The world around them melted away in an instant.
Alex immediately felt high.
Julian's lips were impossibly soft yet firm, sending a delicious shiver down her spine. Her lips parted, and she nibbled on his lips slowly.
As she moved her mouth against his, she wanted more.
The scent of his cologne, the steady thrum of his heartbeat—everything about him was intoxicating.
Julian didn't pull back. In fact, he responded fervently, sliding his hands around her waist to draw her closer, deepening the kiss. His fingers left a fiery trail that sent sparks through her.
Without thinking, Alex wrapped her arms around his neck, weaving her fingers into his thick black hair she had admired since that night she met him.
The kiss wasn't hurried or forced. It was deep, lingering, and undeniably electrifying.
She had meant for it to be just a fleeting kiss. But now, she found herself sinking into it, into him.
After what felt like forever, Alex finally pulled away, her heart racing, breath uneven. A strange heat pooled in her chest as she refused to meet Julian's gaze, unsure if she could handle whatever emotion she might find there.
Clearing her throat, she turned to the three stunned spectators.
Willa looked as if she'd seen a ghost.
Chad looked like he was seconds away from throwing a punch.
And Ellen looked ready to rip her hair out.
Rightfully so, she was the first to break the silence.
"What did she offer you? Her body?" Ellen sneered, her eyes flicking to Julian. "Let me warn you. She's damaged goods. An ugly slut with a body full of scars. She tried to leech onto my boyfriend too, but failed."
Alex sucked in a sharp breath, a sting forming behind her eyes at the betrayal.
She should have expected it.
Her scars were a delicate subject for her, something she had only ever shown Chad while they were intimate because she had believed, foolishly, that she could trust him.
Clearly, she had been wrong.
But Ellen wasn't done.
Face red with anger, she pointed directly at Alex before turning to Julian. "Do you even know who she is? In college, she tried to have her own mother killed. She pushed her down the stairs. Everyone saw it. Alex. Is. A. Psychopath."
Silence crashed into the room like a tidal wave.
All eyes turned to Alex.
If she hadn't been furious before, she was livid now.
Clenching her fists at her sides, she struggled to regulate her breathing, as bad memories clawed at the edges of her mind.
Her chest tightened as if a crushing weight pressed down on her lungs, making it difficult to breathe. Her heart pounded faster, making her dizzy.
A sharp, suffocating ache spread through her chest and head, pulsing with every heartbeat.
It was so painful she wanted to scream.
Then—warmth.
A firm arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her into a solid chest. Julian.
"It doesn't matter if she threw her mother down the stairs or off a damn roof," Julian said, his voice deadly calm. "I'd be a fool to believe anything from a pair of con artists." His hold on her tightened slightly as his cold gaze cut through the couple. "She's mine. I'll always be by her side. Now get out."
The quiet authority in his voice sent a shiver through the room. Even Willa, who had been standing meekly by the side, instinctively took a step back.
Ellen gaped at him, lost for words. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air. She couldn't believe Julian was still defending her after everything she had just told him. It had never happened before.
Alex managed to calm down. She looked up at Julian, offering a small, grateful smile before stepping out of his embrace.
Julian's words restored her confidence, mending the damage Ellen's words had tried to cause.
She turned to the two pathetic excuses for a couple and, without hesitation, grabbed Ellen by the throat, digging her nails into her soft skin.
"What the hell?!" Chad sputtered, stepping forward, but one sharp glare from Julian had him swallowing his protest.
Alex smirked, her voice dropping into a venomous whisper. "Don't forget—I still have receipts of the debts you owe. I could call my lawyer right now."
Chad paled.
Then, shifting her gaze to Ellen, Alex leaned in even closer. "It's true," she murmured, her tone laced with dark amusement. "I pushed my mother. If I could do that to someone I once loved, imagine what I could do to a worthless piece of trash like you." Her smirk widened. "Come near me again, and I'll rip your throat out while you sleep."
Ellen stumbled backward, her eyes wide with sheer terror.
Without another word, she and Chad scrambled for the door, practically tripping over themselves in their haste to escape.
Alex watched them go with satisfaction.
After the room settled back into its usual comfortable silence, Willa stepped forward, gratitude shining in her eyes. "Thanks for stepping in," she said sincerely.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that. If they bother you again, kick them out." Alex instructed.
"I will."
After that, they tidied the place up a little before Alex left with Julian.
The drive home was awkward. None of them said anything throughout the ride, still trying to process the kiss in their minds.
When they finally reached the apartment, Alex planned to thank Julian quickly for his help and retreat to her room, hoping to escape the tension.
"Thank you for standing up for me and for going along with my lie," she said.
Julian shrugged off his jacket. "It's fine. They needed to be put in their place." He replied before turning to gaze at her curiously. "Did you really push your mom down the stairs?"
Though Alex had expected the question, it still caught her off guard. That incident had haunted her since college, something she desperately wanted to forget. Yet, no matter how far she ran, it always found a way back to her.
"It's true," she admitted, her voice tight. When she caught Julian's surprised expression, her eyes turned cold. "You don't get to judge me. You know nothing about me."
But instead of recoiling at her clipped tone, Julian simply studied her with interest. His eyes gleamed as if he had just unravelled a new layer of her.
Then, to her surprise, he smiled. "Your mom must have been a real bitch."
A breath Alex hadn't realized she was holding escaped her lips. Bitch was an understatement. Her mother was a monster.
"She was." And I hope I never see her again. But she kept the last part to herself.