Chapter 21

Julie

Work, as usual, was hard but manageable. Her clients were doing better and better, getting a lot of attention in the right circles, some of their pieces have gone viral on social media.

Calls, meetings, lunch with a buyer. Easy peasy. She was on top of the world.

He texted her from time to time during her day. They talked about whatever was happening at the moment, anxious to see each other again. Life was good.

Someone new might be coming to oversee the money side of the business, but how bad could it be? If they wanted to make the business more efficient, well, she was up for it.

"Let's go somewhere special tonight," Remy texted.

"Like where?"

"I have something in mind, but it's a surprise."

"Come on, tell me!"

"Sorry princess, it's a surprise… I mean it's not like the most amazing thing in the world, it's just, different I guess."

"All right, I'll wait."

She sent a kiss emoji.

She'd seen this kind of behavior in Nina and always thought it was so dumb. They weren't teenagers, after all.

But now she understood. She couldn't control herself, she felt free and happy, with a bright future ahead.

Sudden fear made her shiver.

This wasn't a normal relationship. She didn't know what the future held for two people like them.

Their families were bitter enemies, but something good had to come from this, right?

I mean, little by little, everyone will have to understand.

Her door burst open, the noise making her jump on her seat.

Veronica tried to hold the man back, but he pushed her aside until she hit her desk, almost falling.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Trey?" Julie screamed.

He pointed at Julie, fury overcoming him.

"You fucking ditched me! Do you know how that makes me look?"

"You shouldn't have acted like an asshole in front of my parents then."

"Hey, your parents invited me because they see something in us—"

"I think you're very wrong about that—"

"Well, that's the problem, everybody can see it but you. You have to stop being such a stuck-up bitch."

She couldn't believe it. She couldn't even understand how acting like this was supposed to make her care about him.

"Trey," she said, her voice calm, tired, even, "I don't like you. Nothing will ever happen between us. Get over it."

He took a second to understand what she just told him.

"I love you," he said, "I won't let this go."

"Listen to yourself. We'll never be together. Please understand that. You used to be a friend, kind of, but now you’re crossing the line—"

"Shut up!" He said, walking to her, his face turning red, thick veins protruding in his forehead. "You humiliated me. You've been playing with me for a long time."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're always teasing me, dressing how you dress, looking at me from afar."

This was insane. This man was seeing things that weren't there. For the first time in her life, she feared, truly feared him.

She thought he was just an asshole, but now he sounded completely psychotic.

"Trey," she said, trying to defuse the situation, "I'm telling you this because I've known you for a long time. What you're saying is not true. You're sick. You need therapy."

He turned white, he even stopped breathing, unable to say anything.

"No one says no to me," he said, "but now I realize. You're a tease. That's what it is—"

"I'll call the cops—" Veronica said.

"Shut the fuck up or I'll make sure you're sorry."

She looked at Julie, her face full of fear.

"It's okay, Veronica. Trey was just leaving."

Their eyes locked, Trey's lips quivered, but he couldn't open them, they were almost white with how hard he was pressing them.

"Stop acting like this," she said, "and I won't tell my father about it."

His eyes went wide open, he grunted like a bull but didn't reply.

"I don't want you. Never have. Please, leave me alone."

His face changed from hard fury to a mocking grin.

"Of course you don't. I realize now. You're a fucking dyke."

It surprised her. Nothing he could say could make her feel bad. But this was news.

"Everyone knows it," he continued, "no boyfriends, Nina is a whore—"

"Stop it," she said.

He could say anything to her, it didn't matter, but listening talk shit about people who weren't there to defend themselves was pushing it too far.

"Isn't she? How many boyfriends has she had?"

"What do you care? You're the same."

"It's not the same and you know it."

"Fuck you."

"Oh, I get it. She's had sex with you, too."

She was speechless. She couldn't think rationally now. No one had driven her this mad in her whole life. He not only insulted her, but her friend too? Who else thought this way?

"You're out of your mind," she whispered, almost crying with anger, "get out now."

"That's what I needed to know. Now everyone will know why you haven't been mine."

"Fuck you!" She yelled, "get out or I'm calling the cops."

He laughed, "I'm so scared."

"I'm getting a restraining order."

"Do whatever you like you fucking bitch, I don't care."

"Veronica, call the cops."

Her assistant picked up the phone and dialed.

Trey walked out of the gallery at a snail's pace.

"I can rest easy now that I know your secret," he said.

"You can’t talk to me like that. You work for my father—"

"And what's he gonna do? My father saved his life. He owes me. You really want to put this little squabble on his shoulders?"

She wanted to kill him. To destroy him. To obliterate his memory from the world. She felt dirty even talking to him.

He walked out of the gallery, she held the door behind him, so he wouldn't break the glass slamming it.

He turned and looked down on her, his greasy hair behind his ears, an arrogant smile on his lips.

She knew how to do it.

How to shatter his confidence.

"Cops are coming," Veronica said behind her.

"You should've told me sooner," he said, "I wouldn't have bothered to even look at you."

"I'm out of your league you idiot."

He faked a laugh, but she interrupted him.

"And for your information, I'm taken. By a man much, much better than you."

That was it. His arrogant expression vanished and turned into confusion.

She leaned forward a bit, as if telling him a secret.

"And for what I've heard, much bigger."

She took a glimpse at his waist, just to make sure he understood.

He froze, anger rising in him. She closed the door and locked it. He tried to reopen it but it was too late.

People around looked at him, he was making a scene. And thank heavens Veronica called the cops, she could hear the sirens from here.

Trey heard them too. And for all his smugness and trash talking, he left. Not before spitting on her glass door.

She'd had enough of his shit, and he would hate her forever, but probably wouldn't bother her again.

Pissing her off was one thing, but pissing her father off? That was a dangerous thing to do.