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Prove

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Chapter 37: Prove (Christian's POV)

Audrey hopped out of the car parked beside ours while I grabbed the bag from the backseat as Jules walked ahead, catching up to her Dad while Callum followed her like a lost idiot. "God, he's annoying," Audrey muttered, slamming the car door shut. 

"I thought we already knew that," I said, locking the car and looking at her. "Why would you share a ride with him?" 

"There weren't any other cars left unless I wanted to third-wheel with one married couple or another. Plus, it's not like I don't know him." She shrugged nonchalantly, squinting under the sun and looking at me. "What about you? How was the drive here?" 

"Fine," I nodded as we started catching up to the others. 

"Is she still trying to keep a distance when you're both alone?" 

"I would appreciate it if you kept your nose out of our business," I paused in thought, "but since you're asking so nicely, I'll be honest with my answers. A little bit." 

"Yeah well, she's just protecting herself. It's understandable, you have a lot of making up to do. And frankly, you're not doing a very good job if you're here with me and she's up there with Callum." 

"I'm not here to wedge a war with the guy over Jules." 

"Please," she laughed, shoving me, "you would gladly go to war for Jules." 

That's true. 

"I need to give her space as well, Audrey. Winning her back doesn't mean being around her constantly." 

"Fair enough, brother," she nodded in agreement. "Why don't you just tell her the truth about why you did what you did?" 

"As if you know it all," I scoffed. 

"No, I don't. But I know that you weren't trying to make that relationship fall apart, even if it seems that way. You're stupid but not that stupid. It seems like you were giving her reasons to walk away intentionally, but—" 

"Because that's exactly what I was doing, Audrey," I cut her off, glancing at her. "I'd rather have her hate me than think I hate her." 

"She might act like she hates you because you broke her heart but she doesn't love you any less at the end of the day, Christian, no matter how bad you wanted her to, back then. I don't think that girl has ever stopped loving you, despite what you did. She knows it and you know it too that a relationship isn't a real relationship unless you show the worst parts of yourself to each other. You avoided that with her for as long as you could and when it came out, it came out in all the wrong ways. But she still loves you despite those things. Even with those things." 

We stopped once we reached the end of the long pier where our cruise floated, anchored down to the ocean bed. 

"I just don't understand how you were so stupid to let a girl like that go. I don't care what Dad said to you or what he threatened you with. You should have protected her, not shut her out. Just... don't mess it up this time, I don't think either one of you could handle it," she mumbled before walking ahead and stopping at the steps while the cruise shook and bounced on the waves. 

"Here," River said, holding a hand out for her from the boat. 

"You're cute," Audrey mumbled, "aren't you younger than me?" 

"What?" River laughed, still holding out his hand. 

"He's twenty-one," Jules said to Audrey before walking over and standing at the back beside me. 

Audrey took his hand and pulled herself up. 

"Why? You don't date younger guys?" River asked, a flirty smile on his face. 

"That's my sister, for fuck's sake," I sighed under my breath. 

"Not really," Audrey shook her head before pushing his shoulder so he moved out of the way.

He didn't. Instead, he asked, "Think I can change that?" 

She merely shrugged and then walked away. 

"She likes him," Jules mused. 

"I don't," I said, glaring at him. 

Jules huffed beside me, "And then you wonder why Alex hates you. Look at you as a brother." 

"Audrey doesn't know what she's doing half the time." 

"Neither did I when I met you." We looked at each other and I found a tiny smile dancing on her lips. 

Once everyone had got onto the cruise, I got on next, setting the beach bag down before holding out a hand for Jules so I could help her up. 

She took my hand and I pulled her up. The moment she was on the deck, the boat started up and shook, causing her to stumble back into the railing while I tripped forward, gripping the bar behind her to catch myself while my body fell into hers when she grabbed my shoulders to steady herself as a gasp escaped her. 

Drawing back to look at her, I slid a hand to her waist. "You okay?" I asked, pulling her chin up. 

She nodded slowly before her hold on me eased and I took a step back, pulling her to sit with me. 

The inside of the boat was lined with a bench going all around and there was a small staircase that led to an indoor area that had a small shower, a bathroom, and a twin bed as well. Right behind the wheel was another staircase going upstairs to a barbeque grill and open bar with a bartender ready to serve us all. In the corner of this deck was a ladder folded in that would be used whenever we stopped to swim. Jules glanced at the open area at the very front of the boat that I realized was similar to a trampoline with a picnic blanket spread over it, a place to tan or lounge in whenever we pleased. 

After a couple of minutes of gazing around, once we were far enough from shore, the cruise slowed and people began moving around, taking turns to go change and then coming out to take pictures. 

"Milaya." 

She turned to me, tucking her hair behind her ears as the wind blew it around. 

"Are you okay?" 

"You keep asking me that." 

"I know you don't like the ocean," I said. 

She held my gaze. "Why do you remember that? I told you once." 

"It's your worst fear, I can't forget it." 

Jules laughed softly, throwing her hair over her shoulders and then linking her arm with mine. "I'm okay. Really." She told me she was okay but the way she was fisting my shirt and bouncing her foot in the air told me otherwise. 

"What is..." I drawled out, rolling onto my stomach and hugging the pillow under my chin while my legs hung off her bed. 

She lifted her brows, running her fingers through my hair absentmindedly. 

"Your worst fear?" I asked. 

"Telling our siblings we're together," she snorted before laughing. 

"Red," I mumbled, kissing the back of her free hand. "Tell me." 

Sighing, she thought for a moment. "Honestly? The ocean." 

