Hating the CEO

Chapter 15 - You are Julia Stiles

Julia was glad she'd put on her sweat pants and a hoodie this morning. As nurse Wilkins was pushing her wheelchair along the hospital hallways, Julia couldn't imagine being dressed in the hospital gown. She was bruised almost all over her face and body; with a hood on and the rest of her body fully clothed she was getting definitely less stares.
The second CT scan seemed to have made the doctor happy. He would give her the detailed results later, but Julia knew they were going to release her soon.
Was she glad? I should be. She thought bitter.
Julia felt safe in the hospital though. Not only did she have her personal mountain of muscles guarding her door, but she was never alone; Zoey, Jess or Jack were usually with her. She would again be alone in her apartment. And even though she had been used to being alone in the course of last year, meeting Nicholas' men a few days back had implemented a fear in her she couldn't seem to get rid of, a fear that made her panic at the thought of being just by herself again.

As she was getting closer to her hospital room, Julia heard raised voices. That was her support group, as she started calling them in her mind: Zoey, Jess and Jack.
"We need to tell her," Jess said.
"This will only freak her out!" it was Zoey's concerned voice.
"Jack, won't you support me on this?" Jess must have turned to Deschanel.
Julia touched the nurse's hand, signalling to her to stop the wheelchair. She wanted to listen to the three before making her presence known.
There was silence in the room. Apparently Jack was considering what to say...
"There's no point in hiding this from Julia, Zoey. She is a big girl, she'll handle it..." Jack said in a business-like tone, which made Julia feel grateful. "And if she's not, then she'll have you to hold her hand..." he added.

Asshole.
Julia patted the nurse's hand and she was wheeled into the room.
"I am a big girl, I can handle it," she sent each of them an annoyed look. "What is it?"
Zoey looked like a child caught in the act of stealing an apple, Jess seemed to be glad with the turn of events and Jack... well Jack put on that unreadable expression of his again.
"How did the CT scan go?" Zoey was clearly stalling.
Julia narrowed her eyes, considering whether to be angry at her friend for hiding something from her, but she knew she would get to know about it sooner or later.
"I guess it went well," Julia answered with a dismissive wave of her hand. "The doc should come here with detailed results soon, but I think he was glad with what he saw on the monitor... That probably means I'll be able to go home soon," she concluded, getting up from the wheelchair.
Back in bed Julia looked at the people in the room, realizing it had gotten awfully quiet.
"About that..." Zoey started, clearly hesitating.
Seeing his sister's behaviour, Jack sighed and walked over to Julia's bed.
"Julia, someone broke into your apartment and... well, turned it upside down completely," he said in a dry tone, but she could see concern in his eyes. Julia forgot that the moment the meaning of his words downed on her.
"Someone robbed my apartment...?
"It wasn't a robbery, Julia..." Jack said.
"What? Then w..." she trailed off. "No... it's impossible! They couldn't have found my private address too..."
"Tom sent a couple of his crew to get your stuff," Zoey finally spoke. "They claim nothing was stolen and anyway..."
Julia closed her eyes. Can it get any worse?
"Anyway what, Zoey?" she asked, not opening her eyes.
"They left a message on the bathroom mirror..."

If I don't open my eyes right now, could it all go away? She was so tired. Tired with every day being worse than the one before, with the fear that seemed to have become her companion, with constantly being dependent on someone else. She was so far away from the Julia from few weeks back; that Julia managed to somehow keep her past at a distance, rather small distance, but still a distance. That Julia was strong and independent. The Julia sitting on the hospital bed was weak and lost and that was driving her mad.
"What was that message, Zoey?" Jullia finally asked.
"I'll see you soon, sweet Julia."
"I never liked that mirror anyway," Julia answered, hoping it would seem light, but her trembling voice betrayed the emotions she was trying to hide.
"Julia..."
"Just forget it, Zoey!" she sighed. "I will change the locks, clean the place up and..."
"You are not going back there!" Jack interrupted her in a tone so harsh, it made her jump. Seeing that, he added in a smoother voice. "Stiles, it's too dangerous for you to even be in the neighbourhood of your apartment... You will stay with Zoey and Jess until we figure this out."
Julia wanted to argue with him so badly. She wanted to tell him to go fuck himself and his annoying CEO tone, but besides constantly feeling tired, she also knew Jack was right. Besides, staying alone in that apartment would probably end up with her having a heart attack every time she'd hear a noise.
"Fine," she just answered, which earned her shock stares from everyone, including the mighty Jack Deschanel.


Julia chuckled at the memory of her naïve assumptions. Agreeing to move in with Zoey and Jess she assumed that she would not be alone. But yet again life found a way to stick out its mean tongue at her.
Not only was she now in an apartment that was not her own, she was totally alone in it! Jess usually worked long shifts or was called to the hospital for some emergencies, while Zoey was right now on her way to visit Julia's mother. You should be grateful for that! Julia scolded herself.