Truly, Madly, Deeply- A Julian De Vizio fanfic

Chapter 10

‘So turn around, floating so high above the ground, floating so high. Turn around, together nothing can stop us now’

Dani’s phone was ringing, waking her up. “Who the hell is calling me at 9.40am?” she complained as she got out of bed and looked at her phone. It was a number she didn't have saved.

“Hello?” She answered.

“Hello? Dani? Is that you?” the voice on the other end questioned.

“Yeaaaaaaah it is. Who’s this?”

“Sorry, it’s Jayden,” he revealed.

“Oh! Hey Jayden, what’s up?” Dani couldn’t figure out why Jayden was calling her. She had only met him, along with the other boys, twice in the week and a half that they were in Adelaide.

“I was just calling to tell you that there’s a barbeque at Julian’s tonight. You should come.”

“Oh, right. Well, I don’t want to sound rude or anything, but why isn’t Julian calling me to tell me?” Dani had accepted that her friend had changed, and even though he had made no effort to try and see her, she still hoped that Jayden would give her a good enough excuse.

“Julian asked me to call you because he was busy getting a few things ready,” Jayden lied. Julian had no idea that Jayden was calling. This was Jayden’s attempt to try and get them to sort out whatever was going on. He hated seeing Julian so sad the past few days, knowing that the situation could easily be resolved.

“Okay then, I’ll see you tonight Jayden! Thanks,” Dani said before hanging up the phone. She knew the night wouldn’t be easy, seeing as Julian had pretty much avoided her since stepping foot in Adelaide. In the past week and a half, Julian and Dani had only seen each other three times: the day he arrived, a few days later when they all went shopping, and accidentally when she went to drop something off to his mum. Their friendship was falling apart and Dani couldn’t take it anymore. She was going to resolve whatever issue there was tonight, whether Julian liked it or not.

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Since arriving at Julian’s house, Dani hadn’t seen him anywhere. Jayden explained that Julian had gone to get a few things from the supermarket. When Julian got back, he definitely didn't expect Dani to be standing in the hallway.

“What are you doing here?” he asked her.

“Well hello to you too, stranger” she replied. ‘Not even a hello’ she thought to herself.

“Sorry... Hey.” Julian said, before heading to the kitchen.

“Julian, can we please talk?” Dani couldn’t handle it anymore. She missed her best friend too much to let this continue.

“Can it wait? I just have to finish doing this,” he tried to avoid it, making himself look busy with the drinks.

“No it can’t, this is more important than putting drinks in the bloody fridge.” There was no reasoning with her this time.

Julian dropped the drinks and followed Dani to the empty living room, trying not to make eye contact.

“What’s up?”

“Are you kidding me? ‘What’s up?’ Okay, let me tell you ‘what’s up’,” she said mockingly. Dani had had enough of his attitude. “I don’t know where this sudden burst of arrogance and attitude has come from, but I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all. This isn’t you Julian. You aren’t the same person anymore. Please explain to me where my best friend has gone, because I can’t seem to find him anywhere. It’s like the past few weeks, all you’ve tried to do is ignore me and pretend like I don’t exist. What have I done to deserve this? I don’t understand. I have done nothing but support you throughout these years and this is all I get back? Now that you’ve made it to the live shows, you’re just going to toss me out of the window? Is that how it’s going to work for you? Because I thought a best friend would stay forever. I thought you would never forget me Julian, but it seems a whole lot like that’s exactly what you’re trying to do.”

Julian was stunned. He didn't expect this to happen. He had a plan to try and get over Dani and this wasn’t part of it. He never anticipated that she would say anything. “Dani, I-“

“Wait, I’m not done,” Dani was trying to hold back her tears now. “It’s one thing to be busy, I get that, but to pretend like I don’t exist? I don’t think I can handle that Julian. I have spent every night, for weeks, crying myself to sleep because my apparent ‘best friend’ has decided that I’m not important anymore. Are you embarrassed of me? Is that it? Are you hesitant to show me to your new friends because you think that they’ll make fun of you for being friends with me? Have you finally come to the conclusion that I'm not pretty enough, or funny enough, or smart enough for you? Am I that much of a burden that you’d rather just cut me off all together and pretend like you don’t know me anymore? Please Julian, explain it to me, because I just don’t get it and it’s killing me inside.”

She was crying now, more than he had ever seen her cry. Julian hadn’t realised that his actions had this much impact on her. He didn't know that, while he was trying to get over his feelings for her, she was hurting so much inside. He forgot about her insecurities, about her lack of friends, about the support she needed- but wasn’t getting- throughout all of this. He couldn’t help but think of the pain he had caused her. Julian loved Dani more than anything, and by shutting her out, he only made his feelings heighten and her, as a person, shatter into a million pieces.

“I’m so sorry,” was all he could say, “I am so, so sorry Dani. I don’t know what I was thinking, trying to block you out like that. I have no explanation good enough to excuse myself for being such a fucking dickhead in thinking that it wouldn’t affect you like this. You’ve done nothing wrong Dani, nothing at all. I was angry at myself for not telling you what was really happening but that’s no excuse.” Julian and Dani were both crying now. He took her arms and pulled her into a hug, similar to the hug he gave her when she broke down while he was packing, but with a deeper grasp. He wasn’t going to let her go any time soon. “Dani I don’t deserve a friend like you, at all. You’re too special, too smart, too funny, and too beautiful for me. You deserve someone a million times better than me, someone who won’t abandon you like I did.”

“I just don’t understand Julian. Why would you just pretend like I didn't exist after all these years, all these memories, all of these experiences together?” Dani was still in Julian’s hold, crying into his shoulder.

“Dani, I know it’s no excuse, but I was scared.” Julian had to tell her now. There was no holding back anymore. He couldn’t stand watching his best friend break down like this. She looked up at him with watery eyes as he spoke. “I was terrified to tell you that I’m truly, madly, deeply in love with you. I have been ever since we shared our first time together. I haven’t been able to get you out of my head and I thought that, maybe if I avoided you, I would get over you. But I haven’t. I’ve only fallen for you even more than before, and it was killing me knowing that you aren’t in love with me like I’m in love with you.”

Dani couldn’t believe what she was hearing. This wasn’t what she expected at all. She always thought that the situation was reversed, that she was in love with him and he didn't feel the same way, but she was wrong. Her best friend of almost 17 years was in love with her just as much as she was in love with him.

“Jules, you’ve never been so wrong in your life. I thought you knew me, knew how I was feeling. How did you not pick up that I’m in love with you? How could you not see it in my tears, in the way that I looked at you, in the way that I smiled every time you made me happy?”

“Just like you never saw it in the way I looked at you, the way you made me smile, or felt it in the way I hugged you,” he almost whispered, as he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. This kiss wasn’t like their first. It was full of passion, intensified by their love for each other. She cupped his face between her palms as his hands ran slowly down her back and held her waist. They both felt the intensity of the kiss grow as he lifted her off the ground and she straddled her legs around his body. As their lips broke apart, Julian said those three little words that made Dani’s heart melt, “I love you Dani, so much.”

“I love you too Jules.”

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This is my favourite chapter by far (apart from the prologue) :') let me know what you think! (vote, comment, message- you know the drill!) xx