They Read My Secret Crush Story Out Loud At The Party Chapter 05

Julian was taller than I remembered. His expression was still reserved, a black jacket draped over his arm

and a black stud in his ear.

I stared at him. “Julian.”

The moment I said his name, tears spilled down my face,

His faint smile faded. His gaze dropped to Blake’s hand around my wrist.

“Let go of her.”

Blake didn’t move. Instead, he looked at me. “Is this the guy you were talking about?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t even look at Blake. All I could do was stare at Julian.

Blake gave a short, mocking laugh, as though he’d figured it out.

“That explains it. Raina, you actually found a look-alike just to save face?”

“Is this really necessary? I told you nothing would change between us.”

His voice was still fairly steady, but his thumb pressed harder against my wristbone. I winced.

Julian’s gaze sharpened. He caught Blake’s wrist.

“You’re hurting her.”

Blake saw the pain in my eyes and abruptly let go.

The moment I was free, I moved toward Julian. I went too fast, and pain shot through my knee. My leg buckled, sending me straight into him.

He caught me by the arms, his eyes full of concern. “How’d this happen?”

“I bumped into something yesterday.”

He looked at the blood seeping through my pant leg, his brow slowly furrowing.

I thought of the way Blake had fussed over Sloane. Now I was the one being fussed over.

I wanted to smile, but I held it back.

“It’s nothing serious. I can walk,”

I knew he didn’t like being bothered. Julian had always been quiet, and I was afraid he’d think I was being

dramatic.

But he didn’t let go. He just looked down at me.

“You don’t have to pretend it doesn’t hurt. Not with me.”

I went still.

He crouched and carefully rolled my pant leg up, away from the wound. Despite his gentle movements, his fingertips brushed a nearby bruise.

I flinched.

He stopped immediately and looked up. “Does it hurt here, too?”

I started to shake my head. But under his gaze, I slowly nodded instead.

He didn’t touch that spot again. He stood and draped his jacket over my shoulders.

“Let’s get your knee taken care of first. Everything else can wait.”

Blake stepped into our path.

“I’ll drive her. She gets carsick riding with other people.”

I looked up. “Your driving has made me throw up more than anyone else’s.”

His expression froze.

“Raina Bennett, can you stop this? I take back everything I said, okay?”

Sloane had been watching us the whole time. When Blake started to lose his composure, she hurried over

and caught his arm.

“Blake, she’s got her stand-in now, so she won’t be hanging around you anymore. Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Keep this up, and you’re going to make a scene.”

His lips tightened, but he didn’t step aside,

I hadn’t wanted things to end on bad terms with Blake. But Sloane kept calling Julian a stand-in, and it was

an insult to him.

I didn’t care what they thought of me. I couldn’t let Julian believe that the first thing I’d done after seeing

him again was use him to make another man jealous.

“He’s not a stand-in.”

I looked at Blake, speaking slowly and deliberately.

“You asked me last night who he was. I’ll tell you now.”

“His name’s Julian Hayes. I fell for him when + was fifteen.”

“You’ve always been the stand-in.”

Blake’s face slowly went rigid.

I held out my palm, showing him the stud I’d cleaned.

“You were right about one thing. We aren’t a good match.”

“I spent five years following you around because you reminded me of someone I thought was never coming back.”

“This earring’s a reminder of how foolish I was. I’m throwing it away, too.”

I tipped my hand and let it fall.

Blake stared at the falling stud. I’d treasured it only moments ago, and now I’d discarded it like trash.

Pain flickered across his face.

“Raina, you’d even make something like that up just to hurt me?”

His voice was low and rough. He sounded less like he was asking me than trying to convince himself.

I was too tired to explain anymore. I turned to Julian. “Let’s go.”

Julian supported me as we headed outside.

As we passed Blake, he suddenly caught the hem of my top, as though it were his last hope.

“Raina Bennett.”

I turned.

His usual nonchalance was gone. Now he was pleading.

“Take a good look. Does he look like me, or do I look like him?”

I met his eyes calmly.

“You look like him, Blake. You always have.”

His grip loosened.

His eyes were filled with humiliation and grief.

As we left the gym, I heard Sloane trying to reason with him.

“She’s followed you around for years, Blake. You really think she never had feelings for you?”

“This is just another one of her games. Wake up, Blake, Don’t take the bait.”

He didn’t answer.

A few seconds later, hurried, uneven footsteps sounded behind us

Julian opened the car door for me. Blake rushed up and planted his hand against it, his chest heaving.

