A Stranger In My Home

Chapter 11

“So… I was thinking…” Jason said as Julie sat down for breakfast one Saturday morning. “Have you been to Sea World?”

Julie looked up from her toast and frowned. “No. Why?”

“I was thinking we could go. It could be good for you to get out of the house, away from this town for the weekend.”

“It’s a pretty long drive, though, right?” Julie said hesitatingly.

“Like seven hours, yeah,” Jason nodded, sipping his coffee. “We’d have to leave pretty soon, and then stay the night there. What do you say?”

Julie blinked. Stay the night? In a hotel? With Jason? Sure, they were living together and had been for weeks, or months, even, but they were on separate floors.

“Separate rooms, of course,” Jason said and Julie wondered if she’d voiced her thoughts or if he was able to read minds.

“Um… sure,” Julie said. “I should get dressed, then.”

“Can you be ready in half an hour? We’ll eat on the road,” he said and Julie nodded before heading upstairs.

Jason sat down his coffee and sighed. It had been over two weeks since Julie had claimed to see Derek at the courthouse and he’d yet to figure out if that was truly the case. She’d been on edge for about a week before she’d relaxed some. She still didn’t want to leave the house except for going to work and to her night class, and he was worried about her.

It hadn’t escaped his attention how she’d panicked thinking they’d have to share a hotel room, either. He had hoped she felt safe around him by now, as she claimed she did, but maybe there was still a part of her that didn’t trust him.

He hadn’t mentioned the D-word again, as he could tell she’d been hurt by being reminded of her failed marriage. Derek didn’t deserve her, but it was Julie’s decision to make – not his.

-

It was early evening by the time Jason and Julie reached Orlando, and Jason suggested they check into the hotel before getting some dinner. They were given single rooms opposite each other and after a few minutes, Jason knocked on Julie’s door to ask if she was ready to go. She poked her head out and he could tell she was in a robe.

“I’m sorry, I’d hoped I’d have time to grab a quick shower before dinner…” she said.

“Oh, sure,” Jason said, quickly backing off. “I’ll hit the showers myself, then. 30 minutes?”

“Great,” Julie smiled. “See you.”

“Yeah… see you…” Jason returned to his own room to get himself cleaned up. After all, seven hours in a car could make anyone feel gross.

For some reason, Jason couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that Julie was in the room across the hall, probably stepping under the hot spray just as he was. This was crazy, he told himself. Why was he thinking about his cousin’s wife in the shower? Obviously, she took showers at home, too. So what was the big deal?

Jason turned the water to cold, determined to get Julie out of his head.

-

“Find anything you like?” Jason asked after Julie had studied the menu for several minutes.

“Oh, sorry,” Julie said, looking up. “I guess I’m not used to… it’s all so expensive,” she whispered, looking around the swanky restaurant with its immaculately dressed wait staff.

Julie felt horribly out of place in her plain cotton dress. She wished she’d thought to bring her work clothes, but she hadn’t expected they’d go anywhere fancy on this little trip.