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Julienne’s POV

Julienne’s POV

I was so dead!!!

If my parents caught me sneaking out my window at this time of the night I was very dead, but I really wanted to see Corey and he'd convinced me to come meet him at his apartment downtown. I didn't go out this late and my mother would argue that being with Corey was making me rebellious, and maybe he was. I opened the window slowly and looked outside. It wasn't a far jump. I could definitely make it, steeling myself for possible pain and taking a slight breath. I landed on my side, wincing at the slight pain, I huffed I was never doing this again, I grimaced, rising from the ground, I looked over to my window and shuddered. I wasn't sure how I was going to get back in but I'd figure that out later. I ran out of the compound flagging a taxi as I got the road

" Bolton" I said sharply to the driver, who nodded

The drive was a straight through town and took only thirty minutes, which I spent fidgeting. I was hoping that maybe Corey would bring up the topic of marriage someday soon because while I had been adamant about it. Corey had only spoken about it twice.

" Thank you" I muttered as the driver came to a stop, I paid him and took my bag, tugging my jacket around me to hide the skimpy dress I had on.

I had been to Corey's apartment once so I knew my way around. I took the elevator hoping he was ready, I was a little early but I was hoping my outfit would make all the difference. The elevator stopped and I got off it taking a deep breath and striding to his door. I turned the knob and it opened slowly. I stepped into the room, it was dark, there were flower petals on the floor, they looked like roses their color a bright red, smelled like them too, but somehow that scent felt thick and cloying, choking me so breathing seemed to be such a chore.

When I'd been flirted with by Corey, I had been unaware that he had a girlfriend, he had chased me without abandon, getting me gifts and showing interest in my life in a way no one had bothered to do in a long time. But perhaps the most adherent way he'd won me over was by going against both our families to see me. By the time I was aware that he'd left his girlfriend to pursue me, I had fallen too deeply in love and nothing else had mattered, two years after that Riona the ex-girlfriend had gotten married to her best friend and the two always looked so deeply in love something that I envied.

I was starting to realize that Corey was as fickle with his affections as he was with his family's business, which was likely being proven to me again as I walked the through his condo with the sounds of sex playing in the halls.

I knew what I would find and I knew it wouldn't be pretty but I couldn't stop myself from going towards the origins of the sound even as my lung froze and my heart went into overdrive. At the door I froze steeling myself, my fingers squeezing the bag hung over my shoulders. I swallowed convulsively, then reached for the door knob and pushed it open. I found exactly what I'd thought I would but it was so much more worse because now I heard the words as well, Corey muttered to whatever naive foolish girl he had under the covers how he loved her and would always take care of her, promises he'd made to me, promises he'd likely made to Riona, and the most cutting thing of all was when his lover asked

" When will you leave her " he sighed

" Soon, I just need to convince her parents that we love each other enough to get their funds for my father. It's the only way that my father will bring me onboard" he muttered, I had to stop myself from laughing. So that was all I amounted to, a means of gaining funds , in essence a money bag. The girl said nothing else and Corey kissed her whispering some more love sick nonsense

" Can't you come up with something better" I asked hoarsely, and the couple scrambled apart from each other. The girl's eyes were wide a soft pale blue filled with confusion, Corey's were a muted blue that had always been bright to her, they were filled with a guilt and excuses

" How long have you been standing there" he asked

" Long enough to here how she's your sweetheart" I answered

" Julie it's not what you think" he muttered climbing out of bed tripping over the blankets on the floor

" I'm sure it's not. I'm sure you sleeping with someone else in your home is not what I think it is" I muttered woodenly he hurried to stand in front of me pleadingly reaching for her hand, I let him have it at this point I couldn't really muster the energy to fight any longer, his betrayal had taken the wind out of my sail.

" I'm sorry, this it was a lapse in judgement and I swear this happened only once it will not happen again" he said

I watched him fascinated by how well I now knew him, his tells and how I knew with all certainty that while it might have been the first, it would never be the last. Pulling my hand from his grip and I smiled softly

" I'm sure, but I don't think I want to find that out" I replied, turning away from him and the girl.

It was very late or very early depending on how one looked at it although I knew quite well how my parents would see this. I looked up to my window and shuddered.

How had I made that jump? Why had I even made that jump?

I was so stupid, I walked to the door, it would soon dawn, my father woke at six every morning so I had to be very careful, I walked up the corridor and bent down to the flower pot and lifted it smiling when I found the key. I picked it up, pushing it into the lock slowly hoping to make the least sound, once it was in, I turned it twice, then paused turning the knob I pushed it open and walked in. Closing the door behind me again with two soft clicks, sighing deeply, I turned around and sighed when I saw a shadow– two shadows actually, standing arms crossed in the corridor– my parents.

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