"The ocean?" My brows pinched together. "Why?" 

Pausing, she inhaled and then met my gaze. "When I was six years old, I drowned in the ocean. We were in Miami on a vacation. My parents weren't around, Alex and I were in the water, just messing around as kids do. And the waves were really strong so I got swept away," she shrugged. "I could swim just enough to get by but I was too far from the shore by the time I realized it. I was screaming and waving my arms but I was just so far that nobody could hear me. I don't remember a lot of what happened before I actually started to drown or what happened once they found me. I just remember..." She stopped and stared off into space for a beat, trying to recall. 

"Getting really tired. To the point where my body refused to move as the waves carried me further away. I remember... the water climbing up higher and higher. Up to here, at first." She put a hand to her throat, forcing a chuckle. "Then here." To her chin. "Then here." To her eyes. "And then..." She pushed her hand up and over her head. "I went under. I held my breath for the longest time but it was beyond painful, Christian. It feels like your head's going to explode. Every nerve in your body shakes. There's this constant pressure... everywhere. For the first few seconds, it feels a bit serene when you let the water in," she scoffed. 

"It stops the pain," she shrugged. "I lost consciousness the more water that filled me. I don't know how they got me out but I wasn't breathing. At least that's what Alex says. I woke up spitting water and probably started crying immediately. I just remembered everyone's faces when I woke up. Everyone was crying," she mumbled. "It's kind of funny when I think about it like this but I get uneasy around the ocean. My Dad gave me swimming lessons when we got back," she snickered. "I can swim in the ocean but... whenever we go, you've got to hold me tight. You can't let go." 

I shook my head, "I won't." 

She smiled in amusement, "And what if I slip away?" 

"I'll find you. I'll drain the damn ocean, I'll dive a thousand feet under, I'll do whatever it takes. I'd drown this world to find you. But I'll find you," I replied, leaning up while pulling her in to kiss me. 

"Let me take a picture of you two," Maisie gushed, taking out her phone and taking both Jules's and my attention. 

"Mom, please," Jules groaned, running a hand through her hair. 

"Oh, come on. Don't you want to make memories? You're here together, come on, hold him tight and grin wide." 

I chuckled while Jules sighed in annoyance. 

"Take your sunglasses off," Maisie ordered. 

I hung mine onto my shirt while Jules pushed her see-through, rose-tinted shades up to her head and sat up straighter, holding my arm tighter, barely smiling. 

"Jules," her Mom huffed desperately. 

She cracked a laugh and beamed at the camera while I watched her. 

I had to ask Maisie for this picture, no matter how it turned out because my fiancé looked absolutely gorgeous. With the wind dancing in her fiery hair, her single-dimpled grin, the warm flush in her cheeks, and her adorably coordinated clothes and accessories, she looked like everything I've ever wanted, captured in a single frame. 

"Oh, another one. Christian, kiss her!" 

"Mom, please," Jules chuckled, "let's not go there." 

"No, let's," Maisie persisted. 

Jules turned to me. "I'll do it," she said and then took my jaw, turning my head to the front, pressing a kiss to my cheek, her lips lingering there while for the first time in a year, I grinned wholeheartedly at a camera. 

"Cute," Audrey sang, taking the camera from Maisie. "Now shut up and kiss her." 

"Audrey—" 

I didn't let Jules say another word as I faced her and leaned in, erasing the space between us. I heard Audrey and Maisie squeal in the distance while I kissed her slowly, taking my sweet time with it, cherishing it, cherishing her, feeling myself fall a bit deeper into whatever this was. 

Jules hooked a finger into the collar of my shirt and pulled me closer, giving me permission to deepen the kiss as my tongue swiped across her bottom lip. Slipping my hand between us, I gently held her chin, tilting it up higher while she inched closer to me, her lips moving with mine. 

"Get a room," Alex scoffed, breaking the spell on us and I felt the ghost of a smile on her lips before she pulled back, turning to the view behind us and resting her arm on the railing and her chin on her arm. 

I glowered at Alex. "I swear to God, I'll kill you, Alex." 

"Do your worst, Christian," Alex rolled his eyes and then walked away. 

"You kiss her like you have a point to prove," Callum said, sitting down across from us. 

Jules turned back around in confusion. "What?" 

Callum pointed at me before sipping his drink. "He doesn't seem right, Jules." 

"Callum, he's known for years more than you have," Jules scoffed, "and I didn't ask for your opinion. Just save it. You're here for the wedding, aren't you? Just enjoy that, don't stick your nose in other people's business." 

"Relax," he chuckled, "I'm just saying." 

"Well, don't," I said, lifting a sharp brow at him. 

Sighing, he put his hands up in surrender. "I won't. Sorry," he huffed before standing back up to refill his drink. 

I turned to her. "Jules—" 

"I can't find a single reason I'd make all the same mistakes again," she said quietly, sounding doubtful of her words. "But I have a feeling I might," she whispered. "I shouldn't. If anything, I have a point to prove. That you fucked up." 

"Point proven," I said immediately. 

A laugh slipped out of her as she stared at me. "Really? You admit it?" 

"Absolutely," I nodded. 

She stood up, watching me. "You're cute," she grinned before walking to the bar. 

Oh God, help me.

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Chapter 37

I can't even lie this is my fav chapter so far for absolutely no reason

I feel like you finally see that the lines are almost completely blurred and they're rekindling again. I'm grinning so wide reading and editing what I wrote lmao

also stream Emails I can't send for clear skin <3

Sabrina Carpenter >>

bad for business is my favorite song on that album, if you've listened to it, let me know yours