Afterlight (Fanfiction) ✓

chapter thirteen

Chloe

AFTER a moment, I released Dean from my embrace, stepping back to find Justin still rooted in the doorway. His expression was colder now, darker, as if the warmth I was sometimes granted had been stripped from his honey-colored eyes. I let out a sigh and made my way up the path toward the house, my heart hammering in my chest. When I reached him, I didn't stop.

"I came to get my belongings," I mumbled, brushing past his broad silhouette and stepping into the familiar tension of his home.

The air inside felt heavy, suffocating even. Justin's footsteps followed close behind, his presence a shadow I couldn't shake. As I moved toward the couch to grab my things, his voice broke through the silence.

"Julia, wait," he called, his tone softer than I expected.

I ignored him, shoving a few items into my duffle bag with more force than necessary. But before I could take another step, his hand wrapped gently around my forearm, halting me.

"I'm sorry," he pleaded, his voice tinged with something I couldn't quite place. Regret? Desperation? His amber eyes searched mine, pleading silently. "I didn't mean what I said. You should know that I understand you."

A bitter laugh escaped my lips as I yanked my arm from his grip. "I finally figured things out, like you wanted me to," I shot back, my voice laced with defiance.

"At Dean's?" he asked, his jaw tightening as he said the name.

"Yes, at Dean's," I snapped, slinging my bag over my shoulder and heading for the door.

But Justin wasn't done. Before I could make it far, his hand landed lightly on my shoulder, stopping me once again. When I turned to glare at him, I found him hovering over me, his usual self tempered with an unfamiliar vulnerability.

"Princess, please," he said, the nickname soft on his lips. But it just felt like a manipulation, a tool to keep me from walking out that door.

"What do you want from me, Justin?" I demanded, my voice trembling despite my efforts to keep it steady. "I know I'm a burden to you. You've made that painfully clear. I appreciate everything you've done for me, but maybe it's better for both of us if I left."

His eyes darkened, the mask slipping just enough for me to see the turmoil underneath. "You don't know who and what Dean is," he said, his words deliberate, weighted.

"I do," I lied, lifting my chin defiantly, though the uncertainty in my gut gnawed at me.

"No, you don't," he insisted, stepping closer. "You're being naive, Julia."

"I am not naive!" I snapped, the sharpness in my voice masking the crack in my armor.

He let out a humorless laugh, his frustration bleeding through. "You run around from car to car, getting in with people you barely know, trusting them like this world isn't full of dangers. This isn't a game."

I glanced out the window where Dean leaned casually against his car, waiting for me. "I'd much rather stay with Dean than with you," I shot back, my voice trembling with conviction I didn't fully feel. "I trust him."

Justin's scoff was sharp, almost cruel. "You've known him for a day," he said, disbelief lacing his tone.

"I'm not saying I trust him completely," I countered, placing my hand on my hip. "I'm saying I trust him more than I'll ever trust you."

That hit its mark. His jaw tightened, and he stepped closer, the heat of his body radiating toward me, making my pulse quicken. "You leave this house," he said, his voice low and steady, "and I'll follow you. I'll drag you back here if I have to."