Being Julia (Forever #3.5)

I gave a small smile as something inside me told me that I wouldn’t be hearing from him again.

Chapter 7

A couple of weeks passed and I hadn’t heard a word from Brody. It was driving me crazy and I was becoming depressed over it. I headed down to the art studio, where my mom was painting a new picture.

“Hi, honey,” she said.

“Hey, Mom. Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Sure, baby,” she said as she put down her paintbrush, wiped her hands, and sat down on the couch next to me.

“I haven’t heard from Brody since that day.”

She put her arm around me. “I was going to ask you if you’d talked to him or if you were still seeing him.”

“I’ve called him and I’ve text messaged him, and he won’t respond,” I said as I looked down and put my head on her shoulder.

My mom sighed as she tightened her arm around me. “Sometimes, we have to learn things the hard way. The best thing to do is lift your chin up and move on. He’s bad news, Julia. I know he was your first, but believe me when I tell you, it’s for the best. Because if you were with him, you’d be missing out on the person you were really meant to be with.”

“It still hurts,” I said as a tear fell down my face.

“I know it does, baby. Time heals all wounds and it’s going to take time. I promise you’ll start to feel better every day.” She smiled as she lifted up my chin. “Now, let’s go to Black Enterprises and pick up your dad so we can all go to the gym.”

“Is Collin coming with us?” I asked.

“No, he’s over at Hailey’s house getting help in Biology.”

“I bet he is.” I smiled.

“Julia Rose Black. Don’t talk like that!” She smiled.

We went up to the penthouse, changed our clothes, and headed over to my dad’s office to pick him up. I called London and asked if she wanted to go with us, but she hadn’t been feeling well lately and she said she was in bed. I was starting to worry about her because, over the past week, she wasn’t acting normal, and she wouldn’t tell me what was going on.

When we arrived at Black Enterprises, I could hear my father yelling from his office. I looked at my mom and she rolled her eyes.

“Great, I hope he’s not in a mood.” She smiled.

The minute I opened the door, he looked up at us, and threw his phone across his desk.

“Am I glad to see my favorite girls!” He smiled as he walked over to me, kissed me on the cheek, and then hugged my mom tightly.

“What was all that about, Dad?” I asked.

“Just a business deal gone bad. Nothing for you to worry about, Princess.”

“All right. Are you ready to go to the gym?” my mom asked him.

“I’m more than ready to get the hell out of here.” He smiled as he put his arms around both of us and we walked out of his office.

We walked through the doors of the gym and went to our private locker room. As soon as my dad changed his clothes, the three of us climbed on the treadmills. Most teenagers would be embarrassed to be working out with their parents, but I wasn’t. I had my headphones in, listening to my music as my mind was still reeling over Brody. When my time was up on the treadmill, I stepped off, grabbed the towel from my dad’s hand, and looked across the gym as Brody Sullivan was lifting weights. I gulped at the sight of him. Instead of feeling weak in the knees and butterflies, I felt rage, anger, and hostility. My skin started to heat up as I threw my towel down and stomped over to the weight bench. He was on his back, doing bench presses when I stood over him, staring down into the eyes I wanted to poke out. He lifted his weight and I grabbed it. Holding it with him over his head.

“Umm... hey, Julia. How are you?”

“I’m good, Brody. How are you?”

“I’d be better if I could put this weight down.”

I looked straight ahead and saw my mom and dad watching me. My dad took a step forward and my mom grabbed his arm and held him back. I helped Brody put the weight back on the bench and he sat up and looked at me as he wiped his face with a towel.

“Why haven’t you called me?” I asked.

He looked down as he wiped the back of his neck. “I’ve been busy.”

“Funny, you weren’t busy when you were trying to have sex with me.”

“Julia, lower your voice,” he said as he stood up and looked around.

“You took something from me and then you ignore me?”

“I took what you gave. You wanted it and you were more than willing to give it up. Don’t play the good little girl, Julia,” he said as he started to walk away.

I grabbed him arm and stopped him. “Did you use me for sex? Did you only date me because you wanted to have sex with me?”

“Listen, Julia. You need to leave me alone. I’m not interested in you, and I’m sorry if you became attached.”

I actually felt my heart break when he said that. “You didn’t answer my question,” I whispered.

My mom and dad walked over and my mom looked at me and then at Brody. “Hi, Brody,” she said as she hooked her arm around his neck and squeezed.

“Mrs. Black, you’re hurting me,” he said.

“My daughter asked you a question and you will give her an answer.”

He looked up at my dad, and my dad just shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry, Brody. You play, you pay. I’ve been there, done that and, believe me, it’s not pretty. Piss off a woman and be prepared to deal with the consequences.”

