Ryan

"There's something which I think you need to know."

She sits up, crossing her legs and hugging herself as if its cold. Her hair is a mess and it's evident from her eyes and pink nose that she had been crying before I came in.

Oh God... My Julia was crying...

"What is it?" I ask, unable to mask the concern in my voice.

She looks at me, and it's clear that she's trying to form words but is unable to. Like a person who has taken an initiative but now doesn't know what next.

Like a child who's trying to explain but doesn't know how...

"What is it Julia?" I lean forward and place a hand on her knee in my desperate attempt to be closer to her.

I want to hold her close.

...she's been crying.

"I tried." She mutters. "I tried Ryan. I tried so hard."

Her eyes are distant. Looking at something beside me. Something which isn't there.

"Tried what?" I ask her. But she continues on.

"—But I couldn't do it. I tried to— but I couldn't—So he did— And now I'm not— And you are—"

"Julia." I call her name but she's not listening to me. She's rambling on like a child would, and trying to make sense out of her own words.

I can't see her like this.

Tears slip from her eyes onto her cheeks as I pull her arm, and put mine around her, holding her closer to myself.

"—you said be mine." She mumbles against my chest. "I'm yours. But— not his— I can't— he won't—"

"Julia." I pull her closer, muffling her voice and sobs.

"I'm so sorry Ryan." She mutters between her shaking her crying, putting her arms around my waist.

"I'm here." I kiss the top of her head, and let her cry. "I'm right here."

She just hugs me tighter and keeps on shaking and crying in my arms. It breaks my heart to see her like this. She's mine. And I can't see someone who is mine helplessly crumble in my arms like this.

My blood boils and I want to strangle her father. But right now, Julia is in my arms. So I can't do it. I have to be here for her.

"I'm here." I tell her over and over as she silently keeps on wetting my shirt with her precious tears.

"I'm here." I whisper in her ear a lot later, pulling her back with me as I lean against the headboard.

Julia's sobs have gone quiet now, her shaking has subdued. But she's still silent. She's half laying on me and half on the bed holding on to me like a child does to a teddybear.

I pat her head gently, taking her hand into mine and holding hit hard.

I'm here.

"You can tell me." I tell her, quietly.

She lifts her head and her puffy eyes meet mine.

You sure? She seems to ask.

I nod to her. Of course. Even though I'm not sure if I am or not. What can make Julia cry like this will definitely make me want to murder someone.

If you say so. She lowers her gaze and then...

.... she tells me everything.

The clouds have now dispersed from the sky and the moon light is filtering through Julia's windows in different brilliant shades of purple. The room is flooded with the dim light as I had turn off all others an hour ago.

An hour ago...

When the love of my life was crying quietly as she whispered to me what had happened in a room somewhere right below me this morning between her and her father. When she had made me realise that indeed, no matter how much I try to do things Ryan-Style, the world doesn't seem to like it. When I realised that indeed, just as Romeo had murdered a Paris, I will have to kill a Paris too.

Ethan Mc'Kay.

That miserable bastard who thinks he can take the love of my life away with his father's pretty money.

He cant. And he won't.

I won't let that happen.

Julia is mine.

And she always will be. I will prove this to her father.

Quietly and very slowly, I lift Julia off me. I can't stay here any long. If I don't leave now, I will be spotted and shot and then who will kill Ethan Mc'Kay?

I can't risk it.

For Julia, I have to leave now.

I lay Julia down on her pillow, and fix her sheets on her. She stirs a bit, sighs in her sleep, but soon is soundly asleep again.

She's mine, I think to myself, as I watch her hug the pillow as she was hugging me. This beautiful angel, this delicate flower of s girl is mine.

Dove... I had called her.

She does looks like at peace. Much different from an hour ago when she was crying her heart out.

Her tears....

I trace a finger down her cheek and along her jaw.

Her tears had felt like acid against my skin as I had wiped them with my hands.

My Julia cried.

And while she had cried, I had seen the image of a beautiful three year old with mesmerising green eyes and cute pink nose, crying. Maybe on this very bed. Maybe on a sofa somewhere in the great halls of this place. But my Julia had cried.

Roland Garfield had made my dearest Julia cry so many times.

And that image had made me so mad that I wanted to fling everything around me across the room. Burn down this whole place and Ronald Garfield with it. Chop Ethan Mc'Kay to pieces and feed him to stray dogs.

But I couldn't.

Not because I didn't have the guts. But because I was holding my Julia in my arms. My delicate, beautiful Julia.

My Julia.

I kiss her forehead and both her closed eyelids before I force myself to stand up.

You said be mine... she'd said when she was rambling. ...I'm yours...

Julia is mine. I think to myself as I make my way to her balcony. It's hard, very very hard for me to leave her here like this. But she's mine and I have to make sure it stays like this.

I'll find a way. I look back at her for the very last time before exiting to her balcony.

I'll find a way to let the world know and respect the notion...

Julia. Is. Mine.