Chapter Thirty-Three

Julia

HE'S THE LAST PERSON I expected to see here. Not in a million years would I have guessed that he was reckless enough or stupid enough to show up at my parents' house. 

Andrew stands by the gate of the backyard, not making any effort to come further onto the property. I don't know how long he's been waiting for me to notice him, but now that I do, it's clear he came with the sole intention of seeing me. He knew I'd be here. He knows my mother throws a big family gathering for her birthday. What he should've also factored in is that my father will rip him in half if he notices him standing there.

Blood rushes to my head, dulling the sounds around me. But what I feel isn't unruly or uncontrollable the way anger is. It's focused and razor sharp. It's a sheer resolve that turns my spine to steel and my breath to fire. 

"Tell me that's not who I think it is," Giles says. 

"Stay here, I'll handle this."

Giles wraps a hand around my arm before I can take a step. It's a possessive move that doesn't sit right with me. I yank my arm free and fix my eyes onto his. "I'm going over there. Alone."

"I can take care of--"

"This isn't your problem," I snap, meaner than I intended. 

Every second Andrew stands at the threshold of my parents' backyard is another second closer to inviting disaster. And here I am arguing the issue with Giles because he wants to play hero. The last thing I need is another one of the men in my life overwhelming me.

I walk off and Giles doesn't try to follow, but his eyes might as well burn a hole through the back of my shirt because his gaze follows my every step. 

When Andrew sees me approaching, he slides back out of the gate, to the side yard of the house and out of sight. I glance over my shoulder at Giles, who takes a few steps forward, shaking his head at me in warning. I'm not sure what he's worried about. I'm not in danger. If anyone's in danger, it's Andrew.

I waste no time rounding on my ex-boyfriend. "What the hell are you doing here right now?"

"I thought you'd come. I needed to see you."

"You've seen enough of me," I say, unwavering in my glare.

It's strange how his face is familiar in a distant, far off way. To a girl I used to know. A girl I used to be.

"I shouldn't have uploaded the video. I'm sorry. Can you tell your lawyer to back off? Julia, I'm facing charges. And it's like every cop in the city is waiting for me to so much as run a stop sign to throw me in a holding cell."

Of course he'd make this all about himself.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" My hands close into fists at my sides. "You shouldn't have uploaded the video? You shouldn't have taken the video, you pathetic, sick bastard." I pause, hearing a ruffle of something beyond the gate, but no one approaches. My sights fix on Andrew again. "I've played this moment in my head. I've thought of all the things I wanted to say to you. I wanted to make you feel low, way lower than you made me feel. But you know what? There are only two things I need you to know. The first is that you need to get the hell off my parents' property before my dad rips off your pathetic face. The second is--" I drive my fist into his throat in a swift jab that he clearly doesn't see coming. He collapses to his knees, hands flying to his throat. "Apology not accepted. Asshole."

He's kneeling below me, face bright red as he struggles to regain his breath, coughing and gasping for air. I look at the spot between his knees and resist the urge to kick him in the nuts. I need him to be able to walk out of here. I storm off, back through the gate, glancing back to see him still on his knees. Not looking where I'm going, I run into something. My face squishes against a solid chest. 

Giles. 

"Jesus, what happened?" he asks, craning his neck to look over the gate toward the gasping noises.

"I handled it, that's what happened."

Giles looks incredulous for a second then his shock melts away to a huge grin. He pulls me close to his side in a one-armed hug. I'm still so flooded with adrenaline that I almost shake him off of me. But his smell and warmth work to calm me down, centering me. My breathing starts to even out again as we walk, away from Andrew.

"See?" Giles says, as he guides me back toward the thick of the party. "I knew you were a closet ninja. That's what I meant when I said I wouldn't want to mess with you." 

"Don't forget it," I say, a smile working its way onto my lips. But the reality of what just happened sinks in slowly.

Holy shit. I just throat punched Andrew. And it was so amazing, I want to go back and do it again. Glancing over my shoulder to the gate, I see a figure slinking away across the lawn, toward the street. 

"Do you think he'll be okay?" 

"No offense, but you're not really a ninja. I'm pretty sure you didn't kill the guy with a single punch."

"Brought him to his knees, though," I gloat, shamelessly.

"You don't have to punch a guy to do that, little leopard. Trust me."