I Want be your End Game

Twenty

My heart pounds against my chest as the door slowly opens just to reveal Halle. Halle! She looks fine! There's not a single scratch, bruise, or any mark on her besides the one on her neck.

"Why didn't you answer my texts or calls!" I hit her with my bag. "You made us worried sick! You made Max think I committed a murder!"

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Stop hitting me!"

"Okay, Julia! I think she gets the message!" Max snatches the bag away from me. "Now, why haven't you been responding to us? We thought something happened to you!"

"I'm sorry," Halle walks away from the door allowing us to come inside. "My phone died and I was a little occupied." A smirk appears on her face.

"What do you mean a little occupied?" Max catches the smirk on her face along with what her hair is failing to hide. "Does it have something to do with that mark on your neck?"

"Um, yes." She moves her hair more over the shoulder. "Who are you?" She raises a brow at Max.

That's right, they never really met. "Halle, this is Max, one of my close friends from high school."

"Hey," Max waves as he takes a seat in her pink chair. "Now, did something involve the hickey?"

"Hello Max, and yes it possibly does."

"You made out with my stalker!"

"He's not a stalker," she laughs.

"He kept following me around, therefore he is a stalker."

"Oh no," Halle clears her throat and adjusts herself. "You know for a fact that he is not a stalker. His name is Vincent." She looks over at Max, "Max, you're gonna get a kick out of this." Her attention is back on me, "Vincent was looking out for Julia, and Julia knew that. Isn't that right?" Her eyes stay on me waiting for me to respond but I don't. "Ian hired him to watch after you to make sure you're safe. I don't know why but whatever reason Ian has, I think it's sweet he wants to protect you."

"Is this true, Julia?" Max looks at me all serious.

"Yes."

Anger is building up in me, I was not suspecting this to happen. I didn't think Vincent would just bluntly tell her that. Isn't there some kind of secret rule where you can't spread information around? I wonder what he told Halle, does she know what Ian does?

"Why did you make me believe this dude was going to harm her, if you knew Ian hired him?

I shrug my shoulders. Maybe because he's a part of this crazy world that does harm to anyone who gets in their way.

"I barely know this guy, I just wanted him to leave me alone. How was I supposed to know he would just hang with her and give her a hickey?"

Max shakes his head, "Come on, I'm gonna take you home." He gets up from his seat and walks over to take my hand. "Halle, sorry for barging in here. It was nice to meet you and it's great that you're okay.

~*~

Max's car was filled with silence the whole ride home. I was okay with it, I needed that time to process everything around me. Max, Justin, and Skylar. What's going to happen between them? How would it affect the group? I hate the idea of Max being distant and not being around much because of them. Halle and Vincent, I did not suspect her to hook up with him. I hope it was a one-time event. Ian. The biggest thing that's been revolving around my life.

My feelings towards Ian are confusing. A part of me wants to run away, get as far away from him, from here as possible. To make sure he does not destroy what I have left. Then there's this part that feels like my heart is breaking from the idea of not being able to see Ian ever again.

"Are you sure you don't want to come inside?"

Max looks behind me at the vehicle parked in front of my place. "No, I'm good. I'll text you tomorrow."

I nod my head, feeling guilty even though I did nothing wrong. I hate being in the middle of a broken friendship but I understand Max's decision. It's for the best. I wave bye to him as I watch him drive off, as his vehicle disappears one gets revealed. Ian's.

"I knew you would arrive home eventually." His voice appears behind me. "Care to explain why you got one of my men to go off with someone when his job was to keep an eye on you?"

Here it comes. I roll my eyes already annoyed from a conversation that hasn't happened yet. "Maybe because I'm an adult. I don't need a babysitter." I turn around finally walking towards my front door where Ian is standing.

"Julia, we went through this. It's for your safety." His voice is stern, it's sending chills through my body.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm in great danger." I open my front door just to hear Skylar laughing.

"This is serious, Julia."

"Unless you want Skylar to hear you, I advise you to cut it until we're in my room," I whisper while glaring at him.

I walk into the living room, just to see Skylar sitting on the couch watching an episode of Modern Family. "Hi Sky, I thought you were staying over at Justin's?"

"Change of plans, he wanted to talk to Max."

A ball drops into my stomach, making me believe the conversation has something to do with Skylar. "Do you know why?"

"Not really but I have a feeling that I do. I don't want to dwell on it so I'm trying to distract myself."

That's my queue to leave her alone. One thing I learned in our friendship is that when Skylar doesn't want to discuss something that's bothering her, just leave her to herself. Not to push her into talking about it, wait for her to come to you. I look over at Ian and nod my head towards my room as a way of telling him to follow me.

"Resume your lecture." I tossed my purse and jacket onto the floor and sat down on my bed.

"Vincent was ordered to make sure you are safe, to keep an eye on you! Not to wander off to make out with one of your friends!"

"And I told you that I didn't need a babysitter!"

"Do you not understand what you got yourself into? This man can take you away and do god knows what to you because he knows that you're my girl!" He steps closer to me. "He knows once you're in his hands, he has leverage over me!"

My heart fluttered when he called me his girl, at the same time my mind can't stop spinning. I didn't think he thought of me that way, we never discussed our relationship. I only just saw what we have as a sexual relationship to where we please each other needs. I also thought he had other girls available for whenever I wasn't.

"Your girl? I don't recall us having a conversation that claims I'm your girl?"

"It should have been obvious."

"How was it supposed to be obvious when all we do is fuck or you kidnap me?"

"If we were just fuck buddies I wouldn't have my men protect you and keep you safe." Ian walks up to me and takes my hand to pull me onto my feet. He cups my chin and runs his thumb along my lower lip. "I don't see you as a random booty call from a club bathroom, Julia." The way he said my name caused my heart to flutter.

"Every inch of me can't stand the thought of you with anyone else but me. I can't concentrate without knowing you're okay. I would do anything to keep you safe." He places a kiss by my ear. "Even if means killing a man."