Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Poppy

"It's really back to reality?" I groan, leaning into Julian. The elevator slowly ascends to our apartments. Taking half a week off, in addition to the weekend, for our trip to Lake Tahoe was amazing.

"Well, I get to see you daily, so reality doesn't seem that bad," Julian mutters. His hand caresses my neck, sending shivers down my spine as his lips meet mine.

The ding of the elevator arrives too soon, ending our kiss. Julian grabs my luggage and his bag as we walk down the hall. I spot our doors on opposite sides. The realization hits me – he will go to his place, and I to mine.

Julian clears his throat. "I'll let you unpack, then how about lunch? I'll order in," he offers.

"Does that mean you haven't had enough of me?" I tip my chin up to look at him.

"I've just got a taste, Pumpkin. I want to consider this entire floor ours. My space is your space. I don't want to sleep without you next to me."

Thump, thump goes my heart.

"Is that okay with you?"

I roll my lips to hide my excitement and nod. "I'd like that."

His smile widens, causing my knees to loosen like a stretched-out rubber band.

"We can work out the details later. I honestly don't care as long as we're together. My place, yours, both," he shrugs.

Julian is so relaxed about giving up his space to me. Andrew always made me feel like a trophy he was placing on his shelf. I had no say, just a spot to be admired.

I was such a fool. Why was I so weak?

Because you were terrified, and when you are cornered, you have no idea how you will react. You just want to survive, and sometimes that means biting down and grinding your molars into flattened planes until you can run free and escape.

At least my monster let me escape. So many people don't get that chance.

It's so easy to judge a book by its cover, by its blurb, 'she was abused but stayed with her abuser, she is so stupid. Why would she do that?'

I wish that, instead of judging, people would empathize.

After finding my keys, I unlock my door, but instead of silence, a shout rings out from inside my apartment. Harper bursts into the entryway with the flair only she can pull off.

"I'm back, bitches!" she declares, her voice dripping with sass. Her long blonde hair swaying like a flag of rebellion. Those bright blue eyes of hers are practically winking with mischief. With one hand dramatically thrown up and the other on her hip, she's not just making an entrance; she's holding court.

What the heck! My heart races but then stills at the sight of my best friend.

"Oh wait, I forgot!" She hurries to her half-unpacked luggage in my living room. "Where are you... ah, there!" She grabs a long silver and blue striped tube, grinning devilishly, and twists it. There's a pop, and Julian instinctively grabs my hips, stepping protectively in front. Silver confetti and glitter burst into the air, raining down in a shower that would make a drag queen twirl in excitement.

I look at the glittering mess on the floor, making my apartment look like the aftermath of a disco. "Was that really necessary?" I shake my head, barely concealing my grin.

I do love her, even in all her crazy glory.

"Of course, what is life if not our theater? Make an entrance, Poppy," Harper jokes, then skips forward to hug me, lifting me slightly off the ground. "I missed you," she whispers in my ear, out of Julian's hearing.

"I missed you, too," I repeat.

She sets me down gently.

"But you're going to clean this up."

She places her hand over her heart. "Totally. I promise."

"What are you doing here?" I ask, feeling excited to see her again.

"You needed a magic fairy to deliver your new laptop and cell phone, so here I am," she beams, flapping her arms like fairy wings.

"Is she okay?" Julian asks, pushing my luggage aside and setting his bag down. His piercing gray eyes seem to take in the room with amusement.

I can't help but snort a laugh. "Perfectly. This is her normal, which for most people would be crazy."

Harper nods, "It's a fun life." She adds, grinning at Julian.

"How did you get inside?" I ask.

"I picked your lock," Harper says with a shrug, her attention nonchalantly on her nails.

"What?" she replies to our stunned expressions, her eyebrows arching in mock innocence. "I did." She turns to Julian, her gaze sharp. "Security here is lacking. That's a warning, Cowboy. My other half lives here, so make sure you get it fixed. All I had to do to get past the guard at the gate was flash a tit."

My mouth drops open in shock. "You did not!" I screech, my voice an octave higher than normal.

Harper clutches her stomach, doubling over with laughter. "Of course, I didn't! But your face – it's priceless."

Julian lets out a long, relieved sigh, shaking his head. "Lord, help me," he mutters.

Harper straightens up, still chuckling. "I'm on your list at the front gate, but I did pick the lock on your front door."

"We're gonna need another vacation after this visit," Julian replies coolly, his fingers pressing slightly into my hips.

