Page 19 of Being Julia

I looked at my phone and saw nothing. He didn’t text me back.

“Don’t worry about it, Julia. He’ll text you back. He’s probably busy right now.”

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

CHAPTER 7

Acouple of weeks passed, and I hadn’t heard anything 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 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 were still seeing him.”

“I’ve called him, and I’ve 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 miss 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 at Hailey’s house getting help in Biology.”

“I bet he is.” I smiled.

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

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 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 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.” Hesmiled as he put his arms around 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 fluttering 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?”

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