Dance In The Rain

~28~ Broken

I may or may not have six chapters done and waiting to be shared 🫣 I'll post a couple random bonuses this week, so be on the lookout friends ❤️

Julianne's POV

We're sitting in the living room after we get back home from the funeral, eating pizza and watching The Big Bang Theory, when Tate speaks quietly.

"Did dad have a funeral?"

We all turn to him, and Holden clears his throat. "Uh, yeah...a graveside one, I don't think a lot of people went to it."

"Why didn't we go?" Tate asks as he picks at his crust, and Quinn looks down at her plate awkwardly.

"Uh, well...I was going to take you...It was two weeks after you got here...But they still didn't know who murdered him and the FBI had concerns about us being there...Just in case....."

"How was he murdered?" Tate asks as Kenna walks through the door without knocking.

"Tate, do we have to get into this tonight?"

"Into what?" Kenna asks as she sits down next to me and takes a piece of deluxe pizza.

"Mind your own damn business...And just help yourself," Tate snaps.

Holden sighs and sets his pizza down on a napkin.

"You never told us...You just said that they found who murdered him." Tate says as he takes a drink of Pepsi and looks at Holden expectantly.

Holden nods as he scratches his eyebrow and sighs in defeat.

"Dad borrowed a lot of money from some investor, and never paid him back. The investor hired a hitman, and they killed dad while he was on a business trip in New York."

"....But the investor never got his money back?" Tate asks

"Well, they arrested the guy."

"So how do we know they won't come looking for us?" I ask quietly, and Holden blows out a breath and shakes his head.

"Julianne, you're safe with me. I promise. Nobody is coming for you."

"Except maybe the literal murderer in town......" Tate says darkly as he takes another bite of his pizza.

"Even him. I know I'm acting like a complete psycho by not letting you guys go anywhere alone, but....wait a minute....Kenna, how did you get here?"

"....I walked....."

Holden blows out a breath and shakes his head angrily. "Don't do it again. You either get a ride from someone or call me."

Kenna simply nods and Tate drops his mouth open. "That's it? That's all you're gonna say? Julianne literally got in trouble a week ago for going somewhere, and I guarantee you'd beat my ass for doing it too. All she gets is a lame 'don't do it again'.....?!?"

Holden blows out another breath as he simply turns to the TV and picks up his pizza again, effectively ending the conversation.

~*~

"What's with Holden?" Kenna asks quietly as we sit on my bed and she french braids my hair.

I start to shake my head until she tugs gently, and I shrug instead. "He's really taking the Chippy thing hard."

"Why?" She asks

"I'm not sure..the only time we really saw her was in passing for the most part. I don't know why."

"Jules, will you cover for me?" Tate asks as he puts his phone in his back pocket and opens up the squeaky window.

"Cover for what?" Kenna asks, and Tate just puts up his middle finger at her and keeps his attention on me.