*James*

Julia bounces her knee nervously while sitting on the balcony. Casey took Maggie out for a run. Jonah is in the shower. Paul is with Trisha and Nate. 

I overheard Nate and Trisha talking about a big meeting with the Tour Managers today, which means Julia would have had to have given him an answer by now. Her answer affects everyone around her. Including me.

I'm not sure where her mind is at, but I had to at least give Lindsay a heads-up concerning Maggie. I really thought she'd put up more of a fight about keeping the dog local, but she didn't. She was actually really cool about it, which surprised the hell out of me. Lindsay knows Maggie has helped me emotionally get through so much shit. 

So now, it's all up to Julia.

"Miss Moretti." I nod and sit down next to Julia on the balcony couch. She's off in her own world right now, staring ahead at the view of L.A.

"Mr. Gallo."

"What's going through that head of yours right now?" I put a hand on her bouncing knee to stop it, and Julia puts her hand over mine. She links her pinky finger with mine and then holds my hand, sending a bolt of electricity through me. I wonder if she gets that feeling, too. I wonder if she gets that feeling with Nate...

I close my eyes when she drops the side of her head to my shoulder. I can smell her shampoo. Her vanilla perfume.

"Did you make your decision?" I ask. Julia lets go of my hand and stands up to lean against the balcony railing. I do the same, standing right next to her, waiting for her answer. I clasp my hands over the railing and look at her.

"What do YOU want, James?"

"I want to be wherever you are."

"Even if it's with Nate?" She studies my face.

"Even if it's with Nate. I'll be whatever you need me to be. You know that."

Julia's eyes drop down to my mouth for a moment, but she catches herself and looks away. It was noticed, though.

"I don't know how to make this work." She speaks.

"How to make what work, babe?" I'm confused. But Julia gets like this. Her mind bounces like a little pinball machine from one thing to the next. I'm pretty good at following her, though.

"How am I gonna marry Nate when I keep thinking about you..."

I inhale sharply and stand up straight. Julia knows she can't say something like that to me without me reacting.

And I react.

"Julia...." I gaze down at her and tuck her hair behind both her ears but leave my hands on her.

"James."

I lean in and kiss her.

We kiss and let our lips linger. She feels this. I know she does. She wraps her arms around my neck and deepens our kiss, and it's like fireworks are going off in my body. I'm sorry, but there's no denying we are supposed to be together.

"You know I'm not gonna be the one to back away." I say in between soft pecks to her lips, wanting more. Needing more. "You know I won't be able to stop."

"One more minute..." She melts into me, and I feel her fingers in my hair. Christ, she drives me crazy. "I don't think I will be able to stop this time."

"So don't stop." 

Doesn't Julia get it? This feeling...it will never go away. She can be with Nate all she wants, but this feeling will always stay with her. Because it's real. So yeah, if Julia decides to travel, I will travel with her. I will experience it all with her as her best friend, but at the end of the day- we always end up back to moments like these. Moments when you know you are supposed to be together.

I believe God has a plan for everyone, and their lives are written out for them before they are even born. God is showing us this plan. Me and Julia. She just keeps falling away from it. And every time you fall away from whoever-whatever you believe in for faith- things fall apart. Bad things happen, and I believe that. So, I will continue to be here for Julia. I will continue to kiss her every chance she gives me. I will show her every chance I get.

I deepen our kiss, press my body against hers, and my hands make their way under her shirt and up her bare back, making her breath hitch against my mouth. My hands feel her soft skin, but no bra, making me ache for her. I slide my right hand to the front of her body, and my thumb grazes her hard nipple. This is becoming more than just a simple kiss.  We can both feel that much.

She breaks away and leans her forehead against mine, her lips parted, her heart beating faster when I touch her. Her hands are still in my hair.

"We can't."

"We can. We can do whatever we want."

"James...." She closes her eyes but takes a step back.

"Julia." I pause. "I'm still gonna wait for you. It's always gonna be you."

Julia kisses me passionately. She knows it will always be James & Julia. She can deny all she wants, but it will always be...

 James & Julia.

*****

*Trisha*

Nate knows I get extra nervous when in meetings with Richard and Elliott. Today's meeting is with the Tour Managers, and once again, I have a feeling Nate is up to no good. I can always tell with him

"Anyone else traveling with you have medical concerns?" Dominic, one of the managers, looks up from his laptop as we all go over the outlined agenda together.

"Yes. Two. Who will also be monitored closely by my own personal nurses I will pay for on my own." Nate announces. Two. Ok. He didn't tell me Julia made a decision. Her and James are the only two people, other than Nate, with medical conditions. That means she decided to tour with us. I inhale sharply and forget to exhale. Nate notices and kicks me under the table.

"Ok, Names and diagnosis?" Dom asks, ready to fill out the required medical forms. There's a slight pause that makes everyone around the room look up and focus on Nate.

"Right. I've hired one extra bodyguard of my own. Again, I will be paying out of pocket for his salary. James Gallo."

"James Gallo is your second bodyguard??" Elliott asks with suspicion.

"Sure is. Trained under Paul Rossi for years." Which means James is a good bodyguard. Because Paul is the best there is. If only James would stop punching his boss in the face.

"Ok. James Gallo. He had the brain injury, correct?"

"Yes. He still has some speech issues and coordination issues but has already been cleared by his neurologist and is healing exceptionally well. The main concern for him is that he has had a few seizures. I can get the name of the prescription he is on for that." 

"And the second person?"

I stiffen up, knowing the answer to this one now.

"Yes." Nate pauses and looks directly at Richard and not at Dominic.

"Julia Moretti...... My fiancé." Nate smiles proudly.

What the fuck is he doing?!?

Oh my God. Nate just dropped a bomb on everyone in the room. Including me. 

Nate announced his engagement to Julia. In front of Richard. In front of Elliott. Is he TRYING To sabotage his career? 

"You're fiancé." Richard throws daggers for eyes at Nate. "You're about to go on tour. You have a certain status to maintain. Single."

"Do I though, Richard?? Is that written in the contract somewhere?" Nate stands up and I want to literally crawl under the table now. "I don't think it's in the FUCKING contract, Richard."

"So, you are publicly announcing that you are gonna marry Julia Moretti. When technically you're tied to Mila Giovanni." Elliott pinches the tension between his eyes.

"I'm not tied to anyone. No more PR stunts. No more fake relationships. No more lying to my fans.  My fans are the ones who put me here. Not you." Nate is still staring at Richard who is now looking at me like I should be controlling Nate or something. This is out of my hands now.

I had no idea he was going to do this.

It's ALL out of my hands now.

******

*James*

After our heated kiss Julia begins to get emotional. The conflict is too much for her. I sit her back down on the balcony couch and wrap my arms around her while she hides her face in my chest.

"I don't know how to stop loving you, James." Julia cries. "And I don't know how to stop loving Nate." It's the same conversation over and over again. The only thing keeping Julia from choosing me is the fact that I can't take care of her. Not like Nate can. And I know that plays a huge factor in things.

"You know he wants to marry me." She reminds me.

"I know."

"Yet you're still waiting for me. Why?"

"You'll come to your senses. I'll get better and you'll come to your senses. Once I'm able to take care of you. Just like you take care of me. You know we are good together. I don't need to tell you that, babe. So, I'm gonna wait. Hell, maybe I'll have a few flings here and there in between but at the end of the day, it's always gonna be you, Julia."

I smile down at her, kiss the top of her head, and hold her tight.

James & Julia

It WILL happen.