Anywhere With You • {J.C.}

||Forty-Nine|This Is It||

After the show, the party migrated back to Julian and Al's apartment. Harlow protested to go, but was ultimately guilt tripped into going. This was the last night Harlow was ever going to spend with Julian; the last night they would ever share together before he went off to travel the world... again.

The last time she tried breaking off their estranged friendship, it hadn't gone well. This was her chance to make things right—to end things peacefully. Harlow could never seem to get the words right, to tell Julian how she felt and why it would never work between them. But this time, she was determined. She was no longer afraid—this was it.

Harlow sat in the crowded room, drinking her beer. Her eyes scanned over the loud drunkards, the sight bringing a smile to her lips. No matter how much time passed, she always felt welcome among Julian's friends—Fab and Nick her friends when Julian wasn't. It was bittersweet to see everyone together, knowing the inevitable.

Julian stepped from the hall, gesturing Harlow up from the futon. He had taken a shower—his hair still wet, still sporting the same shirt from the show. She forced a smile, making her way to him through the crowd. Julian's smirk seemed to grow wider with every step she took until finally, she was standing toe to toe with him.

"Mind if we go somewhere more quiet?" Julian asked, leaning his weight into the foyer with folded arms.

Harlow nodded, placing her hand on the small of his back as he turned, starting toward the bedroom.

There was something about this moment—something calm and knowing. Despite Julian being drunk, he wasn't plastered; he was coherent and seemingly understanding of what was about to come.

He closed the door behind her—the sound of the chaos in the other room muffled. Chewing on his bottom lip, he looked to Harlow with narrowed eyes. A grin began to tug at the corner of his mouth—Harlow doing the same. They laughed nervously in unison.

"I cleaned up this time." His smile fell, gazing around the relatively tidied room. Clothes were no longer spread all over the floor, but instead, folded sloppily in the corner of the room, next to the dresser.

Harlow nodded, making her way toward the bed. It was unusual; the bed was actually made. The blanket and pillow cases smelled of something other than Julian's bedhead—laundry detergent. She sat on the edge, stealing glances from Julian as he seemed to roam around the room along the far wall next to the window.

"Oh, I got you something."  Julian knelt beside the dresser, pulling out a Vans shoe box. She started to object the gift, but knew Julian wasn't about to gift her with a pair of shoes.

"What is it?" Harlow asked. Julian sat next to her, placing the shoe box in her lap.

"Just open it."

She eyed him skeptically, flipping open the top. She closed the lid fast after catching a peek of what was inside—the sight causing her to laugh. "Really?"

"Yep. Every pair of underwear you've lost at this place. I found em when I was cleaning up." Julian watched as Harlow went through the underwear she had lost over the years. There wasn't many—five pairs to be exact. She was a little surprised she still recognized them, thinking there'd at least be one out of the bunch that wasn't hers.

Julian moved the box out of Harlow's lap. He scooted down the bed, laying his head where the shoe box had set—right on Harlow's thighs. He gazed up at her with heavy eyes as her fingers trailed through his hair—the strands still damp.

"Can I ask you somethin'?" Julian intertwined his own fingers, fiddling his thumbs in an antsy manner. She wasn't sure if he was nervous or needed another drink. She hadn't seen a drink in his hand since after the show.