Free (Sequel to Through The Dark) Complete

Chapter 19

Amanda knocked softly on JJ's door and then opened it slowly.  She saw JJ sitting on her bed checking her phone.  "Hey, can we talk?"

"Yeah, sure."  Julie said.  She put her phone on her charger and turned towards Amanda.

Amanda sat the end of the bed and laughed.  "Yeah, sorry, not sure where to start with this.  I was shocked when I saw Harry."

Julie nodded slowly.  "Well, it's quite the story.  If I thought things couldn't get more complicated before, I was wrong."

"That good, huh?"  Amanda asked.  JJ looked drained.  Like she had just gone through a traumatic experience.  "What the hell happened, JJ?  You left to go meet Daniel, and you end up back here the next morning with Harry?  In new clothes? Harry tells me you talked to him and you wished him a Happy Birthday?  I mean what the hell have I missed in the past like 12 hours?"

"Oh, it's a long story."  Julie took a deep breath.  "I don't know what to do anymore.  I went to Club Exchange with Daniel.  I thought I was having a good time, and he kissed me.  I thought I wanted him to.  It was a decent kiss.  But it wasn't overwhelming."

"You mean like when you kiss Harry?"  Amanda interrupted.

"Do you want to hear this story or not?"  Julie glared at Amanda.

Amanda laughed.  "Yes, sorry.  I will keep the comments to a minimum until you're done."

"He seemed to enjoy it quite a lot.  He wanted to take me back to his place.  I was drunk.  But I still knew what I was doing. I told him I didn't want to, that I just wanted him to bring me back here.  He didn't like that answer, so I told him I could find my own way home. He called me a tease and left.  I was alone in downtown LA, and I figured I'd fucked up.  I called Louis, and Harry was hanging out with him.  Louis was taking care of Freddie, so he sent Harry to get me.  You know Louis.  He just told me to shut up and stay.  Harry came, and he was bringing me here, when he all of a sudden just turned away and told me he was taking me to his house.  He said he knew I couldn't handle Niall trying to apologize and that I didn't want any questions.  I slept in the spare room.  He said he wanted to stay. I told him he could if it was just sex, but he wouldn't.  He said the next time we were together like that would be when I gave him another chance.  I told him he'd be waiting forever and went to bed."  Julie rapid fired the story.  She didn't even seem to take a breath as she was telling it.

"And this morning?"  Amanda encouraged.  She wanted the whole story before she dug any deeper into it.

"This morning, I woke up, and he had gotten me clothes to wear, coffee, and pastries.  He asked to talk, and for some reason, I agreed.  He came and got me out of an uncomfortable situation, so I guess I thought I could at least talk to him for a few minutes."  Julie described the conversation to Amanda.  "Then he brought me home.  I gave him my number and told him to call me in a few days and wished him a Happy Birthday."

Amanda nodded and was quiet for a few minutes after JJ stopped talking.  It was a lot to take in.  "Well, Harry said Daniel better hope he never sees him again, but oh, am I going to go off on him next time I see him."  Amanda started with that.  She was angry.  She never thought that would happen if JJ went out with him. Looked like Harry had been right to call him Dr. Dickhead, she mused.

"Is he right though?  Am I a tease?  Was I teasing him and leading him on?  Just to try and forget about everything else?  Was I using him as a distraction?  I'm starting to think I'm more of a horrible person than I ever thought."  Julie took a breath and looked at Amanda, confused.  "I'm starting to rethink a lot of things."

Amanda thought about it before she answered.  Her first instinct was to tell JJ of course not.  She wanted to protect JJ at all costs, but she wanted to be honest with her, too.  She wanted to help her figure things out now that her instinct of holding everything in and closing off had begun to wane.  "No, JJ.  I don't think you were being a tease.  I think what you were hoping for and what you actually wanted were two different things.  You wanted to go have fun with Daniel, you wanted to feel for someone else, so that you didn't have to think about Harry.  I'm guessing it backfired though.  Because you haven't dealt with your true feelings for Harry."