Dance In The Rain

~1~ Off The Beaten Path

Julianne's POV

Surely I can't be the only one, right? I can't be the only person in this world that pretends that I'm someone else. That I'm prettier. More popular. That the cutest guy in school likes me and I'm living in a world that's better than my own.

Surely I'm not the only person who pretends to live a life that they're not. To be someone they're not.

Maybe I really am as weird as everyone thinks.

Sometimes I imagine Gage Mackney sweeping me into his arms and wrapping me up tightly. I imagine his lips turning into a smirk as he brings them down to crush into mine. I imagine how my tummy would flip, but I somehow know exactly how to kiss him back.

"Hello? Earth to Julianne!" Tate mocks as he waves a hand in front of my face dramatically.

I break out of my fantasy and blink several times, ignoring the pang of sadness when I see that I'm sitting by the window in my eldest brother's worn chair, instead of being held by Gage.

Nobody would dream about the life I'm actually living—Two orphans who came to live with their older brother, in a two-bedroom shack.

Nobody would be silly enough.

"What?" I ask as I blink again, focusing on my doofus brother, and not Gage and his seriously cute bu-...

"Jules, what the hell is wrong with you?" Tate asks as he tilts his head to the side. "I've been calling your name a million times and you're acting like you're having a stroke. Is the heat here finally getting to you?"

I shake my head as the last of my non-existent world slips away.

"What do you want?"

"Holden wants us to meet him at the bar for dinner tonight, and I'm starving. Hurry the hell up!"

I sigh as I stand up and stretch out my back. How long was I sitting there?

"I'm ready."

He nods as he puts his phone in his back pocket and opens the creaking front door. "Wonder when we'll move in with Quinn," he mutters as he looks at the door in disdain.

"We're moving in with her?"

"If Holden has any smarts at all we would. Her house is nicer than this piece of shit."

I roll my eyes as I follow him out of the door. If he's learned anything about our brother in the last 9 months, it's that he's stubborn.

He won't move into his girlfriend's house.

~*~

"Quinn, these fries ain't done," a local barks as he squishes the golden spud in between his thumb and forefinger.

"Maybe just blow on them. Your hot breath will surely finish cooking it, Mick," Quinn smirks as she takes the basket away and heads toward the kitchen.

The large man chuckles as he takes a long drink of his draft, and Nico looks at Holden with a wink.

"You best keep yur lady happy, my boy. She's a little sassy today and it may just git me out of a job."

Holden looks at Mick, still grinning, and shakes his head.

"Eh, your job is safe. Hey! There you two are!" Holden says as he puts the dish he's drying down and comes over, giving us both a hug. "How's your Saturday been?"

"Boring as hell since I'm grounded," Tate snips.

Holden sighs and rolls his eyes. "For the tenth time, you're not grounded. I just asked you not to go anywhere today."