28 - More Than A Plan

JUNE’S POV

I thought getting home would clear my head, but it didn't.

Everywhere felt too quiet, every thought somehow led back to Adrien and his family.

“Tell me everything.” I heard Jules say over the phone.

“Hello to you too.”

“I watched you disappear into the Hayes’ mansion for four hours. Start talking!” She said it made me laugh.

“Four hours is a stretch, don’t you think?” I replied.

“JUST TALK!” She yelled over the phone.

“Okay, so…” I narrated the entire sequence of events to the best of my ability to Jules, not leaving any detail out.

As we talked, I carefully undressed and began cleaning the little makeup she applied on my face.

“You defended him? In front of his family? In your first meeting?!” She exclaimed like it was that big of a deal. Seriously, why was everyone exaggerating?

“They were being unfair, I couldn’t stand it.” I explained.

“You were literally sitting,” she said jokingly. “You were angry. That’s new,”

“I was not.”

“You just said his father was emotionally constipated.” She said, bursting into fits of laughter. I couldn’t help but join her.

“In my defence, he was.” I defended.

“Oh I even forgot to mention your hospital scene. I saw you, lipsing the football star.” She teased.

“It was one kiss and I was literally sedated.” I defended, I definitely wasn’t sedated.

“You kissed him,” she said. “Voluntarily! Besides, you don’t kiss random people.” She added as she laughed.

“Goodnight.” I said jokingly and pretended to hang up.

“Seriously though, I know what I saw. I wasn’t shocked but it looked pretty real to me.” She mentioned.

“You’re never letting this go?” I asked.

“I watched you initiate a kiss, let it go? Never.” She joked.

I told her what happened in the garden, leaving out one part I wanted to keep to myself.

The memory resurfaced, clear as day. Before I left, we watched the stars in comfortable silence.

“You’re almost as gorgeous as the roses. Almost though.” He had said before he handed it over to me.

The sincerity in his eyes afterwards was vivid.

The rose stood out on my pale bookshelf, carrying memories I had to forget.

“You seem to care about him a lot.” She said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I didn’t respond because I didn’t know what to say.

“When you talk about him, you have this light in your eyes.” She added.

“Girl, you can’t even see me.” I said and we both started laughing.

“What exactly does he even get out of this?” She asked.

He never told me what he was gaining, he just told me he’d be gaining something.

“I don’t know to be honest, but he told me he wanted some show off.” I explained.

“How does this even affect your shitty ex?” She asked.

“It might not but it definitely helps me. Adrien’s dad seemed to like me, that’s the most important thing.”I told her.

“What does his dad have to do with any of this?” Jules asked, obviously confused.

I didn’t tell her about Westbridge.

“You know how his dad is a professor at Westbridge?” I asked her. I knew she’d understand the moment I said that.

“So?” She said.

She thought for a moment before saying, “June.”

“Yeah?” I responded.

“This isn’t like you.” She told me.

“What isn’t?” I frowned.

“You.”

I let out a dry laugh in response. “Very specific.”

“I’m serious June.” Her voice softened immediately. “You hate shortcuts.”

I looked away even though she couldn’t see me through the phone.

“You want things fairly.” She added. Her words landed harder than I expected.

“Life isn’t fair.” I said. I knew it was a weak excuse but it was what came to mind.

“That’s not what I said.” She said.

“You grew up differently, Jules.” I told her.

“You don’t understand what it’s like. To have every opportunity depends on one opportunity, one person.” I added, hating how bitter I sounded.

“What?” I heard her say.

“You don’t understand what it’s like to watch everyone move ahead while you’re trying to keep your family afloat.” I said.

She was quiet for a moment.

Shit.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-” I tried to explain, guilt twisting in my stomach. She spoke up faster.

“Maybe I don’t.” She said surprisingly calm.

I had never mentioned the obvious difference between us. But I had never used anyone either.

“But this still doesn’t sound like you,” she said. “Does Adrien know?”

“No.”

“You’re still keeping it from him?” She asked, I could hear the hint of surprise in her voice.

I sighed. “We’re both using each other. I just wanted to make an impression, maybe his dad would mention me. Just maybe.”

“June. You’ve successfully accomplished that, are you sure this whole thing is still a plan?” She asked.

“I don’t know.” I confessed.

For the first time, I told her the truth about everything. I didn’t realize how much weight a lie carried and how much more it added to keep it going.

“Just don’t wait too long.” She said.

“What?”

“To figure out what he means to you.” She explained.

I frowned.

“Why?” I muttered.

“Because sometimes life makes the decision for you.”

I felt my throat itch.

“You don’t have to figure everything out tonight.” She said, breaking the silence.

“Mhmm.” I breathed.

“But you should stop lying to yourself.” She mentioned.

“That’s where the trouble usually starts.” That was the last thing she said before hanging up on me.

She was disappointed and it hurt.

I questioned my rationale, my actions, and my plan as I lay down.

It was for the best.

It would be over soon and I wouldn’t have to deal with it any more.

But I couldn’t help but think about what she said.

What did Adrien mean to me?

Surely, he was my fake boyfriend, he was also a means to an end.

But along the way, he became something more and that was not a part of the plan.