Beautifully Broken

Beautifully Broken: Chapter Eleven

I moved back to the kitchen since it was adjacent to the living area so I could continue looking for something to make Julian while I continued this talk with Lyla.

“But you guys have kissed?”

“Lyla! This is your cousin we’re talking about.” I replied hastily. I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks. “And for your information, we haven’t.”

“What? I know he’s my cousin but I know he’s hot and you’re my friend. Am I not allowed to be curious?” she replied sheepishly. “And just so you know, just because he hasn’t kissed you, doesn’t mean he doesn’t like you.”

“Of course I know that just because he hasn’t kissed me doesn’t mean he doesn’t like me. I’m pretty sure he likes me, otherwise, why would he want to be friends with me anyway? But that doesn’t mean he ‘like’ likes me either, doesn’t it?”

All I could find was corned beef, left over elbow macaroni, and some milk. I guess I’d try to make him some form of soup and that’d have to do for now. I’d definitely have to start watching what stuff he picks up when we go grocery shopping from now on.

Loud coughing from Julian’s bedroom brought me back to my senses. Man, he really had been holding himself up just for me this morning. Poor guy.

“Well, Julian has never had a girlfriend. So maybe he doesn’t know how to show how he feels for you. Because I don’t think he’s ever gotten this close to somebody before and if my radar is correct, you guys are way beyond his ‘friends’ border.”

“Friends border? What is a friends border? Wait! What? Julian has never had a girlfriend?” I exclaimed, the surprise in my voice evident as the words registered in my mind. I almost dropped the ladle I was using to stir the soup.

“Well yeah, Julian never really had a girlfriend, he never even went to his high school prom and from the stories I’ve heard from my Aunt who’s his mom, he’s always been this charismatic guy too, and NO he wasn’t a nerd or something that made a huge transformation before college into a greek god or something, he’s just different that way.”

Surprise was an understatement for me. I knew Julian had his quiet moments. But in school he always came across as one of those Class President types. And for him to never ever have had a girlfriend, what was up with that?

And then it him me.

“Maybe Julian’s gay! I mean, it would explain everything. He dresses well, he’s a clean freak, we’ve spent so much time together and he’s never hit on me, and he’s never gone out with anyone else from campus! It all makes sense!” I explained. It made perfect sense to me.

Julian and I were friends and it would be normal for him to not like like me, I mean, I don’t think I’m the likable, drop dead gorgeous type that most guys fell for anyway. But he didn’t ever mention liking anybody from class or anyone at all for that matter. He was always polite and friendly with girls but nothing much beyond that.

And really, have you ever seen a straight man with such perfect hair anyway?

“Well, either that, or my cousin is just a perfect gentleman who has been waiting for you to make the first move. Or that he’s a perfect gentleman who is waiting for the perfect moment and other girls beside you don’t interest him.”

I turned to her in surprise. I didn’t have a reply to that. I was pretty sure that he didn’t have feelings for me but just what if, what if Lyla was right? I mean what should I do?

“Julian had a pretty rough childhood. He and his mom left his dad before high school and even then things were really bad. And even when they left, he was required to stay with his brother and dad a little too often for his liking.”