Anywhere With You • {J.C.}

||Six|Just Sex||

"No harm, he's armed, setting off all your alarms."
-Trying Your Luck

The party seemed typical enough—a keg and a table filled with "refreshments," along with red solo cups. Although Julian had only invited around fifteen people, nearly thirty had shown up.

His parents had gone away for the week, giving him permission to invite a few friends over. He was eighteen after all, and sometime during this week he was set to take the GED test. He'd be moving out of Manhattan soon; he'd apply to Five Towns and figure out what he wanted to do with his life.

Harlow had tried to steer him in the right direction, but that route wasn't for him. She was like two different people—she could turn on a switch. Harlow could drink with the guys and be a saint on the weekdays. He couldn't understand why she wasn't enough; why her boyfriend was involved with someone else when he practically had the perfect girl.

Julian didn't think that just because she was his friend; he had thought that way about her for a long time—before he even knew she had a boyfriend. She was traditionally pretty, with long dark hair she had recently cut herself—the length just above her shoulders now. She had an olive complexion with light green eyes and a yellow hue surrounding her pupils. She was petite with rather lanky legs, but her chest a modest C-cup.

He'd never admit it, but he had looked a time or two. The cartilage of her right ear was pierced, and sometimes she wore hoop earrings. She seemed to be favoring the black wired choker a lot; it looked good with her new haircut.

Julian didn't think Harlow would show up, not after the way she had demanded him to get out of her car. He'd never seen her angry before; she'd never snapped the way she had at him before. He understood why she was upset—he knew it wasn't easy. He also knew her anger wasn't directed toward him, but at the situation. Harlow was probably embarrassed; possibly feeling that she was the last to know.

Julian knew... he knew those feelings all too well.

Which was why he was surprised to see she had actually taken his advice and shown up. She was sitting on the couch, a drink in hand. He took notice that she was barefoot, sitting with her ankle under her knee in a denim skirt—her tanned, russet legs glowing in the dim lamplight. She had on a worn white cotton tee that had been made into a crop top, but the way she was sitting, he couldn't catch sight of her stomach.

Julian hadn't realized he was staring at her until her small hand waved—her smile crooked and halfhearted. He waved back, apologizing with his eyes in hopes she forgave him for his forwardness for the night before. He thought about sitting next to her—he thought about striking up a conversation on how crazy this party had turned out to be.

Instead, Julian turned back around. He started into the kitchen to collect his thoughts—hoping to think of something to say before she decided to move.

"Jules!" He heard his name, turning around to see Nick approaching. "Hey man, what the fuck happened? Small get together my ass."

"Yeah, it's definitely not what I had in mind."

"Good thing Dave bought a keg." Nick laughed.

Nick's conversation had taken Julian's mind off of Harlow who was sitting in the living room. He had forgotten all about her and everything he was supposed to say. Alcohol always seemed to make Julian forgetful and snidely sarcastic.

It wasn't until he saw the familiar girl with bleach blonde hair that he realized he had forgotten all about Harlow. His eyes went wide as confusion set in. Jena Reynolds had made an appearance—she was at his house and Julian wondered if Alex was there, too.