Page 22 of Heartless Pucker in Love

A female voice joined in. “Are you guys done with your stupid prank?” It was Regina, the girl I thought Julian had broken up with from sophomore year. She strutted to him on her heels, her hips swaying in a tight red dress with a dangerous split up one thigh. She looked smoking. I probably looked like a childish loser beside her. She laid a hand on Julian’s chest, and my heart shattered to pieces. She was his real prom date. “Come on, I want to dance already,” she whined, then she turned to me and snorted. “Oh, my god, what is that on her head?”

I touched my flower crown, which I thought was freaking cute, subconsciously. That sent the guys into another fit of laughter. Julian didn’t laugh. He just stood there and stared at me. He probably felt sorry for me...sorry that I was such an idiot. What was I thinking? My childhood nemesis wouldn’t ask me to prom if it wasn’t some stupid prank. How could I fall for this? I wanted to die. If humiliation was lethal, I would have keeled over and died one night shy of my eighteenth birthday.

Pulling a shaky breath, I gave Julian one last look, turned around, and ran.

11

JULIAN

Present…

I pounded on April’s door. I hadn’t seen her since she left my suite, and I hadn’t called her for anything. How could I face her when I couldn’t even face myself for what I did to her? Seeing the look on her face before she left my room, remembering the look on her face that night ten years ago, I despised myself. I had so many opportunities to apologize since we left Oakland, to make things right. Well, as right as I could make things between April and me, but I chickened out every time.

The door swung open and my eyes collided with shocked green ones. “Julian, is something wrong?” She looked me up and down, lingered on my cast. “Are you in pain?”

Her continued concern made me feel even worse. I didn’t deserve her compassion. How could she still give a shit about whether I was in pain or not? She’d always been so pure.

“I’m sorry.”

She lifted a brow and searched my face. “You look terrible. Have you slept?”

“Not a wink.” It was almost five in the morning. I’d stayed up all night wallowing in guilt. I took a good look at her. She was dressed in a robe but her eyes were bloodshot as if she hadn’t been asleep either. “Can I come in?”

Her eyes narrowed. “No. This is my personal time.”

“Please. I need to apologize properly.”

Her eyes landed on the hallway’s plush red carpet. “For what?”

“You know what.”

Eyes darting to my face, she nibbled her lower lips, sighed, and stepped aside. When she closed the door, she pulled her robe tighter. “I wish you’d given me a heads up. I would have put something on.”

My head snapped to her face. Was she saying that she had nothing on but that robe? My dick lifted its head with interest. I was in a hotel room with an attractive woman, wearing just a robe. I was a hot-blooded man, a mere mortal. Of course, sex with April crossed my mind. However, I’d be a gentleman. I was here on an apology mission so I told my dick to pipe down.

Clearing my throat, I turned to her. We stood in the living room area of her suite. It was identical to mine with satin sofas facing floor-to-ceiling windows that gave a scenic view of Los Angeles. “You left before I could apologize. I’ve wanted to apologize for what I did to you for a while now. I tried that very night, ten years ago.”

Arms crossed, eyeing me dubiously, she asked, “What do you mean?”

“I looked for you, April. After you ran off, I drove around town trying to find you. But damn, if you didn’t move fast on those heels. You were nowhere to be found.”

Her lashes lowered to hide her eyes. “So, you went back and enjoyed the rest of prom?”

“No, I went home, parked in the garage, sat in my car, and stewed in guilt until my ass burned from sitting for too long.” How could I have gone back and enjoyed my night after seeing the look in April’s eyes? She’d been devastated. The fire that had always been in her eyes when we took digs at each other had totally diminished. I knew I had fucked up epically when she didn’t even call me a jerk like she usually did before running away.

“Why did you even care? Weren’t you the one to orchestrate the whole thing?”

Sighing, I looked skyward. I didn’t want to give her details, but if I was going to make things right, I had to. “No, I didn’t. It was all Ric’s idea.” Ric McCoy had been my best friend, at least, he had been until I learned over time what a bully he was. “I’m not excusing myself because I went through with it. So, I was just as much of an idiot as he was.” I walked over to one of the sofas, sat, and patted the seat beside me.

“No, thanks.”

“Please, just get over here April. I just want to explain and maybe grovel until you forgive me.”

She threw her arms out. “It’s no big deal, Julian. It was ten years ago. We were kids. I don’t even think about that night much.” Her cheeks turned crimson and my eyes narrowed.

“Liar.”

Huffing, she stomped over and plopped down beside me. I hid my satisfied smirk. I liked having her close and liked her company. That thought made me pause. Maybe my life at the top was lonelier than I thought. I mean, I was craving April Bennet’s company. We hardly even got along. Shaking off my amazement, I angled my body towards her, ignoring the tenderness in my chest. Sometimes I’d forget about the fractured ribs. The doctor said I should heal within three to six weeks as long as I avoided too much activity, which I had.

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