The first semester in Oxford has already started. Balancing between studying to become a lawyer and life in general, Julia Eden has found herself sitting across from a shrink, or in better words: a psychologist.
It only gets worse when the old man s...
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Julia woke with a splitting headache. As her lithe body moved under the sateen duvet, a grunt escaped her throat. Momentarily disoriented at her surroundings— gray walls, 3D sky ceiling, men's' perfume, she stared through mascara stained eyes. She was at Noah's. Very slowly, she scooted up on her elbows, her smooth curls now a mess across her shoulder when she noticed Noah Clarke.
He was sleeping on a mattress on the rug-clad floor, eyes half-closed, arms dangling over his head, naked up to his waist. For a while, she admired the view. Then realizing it was a college day, she descended her bare feet on the oak floor and made her way to the oversized bathroom.
The vanity mirror showed a girl with makeup smeared hazardously on her pale skin. Clumpy mascara stains sat on the apple of her flushed cheeks and the Laura Mercier Face Illuminator she had applied last night still gave her a glow that made her look pathetic at the presence of the stains. Reaching for a washcloth, she rubbed on her face ruthlessly until the stains were replaced by red blotches.
Great.
Well, at least the stains were gone. Feeling slightly guilty, Julia reached for Noah's toothbrush. She was already late for college when she collected her silver jimmy choo's, tiptoed by a sleeping Noah, bent and pecked his stubbly golden cheek.
He moaned with his eyes half-open, peeking out from under his forearm. There was a small scratch on the base of his elbow. He grunted, "Don't leave."
"We have classes."
"I want to go with you."
"I'll see you at college."
He groaned again when she walked away, towards the stairs, but fell asleep right away. Soft snoring sounds reached Julia when she left the room. It only made her smile.
Helen Clarke was busy on her phone, pacing around the dining room, letting out a string of curses at whoever was on the other side of the phone. The woman had a narrow pale face that was contorted into a scowl now and wide set gray eyes that were narrowed at her fingers. Julia noticed a huge glinting emerald sitting on Helen's ring finger. That had to be more than three carat. However, she ducked her head and passed the corridor hastily before Helen could see her. Taking her cloak from Dmitri, the house butler, she marched out of the apartment, squinting at the daylight.
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