Getting Closer

Chapter Twenty Nine - Juliet

Things were going great. From context clues, I could tell something with Max's father was going down at their house but after a short couple of days, everything was tied up nicely and Max and I resumed our almost daily escapades.

And it was all going great until the devil still wanted to play with me.

As Max and Seth bicker over a video game that has them fully locked in and while Charlie does homework on his kitchen table, I was on my phone browsing various social medias when I get a phone call from Brooke.

"I'm going to kill the son of a bitch!" she screams in a way of greeting. Her voice is so loud that Seth pauses their game.

"Well hello to you too," I say back to her.

Then a long pause. "Jules," Brooke says eerily silent. "You haven't seen?"

"Seen what?" As the hairs on my arms rise, my phone vibrates. Again. And again. And again.

I pull the phone away from my ear but I can still hear Brooke say as I can the countless texts coming in, "Do not look at your phone. I'm going to call your parents and we're gonna-"

I completely block her out as I catch a glimpse of one of the texts messages raining in. People I haven't even heard from since high school text me and the texts completely confuse me.

Jonah: nice tits ;)

Cameran: youve got a bod made for porn

Zach: no wonder why michael wanted you so badly

Isabella: wow how desperate are you for attention?

By the twelve text I read, tears are streaming down my cheeks. I vaguely hear the guys in the room asking if I'm alright but words don't make sense. I can still hear Brooke on the line but everything blurs.

I've only ever taken private photos for...

No.

There's no way.

He's a bastard but he isn't cruel.

But yet, when I reopen Twitter, all my mutuals are reacting and spreading the photo I took junior year for Michael.

Not really knowing what to do, I run to Charlie's bathroom and fall on the floor. Hyperventilating, my hands shake as I reach for my phone once again. Croaking, "Brooke?"

"Yeah babe?" she immediately asks.

"Can you tell my parents to pick me up at Charlie's? Do you need the address?"

"No, no. I have it. And don't worry. I'll grab the fucker's balls and have him choke on them!" she swears as she hangs up. While the image of that remark does make me immensely happy, I just can't wrap my head around this. Why can't Michael just leave me alone?

When I get another cluster of texts, I shut off my phone and wipe the stray tears from my cheeks. Taking a deep breath, I pick myself up and go back to the other room. When I get to the main room, all the guys are standing and I can just feel that they've heard what's going on by the pity in their eyes. Charlie quiets down as he's on the phone with someone and says quietly to someone, "Yeah, she's here."

My throat tightens and tears threaten to fall again. Avoiding their knowing eyes, I choke out, "If any of you look at those photos, I will never forgive you." Before they can console me, I head outside just to be away from everyone else. But I have no where else to go.

Sitting on Charlie's steps, I finally cry my little heart out. Never in a million years did I think Michael would stoop so low to try to help his image, but why does he have to bring me down to do so? Why do I have to have so much torment? Why? And besides, who gives a shit that we broke up? We were both nineteen, it was bound to happen. But what he did...