Okay and here is that next chapter, I hope you all enjoy! Thank you all for the comments and votes and fanning! I appreciate all of you!
Chapter XXII: Normal?
After three days of hiding out and spending all my time surfing I was ready to let a few people know I was back. It was lonely since I'd been back. Amanda had tried to talk to me, but she was busy with school, work, and Maverick. As much as everything was the same, it was all different.
This was home. It always had been. I walked into my mom's old room and her smell still filled it. I took a deep breath and sat on the edge of her bed. God I missed her. She'd know what to do. She'd tell me how to deal with this. I grabbed one of her pillows and cuddled with it and started crying. I couldn't tell you why I was crying, just that I suddenly felt like everything was falling apart. What was happening to me?
I woke up and looked around. I'd cried myself to sleep. I sighed and put the pillow back and set it just right and closed mom's room off once again. I turned on my old phone and called an old friend.
"Hello?"
"Hey,"
"Jules? Is that really you?"
"Yes,"
"Well, I'll be damned. Welcome back, princess."
"It's good to be back. It's good to be back."
I arranged to meet up with a few old friends at the current bar they were frequenting.
"Preston!" I ran up and hugged him.
"Lookie here, our little Jules went and grew up without us." Preston teased. Preston was like my big brother. He was taller than me and a little stocky. His brown hair had been cut since I'd last seen him and instead of his shaggy style he used to wear, it was now very businesslike.
"How are you?"
"Great! I've missed you."
I had a few beers, met Preston's new girlfriend Ellie, and the ever wonderful former best friend Hailey.
"Hey," she smiled awkwardly. "Sorry about the way we met last."
I rolled my eyes and did my best to ignore her.
"Juliet, I really miss our friendship." Hailey pouted.
"Well, whose fault is that?"
"Juliet, come on, what do I have to do?"
I looked thoughtful for a moment. "Okay, here's what you do, build a time machine, go back in time, and don't screw my boyfriend."
"You forgave Chase." Hailey grumbled and Preston spun around.
"Wait? What?" I glared at Hailey. "Jules, did Hailey say you forgave Chase?"
"She did, but I haven't."
"They why are you back with him?" Hailey whined.
"Juliet?" Preston asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's going on?"
I sighed. I really didn't want to have to explain myself. "Preston, it's a long story and I don't want to get into it tonight. I'll let you know, just not tonight. Tonight, I want to enjoy myself. Okay?"
"Alright, but you owe me an explanation." Preston sighed. "Do a shot with me."
A few more shots in and I was starting to feel like I was really back home. A few good friends, a few good drinks and I was in a pretty good mood.
Unfortunately, there was a downside to being home and I found it. Now I wasn't just Juliet. I was Juliet Eastgate-Benn heir to the Eastgate nonsense. Thus my quiet night catching up with some friends turned into this.
"Juliet! Is it true that you were engaged to the Prince of Wales?"
"Juliet, are you carrying a love child, like your mother, now?"
"Juliet, how do you think your mother would feel?"
"Juliet, is it true your father never wanted you?"
"Juliet, is it true?"
"Juliet!"
"Juliet!"
I was going to kill whoever leaked my name to the press.
I smiled politely at the flash mob of reporters and news cameras, but I kept my damn mouth shut. Xavier would be so proud. I felt a pang of guilt in my gut. Not only had I just up and left. I hadn't told anyone I was leaving. I'd just snuck off and was gone before they knew any better. I hadn't told anyone goodbye. I'd even left my phone in the cab so they couldn't find me. I missed them all terribly. I missed Gwen and her quirky nature and always having a cookie. I missed Harper and his music. I missed Laurel and her ways of telling me what I needed to hear and always saving my ass. And I really missed Xavier. More that I should have. I missed our late night chats. I missed our arguments. Part of me even missed him trying to tell me what to do. I waited patiently for the police to arrive and they escorted me to a hotel.
I called Amanda and warned her I wouldn't be home. I was advised to get a hotel room and advised to use an alias. It annoyed me that the hotel decided to comp me as soon as they realized who I was. And so, I had locked myself in the five star hotel suite alone. I would have given just about anything in that moment to be curled up in my own bed.
I looked at my phone again. Preston had left me yet another voicemail.
"Juliet, I'm sorry! I had no idea Hailey would open her big mouth. I'm sorry! Please call me back. Tell me you're alright. Amanda won't tell me anything. Please just let me know you're alright. I'm sorry, Jules. Call me."
I deleted it along with all the other voicemails he'd left me. I went out on the balcony and let the warm sticky heat of Florida envelop me. I let the warm salt breeze fill my nose and every pore. It was good to be home. I'd missed this more than anything else in England.
The next morning I called Chase.
"Good morning, sweetheart."
"Cut the crap," I growled. "The fucking paparazzi know I'm home."
"I didn't tell them."
"I know. You want in the limelight? Fine, go get Loki and my surfboard and meet me at that spot."
"When?"
"Now." I hung up on him. I had to put up with him, not like him. I bribed one of the kitchen staff to give me her change of clothes, then went and bought a new bathing suit, a cover up, flip flops, and a hat. Fuck the paparazzi. If they wanted a show, fine. But it was going to be on my terms. I walked to the best place I knew to surf. The waves here were always awesome.
There was a nice swell this morning. It wasn't long before Chase was blowing up my phone.
"What?" I snapped.
"Same beach you used to love to surf?"
"Duh."
"Okay, I'm here."
"Me too."
"Where?"
"Come fine me." I snapped and hung up on him for the second time today. I had to admit, it felt great. Unfortunately, it didn't take him long to find me. On the plus side, Loki was with him.
"Hey," he smiled at me.
"Yeah, whatever." I knelt down and Loki bounded over to me. "Who's a sweetie pie? Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?" I laughed as he licked my face. "That's right! That's my good boy!"
"Whatever?" Chase asked.
"Yeah, whatever." I growled at him.
"Jules, you're supposed to be my girlfriend."
"Chase, it's an act."
"I don't like the way things ended between us."
"Oh? Was it the cheating? The cheating with my supposed best friend? Or that I found out?"
Chase sighed. "Jules, you never had any time for me anymore. I got lonely."
"Oh, I'm sorry. My mother was a little busy dying! I'm so sorry you were lonely. I'm sorry I had bills to pay, school to finish up, a full time job, and a sick mother I was trying to keep alive! Fuck you and your loneliness." I snapped.
"Don't say it like that," Chase pouted.
"Chase, cut the bullshit. Ride the wave of fame, just like you wanted. Get your stupid fifteen minutes of fame and then get the hell out of my life. I don't want you in my life. I already told you this. If you didn't have that stupid tape, I wouldn't even be talking to you right now you piss poor excuse of a waste of space human being!"
Chase was stunned silent for a moment, even Loki was looking unnerved. "Come on Loki," I called and we bounded into the waves.
I was just excited to have the company of Loki in my hotel with me. I made the police keep Chase out of the room. Amanda and Maverick were my only visitors. This had become my life. I'd sneak out to surf if I could, if not I was stuck watching tv or playing video games. I was beginning to wonder if this was how the rest of my life would be when the last person I expected to see showed up at my door.
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Any ideas who is at the door?
And how much are we loving Chase? Isn't he just the bees knees?
As always comment and vote <3