I AM SO SORRY I HAVENT UPDATED! I've been doing a lot the passed few months. But I'll try and update more often now. Especially since it's my summer break! I'll skip the intro! Here's the chapter! Darren's confronting Julia!

October 23, 2021

Julia looked at herself in the mirror with her head cocked as she flattened her dress out. She sighed. There was no way in hell she could do this. She couldn't confront Darren after all these years. Her heart simply couldn't handle it.

Julia's little sister Anna was leaning against the doorframe with her eight-month-old daughter Chandler on her hip. "You look beautiful Jules." She finally said walking in and sitting on her sisters cluttered bed.

Julia turned to look at her sister and niece. "I cant to this Anna…I don't think I can face him after all these years. I don't want to lose him, but I feel like I already have…" she trailed off, there was a slight sting in her heart.

"He needs to know Julia. And maybe things won't turn out the way you want them to, but maybe they will. He's a good guy, and I think he deserves a chance."

"When did you become the big sister?" Julia said with a smile.

Anna shrugged with a laugh. "You're already 45 minutes late Jules. I've got Matthew under control. Go have fun, and go get your man!" She stood up and handed her sister her clutch. "It'll be okay. I promise."

Julia smiled. 'Thank you." She took the clutch, kissed her sister, niece and son before exiting her apartment. This was it.

Darren had literally tried on 15 different shirt and pant combos for tonight's event. He was pretty sure all his friends knew about Lauren's pregnancy, and this party was really just a formality. He talked it over with Joey and he agreed Darren could do a short set at the party. He wanted his music to explain to Julia that he loved her because he knew he would shit his pants if he tried to confront her. He came up with a handful of songs, Teenage Dream being the first, and Sami coming right after. He knew in order to make an impression he'd have to change all the Sami's back to Julie's.

All he really wanted her to know was that he was really in love with her, and that he had an inkling about Matthew. He wasn't going to get mad, he just wanted to know why she had hid it from him. He just wanted to live with the love of his life and his "son". All he wanted was happiness.

He stared at himself in the mirror and bullied himself over whether or not to put gel in his hair. He decided not to, he knew that Julia always preferred his loose curls. After about four hours of preparation he was ready to go to the Richter's home.

Julia drove to Lauren and Joey's place in silence. No music was played as she tried to figure out how she'd tell Darren. She couldn't do it in front of everyone, and she didn't want to do it alone. Before she could figure out a plan she was in front of the house. Shit.

She walked in and Lauren rushed over to her. "I didn't think you were going to show up, since you know who is here." She bobbed her head over towards Darren who seemed to be having some sort of intriguing conversation with Walker and Denise.

Julia gulped as she saw him laughing. His curls were loose, and he had on rather tight black pants and a purple Burberry button down. The first two buttons were undone exposing a bit of dark chest hair. He looked beautiful, and Julia felt like she was going to be sick. "I can't do this Lauren." She whispered to her best friend.

'Yes. You can." She said before she was ushered away to carry on with some business elsewhere. Julia was ready to book it. She turned back to where Darren was standing but he was gone. Julia wondered where on earth he could have gone.

She took a glass of champagne off a tray and started to walk around but she suddenly stopped when she heard familiar notes coming from the piano in the back room. A small little audience was gathered around the black baby grand as Darren's fingers lightly tapped on the keys.

"You guys know I can't keep my hands off a piano." He laughed and started to play the opening of Teenage Dream. "Before I start this song, I always feel like it's necessary to give the background story to why this is so important to me." He continued to tap on the keys as he spoke. "I use to think the reason this song spoke to me because of the opportunity it had given me as an actor and a performer. I got to sing it twice on Glee giving a piece of myself to the song the second time around. But as I got older I realized that this song really speaks to my teenage self. I think we all fall in love at one point in our life and we find this person who makes us feel a certain way, and when we find that person we should try very hard to keep them with us and never let them go." At this point Darren was scanning the room for Julia. He had seen her come in but he was too nervous to approach her. He figured singing about her would be his best way of communication. He was better at portraying his feelings through words anyway.