“Okay..okay. I only dated you to have sex with you.”

My mom tightened her grip around Brody’s neck after he said that. I felt like a complete fool and I wanted to cry right there. But I wouldn’t give him the pleasure of seeing me break. So I did what seemed natural. I grabbed his crotch and held his royal jewels in my hand. By this time, everyone in the gym was staring.

“It’s okay, Brody. Because these, right here in my hand, are nothing to be proud of.”

I held up my pinky finger from my other hand in front of his face. “See this? This is your dick. Now every time you see me and I hold up this finger, you’ll be reminded of how small you really are,” I said as I let go of his balls.

“You’re a crazy bitch. You know that?” he said.

My mom leaned closer to him and whispered, “Did you know that this is my gym? My husband bought it for me as an anniversary gift. So you better listen very carefully, Mr. Sullivan. You are never to step foot in my gym again. Because if you do, I’ll charge your dumb ass with statutory rape. Have I made myself clear?”

Brody gulped as he looked at me. “Yes, Mrs. Black, I understand you,” he said and then looked at my dad.

My dad shook his head slowly. “Sorry; her gym, her rules. I think you better apologize to my daughter.”

“I’m sorry, Julia. I’m really sorry if I hurt your feelings,” he said as my mom removed her arm from him.

“Save it for someone who cares,” I said as I stuck up my pinky finger and called Bobby, our security guard, over. “Please escort Mr. Sullivan out and make sure he doesn’t come back, ever.”

“Sure thing, Miss Black.” He smiled.

My dad walked over to me and put his arm around me. I started to break down.

“Julia, hold it together. Don’t give him the satisfaction,” he said as he walked me back to our locker room.

I held it in until we reached the room. As soon as the door shut behind me, I sobbed into my father’s chest. He held my head against him as he told me it would be okay.

“I know it hurts, baby. Let it out.”

“You…you…were right all along,” I sobbed.

My mom walked over and rubbed my back. “We all make mistakes, Julia. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be human. I know you’re hurting, but we’re here for you.”

And that was what happened when I was sixteen. I lost my virginity, disappointed my parents, and I managed to get over Brody Sullivan. My mom was right; time does heal all wounds and the best way to heal those wounds: find another hot guy!

Chapter 8

Seventeen

I’ve dated a multitude of boys over the past year. My dad kept a careful eye on me for the fear that he’d catch me hav**g s*x in the penthouse again. My mom took me to the doctor and had me put on the pill. She told me not to mention it to my dad because he wouldn’t understand. I hadn’t had sex since my little romp with Brody, because of all the guys I’ve dated, none of them were worthy. London and I went to the mall practically every day after school. We’d sit in the food court and watch the hot guys walk by. We were on a mission, or should I say, I was on a mission to find the perfect boyfriend because London was still dating Rob, who I couldn’t stand. He was only using her for her money and for sex. As much as I tried to tell her, she would just tell me that I was jealous. I was really concerned because he used drugs and, sometimes, when I’d see London with him, she looked high as hell.

I had an art competition coming up in a few days, and I needed to finish the painting that I was entering in the contest. The prize was a $15,000 scholarship to Columbia University and the winning portrait would be displayed on the wall in one of their most prestigious halls. I really wanted to go away to college, but when I mentioned it, I saw the hurt and sadness in my dad’s eyes. He told me that he would support whatever decision I made. I like to tease him, so one day, I told him that I had applied to a university in Italy. He went on a rant and threw his hands up in the air; it was funny to see him get all worked up. Later that night, I overheard him talking to my mom, and he told her that if I was serious about going to Italy, then he was going to start looking for a house, and they’d live there for the next four years. I quickly told my dad that I was joking and that I wanted to go to Columbia, here in New York, so I didn’t have to leave him or my home. He wrapped his arms around me and held me so tightly, I could barely breathe.

“You have no idea how happy I am that you decided to go to Columbia,” he said as he kissed me on the head.

“Yeah, Dad, I think I do,” I said as I tried to take a breath.

He broke our embrace and I told him I had to go down to the art studio to put the final touches on my painting. He smiled at me and told me not to stay down there too late. I loved the art studio because when I was there, it felt like my own apartment. The best part of painting at night was when the light from the moon shined into the big windows and onto my canvas. I loved sitting behind my canvas at night, painting and looking out at the brightly lit up city. One final brushstroke, and I was done. The painting for the art contest was finally finished and would be ready for submission in a few days. I looked at the clock on the wall and it was midnight. As I was cleaning up my paints and brushes, my phone rang. I looked over to where it sat on the counter and noticed it was London calling.

“Hello,” I answered.

“Hey, is this London’s best friend?” a strange male voice asked.

“Yeah. Who’s this?”