The Bachelor, David Dower [uplifting books for women .txt] 📗

wait. He’d have to go after her because she would be very busy with her tour.

Sleep now, Julianne… she told herself and she did.

 *****

Zach was a bit pissed, really. He was hoping she would change her mind and stay. And as what he had feared, she was still thinking of leaving. Fine, she could go if she wanted. But he was not letting go of her. Liam could go to hell about the consequence whatever the hell it would be.

“What happened?” Liam asked when he jumped out of the car and stormed to the house.

“It’s your freaking fault,” he muttered.

“What did I do?”

“Nothing, just…forget about it,” he snapped and walked to the door. He didn’t want to snap at Liam just because what he wanted couldn’t happen. He had to accept this thing and take it as a challenge.  If Julianne was thinking he would back out of his words about being in love with her, she was wrong and he would prove that.

“Are you okay?”

“Do I look okay?”

Liam stepped back and held up his hands. “Okay, okay, just calm down. God, you’re—”

“Shut up. I’ll talk to you later.”

He was already tired and he had to take a good rest. The girls would be coming back soon and he had to be at his best for he would have to let Julianne go…for now, that is.

 *****

Julianne was quiet when she met the ladies in the hangar the next day. Chloe and Pauline kept talking non-stop about how wonderful their time with Zach were, and how he was all so charming and sweet. For a brief moment, she wondered if what they were saying were true. If that was the case, then she was cool with it. As long as Zach didn’t do anything wrong that would make her believe them, she would not mind their bragging. Penny was looking haggard for having the task of a listener. She had to go through hell smiling and nodding at the two narcissistic ladies quacking their stupid mouths over and over again.

Being quiet when everybody else was busily talking, making you obviously an outcast from an outsider’s point of view, was no problem for Julianne. In fact, she didn’t want to be tagged as one of the three ladies sitting across her. Fatima was busy doing some paper works at the rear end of the plane, obviously behind something that Jack wanted to be done. She had heard some camera guys talking about Jack being irritated lately, and Julianne might just have an inkling for the reason why. The director was obviously missing Kim and was itching for this stupid show to be over.

“So, Julianne, how was your day with Zach?” Chloe’s voice asked.

Julianne wanted to pretend that she didn’t hear them, but she forgot to put on her earphones. “It was okay,” she replied dryly.

“As expected,” Chloe chortled. Pauline laughed with her while Penny just awkwardly snickered. Really, since when did Pauline and Chloe decided they were too much alike? Should she warn Chloe to beware about her ex-friend who stabs people in the back? Maybe she shouldn’t bother. They both deserve what they would do to eachother.

She shifted in her chair to look out the window of the plane. This would be a very long ride.

 *****

Zach was sitting outside in the porch with Liam, waiting for the girls.

“No, I can’t do it. That’s just too embarrassing, man. My dad will kill me.”

“It’s the consequence I want you to do,” Liam uttered, his eyes glinting wickedly.

“Can I do something else instead? That’s just unthinkable,” Zach shook his head, trying to take the picture out of his head. The thought of it was not at all funny. As for Liam, it was, because his friend was smiling thoroughly enjoying it. “It’s not funny, man.”

“It is for me…”

“No, it’s wicked. No gentleman would do that.”

“You want to do it too, I know that.”

“No, because it’s not funny. This is different. My father would kill me.”

“He won’t,” his friend shook his head. “Your mother on the other hand—”

“Don’t start with that,” he warned.

“Okay, fine…look, they’re here,” Liam nodded his head to the direction of the road.

Zach’s head snapped at the van driving in, getting closer. His heart started racing. This would be the last day he would see Julianne, the last dinner he would have to share with her before he could finish the damn show and go after her.

He stood up and so did Liam.

“Is she leaving?” his friend asked, serious this time.

Zach just nodded. “Yes.” It was a good thing his voice did not break.

“I’ll be leaving with her,” Liam said in a low voice.

“You’re going home because there’s no fun here anymore,” Zach said matter-of-factly.

“No, because Chanty’s been calling me all day about work.”

“How are things going with you two?”

“It’s not something I’d like to discuss right now. I’ll tell you about it when you get out of this show.”

Zach nodded and smiled when Julianne emerged out of the van. And his face fell when he saw that she was carrying a small bag. She was really leaving. No big suitcase like Chloe, Pauline, and Penny—just one bag for an overnight stay. All hope escaped out into the vast ranch air.

It was getting dark and the sky was orange in color. It only made his sinking mood go down the pit.

Julianne was first in line to come towards them, her smile shallow but nice.

“Hi, Jules,” he greeted, trying to scare away the possible cracking of his voice. He was not a child to cry over such a thing like a girl leaving. Like he would not go after her?

“Hi,” she uttered, “Hi, Liam.”

