Chapter Two
The next day, Geoffrey McCoy took her to his sister Georgia Baldwin's house in Huntsville, Alabama. Julianna was heartbroken. She didn't get a chance to even say goodbye to Vincent.
Their flight took four hours to reach Huntsville. They took a cab to her aunt's house. The whole journey her dad was busy on his laptop while she sat depressed and heartbroken, silently looking out of the window.
At last they reached her aunt's house. It was a beautiful villa set amongst lush green fields, and rolling hills in the backdrop.
Her aunt came out to greet them warmly. She hugged both of them and took them inside. She was five years older than her dad and Julianna had met her a few times when she visited them. Aunt Georgia was a widow who taught English at a school nearby. Her older daughter was married while her younger one was at college.
"I'm so glad to have julianna staying here, Geoff," she gushed.
"She'll stay during weekends with you, Gina. I've already made arrangements to enrol her at Oakwood High Boarding School for girls," said her dad and Julianna stared at her father incredulously. She was being sent away to a boarding school?
Her aunt looked at her with pity. She knew that it was useless arguing with her brother. He was stubborn, short tempered and impatient. He never listened to anyone.
Later, her dad took her to her new school and completed all the formalities. Her stuff was taken to her room in the girls hostel building. She would have to share with another girl.
"Be good. I don't want any complaints," said Geoffrey McCoy.
She nodded, without a word. She was too choked with grief to utter a single sentence. Her dad was being cruel without even realising it. She could have stayed with her aunt. But why a boarding school? Her dad left her with a nod and went back to Austin.
The first one week, Julianna only cried herself to sleep. Her roommate, Carol Spearman was very understanding and tried her best to help her adjust to her circumstances. She was a tall, black haired beauty with soft features and beautiful light grey eyes. Her parents had died in a car accident and her legal guardian left her here.
Julianna kept the letter that Vincent gave her close to her to help her cope better. Jake called her twice but her sister never once called her. In fact, she knew that Sienna had a very false notion that Julianna was their parents' favourite child. The truth was their parents didn't favour anyone but she didn't know that.
It was the reason why Sienna never bonded with her. She kept her distance from Julianna, but Julianna loved both her siblings equally.
Back in Austin, Vincent didn't have any idea why Julianna didn't go to school. Everyday he stood in front of her school gates only to return home disappointed when he didn't see her.
After a week, he learnt from his dad that her dad sent her away to some boarding school far away from Texas. His world crumbled around him. He had to find her. But no one told him exactly where she was. He continued with his studies half heartedly trying to find out everyday where he could find his Anna.
After six months, he met Jake who told him everything. Jake had started living in his college dorm and played for the university team. He also played a few league matches and was being considered for the Texas Stars team to represent the Austin Area in the American Hockey League (AHL). It was a big opportunity and he didn't want to miss it anyways. His parents' constant rebukes and sarcastic comments were enough to demotivate anyone and make one feel like the most worthless human being on earth. His father thought that if a person didn't pursue finance he was a disgrace to the entire human race.
"Don't go to meet her, dude. It's an all girls boarding school and if dad came to know about it, he'll punish her more," said Jake, unhappily.
"I love her, man. How will I live?" Vincent confessed with a tortured expression.
"Wait for her to return. That's the only option," he said, patting his arm.
Vincent had no other option but to wait for Julianna to finish school and return back to Austin. His father visited the McCoy household for dinner very often. He always came back happy and satisfied, praising Julianna's older sister Sienna and her cooking abilities.
His mom Christina Martin wasn't interested in cooking. She was too busy as president of a billionaire's wife's club, The Inner Circle doing charity work all over Texas.
After 2 Years
So life continued and Vincent soon completed his college degree and got fully involved in their family businesses. Yet he didn't forget his Anna. His eyes everyday waited to see her and his ears were always alert to hear any news he could get of her.
Julianna completed her school and soon her aunt enrolled her into a college at Huntsville. She was enrolled to study the undergraduate program majoring in finance and management. Even Carol took admission in the same college. They were in the same class, pursuing the same program. They had grown extremely close since that first day at the girls dorm room in Oakwood High.
She was as lonely as Julianna. They both had only each other and they together stayed in the college dorm just like before.
"Julie, look, isn't that guy hot?" Squealed an excited Carol.
"Nope. My Vincent's hotter, " said Julianna and Carol simply rolled her eyes at her.
"Where is he? He might have moved on Julie. Face the reality, " she told her with a blank expression.
"No, he's waiting for me, we love each other," Julianna said.
"I hate to remind you but from what you told me, he confessed no such thing to you, " Carol pointed out.
Julianna thought for a moment. She was right. Vincent never declared that he loved her. He did say on an impulse that he would like to marry her. But that was all.
"See?" Carol said in a 'I told you so' look. "Forget him and move on Julie. "
"I can't," she said, choked with tears at the thought that Vincent might have moved on.
Her parents didn't want her to return after completing her school. She was eighteen and an adult now, yet her dad ordered his sister to enrol her in a college in Huntsville. If Julianna had money, she would have shifted back to Austin and lived all alone.
Dragging herself, she accompanied Carol to her classes. Jake called her often, nearly once a week.
After winning a big match, he had the money to fly down to meet her at college. They talked for a long time. It was the first time that someone from her family came to meet her, to see how she was doing. Jake told her of his conversation with Vincent and she was ecstatic to hear that he loved her. Vincent really loved her and he would wait for her to return.
Julianna was now over-enthusiastic to complete her studies and return to Austin, to her Vincent.
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Featured picture: Kendall Jenner as Carol Spearman.
