Julian's Torment (Mafia Heirs 3)

“You should really try to stop getting yourself in trouble,” Julian tells me. “I’m not always going to be around to help you.”

“I’m not expecting you to. You’re not my boyfriend.”

“Clearly.”

He sounds bitter, and I narrow my eyes at him in confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Can you just go back to your room and stop taking up my day?” he hisses. “I’m sick of seeing you, being around you, and most of all, fucking helping you like you’re a baby taking its first steps. Just learn to take care of yourself, Francesca. I’m not spending another second cleaning up the messes you’ve gotten yourself into in two fucking days here.”

My eyes fill with tears and I look away as he storms toward the door. He grabs the door handle, but the door won’t give.

“Fuck,” he mutters. “How did this door close?”

“I closed it.”

“For fuck’s sake.” He turns to face me with a thunderous expression. “It’s stuck. It’s been like that for days. You were supposed to leave it ajar.”

“I’m sorry,” I say defensively. “I didn’t know, and you didn’t say anything.”

“Typical,” Julian mutters. “You got your phone on you?”

I shake my head. “They didn’t let me take anything when they forced me to the bar.”

“I don’t have mine either. I left it in the house,” he groans, running his hands through his brown hair.

“Fucking hell, we’re stuck in here now. And with you… Kill me now.”

“Why are you so melodramatic, Julian? Is this really so bad?” I hop off the desk I’ve been sitting on and saunter over to him, trying the door handle myself. But he was right. It doesn’t budge. “Fuck. My roommate’s going to be worried.”

“Seriously, that’s your biggest issue right now?” he hisses. “I’m more worried about being locked in here with you all fucking night.”

“Why?” I ask. I forget what happened to us just for a moment. “You tempted to do something?”

The prick laughs out loud as if I’ve just told a joke. “As if. I just don’t want to be around you.”

“You’re such a fucking jerk, Julian.”

“Likewise. Let’s just agree not to talk to one another until we get the fuck out of here.”

He walks to the other corner of the room while I wrap myself in his coat. It smells like him, all deep and masculine, reminding me of things I’d be better off forgetting.

“When are we getting out of here?” I finally ask after a few minutes of tense silence.

“Fuck knows,” Julian mutters, thankfully not remarking on the short time I kept my mouth shut. “But

I’m sure the handyman will be in tomorrow morning. He usually is.”

“Tomorrow morning?” I groan. “We can’t spend all night in here.”

“Seems like we don’t have a choice.”

“We should try to get someone’s attention,” I suggest. “Bang on the door.”

“You go ahead, Francesca,” he spits out. “I’m not wasting my energy on that shit. And give me my fucking coat back.”

I’m still cold in my skimpy outfit, but I know better than to argue with him when he’s in a mood like this. I slip the coat off my shoulders and reluctantly hand it over to him. He lays it on three chairs pushed together and sits down.

“Are you seriously trying to sleep in here?” I ask.

“You got a better idea?” His gaze shoots daggers at me. “Looks like we’ll be in here a fucking while.”

I shrug. “I still think we should try to get someone to get us out sooner.”

“Sure,” he says with sarcasm dripping from the word. “You do that.”

He lies down on the chairs and wraps the coat over his body. I stare helplessly at the door just as the lights go out above us. “What the fuck?”

“They’re on a sensor,” he mutters. “Move around and they’ll come back on.”

I move and the lights come back on, so I exhale gratefully.

“Can you just sit down somewhere and stop being a noisy mess?” Julian demands.

“I would, if you hadn’t taken up all the chairs.”

“I left you the sofa, you spoiled brat.”

I wrinkle my nose, glancing at the stained velvet couch. “I’m not sleeping on there.”

“Fucking fine, take the chairs.” With a sigh, Julian picks himself up and walks to the sofa himself.

He lies down, letting me walk over to the chairs. I take off the strappy stilettos with a grateful sigh before lying down on the hard wood. It’s uncomfortable as hell, and as much as I try to get into a comfortable position, it seems impossible.

“Would you stop making so much noise?” Julian hisses just as the lights go off again.

“I’m sorry. It’s just really uncomfortable and I’m cold. I can’t spend all night like this.”

“You’re the most indecisive thing I’ve had the misfortune of ever meeting. Take the sofa.”

“N-No.”

“Why not?”

“I feel bad.”

“Then share it with me.”

The lights are off, which means I can’t see Julian’s face. Lucky for me, he can’t see mine either. I’m already feeling myself furiously blushing at his suggestion. I know we’re over… I know nothing will ever happen between us again… And yet I find my heart racing at his suggestion.