Shadow of Us

Chapter 6 Thomas and Julia

Trigger Warnings: This chapter contains depictions of violence, gunfire, injuries, and blood that may be distressing to some readers. Please proceed with caution.

THOMAS'S

I couldn't shake the image of Julia's face as she walked out of my office. Hurt had radiated from her eyes, and that pain had stayed with me over the past two days, gnawing at my thoughts like a relentless tide. I needed to fix this. But where to begin? Talking to her felt like trying to navigate a maze—every path I took led to a dead end. She was guarded, distant, and I couldn't understand why. I had no idea what had changed, what had caused her to shut me out like that.

When Ella agreed to have dinner with me, I felt a glimmer of hope. If anyone could give me insight into Julia, it was her. The restaurant was quiet, the kind of place where conversations could flow without interruption, the dim light casting soft shadows on the walls. The second bodyguard—a muscular man with a face like stone—sat a few tables away, his presence a silent reminder of Julia's absence. His steely gaze never left me, as if he were waiting for something to happen.

"You said Julia's on vacation, right?" I asked casually, trying to sound like it wasn't bothering me. Testing the waters, hoping for a clue.

The bodyguard shrugged with no-care face. "That's what she said. But if you're asking me, I think she's just avoiding you."

My jaw tightened at his words. Avoid me. Of course, she was. I couldn't deny it. I had no idea it would piss her that much. She was playing so professionally all the time but suddenly, there was no sign of her. What made her cause this distance between us? I hugged Lara but Lara was my best friend, and Julia knew. I wanted to understand her.

Ella arrived soon after, her familiar warm smile easing some of the tension in my chest. She had always had a way of making people feel comfortable, even when everything felt like it was falling apart. She was the calm in the storm, the voice of reason when I couldn't think straight.

"Thanks for meeting me," I said as she slid into the chair across from me, her eyes already searching my face for answers.

"You sounded desperate," she teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "What's going on?"

I let out a deep sigh, rubbing my forehead before meeting her gaze. "It's Julia," I admitted, leaning forward, my voice dropping low. "I screwed up, Ella. I need to make things right, but I don't know how. She's..." I trailed off, searching for the right words. "She's impossible to read. One minute, we're fine, and the next, it's like I don't even exist to her." I gave her details about what happened with Lara right the day it happened. She really felt like a safe place.

Ella's expression softened, her gaze steady and understanding. "She's not impossible, Thomas. She's just... complicated. And hurt. You left a mark on her, and not the good kind. But you already know that, don't you?" She knew more than Lara about what happened between me and Julia. She was the safe place to both of us back then, her and Julia were the best duo you could've seen in our group. They were chaotic but so understanding and supporting.

I nodded, feeling the weight of her words settle in. "I didn't mean to. I never wanted to hurt her. I just... I didn't know how to handle everything that happened. You know what he meant to me and how everything affected me and this... it almost killed me Lia..."

Ella reached across the table, her hand resting on mine. "I know you didn't and I know it wasn't any near easy for you and Lara. But Julia? She's not someone who lets go easily. She hoped, everyday, that you'd come back and be with her. She thought there was a chance for you two in the future. And you know her, she holds onto things, and even when it seems like she's moved on, she's fully over you and that's what scares her. I can't say for sure, I haven't talked with her for long also but some things don't change. And the worst part is, she doesn't show it. You've seen it, right? The walls she puts up? They're there for a reason. They protect her from any kind of this but it can't protect her from her own."