stitches up my abdomen. It looked ugly and I knew it would scar terribly. I wanted to cry. I was beginning to remember. Chase had a gun, he’d tried to hurt Maverick, so I did a very stupid thing. I would carry this scar for the rest of my life to prove how stupid I can be. I felt stupid for wanting to cry but I did it anyway. I couldn’t help it. I didn’t mean to. I tried to be quiet, but I woke Xavier up.
“Juliet?”
“I’m fine.” I sobbed, and crying hurt. It pulled at the stitches and every movement hurt my stomach.
“You are not. Stop being stubborn and let someone take care of you.” Xavier warned. “I can’t keep watching this. Juliet, I can’t watch you do this to yourself.”
I cried harder. He was saying goodbye now. He was really leaving. He was about to leave and it would be over. I would never tell him how I felt. He would never know what he meant to me.
“Juliet, it will be alright.” He soothed as he sat next to me. He took one of my hands in both of his own. “I’m right here.” He soothed, his thumb making small soothing circles on my hand.
“You’re leaving.” I sobbed, barely more than a whisper.
“Ask me to stay.”
I looked up into those chocolaty brown eyes. I was expecting something far from what I was seeing. I expected cruel or condescending, something to say you need me and you know it. What I saw made me cry even harder. There was kindness and hope in his eyes.
I sat up, despite the pain and grabbed onto him like he was the last solid thing on earth. “Stay! Please stay!” I sobbed into his chest. His arms wrapped around me and I felt safe. Nothing else mattered. If he would stay, I would be okay.
“As long as you want me,” Xavier sighed.
I pulled away and looked him in the eye. “Xavier,”
“Yes?”
“I love you.” I whispered, embarrassed. I’m not sure why, but I felt stupid saying it.
“I love you too.” Xavier smiled back and kissed me gently on the forehead. “Now, you’re going to need your rest. I’ll call the nurse and your father and let him know you’re alright. He was here by the way. I’ll explain everything later, just relax” I nodded. A nurse came in a put something in my IV and I was out like a light.
Chapter XXX
Xavier and I talked, and I found out what happened after what I could remember. Maverick was fine; he just had a minor concussion. Amanda on the other hand, Xavier had to restrain. Apparently she almost killed Chase. She came and visited me and so did Maverick which brightened up my day. I’d been in the hospital for a week before I woke up, I was shot in the stomach, but there was no permanent damage. Senator Evans tried to come see me, but Xavier and Amanda and the police had kept him at bay.
Apparently when I was out James had come and visited, but he couldn’t wait around more than a few days. I can understand that, he is a diplomat after all. The more things happen the more I realized I’m not where I belong anymore. So long as I’m here, Chase can find me and he’s proven he’s insane. He’s in an institution right now, Senator Evans had him transferred before he went to jail. I’ve already made my decision. I’ve told Amanda she’s welcome to my house all that she wants, my car too.
“How are you feeling this morning?” Xavier asked. He had coffee. I was jealous. I wasn’t allowed to have coffee yet. I was going to be on a liquid diet for a while. I was so not happy.
“Hungry.” I groaned.
“I’m sorry, love.”
“It’s alright.” I shrugged. “How much longer am I going to be stuck here?”
“Just a few more days, they want to be sure you won’t tear the internal stitches. If you do, you could bleed out, but if your external stitches are fine, we’d never know until it was too late. Just a few more days.”
“I hate hospitals.”
“I know.”
“Want to watch a movie?”
“Sure, so long as it isn’t one of those silly movies that are twice your age.” Xavier teased.
“Don’t hate on cinematic genius.”
“You have much to learn, little one.”
“No sir, you have much to learn, Mr. Closed-Minded.”
We watched movies all day long, and I usually ended up falling asleep at some point in between. It was nice though, waking up in Xavier’s arms. Most of the time, when I did wake up, he’d soothe me back to sleep running his fingers through my hair and whispering to me. Being around Xavier I felt safe and couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen this myself earlier. Everything with Xavier was comfortable. I enjoyed his company and I liked to be around him. Something about him just calmed me.
It was fantastic when I was released. Xavier and I spent most of our time together and it was a few weeks later before I was completely cleared. I was taken aback when I got a legal letter in the mail. I read it and reread several more times before I could comprehend. Senator Evans had served me. He accused me of defamation of character of not only him, but his son. There was a separate envelope that had a blank check. I ran inside and picked up my phone.
“What is the meaning of this?” I demanded into the phone.
“Who is this?”
“It’s me, Dick.” I snarled into the phone.
“Juliet, I take it.”
“What is the meaning of what you sent me?”
“I see you got my care package.”
“Care package my ass.”
“Juliet, there are two ways to deal with what is about to happen. You and I can meet in court or you can fill in any number you want on that check and we’ll let it go.”
“I don’t want your filthy money.”
“So you want to meet in court?”