As he started to play Julia could feel her emotions take over her. Those words spoke to her, that song was their relationship. She tried not to watch him but the way his veins struck from his neck, the way his fingers danced on the keys. She loved it and hated it at the same time. She hated herself for falling in love with him; she hated herself for thinking things could be different. But she more than anything hated herself for keeping Matthew away from his father, his beautiful, kind, loving father.

Lets go all the way tonight

No regrets just love

We can dance until we die

You and I, we'll be young forever

At this point Darren didn't know if anyone else was in the room. All he saw, and all he cared about was Julia. He loved her, he had loved her from the moment he met her and he wanted her to know that. He wanted her to know about the ring, the unexcused absents from too many Judas rehearsals. But most importantly he wanted her to know he was always going to be there for her and Matthew, no matter what.

As Darren finished the song he still couldn't see anyone but Julia. "This next song is an oldie. I wrote it at the end of my sophomore year of college for Little White Lie."

Suddenly Darren was broken from his trance as Mark yelled "We are Love Grenade."

Darren laughed and looked for Julia yet again. She looked worried, afraid of what he could possibly say next. "Anyway, this song was not just written for the show. In order for me to get the lyrics out I needed to relate it to something, to someone. I've never sung it the original way to anyone before but I realized it's about time I did. Ladies and gentlemen for the first time EVER I give you….Julie.

Julia was in a daze until she heard her name. Before she could even realize it she heard a shatter as her champagne glass hit the ground. She wanted to run, but her legs wouldn't move. She desperately wanted to hear him say those words about her. The words she longed to hear him sing.

Julie, Julie

Why can't you see?

What you're doing to me

She covered her mouth and ran. She thought she could do it but she couldn't. Julia couldn't take it; she couldn't listen to those beautiful words be spoken about her. She didn't deserve it.

She pushed the door open and ran out into the pouring rain that must have started when she was inside. She was happy with the rain, at least it masked the tears. She cursed under her breath for parking so far away. She pulled her heels off as she started towards her car. She heard the house door slam and a familiar voice call her name.

"Julia!" Darren yelled. "Julia wait!" He ran as fast as he could towards her and almost slipped on the mud as he reached her. "Where are you going?"

"Darren, please. Just let me go." Julia tried to push him away but he came back. She felt his soft fingers wipe her eyes.

"I won't let you leave this time…I can't let you leave…" He tried to wipe her wet face with his sleeve but it was useless. His shirt was soaked and stuck to his body.

"Darren please…"

"Julia…I know why you ran away. I know why you've been hiding from me these last few years. I know you came to my apartment that night when Mia opened the door…I know what's going on."

"Darren…I wanted to tell you. I swear I wanted to…but I couldn't. When I saw her there I didn't have the heart to tell you…" Her words were broken. She wanted to take back all of the mistakes she had made and fix it but she knew it was too late. She'd never really regain his trust.

"I love you Julia. I've always loved you." Darren ran his fingers through her dripping brown hair.

"Please don't do this. You shouldn't be acting like this. You should be cursing my name. I lied to you Darren…I lied to you…"

"I don't care. I mean, yeah I wish you told me. But there's a lot I never told you. But it doesn't matter. I love you. And I want you. Both of you."

Before Julia could rebuttal Darren's soft lips were pressed against hers. She had been waiting for this moment for far too long. She felt Darren's tongue run across her lip, and she slowly opened her mouth allowing Darren's tongue to enter. She didn't care that her dress was ruined, her hair was sticking to her forehead, or her makeup was running down her face. All she cared about was Darren, and how sweet it was to finally have him in her arms once again.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I wanted them to be sappy. I can't see Darren as the angry type. Especially when he's in love. Please review. I've missed them terribly. And please feel free to give me an idea of where you want to see Julia and Darren. Until next time!

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