Chapter 19: Truths and Decisions

I woke up a few hours later. Julien was still sleeping, so I tiptoed out of the room. I knew that he was in pain as he would groan in pain whenever he would move. It was seven in the morning already. I walked to the kitchen to find my mother, with her cup of coffee and a magazine in front of her.

"Good morning" she greeted as she put her magazine down and focused on me.

"Good morning mom" I greeted back before yawning. I must have looked like a freaking whale. I pulled a chair, then sat in front of her.

"Julien is still sleeping?" she asked.

"I think he broke a rib or two" I told my mom,before sighing in fatigue.

I could see how worried my mother was. "What happened yesterday, Luna?" my mother asked then, making me frown.

"How would I know?" I asked back.

"Didn't you all go out yesterday?" she asked, quite confused by this whole situation.

"Yes, we did. But Hades dropped me home and I've let Julien take my car so that he could drop Ella home then return back to his house" I explained.

"Hades dropped you home?" my mother asked, seeming quite surprised when I nodded. Just as my mother opened her mouth to comment something, we heard steps in the corridor to the kitchen. We both turned to look at a yawning Julien emerging in the kitchen.

"Good morning" he greeted and walked to my mother to give her a hug. My best friends and my mother were quite close.

"You're okay, sweetheart?" my mom asked Julien as he sat next to her. He nodded, trying his best to smile at her without wincing due to the cut on his cheek. It wasn't that deep but still, small cuts hurt as hell.

"Much Better" he told us, reassuring us a little bit.

"I know you just woke up and all, but we really need to talk about last night" My mother started, observing Julien's facial expression. He simply sighed then nodded. "What happened?" she asked softly.

"My mother's boyfriend did all that" Julien muttered while motioning to all this bruises. Julien never really had a good relationship with his mother. We all knew that. Julien used to live with his dad when he was a kid. Unfortunately, his father passed away when he was ten. So he had to move in with his alcoholic mother. "They both got pissed at me because when I returned back home, I accidentally crash in the table on which they had put their bottles" Julien explained. I knew that he was trying his best not to appear weak. He was telling us all this, trying to appear emotionless. But we could still see the pain in his eyes.

"They did that to you because of some bottles?" I asked in disbelief. Julien once came one with a black eye because he argued with his mother. He simply didn't want to make it a big deal, so he would tell us not to blow things put of proportion.

"They did" He sighed.

"Why do you keep on living there?" I asked him while shaking my head.

"Because I'm fucking broke!" Julien exclaimed.

"Language!" my mother scolded, then glared at Julien. "Don't look for excuses, Julien" she started. "The first time that man punched you and you came here with a black eye, I told you to move in here!" she continued. Yes. My mother was actually pissed when Julien told her about the punch and she told Julien to move in with us. "Today, it's much worst, Julien. Did you look at yourself in a mirror? You have so many bruises" my mother said while shaking her head. I could see my mom's eyes turning glassy with tears.

"Just move in with us" I told Julien. He looked conflicted. I knew that he was looking for a proper argument.

"What's the matter?" my mother asked, disbelief and impatience could be noticed from her. "Give me a good reason why you can live with us" she demanded.

"I don't want to be a burden" Julien sighed while looking at the counter, in what seemed to be shame. "I mean, I am twenty three years old and I can't even afford a place to live" he continued. "Without that money that my father spared for my education, I wouldn't even have been able to go to college" he mumbled. It was embarrassment that he was feeling.

"Julien. You're not going to be a burden! Far from it. I like having you around. You're like a son to me. Only Luna and I live in this huge house and let's admit it, she's pretty boring at times" my mother tried to joke to lift Julien's mood up. I gasped when Julien nodded in agreement. "Just come live with us" my mother said. Knowing how Julien was, I knew that he was going to argue because of his man ego.

"We're not giving you the option" I finally said. "You're staying with us as from now" I told him with a bright smile. My mother smiled, then nodded.

"Luna and I will go get your belongings if you want" My mother told Julien who smiled at us.

"I'll come along" He told us. "Thank you for being here for me" Julien said. He wrapped his arms around my mother who simply smiled and hugged him back.

"I'm never letting any of you down" My mother promised to Julien and I. I smiled at my mother's words, knowing that she was going to keep that promise. "We'll be leaving in an hour. Julien, you're not going to college today. I'm taking you to the doctor" she announced.

"What about me?" I asked.

"Don't you have class?" my mother asked with a frown on her face. I nodded but quickly pouted.

"Can I stay with you two today?" I asked. My mother took a deep breath, then nodded.

"Fine. Just today" she told me.