I rang the doorbell to Elisabeth's house.
Adjusting the aluminum-foil covered bowl of pasta salad in my hands, I gently nudged Celine closer to the door to greet Elisabeth once she opened the door. Before long, we were all gathered around Elisabeth's dinner table, my salad bowl proudly placed between the roasted chicken and steamed potatoes.
When Elisabeth had suggested gathering at her house for dinner, I had been surprised to hear that Julian would be joining as well. I had figured he would still be on his road trip with the soccer team he called a friend group.
The dinner party eventually ended up as a movie night when Elisabeth had to retire to bed early for work and Celine helped herself to control the television remote. I resorted to helping Julian with the rest of the dishes in the kitchen, all the while finishing up a piece of the buttered bread from the dinner.
«I honestly didn't realize just how secluded I've been here in the city until we started going to the nightclubs on the other side of the country,» Julian shared over the running sink. «There was this one girl that kept telling me off at the bar- she actually reminded me of you a little bit. Anyway, she had these big brown eyes, and the cutest smile once she loosened up a bit. Had I not shared a room with Alex and Chris, she would have joined me right back to the hotel.»
I tried to swallow the food in my mouth without picturing Julian pulling his sweaty moves on a girl at the bar before taking her back to a hotel. I certainly wasn't interested in hearing about all the girls he has been frolicking with during his trip. Wiping my mouth, I held my hand up to stop him before he could continue with more details about the lady that had been reduced to a victim of his dirty imagination.
Julian shook his head at the gesture but managed to refrain from continuing the club story. Though it didn't stop him from continuing the conversation.
«So, how are things with Zayden?»
I gave him a sideways glance over the counter as I wiped down the plates.
«Things are good. I would have liked to see him more often, but it's whatever.»
«What's stopping that from happening? He's finally losing interest?» Julian joked. I threw him a sarcastic smile.
«Yes, he has lost interest and now I'm settling for the little moments he manages to spare for me.»
Julian chuckled softly. «No, but really,» he took a moment to clear his throat. «How is he?»
He avoided my gaze, instead focusing intently on washing the crystal glass in his hands. I rested the towel on the counter and leaned into the chair next to me.
«No luck in reaching out to him?» I asked, avoiding his question.
I watched him shift uncomfortably over the sink. I knew Julian had tried to rekindle the relationship between him and his stepbrother, but from what I had gathered their old bond hadn't settled as easily as he had thought it would. Though I had figured that Zayden's unavailability and busy schedule with the gang could make him come off as cold and distant to Julian, it wasn't in my place to butt in too much. Their relationship seemed vulnerable ever since Mike got between them.
YOU ARE READING
The Mystery Fighter III
ActionAfter getting into college, Cassie has no intentions of going back to her old habit of street fighting- but as the streets of her hometown would have it, her combat days are far from over. ...
