had passed over him for so many years. He was a good-looking guy with the same blond hair and amazing light brown eyes as his sister. “It sounds good. As long as you don’t go back on your word.”
Ouch. That stung. Apparently he wanted to hold onto his grudge because she’d canceled their last two visits. “I won’t go back on my word. Jeez. Give me a break,” she teased with an eye roll and quick smack to his forearm. “It’s not every day a girl gets shot and loses her spleen.”
Drew’s eyes rounded before his face crinkled up. Uh oh. Wrong thing to say. The man was going to cry any minute. He had more moods than a schizophrenic with bipolar issues.
“C’mon,” Julie said, rising to her feet and extending a hand. “Let’s blow this joint so we can get comfortable and pop in a movie or something.”
“Blow this joint,” Drew echoed. He laughed and took her hand, his mood shifting once again. “I like that.” He reminded her of the eleven-year-old boy she’d first met in acting class with Cal. He’d been fearless, ready to tackle any scene or exercise. He’d had an energy and vitality that made him stand out.
“Hey. Yo. What about me?” Cal said from her spot on the floor. “I could use a little help.” She lifted both hands, and Julie and Drew each grabbed one and pulled her up. She tested her ankle by circling it and putting some weight on it. “I think I’m good,” she said with a wink to her brother.
His sweet smile decimated Julie. Drew’s love for his sister shone as bright as sparklers on the Fourth of July. Ever since their mom had died nine years ago, Cal had taken care of Drew. She’d been not only his older sister, but his surrogate mother.
Julie respected her best friend. Cal had a lot on her plate dealing with Drew and her career, paying for the mortgage on the house she grew up in and her own condo. She had a big nut to crack every month, but she’d been doing it for years.
An arm draped around Julie’s shoulders and she recognized Ari’s strong scent of patchouli. As usual, he had his dark hair slicked back against his head. Her smile faltered and she got the heebie jeebies when he kissed her temple. Troy stood just behind him, looking as if nothing had happened, his face stony.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Ari asked softly in her ear.
“I’m fine.” She didn’t like putting up with Ari’s roaming hands in public. For some unexplainable reason, she couldn’t meet Troy’s gaze. Only at the last minute did she look into his eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered.
He nodded, his expression somber, his lips a grim line.
She wanted to hug him, wanted to see the smile she’d seen in the hospital when they’d talked and joked. He stood four feet away but it might as well have been miles. It was as if some invisible barrier kept them separated.
Well, bullshit to that. She didn’t care what anyone thought, especially Ari, so she pulled out from his arm and marched over to Troy, where she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. “Really. I seem to say it a lot, but thank you.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist and hugged her briefly. He felt so solid against her, like he could withstand anything that came at him, be it bullets or a flight of stairs. She pulled away and looked into his eyes, finally getting the whisper of a smile she’d been hoping for.
“Julie,” Drew called. “C’mon. We’re waiting.”
Right. Drew. After saying more goodbyes, Julie and Drew helped Cal to the garage. Julie promised to follow directly behind to keep Drew from having a panic attack.
She would’ve rather been with Troy, thanking him a different way for breaking her fall. Just thinking about how close she’d come to breaking her neck had a chill racing down her spine. She’d never forget the strength of the man beneath her.
Her thigh still tingled where she’d felt him grow against her. She flushed at the memory, at the heat in his gaze, the solid strength of his muscles and the pounding of his heart beneath her. God, what a stud. She shook off the haze as she started her car and waited for Cal to pass her going out of the garage.
It took about thirty minutes to get to Cal’s Studio City place, and Julie