"A vacation after a vacation means you lived it up." Harper chimes in. "I bought you a deadbolt, too," she adds, turning to grab a plastic bag and pulling out the deadbolt. "And Marsha, let me borrow her drill," she says, pointing to an old power drill on the side table beside my door.

"Who's Marsha?" I ask, dropping my bag next to the drill.

"Your building's maintenance woman. Badass chick, if you ask me. She used to work on oil rigs. The stories she has," Harper waves her hand.

"I thought the maintenance person was a guy," I mumble, recalling the man who fixed the sprinkler head in my apartment.

"No, Marsha's been here since it opened. Did you know there were swingers on the second floor? They got so many noise complaints they eventually moved out," she says, ripping open the deadbolt packaging and grabbing the drill. Her finger presses the trigger, and the drill powers to life. A devilish smile grows across Harper's face.

"You with a drill scares the shit out of me," Julian remarks well, eyeing Harper warily.

"Oh, it should," Harper replies, a mischievous glint in her eye as she theatrically blows on the tip of the drill, pretending it's a just-fired gun.

"I'd offer to help, but frankly, I'm rather fond of my balls," Julian states, eliciting a laugh from me. It's a well-known fact, after all, that Harper has threatened to relieve various men of their most prized possessions.

"Did I ever mention how much I appreciate his intelligence?" Harper turns to me, admiration laced with humor in her voice. "Oh, I nearly forgot! I ordered that sex swing you never knew you needed. I was thinking right there," she points emphatically towards an arch near my entryway, "would be perfect. It's the ideal welcome sign, don't you think? Marsha, bless her heart, assured me the ceiling beams are more than capable of supporting the weight."

"Shut up," I groan, shaking my head in mock despair. "There will be no such swings in this house."

"Oh, come on," Harper protests, turning to Julian, seeking an ally in her playful scheming.

He shakes his head, grinning. "I don't need props to spice up our love life."

Harper's jaw practically hits the floor. "No way! Have you been busy clearing out her cobwebs?" She claps her hands in delight, the sound slightly muffled by the drill in her grip. "You did, didn't you!" Her voice is a blend of glee and incredulity.

She turns those devilish blue eyes on me, "Did he put the pee pee in the hole and make you see fireworks?"

"Harper!" I scream, then I slap my forehead because there is no stopping her. I just need to let her run her course. It's not like I wasn't going to tell my bestie I had the best sex of my life. I just didn't want to discuss it in front of Julian.

"It's fine," Julian whispers, sensing my worry and distress. He steps closer to me and places his hand on my back. Kent is my brother, remember? I'm used to this," he assures me, but what Harper does next makes him rethink his words.

"Oh, thank heavens!" Harper exclaims, her face lighting up like she's just won the lottery. With a flair for the dramatic, she kneels down, placing the drill ceremoniously on the floor.

Julian leans in, whispering to me, "What's she doing?"

"Shhh," Harper scolds, barely containing a smirk. She folds her hands in mock prayer, closes her eyes, and bows her head. "Dear Lord, thank you for sending Julian into our lives," she intones with mock solemnity.

"Harper," I hiss, my embarrassment skyrocketing. I roll my eyes, muttering to Julian as I kick off my shoes beside the doormat, "Just ignore her."

Harper continues, unfazed, "Today, we gather to give thanks that my best friend won't end up a crazy cat lady drowning in a sea of hairy pussy cats with attitude. Lord, I pray Julian keeps delivering the earth-shattering experiences for my bestie. Amen to that!" She opens her eyes and cheekily winks at Julian.

"Harper," Julian starts, his voice laden with amusement, "I can honestly say I've never met anyone like you, and I pray," he emphasizes, "to never meet another. One Harper in my life is more than enough."

I bite my bottom lip, trying to stifle a giggle. Most men would sprint away from a woman with a bestie like Harper. Andrew even tried to drive a wedge between us. Another reason I adore Julian is that he doesn't want to change me. He embraces all my quirks.

"Alright, Julian, time for you to skedaddle. We have some serious gossip to catch up on – the good, the bad, and the hilariously ugly. Does he not groom down there? It's a jungle, isn't it?" She whispers loudly, causing Julian to experience a moment of embarrassment.

I can't help but giggle, glancing at Julian, whose expression is a priceless mix of amusement and mild horror at the turn of conversation.

Happy seems inadequate to describe how I feel, but it's the first word that comes to mind. I feel... whole again, like all the empty parts that were torn from me are now being sewn back together.