Beautifully Broken

Beautifully Broken: Chapter Eleven

CHAPTER 11

ADDIE’S POV

Hearing Lyla’s voice snapped me out of my momentary shock. I mean, she was his cousin but this was the first time I’d ever been here when she visited him. I had just figured that maybe she didn’t visit him much because our friends’ were often together at school anyway.

She must be confused about why I’m here in the first place, I thought. It’s not like the fact that we’re friends is common knowledge or anything.

The first thing I thought to do was leave. I mean, yeah Julian knew I was here and all I would have to do was explain thoroughly what I was doing here but that would be a long story and I had to admit that I was kind of anxious about telling Lyla even if she was my closest girl friend in the past few weeks. I could just call or text Julian later when she left. Darn. 

“Hi Lyla! Oh, uhmm, Julian and I had this meeting with Professor Altman about an event of his that he wanted us to organize and on the way home I noticed Julian was feverish so I came home with him so maybe I could watch him for a while but since you’re here now, I’ll be on my way,” I hastened turning away from her but leaving the door open for her to walk in. All I had to do now was get my things and I’d be out of here.

“So that’s the story you’re sticking to now?” she questioned me as she walked in the apartment,  setting down a duffel bag and stopping in front of Julian’s leather sofa to face me.

I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around. Lyla had both of her hands on her hips. Her long curly blond hair was in a loose pony tail and it looked like she just came from the gym since she was in green jogging pants and a fitted black statement shirt. She was smirking at me with a look in her eye that I couldn’t put my finger on.

Oh my gosh. She knows. She knows I’ve been with Julian. Oh my gosh. What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do?  Wait. Technically there was nothing to know. Julian and I weren’t together. We were just good friends that happened to be of the opposite sex who were used to sleeping over at each others’ places. We never did anything romantic, right? So there was nothing to be ashamed of really. Breathe Addie.

I took a deep breath and tried to make sure my voice wouldn’t show my emotions.

“Story?” I asked feigning innocence. Maybe she’d just drop it or something.

“Yeah Addie, your story. And don’t try to tell me other wise. You and Julian are the worst actors ever.” She replied obviously amused by my ‘acting’ as she put it.

“What am I supposed to be telling you?” I said, slightly confused to which direction she was heading.

“Yeah, you guys are definitely together, aren’t you? You guys never talk when you’re with us to the point that you avoid each other. But when I call each of you to go out to a party or something, you guys just ‘happen’ to be busy. Plus, this Altman project thing.”

“Oh fine Lyla. We’ve been spending some time with each other ever since he replaced you in helping me paint my bedroom, but we aren’t together ‘together’, like dating or anything.” I corrected  her. Yeah, as if we’d ever be together.

“Aww, really? You guys would definitely make a cute couple. And you’ve been spending so much time around each other,” she reasoned obviously disappointed we weren’t together.

“Well, we really aren’t. I guess that’s just the one thing that’s amazing about the two of us, just how platonic the past month has been for us. With all the time we’ve spent with each other, no one has made a move on the other, and I guess that just keeps things simple.” I explained.