“Hi, Zach!” Pauline, Chloe, and Penny shouted together followed by a giggle.

He groaned inwardly and looked at Liam. His friend winked and walked away with Julianne inside the house.

“Hi, ladies,” he forced himself to give each of them a peck on the cheek. “Come inside for dinner. It’s been waiting for you.” He turned around and walked inside the house. Julianne was already sitting with Liam around the table.

There was something different about her tonight. She seemed too relaxed for his liking. Was it all pretend? Maybe she was trying to make their separation as cool as it could be.

“No, really?” she was asking his friend when Zach came in the room with the three ladies. She saw them and fell quiet.

Zach smiled and ushered the others to sit down.

 *****

As usual, dinner was once again reigned by Chloe and her oh-so-amazing stories. Like anyone really cared.

Julianne ate her dinner with a smile, sharing secret glances with Zach. Her departure was getting near. She knew he would keep his promise this time, and that she would leave first thing tomorrow morning.

“I see you guys have reacquainted after the visits…” Brent’s voice made them all stop what they were doing. No, really, actually, the dude startled the hell out of them, suddenly popping out of nowhere.

The host looked at them with solemn eyes, more likely practiced than natural. “I regret to say that it’s time for another Rose Ceremony, Zach.”

Zach’s eyes flickered towards Julianne. One last look of hope and she had to quench it to pieces. This had to happen. She gave a small nod, indicating she was ready to leave. Physically, yes, but emotionally, of course not.

Liam was the first to get up since no one was willing to go first outside the dining room. Julianne forced herself to get up and so did Zach. The expression on his face was now serious.

Chloe and the others did the same and one by one, they went outside with Brent leading the way outside where they had set up a small stage for the evening.

Julianne’s heart was thumping against her chest as she stood in front of Zach with Chloe, Penny, and Pauline.

 *****

“Are you ready, Zach?” Brent asked as the flowers were wheeled beside him.

Zach cleared his throat before speaking. “I hate doing this,” was all he could say. It was true. He hated sending home the first real woman who made him feel like a man.

Brent stepped aside and gave him the floor. He looked at the white roses—three of them. No more roses to hand Julianne. He took one and looked at the ladies. There was no more reason to drag this thing so he uttered, “Chloe.”

The girl literally had water in her eyes. They may be fake or real, but he didn’t care. Actually, he didn’t care at all if they felt happy or not. He was mourning inside because he knew he’d be in hell without Julianne.

He didn’t ask if Chloe wanted the rose of not because she grabbed it out of his hand as soon as she stepped over to get it.

“Pauline,” he announced after the picking the second rose.

Pauline was a bit gracious this time, apparently knew that the last time was…well, ungracious. She smiled, took the rose he offered and went to stand beside Chloe.

Zach looked at Julianne. Her eyes were telling him he should do the right thing. But sending her home was not right at all. But he had to if he wanted her trust.

He picked the last remaining flower and said, “Penny.”

As Penny huffed out a sigh of relief and walked forward to get her flower, Zach felt a whirling sensation of regret, denial, and fear. Regret that he didn’t do enough to make Julianne stay. Denial that she was leaving for good. And fear that he couldn’t get her back.

Everybody was silent in a weird way when finally, Julianne was left standing alone. Maybe it was because everyone knew Zach had always liked her and it was kind of a shock that he was letting her leave.

Pauline, probably thinking she was still Julianne’s friend, walked over and gave her a hug. Julianne returned it half-heartedly as what Zach guessed. Chloe did not bother to say her goodbye. She was not someone who was a fan of making pretend. Penny smiled at Julianne and gave her a small hug of goodbye. There were no tears. None at all.

Zach stepped down and hugged her intimately, holding her closer to him. “I’ll see you soon, I promise.”

She just smiled at him.

It was weird. She was not saying anything and it made him want to shake her. He wanted to know if she was going to be okay, if she was going to miss him, or if she was just willing to forget everything.

He couldn’t let that happen, he thought.

“I’ll miss you, Zach,” she murmured and stepped away from him.

What did she mean by that? What the hell did that mean? He was just about to ask her when Brent interjected by saying, “We will miss having you around, Julianne. But…” he looked at the remaining ladies who had been glaring at Julianne for stealing Zach at the last moment. “Ladies, the battle is getting tight, isn’t it?”

They just nodded and Julianne took that cue to go and enter the house.

 *****

She didn’t dare look back at Zach. She had to go and she knew it. This was her choice, after all. She chose this and she had to stand to it.

She felt nothing, really. Empty, actually, and she was hoping it would stay that way until she went away. Breaking down while she was in this place was not in the plan. Crying would be for later.

For now, she had to prepare for tomorrow’s departure.

And she would go away. Whatever the future for her and Zach might be, it would be known once the show was over.

But could she wait that long?