Chapter Twenty Seven

Dinner, theatre, and then a late-night bar, it was all perfect. But now they were returning home, and once again Julia felt the pressure of heading back to the apartment, forced into a small space with Aaron. He'd been true to his word, he'd given her space, time and distance, there had been no more teasing, no more barbs.

They rode a cab back to Brooklyn, the headed up the two iron staircases to the rooftop. As the two girls took the loungers, Aaron got them a beer each from the storage fridge.

"This is an amazing view," Abi couldn't keep her head still, and Julia remembered feeling exactly the same when she'd first been up there. "You are so lucky, living here."

That was no lie.

"I am more than grateful to Aaron, he has helped me, but I also get to live here."

She glanced across at him, and he tilted her bottle towards her in recognition, "worth it for the home cooked meals." Lightening the mood, he turned to Luke, "you know what MY cooking is like."

He guffawed, "Mum always talks about you setting fire to the kitchen!"

Aaron groaned, "I set off the smoke detector, that was all."

Julia giggled at his indignant expression, "the perfect man isn't perfect? Shit, I love that."

With a grunt he threw a pillow at her, and it hit her on the side of the head, she was tempted to jump up and fight back, but suddenly she realised that she didn't want to draw attention to her and Aaron, the last thing she needed was her best friend picking up on the tension. Abi would not let that go unnoticed, or uncommented on.

Instead she gave a childish scowl and tossed it weakly back at him.

Aaron studied Julia as Abi regaled a story about her, and his mother and their wedding. She'd not bitten when he threw the cushion at her, and that surprised him. She was feisty, fun...that was almost a weak response, and it only confirmed what he knew, that she had feelings for him, and this was an active attempt to sit under the radar. He wanted to grin, but he didn't, he just sat back and gazed at her often enough that she'd know, that she'd feel his presence. It was enough.

Around two am, Abi yawned, "I have got to turn in. You guys have planned another full day tomorrow."

Julia nodded, "that's the truth, but then there's so much to see."

The two girls led the way back to the lounge, then hugged before Abi disappeared to the spare room, when Luke shook his hand, hugged Julia, then followed Abi to bed, he turned to Julia, "and then there were two."

She exhaled rather sharply, then stepped back.

He ran a hand over his face, "you're scared of me?"

She shook her head, "no. Not scared. Not really."

There was no conviction in her voice and he smiled gently, "maybe you're scared of yourself then? Scared of how you'd react if I stepped forward and kissed you."

He watched her teeth snag her bottom lip, her nostrils flared, her breath a little more ragged, she wanted it, he KNEW she did, but he wasn't going to give her reason to run, and the next move had to come from her. Instead he moved to lean against the back of the sofa, his eyes on her.

She blushed, moved to the fridge and poured a glass of milk. He took that opportunity to wrong foot her.

"Enjoy my bed, I'm taking the sofa tonight."

Then he skipped over the back of it to lie on the cushions and stretched out. He could hear her clunk the glass down, then storm across the room, but as he pulled the duvet over his still clothed body, he closed his eyes, put his hands behind his head, and couldn't control the smirk.

She let out what he could only describe as a huff of exasperation. It took a little while, but she did take the stairs to his room, eventually, but she stamped back and fore on the floor for a long while. Until he called up to her.

"Abi and Luke are below your stamping feet. I suggest you get over it and go to sleep."

The grunt that was her answer, followed by a squeal of anger made him laugh.

Julia hadn't slept for hours. Partly because she was angry, partly because she had no pyjamas with her, and then because when she stole one of his t-shirts and changed into it, she couldn't relax for the smell of Aaron that permeated her every cell. The whole bed smelled of him, and it was playing havoc with her mind. Every time she closed her eyes, he was there, touching her, teasing her or goading her. It was always something.

So she tossed and turned instead.

When she did wake in the morning she felt like shit, she guessed she'd fallen asleep at some point, but she wasn't sure that she'd had much sleep. She felt exhausted, but she could hear noises from downstairs. Rolling to her side he reached for her phone and saw it was eight, they were due out soon, another busy day. Dragging herself out of bed, she was glad that the t-shirt she'd 'borrowed' covered her to mid-thigh. She was no petit thing, but the t-shirt was long. On the side of the dresser she spotted a pair of shorts, so she pulled them on, not wanting to think of Aaron walking around the room whilst she was asleep. But then he'd seen her in pyjamas, and seen her in bed before.

Coming downstairs she saw that the lounge was empty, but in the kitchen, which was under the mezzanine floor that housed Aaron's bedroom, was Abi, wrestling with the coffee machine.

"You struggling?" Julia asked crossing to her friend.

She groaned in reply, "think you need a degree in engineering to make coffee in this place."

Rolling her eyes, Julia moved Abi out of the way, and took over filling the machine, "it takes a little bit of practice."

Abi hoisted herself on to the counter and watched Julia work, "so it's working out, you being here."

She paused for a brief second, the last thing Julia wanted was her friend picking up on the tension between them, because she wouldn't let it go, wouldn't play it down. Abi would get her rose tinted romantic specs on, and she would be trying to marry her off in a few seconds, not maliciously, but she knew her friend wanted her to find someone, to be as happy as her. It wasn't going to happen. So it was easier to just ignore it. Pretend that there was nothing going on, because there wasn't. Not really.

"I thought it would be a nightmare, you know me...but Aaron's away a lot, and he gives me free reign. It works ok."

Abi was quiet, and in her that was rather dangerous, when she did speak, it was proof that she was cutting through all the crap and getting to the heart of the matter, "he was at your launch night?"

Not a question in any way other than the intonation.

