Not counting the last chapter's clue, who thought it was Jaycee? (be honest).
Jaycee's eyes zoomed in on the note in my hands, and she immediately tense. Her grip on the wooden door tightens, and she sends a look over to her brother before returning to me.
"I-I can explain," Jaycee said slowly, finding no use in denying the claim. I gave her a raised brow, but her eyes weren't concerned with me—it was with her brother. "And it's not some like disgusting reason behind the whole thing."
We didn't reply, as Jaycee bit her lower lip and moves to the side. She opens up the door a bit wider for us to enter, and taking it like a vampire's requirement to be invited, I enter into the familiar house. Julian followed in suit, crowding beside me this time.
I hear light barking coming from the outside, and declared it was Apollo. As much as I miss the dog, I needed answers.
"Do you want to sit down or—"
"Cee," her brother reminds and she inhale deeply before nodding.
"Why did you do it?" I ask, finding the waiting period too thick, too long to hold onto. I knew Jaycee since she was a freshman, adapted and adopted to her like a sister. I've never considered her to even be Miss Incomplete's copycat. It would've been too disturbing at first, but finding out later that the copycat is only trying to expose me—what was she trying to do?
"Which part?" She asks quietly.
"What was the point in doing it? What was your end goal? Why were you trying to expose me? How?" I rebuttal without skipping a beat, a hand raised out to empathise my confusion.
She lowers her eyes, finding the floor. She exhales slowly. "I'll answer it in order then," she mumbles quietly. She sucks in another breath before meeting my eye—not her brother.
"Jay was upset, still clinging over his ex like a lost toy. No matter what direction or how I tried to push him to move on, he wouldn't. He would never listen to me. I got upset, but I also wanted the next person he would attempt to date be better than Tasha. To not hold such a grip on him. I thought long and hard about who Jay should date and since I knew you, and you were in the same grade as my brother, I thought you were a good match. You're sweet, kind, and you are too much of a good person to put Jay through what she put him through." She explains, eyes searching mine to find any hint of forgiveness. Her lips pouted at the end. "Second question."
"What was your end goal?" I repeated.
She nods, gathering her words, "I didn't know how long you would've lasted with my brother. I didn't know if you guys would match well, or even match at all. I thought, to the least, you guys could've gotten together for a brief period of time before breaking up. But at least, at least, he would've gotten his mind off of Tasha and stayed on you. I knew he would've been able to move on healthily with you." She pauses, "but then the next question was how I was going to do it. I attempted to get you to notice my brother in freshman, giving you little hints here and there, but it didn't work. So, I had to find another alternative. Next?"
"Why were you trying to expose me?"
"Jay is at clueless as a puppy. He wouldn't get me pushing him in the direction of you, and I knew he was adamant on finding Miss Incomplete since middle school. I didn't know why, I didn't understand why and he never told me. I just knew who Miss Incomplete was and used it to my advantage. I had to be clever about it, so I decided to give hints about it as you. Pretend to be you in the new notes. At first, I begin to go easy and tried to stir my brother along. Then, when Jay told me that you're helping him find the notes—I knew my goals shifted. It wasn't to expose you anymore through the hints, it was to extend them and make them as complicated as I can so you guys could keep working together. Trying to find me. It has to make you guys bond. Though, I still used you through the hints; it became two plans in one. If you guys spent a lot of time together, you would get to know each other and hopefully date. Or, if that didn't work, one way or another, my brother could possibly find who Miss Incomplete is through the notes and finally find you like he wanted for some reason."
It took a moment to sink in her words, before I took in my next question. "How?"
Jaycee met me with a weak smile, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "You drove me to your house one time—the first time, actually—and I had no clothes on me. You let me use your shower, and borrowed an old sweater. I went into your room to take the sweater and when I found it on the top shelf, it took a bit before I just yanked the sweater down. The box fell with it. I panicked, it was scrambled all over your floor and I thought I was going to get in trouble. I found the notes, I read over it and I saw it was you. You were the girl my brother was looking for." I turn around, finding Julian has slipped his attention from Jaycee to me. A small smile graced his lips. I turn back around.
"I cleaned up, and took some pictures of the notes. With that, it carried out into an idea. Since I had a lot of meetings in the morning for yearbook club, and late ones sometimes, I could slip the notes in my brother's locker in the morning or late afternoon. Plus, it allowed me time to gather for the next note—the next hint."
