The Boy Next Door

6.

It had stopped raining by the time I reached the same building, carrying my luggage and dumping them in the lift with Julian's help. There's just 2 suitcases that's all.
We reach on the same floor and I wait patiently for Julian to fish for his house keys. I kept looking at the door of my house and wondered if my parents are in there now searching for me, calling me when I've blocked their number from my phone or maybe it's empty, maybe my dad sold it. Things can happen fast when there's a lot of money. 
With the jingle of his keys, the door to Julian's house opens. He drags my luggage in and I follow him behind, admiring his house. It's beautiful and clean unlike mine and the paintings of the walls are so rich in color. He guided me to the guest room and presented me to every part of the house.
His kitchen is huge, with a counter in between. The guest bedroom has as big as a queen side bed facing the beautiful view of New York City. My house is nothing compared to his. This is like a whole upgrade and everything.
I inform Julian that I'm about to shower, since I was shivering of the cold and wanted to get rid of the unclean clothes. I unzipped my bags and took out a pair of tees and shorts and entered into the guest bathroom that was attached to the bedroom.
The shower was warm and refreshing and the soaps were beautifully scented that I glided it all over my body.
Once I was out of the shower freshly, Julian was preparing dinner. The aroma of the dish that boiled on the stove had filled all over the house that made my stomach growl.
Following the aroma, I entered the kitchen to see Julian who's back faced me with an apron tied behind his back.
A bottle of what I assume was champagne was kept on the table with two wine glasses.
"What's the occasion?" I smiled.
"Hey" Julian said, wiping his hands with a kitchen towel and proceeding to pour the blood red wine into the glasses.
"I don't usually do this but I'd like to welcome you to this house, as a new roommate of course, but not only as that but also as uhh-" he fumbled and I could notice the heat in his cheeks
"as my fake girlfriend."
He handed me the glass and both of us clinked the glasses.
I was smiling, I was smiling and I don't know what made me smile. Was it Julian Or the way he said 'fake girlfriend' or his offer of letting me stay in house?
"So, what's with the fake girlfriend thing? What'd you want me to do?" I ask
Julian got back to stirring the gravy that was slowly boiling.
"Well there's a lot to it, you know. PDA, kissing, cuddling in front of everyone, holding hands, lovey- dovey things and act like a happy couple. We just got to put on an act."
I couldn't even stop imagining everything with all he's said that my face had already reddened.
Julian is hot, and despite being the bully he was in high school, the change is so significant that no one could ever have pointed. He's tamer than he was before, patient and sensitive unlike him in high school.
While having dinner, we tried to restart our friendship and got to know a lot about each other. It seemed like both of us had changed which was really obvious.
But one question was rotating in my head and covering the hesitation I asked Julian, "Why did you actually want to save me? Is it really because of me being your fake girlfriend at your sister's wedding or something else?"
Julian looks at me in shock, like he didn't expect me to ask that or didn't expect me to overthink it.
"I know this is very strange for you, Amy, and it's unexpected. The reason I saved you is because you were nice to me, despite me troubling you, hurting you, you always helped me when it came to academics. I'm kind off trying to return you the favor but I couldn't see you in that junky car staying all by yourself in the rain especially during the night.
I must say I was the mad man but even mad Men care, at least some do."
My hands couldn't hold their grip on the chair I sat, I got off the chair and pushed myself into him, with my face slamming his hard chest.
"Thank you" 
I expected him to pat my back but instead he stood, pushing himself out of the chair and he hugged me.
Julian hugged me.
He hugged me in a way that no one had ever hugged me before. We stayed in his warm embrace that felt like a few minutes and then resumed eating.
I helped him washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen and we went on talking about what we had pursued after high school.

As he shut off the kitchen light, the house filled with mild darkness and the dim yellow lights turned on.
"Good night Amelia, sleep well."
"Good night Julian, and thank you." I said
"For what?"
"For everything." I warmly smiled.
He smiled back and disappeared in his room.
I walked to the guest bedroom and hid myself in the heavy blanket and fell asleep.