Page 10 of Dramatic for the Defeated (Rejected 5)

Chapter 7

Brody

We walk out of the hospital hand in hand. I can tell by the way Julianna barely acknowledges the world around here that today has drained her nearly dry.

“Do you want me to take you home, baby?” I ask her. She shakes her head.

“I can’t go there yet. Not without her. I don’t know where to go,” she says, so defeated. I can't take her back to my place. No way in hell I’m letting her see where I live or giving her the chance to run into my mom. I can't take her to the clubhouse. It's getting cold out and won’t risk her getting sick.

“I have an idea,” I tell her, helping her back onto my bike and heading to the one place I know she’ll feel safer than anywhere else.

“What are we doing here? The schools closed,” she says, but still lets me lead her around back. I know there's one door that never stays locked because Ricki uses it all the time. With that thought in mind, we make our way to the back gym door.

“Does this always stay unlocked?” Juju whispers like someone might catch her. I chuckle.

“Yeah, no one ever comes this way, and this part of the gym is usually never open, so no need to worry.” I wink back at her. I race up the gym stairs into the room Ricki hides out in and I grab one of the extra pillows and blankets she has stashed here. Since everything went down with her and Landon, she’s moved in with him. She never comes here in the middle of the night anymore, so I know she won’t miss it.

Once I have everything I need tucked under my arm, I lead Juju down the halls and to the auditorium. She gasps in surprise.

“How did you know?” she asks quietly when we walk down the row of seats and up to the stage.

“This is your happy place. Always has been. I know this is about the only place you feel comfortable and safe,” I say, shrugging and watching as she turns around on the stage. When I finish, she turns to look at me.

“This isn’t the only place I feel safe. Not anymore,” she says, walking straight to me, leaning up on her tiptoes and kissing me soundly. I moan into her mouth, needing to pull her closer, to feel her against me. She pulls away long before I’m ready, though.

“Come on, I have something to show you. My own little paradise,” she says, grabbing my hand and leading me over to the wings of the stage.

From there, she leads me to a hidden ladder in the back. I follow her up and when we get to the top, I realize where we are. We are on the catwalk above the stage. With the low lights up here and the shine from the stage down below, it's like we are in our own little world, high above the shit we’ve been thrown in this life. Juju stops in the very middle and pulls the blanket from under my arm, spreading it down on the catwalk.

I place the pillow down as well and sit beside Juju, who is swinging her legs over the side of the catwalk, propping her arms on the rail. We sit quietly for a while, thinking about the day and everything that’s happened. Her dad told me a bit about Juju's life and also how he and his wife met.

I feel closer to her family, knowing our stories are so similar. It also scares the fuck out of me seeing how broken and defeated he is that he can’t fix what’s wrong with his wife. I don’t know what I would do if that was Julianna in twenty years. Before that thought takes over my mind, I turn to my girl.

“Are you alright, baby?” I ask her. She turns to look at me with such sadness in her eyes.

“I will be. I just feel so…. Lost,” she says, and that has me pulling her into my arms and holding her close.

“Your mom seems like one of the strongest women I know. I think she’ll beat this,” I tell her, meaning every word.

“She is strong. I think you’re right,” she says, sniffling a bit. She wipes her eyes and then looks up at me. “I don’t want to think about that right now.”

“Oh yeah. What do you want to talk about?” I ask her.

“I don’t want to talk at all. You can’t imagine how many times I’ve come up here and watched you work. Your muscles bunching under your shirt as you move the props off stage. I finally have you up here with me and I want to know firsthand what those muscles can do,” she tells me, giving me a sassy smile.

“Juju, are you sure right now is the time?” I start, not wanting to take advantage of her in this situation, but she places her hand over my mouth.

“I’ve never been so sure in my life. I’ve wanted you for so long,” she says and the next second, she's pulling her shirt off along with her bra and throwing them over the edge. I can't even watch to see where they land because I’m too focused on her perfect breast, with her light pink nipples. She stands and shucks her jeans off as well and I suck in a breath.

“You are the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen,” I tell her, slowly standing.

“Oh yeah, and how many naked women have you seen?” she says it like a joke, but I can see the vulnerability in her eyes.

“You were my first kiss ever, Julianna Davis. You will be my first everything,” I tell her and watch a smile break out across her face.

She walks over to me, her sexy hips shaking and making me drool even more. When she gets to me, she slowly pushes my jacket off to the railing on the catwalk. Slowly, she pushes the rest of my clothing off and my brain finally snaps back to reality. She’s about to see all my scars. The ones I work so hard to hide. She gasps when she seems my arms and I try to cover them as best I can. I don’t want her to feel sorry for me. Hell, I’m already out of my depth here, standing in front of a fucking goddess with perfectly smooth skin.

“Brody, you’re here with me. Come back to me,” Julianna’s voice calls to me as I feel the touch of her hand on my cheek. I look back into her eyes, looking for pity, but all I see is happiness, excitement, and love shining back at me. I let my arms fall to my sides, showing her all of me. As she leans in to kiss a nasty scar running along my chest, I suck in a breath.

“I will never let anyone hurt you again,” she whispers to me and it makes me chuckle, relaxing me even more.

“That’s supposed to be my line,” I tell her, lifting my hand to her cheek this time.

“We all need someone badass in their corner. You were lucky enough to get someone badass, smart as a whip, and a wee bit crazy,” she tells me and I can’t take it anymore. I need this girl more than I’ve ever needed anyone in my life, and she brings out an even more possessive side of me than I’ve seen before.

“Tell me, Juju, do you belong to me? Only me?” I ask her, needing to know if there’s any of those little shits I need to murder for feeling my woman.

“I’ve only ever wanted you. It was you or the Drama club. No one else,” she says, smiling before reaching up, grabbing the back of my neck and pulling me down for a kiss.

This girl wants to dominate. She’s used to having all the control and I have a feeling she needs to feel all of that control now, after what she’s been through today. Everything else in her life is up in the air. I can give her a semblance of peace by letting her have this. Controlling this moment. I’d give this girl the world, so when she pushes me down onto my back, I let her. I’ll always give her what she needs.

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