I didn't reply, absorbing all of her words. She really thought this through; so cleverly, so strong. I never suspected her ways, and I never thought how she thought. She manoeuvred around everything, and dodged so much risks no one suspected.
"How did you copy my signature?" I pointed out, a thought occurred. She looks up from her hands and merely smile.
"I had to scan the notes through a document, print it out and copy it. As I found, I'm really good at copying signatures if I could print it beforehand."
Wow.
That's all I could think about; she got everything down to the littlest detail. She changed her handwriting, managed to forged the signature and already planned little details on how to deliver. A true mastermind.
"You guys aren't mad, right?" Jaycee said with a winced expression, hoping her trickery wouldn't have gone too far. "I mean, I didn't think it would work as well as it did. I didn't think you guys would've gone as far as—"
"Falling in love?" Her brother finishes; the first time he spoke since her big reveal. She nods, focused on her brother. He scoffs besides me. "Me neither."
Jaycee turns to me, a nervous look tipped on her face. "And you, Francena? Are you mad at me?"
I sigh, not replying to her instantaneously. I wasn't mad, feeling a bit deceived, definitely, but the feelings inside me at the reveal wasn't horrible. I never knew what I was going to do if I found out who Miss Incomplete's copycat was, but now I did. Knowing who it was.
"I'm not mad," I said softly, allowing Jaycee to let out a sigh of relief. "I honestly don't know how I feel; I feel like I was lowkey conned into falling in love."
"Hey," the siblings spoke in sync, as a hand was placed on my shoulder. I turn, finding Julian's brown eyes.
"If you were conned, I was conned. And I'm pretty sure whatever I feel for you isn't just some forced experiment." Julian said quietly, and I merely scoff, nodding.
"I think, I need to head home. After everything that happened today; with your breakup with Tasha, why everything went down and the copycat's big reveal, I think I need to sleep on this." I said, removing Julian's hand off my shoulders. He nods.
"Wait–you finally broke up with her?" Jaycee's eyes hopeful as they landed on Julian. He nods, but made an effort to show they're not going to go into it now. Jaycee nods, backing off.
"Alright, I'm going to take Francena home," Julian said, moving aside as he cracks back open the door. He allows me through, and I exit first as the cool night air greets my sense. I notice my car still parked in the driveway, despite the car keys still in the ignition.
I walk towards my car, beginning to rewind on everything that happened. The breakup, the talk, the reveal and the aftermath of the whole reason. My feet dragging against the concrete, and before I knew it, I felt myself being pulled back by the grip of my wrist.
I'm suddenly slammed into a chest, and Julian's hold change. His eyes looking down at me, and for a brief second, he holds the moment.
Before slamming his lips against mine.
The familiar feel of his lips skimmed across mine, and the generous feeling swarmed in the pit of my stomach. Julian's hands found their way to the back of my waist, as my arms swing around his neck, pulling him closer.
Emotions coursing through me, as I deepen the kiss against his lips. My heartbeat in my ear, but all I could focus on was Julian in front of me. Him kissing me, him holding me, him.
Julian refuses to let go, and his grip holds the story. Strong, firm, yet gentle and sweet at the same time. It wasn't forced, it was a desire—a want. As his lips sway against mine, it matched in rhythm.
I pull apart, gasping for air. Julian's follows up and his hand holding the back of my head as our height matched—I'm on my tip-toes as his steady on the ground. His forehead pressed against mine, as we pant. We suck in the air we lost; speechless for words as we stare.
"You know what this means, right?" Julian asks, his eyes searching my onyx ones.
I smile, knowing what he's hinting towards, "no, I don't." I tease, and he chuckles, pulling apart.
I fall back down to my toes, and he smiles. "Will you be my girlfriend, Francena Nakamura?"
"God, I hope Tasha isn't behind me this time."
Julian laughs; truly laughs. His voice musical as he lets out his moment of happiness. He regains back his sobriety before shaking his head. "Promise she isn't."
"That's a relief,"
"Francena," Julian says my name, and must I say, I love it when he says my name. "Will you be my girlfriend?"
I was about to open my mouth to answer when I shake my head, his lips curved and frown. I continue to coat the smile, "Not yet,"
He knew something was up from the look on my eyes, and his eyes lighten back up. His lips curved into a knowing smile, "god, I hate that yet word."
I chuckle, appeasing to this moment.
"What now?" He asks softly.
I raise back to my tippy-toes and peck a kiss on his lips. "You promised me something."