Denied Attraction

Denied Attraction Chapter 4

The doorbell rang throughout the whole house. Its echo making me wince as I made my way down to the front door. I had just managed to drag my last bag down the stairs and was looking for the time.

Carefully I opened the door and peeked outside. A tall and muscular guy stood on the front step of my house. His dark hair was slightly long, almost reaching his eyes which appeared to be almost black. I sucked in a breath and noticed the wonderful tan he most certainly had naturally without having to put the effort in like other guys.

"Julio?" I asked uncertainty clear in my voice.

He gave me a small nod and waited for me to move out of the house. I turned and picked up my bags and dragged the suitcase behind me. I was still wearing my dress and heels from the funeral so it made this exceptionally difficult for me to do.

Julio saw my struggles and grabbed two of my bigger bags and took off to the car. I stared after him uneasily before turning and locking the door.

After all my bags were loaded into his black jeep, I made myself comfortable for the twenty minute drive to his house. He got into the car silently and that's how he remained for what seemed like eternity.

Unable to handle the silence, I finally caved in and spoke, my voice sounding so loud in the car.

"Where will I be sleeping?"

He glanced over at me and inhaled slowly before answering. "You'll be sharing a room with me."

I looked over at him, shocked that his mother would even agree to that. He noticed the look on my face and smiled slightly, more to himself then me.

"Relax, I have a large divider that runs from one end to the other. Top to bottom as well," he said almost smugly.

I nodded and turned to look outside the window. The neighbourhood was completely different to the one I was accustomed to. This area had run down houses, overgrown weeds and the grass was definitely not greener on this side. I sighed inwardly and knew that I was raised not to judge people.

We finally arrived and Maria was waiting for us at the front. She had an apron on which meant she had been busy cooking. I gave her a tiny smile when she caught sight of me.

Julio was already out of the car and was unloading my luggage. I went over to the back and grabbed some of my bags to take them inside.

"How are you feeling?" Maria asked me, cupping my face when I got close enough.

"Fine, I guess," I replied unsure.

As I moved I felt Mum's necklace swing slightly and caress my skin. I looked down and inhaled, being careful to avoid any more crying. I had to start staying strong. I needed to be in one piece for when Tommy woke up.

I stepped into the house and felt a wave of appreciation wash over me. The house wasn't huge. It was a cosy kind of home. I walked down the narrow hallway following Maria to where I was going to be staying. Her passage was lined with family photos and paintings. It was so unlike mine where the walls were almost completely bare. I passed a bedroom and glimpsed inside. A young girl, no doubt Julio's sister, was sitting on the bed with her legs crossed. A book lay open in her lap and it was evident she was in her own little world.

"Santana, Amelia has arrived," Maria called as she continued walking.

Santana looked up at me and I gave her a small smile. She had the same hair as Maria, only it was longer. Her eyes and skin though were a lot like Julio's. Her smile came uneasily as she watched me walk by.

As we went further there were no more rooms for a little of the way. Complete isolation was all my mind could muster up as a reason.

Entering the room I was going to share with Julio, I was shocked at how clean it appeared to be. I looked at Julio behind me and then returned my gaze to the room. He knew the thoughts flying through my head and gave a low chuckle.

"Were you expecting it to be a total mess?" he asked, coming to stand beside me.

I looked up at him shyly and nodded. "I really was. Sorry."

He raised an eyebrow at my apology but didn't question it. Instead he grabbed my things and put them on a small bed placed in the corner of the room. The room was actually a lot bigger than I anticipated. I had seen how small all the other rooms had been and thought this room would be the same.

Its walls were painted a pale green colour and the floor was all wooden. The beds both had white wooden headboard and matching drawers to go with it. I moved to my side of the room and looked around me carefully, before finally sitting down on the corner of the bed.

"I'll let you two organise the room," Maria said, shooting Julio a warning look.

I felt lost and alone as soon as she left the room. I sat quietly, while Julio stood near the door awkwardly. Taking a relaxing breath, I stood and began to slowly unpack my things. I had a nice portion of the wardrobe to myself so I made full advantage of that.

Julio went and laid back on his bed, placing his hands behind his head and staring off at the ceiling. I stared at him for some time before returning back to sorting out my clothes. I had everything set up and put away within the hour, while Julio continued to just stare blankly.

"So...umm, where's the divider?" I asked uneasily, standing at the foot of his bed.

His head snapped up reflexively and I jumped back, afraid of the wild look in his eyes. I could tell I looked like a frightened deer staring at oncoming headlights. I mentally shook my head as I remembered being in that position not too long ago. My throat constricted and my eyes stung slightly, but I forced it away and plastered a blank expression on my face.

Julio stood up and walked over to the side of the room and pulled on a large wide, pale green plank. It blended in so nicely, I had missed it completely. As he pulled, I watched as his muscles flexed as it was dragged across the floor, willing it to unfold time and time again. When it was finally unfolded, Julio left the room. I stood awkwardly on his half of the room before making my way to the gap left for me to access my side.

Sitting on the bed, I kicked off my heels and sleep finally caught up with me. I curled up into a little ball and then everything went dark as I was sucked into the depths of my mind where escape was inevitable.