pinpoint, and then disappeared from Julie’s vision.
****
“I’m so sorry, Julie. I shouldn’t have done that.”
Julie blinked as Eli’s concerned face came into focus. She was lying on her bed. Again.
“Wh-what just happened?”
“You—ummm—fainted.”
“I know what happens when I faint, and that was not what just happened.” Julie tried to sit up, but Eli pushed her back down onto her pillow.
“I think maybe you should just lie down for awhile.”
Julie grabbed a fistful of Eli’s t-shirt and pulled him close. She looked into his eyes and squinted, searching for a sign of what she had seen earlier. Nothing but sapphire and the reflection of the light from her nightstand lamp greeted her. No fireworks. No flames. Just normal eyes. It must have been her imagination. She let go of his shirt and lay back down.
“Maybe I will.”
Eli exhaled, got up, and moved to the chair sitting on the other side of her nightstand. A horn blared for several seconds off in the distance. A moment later, Julie’s cell phone beeped. She reached over the side of her bed to retrieve it from her purse, but Eli beat her to it. He slid it open, then clicked it closed.
“It was him, wasn’t it?” Julie grabbed the phone, slid it back open and read the message.
this isnt over bitch
She clicked the phone shut, threw it in her purse and grabbed a pillow, holding it close to her body as she lay on her side facing Eli. Eli flicked the light off and leaned back into the chair. The moonlight reflected off the side of his face.
“Say it.”
Eli glanced over to her. “Say what?”
“I told you so.”
She saw Eli’s brow furrow. “Why would I say that?”
“You told me to steer clear of him. I didn’t. Now we’re both in trouble.”
Eli smiled slightly. “I’m not in trouble. He didn’t even know it was me. And you,” he looked over at Julie, “you just need to stay close to me. I’m not going to let him hurt you, Julie.”
Julie rolled her eyes. Good thing he couldn’t see her.
“Right. My hero.”
Funny thing was, that’s exactly what she thought. He was her hero, and she felt perfectly safe with him. She pulled her pillow closer, wrapping her knees up around it. Eli closed his eyes. Julie’s mind drifted back to the kiss they shared, and she replayed it over and over in her mind, until she remembered the words Eli spoke just after.
“What did you mean when you said you shouldn’t have done it?”
Eli raised his eyebrows without opening his eyes.
“I meant I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
A lump immediately formed in Julie’s throat. She should have known better. Everything she had felt when they kissed, everything she thought he had felt, was just her imagination. She rolled away from Eli and let her tears fall silently to her pillow. Within a few seconds, she heard soft, steady breathing coming from behind her. Eli was asleep.
“Don’t worry,” she whispered to herself, “it won’t happen again.”
Chapter Six
Something wasn’t right. Julie slowly opened her eyes and was immediately blinded by the sun coming in through her window.
“What the—?”
“Good morning, sleepy-head.”
Her father’s voice.
“Or more precisely ... good afternoon!”
Julie sat up and looked around the room. Thank God! Eli was gone. Julie glanced at her alarm. It was almost two o’clock. She’d slept the whole morning away!
Her father stepped inside the room and moved towards her bed. The smile on his face turned to a quizzical look as he approached. My lips! Julie’s hand flew to her face.
“I—I can explain, Dad!”
He shook his head and sat down on the edge of her bed.
“No need to explain, hon. I’m sure you stayed up late and fell asleep before you could change. I slept in my clothes more often than not at your age.”
Julie looked down. She still had her clothes on from the night before. Her jeans, at least. The top was different! The top was different? Sullivan! Julie felt the
****
“I’m so sorry, Julie. I shouldn’t have done that.”
Julie blinked as Eli’s concerned face came into focus. She was lying on her bed. Again.
“Wh-what just happened?”
“You—ummm—fainted.”
“I know what happens when I faint, and that was not what just happened.” Julie tried to sit up, but Eli pushed her back down onto her pillow.
“I think maybe you should just lie down for awhile.”
Julie grabbed a fistful of Eli’s t-shirt and pulled him close. She looked into his eyes and squinted, searching for a sign of what she had seen earlier. Nothing but sapphire and the reflection of the light from her nightstand lamp greeted her. No fireworks. No flames. Just normal eyes. It must have been her imagination. She let go of his shirt and lay back down.
“Maybe I will.”
Eli exhaled, got up, and moved to the chair sitting on the other side of her nightstand. A horn blared for several seconds off in the distance. A moment later, Julie’s cell phone beeped. She reached over the side of her bed to retrieve it from her purse, but Eli beat her to it. He slid it open, then clicked it closed.
“It was him, wasn’t it?” Julie grabbed the phone, slid it back open and read the message.
this isnt over bitch
She clicked the phone shut, threw it in her purse and grabbed a pillow, holding it close to her body as she lay on her side facing Eli. Eli flicked the light off and leaned back into the chair. The moonlight reflected off the side of his face.
“Say it.”
Eli glanced over to her. “Say what?”
“I told you so.”
She saw Eli’s brow furrow. “Why would I say that?”
“You told me to steer clear of him. I didn’t. Now we’re both in trouble.”
Eli smiled slightly. “I’m not in trouble. He didn’t even know it was me. And you,” he looked over at Julie, “you just need to stay close to me. I’m not going to let him hurt you, Julie.”
Julie rolled her eyes. Good thing he couldn’t see her.
“Right. My hero.”
Funny thing was, that’s exactly what she thought. He was her hero, and she felt perfectly safe with him. She pulled her pillow closer, wrapping her knees up around it. Eli closed his eyes. Julie’s mind drifted back to the kiss they shared, and she replayed it over and over in her mind, until she remembered the words Eli spoke just after.
“What did you mean when you said you shouldn’t have done it?”
Eli raised his eyebrows without opening his eyes.
“I meant I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
A lump immediately formed in Julie’s throat. She should have known better. Everything she had felt when they kissed, everything she thought he had felt, was just her imagination. She rolled away from Eli and let her tears fall silently to her pillow. Within a few seconds, she heard soft, steady breathing coming from behind her. Eli was asleep.
“Don’t worry,” she whispered to herself, “it won’t happen again.”
Chapter Six
Something wasn’t right. Julie slowly opened her eyes and was immediately blinded by the sun coming in through her window.
“What the—?”
“Good morning, sleepy-head.”
Her father’s voice.
“Or more precisely ... good afternoon!”
Julie sat up and looked around the room. Thank God! Eli was gone. Julie glanced at her alarm. It was almost two o’clock. She’d slept the whole morning away!
Her father stepped inside the room and moved towards her bed. The smile on his face turned to a quizzical look as he approached. My lips! Julie’s hand flew to her face.
“I—I can explain, Dad!”
He shook his head and sat down on the edge of her bed.
“No need to explain, hon. I’m sure you stayed up late and fell asleep before you could change. I slept in my clothes more often than not at your age.”
Julie looked down. She still had her clothes on from the night before. Her jeans, at least. The top was different! The top was different? Sullivan! Julie felt the
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