She

Chapter 22

(One Number Away By Luke Combs)

Julie's Pov

August 31

I heard the knocks on my door which caused me to jump up. My puffy cheeks, my messy hair, the pajama pants and crop top, was the look that I've been wearing all week.

"Julie?" I heard Eryn's voice, her knocking once more.

I felt my heart start to beat like crazy. I didn't want to see anyone. That was the whole point of me shutting my phone off. I wanted nothing to do with the social interaction because I was scared that I might actually talk to somebody.

I was so close to actually telling Matteo to stay, and I hate it. I hate how quickly this guy came rushing into my life and flipping it all upside down.

"I'm coming in!"

I quickly shut off my lights, grabbed my car keys, hiding them under my pillow. I quickly hid under my bed, not wanting to even see my best friend. My social battery feels as if it's beyond repair, and I don't know if I will ever recover from how low I let it get.

"Julie?"

"Is she there?" I heard the voice come through the phone, and it sent shivers down my spine. This is the first time I've heard him, or even paid attention to him since he left.

"If you give me a second to look, I will be able to tell you." I heard Eryn grumble out.

I know she's pissed at him. I know Eryn, and I know that she's going to hold the biggest grudge against him. I heard her footsteps come into my room, as I curled into a ball.

"She's not here." Eryn spoke in a shocking tone. I heard her footsteps go again, as she walked through to my bathroom.

"Julie!" Eryn yelled, and I felt my body heat up with anxiety.

"Is she seriously not there? Eryn, do not joke around like this if she is there." He sounded panicked, which made me feel terrible, but every day I was panicking.

"Matteo, she's not here. I don't know what you want me to say!" She yelled angrily as she walked through different parts of my apartment. I felt myself sigh in relief.

"What do I do?" He asked quickly, and everything in my life felt like it stopped. He was worried.

"You do nothing! I have to go fix your mess." The front door opened, and shut.

I quickly got out from under my bed, and looked around my room. I quietly walked into the kitchen, and locked the safety lock. I noticed the small post it note on my front door.

I know your here
TEXT ME!!
-Eryn

I went back to my room, laying in bed under the covers. I turned my TV on, and logged into my shared disney plus account. We all had our own profiles, but Eryn and Rylee shared it with me. I scrolled down to my list.

Tangled.

I clicked the movie before putting the remote down, and curling up in my bed. I looked at my phone that was lying next to me. I've watched this movie a thousand times. I felt my eyes start to get heavy because of the amount of comfort this movie gives me.

This movie makes me feel safe.

I turned my phone back on, and waited for it to ring. I waited for his text, I waited for his call. I gave it five minutes before I shut my phone off again.

I closed my eyes, and ran my fingers partly through my hair. I kept my hands on my head, angrily. I let out a sigh, and closed my eyes tightly. I wanted to drown all of my thoughts out. I wanted to drown out all of the noise.

I felt my breathing pick up, I looked away from my phone and back at the TV, calming down. This was the movie that my brother always put on when I was having a bad day, a bad time. When everything in my life was going horrible, I always turned to Tangled.

I looked at my phone, and wanted to desperately type in his number. I wanted to call him, but I would have nothing to say. I've never wanted to speak to a person more, then how much I wanted to speak to Matteo.

My own brother hasn't even heard me talk in years, and it's all my parents fault. It's their fault for making me this way. They're at fault for making me scared of damaging my voice. It was all their fault for making it possible in the first place.

Matteo has been the first person since Eryn that I've wanted to talk to. Eryn was the first person that found out my story. The first person beside my brother who lived through it with me. She never once pressured me into talking.

Eryn was the first person to pick me up off of the ground after storming into the bar. I was 18 when I met Eryn. It was my birthday when I ran into the bar crying. I was tired of fighting through life on my own. Walking into that bar was the best thing I've done in my entire life.

Matteo walked into my life after I freshly put my parents behind bars for the years of abuse they put me through. The trauma. The whole reason I don't speak is because of them. Matteo made me crazy.

My body felt like it was on fire every time he touched me. Having his hands on my waist, having him hold me, hug me, talk to me, smile at me, anything Matteo did made me absolutely crazy.

I'm in love with Matteo.

I pushed the thought out of my head. I knew what falling in love with him meant. That means that one way or another, my life is going to go for a spin. Whether it's a good spin, or a bad spin. I so desperately want it to be good.

Matteo saved me from drowning without even knowing it. All because of that stupid wrong number. All because he typed in Cora's number wrong. None of this would have happened if he didn't type that number wrong. We would have never met.

And I have to finally admit it.

But I'm so glad we met.

Because I'm in love with Matteo.

And I don't think anything will change that.

Should I make a move, or should I leave everything be?

What should I do?

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