“I’m coming to the hospital, too.”

Julian was taller than I remembered. His expression was still reserved, a black jacket draped over his arm

and a black stud in his ear.

I stared at him. “Julian.”

The moment I said his name, tears spilled down my face,

His faint smile faded. His gaze dropped to Blake’s hand around my wrist.

“Let go of her.”

Blake didn’t move. Instead, he looked at me. “Is this the guy you were talking about?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t even look at Blake. All I could do was stare at Julian.

Blake gave a short, mocking laugh, as though he’d figured it out.

“That explains it. Raina, you actually found a look-alike just to save face?”

“Is this really necessary? I told you nothing would change between us.”

His voice was still fairly steady, but his thumb pressed harder against my wristbone. I winced.

Julian’s gaze sharpened. He caught Blake’s wrist.

“You’re hurting her.”

Blake saw the pain in my eyes and abruptly let go.

The moment I was free, I moved toward Julian. I went too fast, and pain shot through my knee. My leg buckled, sending me straight into him.

He caught me by the arms, his eyes full of concern. “How’d this happen?”

“I bumped into something yesterday.”

He looked at the blood seeping through my pant leg, his brow slowly furrowing.

I thought of the way Blake had fussed over Sloane. Now I was the one being fussed over.

I wanted to smile, but I held it back.

“It’s nothing serious. I can walk,”

I knew he didn’t like being bothered. Julian had always been quiet, and I was afraid he’d think I was being

dramatic.

But he didn’t let go. He just looked down at me.

“You don’t have to pretend it doesn’t hurt. Not with me.”

I went still.

He crouched and carefully rolled my pant leg up, away from the wound. Despite his gentle movements, his fingertips brushed a nearby bruise.

I flinched.

He stopped immediately and looked up. “Does it hurt here, too?”

I started to shake my head. But under his gaze, I slowly nodded instead.

He didn’t touch that spot again. He stood and draped his jacket over my shoulders.

“Let’s get your knee taken care of first. Everything else can wait.”

Blake stepped into our path.

“I’ll drive her. She gets carsick riding with other people.”

I looked up. “Your driving has made me throw up more than anyone else’s.”

His expression froze.

“Raina Bennett, can you stop this? I take back everything I said, okay?”

Sloane had been watching us the whole time. When Blake started to lose his composure, she hurried over

and caught his arm.

“Blake, she’s got her stand-in now, so she won’t be hanging around you anymore. Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Keep this up, and you’re going to make a scene.”

His lips tightened, but he didn’t step aside,

I hadn’t wanted things to end on bad terms with Blake. But Sloane kept calling Julian a stand-in, and it was

an insult to him.

I didn’t care what they thought of me. I couldn’t let Julian believe that the first thing I’d done after seeing

him again was use him to make another man jealous.

“He’s not a stand-in.”

I looked at Blake, speaking slowly and deliberately.

“You asked me last night who he was. I’ll tell you now.”

“His name’s Julian Hayes. I fell for him when + was fifteen.”

“You’ve always been the stand-in.”

Blake’s face slowly went rigid.

I held out my palm, showing him the stud I’d cleaned.

“You were right about one thing. We aren’t a good match.”

“I spent five years following you around because you reminded me of someone I thought was never coming back.”

“This earring’s a reminder of how foolish I was. I’m throwing it away, too.”

I tipped my hand and let it fall.

Blake stared at the falling stud. I’d treasured it only moments ago, and now I’d discarded it like trash.

Pain flickered across his face.

“Raina, you’d even make something like that up just to hurt me?”

His voice was low and rough. He sounded less like he was asking me than trying to convince himself.

I was too tired to explain anymore. I turned to Julian. “Let’s go.”

Julian supported me as we headed outside.

As we passed Blake, he suddenly caught the hem of my top, as though it were his last hope.

“Raina Bennett.”

I turned.

His usual nonchalance was gone. Now he was pleading.

“Take a good look. Does he look like me, or do I look like him?”

I met his eyes calmly.

“You look like him, Blake. You always have.”

His grip loosened.

His eyes were filled with humiliation and grief.

As we left the gym, I heard Sloane trying to reason with him.

“She’s followed you around for years, Blake. You really think she never had feelings for you?”

“This is just another one of her games. Wake up, Blake, Don’t take the bait.”

He didn’t answer.

A few seconds later, hurried, uneven footsteps sounded behind us

Julian opened the car door for me. Blake rushed up and planted his hand against it, his chest heaving.

“I’m coming to the hospital, too.”