Clicking the switch on the coffee machine, Julia waited for the noises of its cycle to start, then turned slowly, Abu was watching her closely.

Nodding she offered, "he didn't want to see me without support. He's a nice bloke."

"That he is."

Abi continued to watch her, so as she got mugs, she ploughed on, "where are they? The brothers."

Jumping down off the counter, Abi started to help her gather paraphernalia needed for coffee, "they've gone to get breakfast, apparently there's a great bakery nearby."

Julia turned around with wide eyes, "oh yes, the BEST."

They'd set the table and there was still no sign of the boys, as Julia poured two mugs of coffee, Abi sighed, "you're not going to come home again, are you?"

That made her head snap up again, "what makes you say that?"

Shrugging, she toyed with a teaspoon, her head bowed, "this is the happiest I've seen you. This city is good for you, and I think Aaron is too."

Julia felt dizzy for a moment, she hadn't though beyond the next few months. But her friend was right, she could barely imagine herself back in London, and other than Abi herself, she had nothing that was pulling her back. The recent revelations about her family...she didn't want to see them again, not for a long time.

Could she stay here? She'd need a job, need something more than a bit of luck. Then she looked at Abi who was watching her in wonder, and sadness.

"I'm not abandoning you, if that's what you're thinking. Distance...from my family. That's good. But this can only ever be temporary. I'll never get a job out here."

Abi raised her eyebrows, "you are amazing at what you do, you wowed the academics here...Aaron told Luke how it was, sent me the reports via Luke...as my best mate didn't bother."

Julia felt overwhelmed at that, guilty that she hadn't bothered to involve Abi in her success, then the realisation that Aaron had sent information to her friend, that he'd made that effort. She tried desperately to hate him, but he kept chipping away at her every defence.

Abi noticed her quietness and pulled her into a hug, "I don't want you to be sad again...I'm getting used to you being happy and smiley. Whatever that takes."

Julia nodded, "I am enjoying it here...but I really do miss you."

"I'm only ever skype call away. You know that. I would rather know you're smiling here, than see you as you were before you left. I didn't think you'd pull it back, I hate saying that. But I did wonder if you'd be well...and you are. You are SO good."

Julia felt tears at her eyes, "don't think I'm making a choice."

Abi laughed, hugging her even tighter, "all I want is you to be happy. If that is here, without me..."

"It won't be without you, I promise."

A groan from the doorway surprised them, making them jump apart, Luke was stood in the door hands on hips.

"So we're back to three in this relationship, hey?"

He was smiling ridiculously as he said it, and both women reached for pillow on the sofa and threw them at him, he ducked, and one hit Aaron square in the jaw.

"What have I done?" He asked with big faux, doe-eyes. All four laughed. But as Abi and Luke sat at the dining table, Julia followed Aaron into the kitchen to help him with the bagels and croissants.

"You ok?" He asked as she handed him plates from the cupboard. When she nodded, he added, "you looked upset."

She shrugged, "it was always going to be difficult, having Abi here, then her leaving."

He studied her for a moment, and then nodded as though he was happy with that answer, "have to say...that looks better on you than me."

Then he left her alone as he carried a tray filled with breakfast across to the dining table. She was puzzled for a moment, then looked down. She was wearing his clothes...braless, in a t-shirt. Suddenly she was mortified at the very least. She'd sat in less and had breakfast with Luke a dozen times of more, but it felt exposing with Aaron.

Before re-joining them, she nipped into her bedroom and pulled on some clean underwear, shorts and a vest top. Dressed for the day, she looked, if not felt, a little better.

When she finally joined the others, Abi looked at her questioningly, she gave a little shrug as a response, she couldn't explain why she'd suddenly changed, then she met Aaron's amused and all-knowing eyes. The bastard saw through her so bloody clearly.

It was a struggle to eat breakfast, maintain and engage in the conversations at the table and not scowl. That was her needing her best acting skills.

They weren't alone the rest of the day. Another busy day filled with walking – around most of Central Park, a trip to the roof of the Empire State Building, and then dinner of a cruiser as it toured around the whole circumference of Manhattan island. They wound down in a local bar around eleven, exhausted, but reluctant to let go of the night.

"Jules...they've got karaoke!"

Aaron watched Julia's face drop into a grimace at Abi's words, and he wanted to laugh, she'd spent the whole day feeling on edge, he knew that. And enjoyed it. Now he sat back and watched her once again look uneasy.

"Really, babe? Aren't we past that?"

Abi chuckled as Luke sat back shaking his head as he smiled, "come on, for old times' sake!"

Julia's protests were weak as Abi dragged her across the bar, and Luke turned to him, "this should be fun, I guess you've never seen these two duet?"

Aaron shook his head, "something to behold?"

When Luke nodded then they turned to the small stage in the corner of the bar. The two women stood there, a mic each, giggling...in a way he'd rarely seen before.

Abi started, and he recognised the song, from some musical or another, "Anything you can do, I can do better...I can do anything better than you." She turned to Julia and poked out her tongue.

She in turn laughed, then replied with a deep almost baritone voice, "no you can't."

The duet bounced back and fore, competitive, duelling in tone and depth. Well sung, and hilariously preformed, no one in the pub was immune to it, and by the last few lines, the girls had split the bar straight down the middle, half supporting one, then other half the other. It was brilliant, perfect, and every single person in the bar stood and applauded them as they finished with a bow.

For Aaron it explained everything, that moment, that song...it summed up their friendship in a nutshell. This was happy Julia, and he liked seeing her a hell of a lot more than he liked seeing sad, pained Julia. That was going to become his new resolution, to help her live more life like that.