Teal.

The flowers arrived two days after the tabloids ran their latest piece on Julian and Teal's late night fiasco outside of the Mink nightclub. Coincidentally, it also happened to be Julian's sister's birthday.

He'd slipped out of town that day, out to her quiet little house in the countryside to meet her. Reese had the day off from her duties at the hospital, and since it had been at the hands of a holiday since he'd so much as seen her, he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. They had been close as children, but their careers left little time to see each other at that point.

Reese hadn't given him a chance to make it to the door and knock before she'd had it open, and pulled him into a tight hug. He'd done his best to return the gesture, and keep a grip on the presents he held. Normally, she was only a few inches shorter, but in heels, she managed to hover at an equal height. It reminded Julian a bit of when they had been kids, up until their teenage years his older sister had always towered over him. He'd always found it a bit odd to look down at her after that.

"It takes a holiday, birthday, or a death to get you to come around Julian, I swear to god." She had pulled back with a warm smile, giving his cheeks a good pat before ushering him in. Julian had obliged, glancing around the warm little room. His sister loved browns and golds, whereas he preferred his monochrome schemes. It suited her, though.

"Well, someone else I know always seems to be busy at the hospital all odd hours of the night, so I'm not sure they're much easier to get in contact with." He tossed one of the packages at her, and she caught it with ease. "Happy birthday, Reese."

He took his coat off as she tore into the package, gently tossing it on the back of the taupe couch a few feet away. She grinned a bit, rolling her eyes as she flipped the record over in her hands.

"Signed Escape vinyl. I shouldn't be surprised you got your hands on this somehow, but I am. You're good, Julian, very good. It's perfect, thank you." Her smile softened a little as she looked back up at him. Reese had been an avid collector of vinyls for years; Journey one of her favorite bands as a child. Overall, it seemed like the perfect gift; and the one of the two he had planned on.

"That isn't all, actually. Here." Instead of tossing the next gift, he found himself being a bit more gentle with it, taking a few steps forward to hand it to her. Reese sat the record down on the desk at her side, giving him a curious look before opening the second gift. Her eyebrows rose a bit as the words Changing Alex stared up at her; the look on her face a bit more than skeptical as she met his gaze again. Julian cleared his throat, "You should, ah, open it. I recalled there was a copy on your bookshelf at Christmas. A friend offered to sign this one for you."

"I'm not one to believe that tripe I see in those trashy papers about you, Julian, but should I take this as an admittance that there's something going on between you and Teal Emerson?" She wasn't smiling.

Julian's own smile faltered a bit, his fingers finding their way through his hair once again. "She's my neighbor, a colleague, and, ah, a friend."

Reese crossed her arms, expression on her face hardening significantly. "So she's a colleague? That's why you've been seen multiple times with her? That's why you were spotted dragging that completely pissed girl out of a nightclub? The first picture a few weeks back was cute, but the ones from two days ago? I must say, Claire was 'a colleague' at first as well, and look how that tramp turned out."

"She was—it was entirely my fault that Teal and I were snapped outside of that club—what the hell do you even mean by that?"

"I saw the other pictures in there, Julian. The ones of her and that Tate Goodwin fellow earlier in the evening going into the club. Isn't the exact same thing Claire did to you? And you're just going to let this go on again?"

Julian understood where his sister was coming from, heaving a sigh as he rubbed his face. Slowly, he made his way over to the couch and sat down. "Reese, it's not the same thing. I get how you could think that, but, it's not."

"No? Do you care to elaborate any, then?" She didn't believe him; it was more than apparent by just her tone. Closing his eyes, he rested his forehead in his hands for a moment. The situation with Teal was odd, no doubt, and in a way... private. Explaining the situation with the writer would require sharing a bit of those details. But, as long as he could remember, he and his sister had maintained an openness about their lives that neither seemed to share with anyone else.

"What I’m about to tell you, is strictly between us two," Julian's words were low and slow as he spoke, finally glancing up to settle his sister with a serious look. In response, she had given one firm nod, watching him patiently from her spot beside the desk. With that, he explained from beginning to present his situation with Teal Emerson; the encounter on the day Claire's photos were taken, up to the breaking point on the afternoon she'd slapped him, and their calm in the days since. Reese had listened without interruption, pacing back and forth across the chocolate carpet of her living room until he had trailed off, finishing his rundown.

Only then did she look up after a few minutes of silence. "You deserved that slap, you know."

"Trust me, I'm well aware," Julian deadpanned.

"At least you admit it—dear god please tell me you haven't tried anything else on that poor girl." With the look Reese gave him, he was fairly certain if he had, Teal wouldn't be the only one to leave his cheek stinging.

"I—No—it's not. I'm not going to do that."

"Even though you fancy her?"

Julian blinked once, and twice, meeting his sister's knowing gaze. She shook her head at him, waggling a finger in his face as she took a few steps closer. "Don't even think about denying it, Julian. I know you, I've known you your whole life, and you definitely fancy that girl."

It was one thing to have someone like Wallace Holt call him out, someone who was essentially an outsider to his life. It was an entirely different matter for his own sister to say it. He felt a heat color his cheeks as he let out a few sputters, none of them leading to a full, coherent sentence. The grin on Reese's face grew.

"Your face hasn't been that red since I told Lena Schultz you had a crush on her when we were kids."

"This is harassment, Reese."

"If you admit it, I'll let it drop, if not, I'll keep pestering you. You know how this goes, Julian." Reese was a cat, and Julian was the mouse she would toy with relentlessly until she wore him down. Somethings never changed.

He groaned, rubbing a hand down his face as he leaned back against the couch. She wasn't going to let this drop; he knew that just as well as she did. He also knew she was very much correct. He definitely felt something for Teal Emerson beyond the boundaries of friendship.

"Dammit, Reese, I--" The vibration in his back pocket was enough to cut him off, and he pulled his phone out after a bit of shifting around. Speak of the devil and she shall appear. The look on his face must have given it away.

"Oh my god, that's her calling, isn't it?" Reese let out a peal of laughter as Julian shot her a glare, clearing his throat before he answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Julian Giles," her voice was light and melodious as she spoke his name, he couldn't help but hear a hint of a smile in her words. "You didn't strike me as the flower type."

"Flower type?"

"The bouquet you left for me at the front desk, you dork. Blooming lilies, roses, baby's breath, it's gorgeous. Haven't had a chance to read the note yet, but I wanted to thank you anyways. Although I'm not sure what they're for. I just managed to get back in my apartment." He heard her shuffling around, the sound of glass on a hard surface.

His brow furrowed, running a hand through his hair as he slowly stood up, pacing a few steps. He could feel his sister's eyes on him as he did so; she had gone quiet. "I'm... not quite sure what you're talking about, Teal."

"Oh, please, Julian you do--" He caught the faint rustling of paper before Teal cut herself off; the only sound on the other end was silence. For a few moments, he thought the call had dropped.

"Teal?" He said her name hesitantly, pulling the phone back from his ear; no, the call hadn't been dropped. The sudden sound of shattering glass on the other end of the phone assured that, and made his stomach drop. He caught a few words then, amidst a stream of sudden sobs and curses she had uttered "No" and "Leave me alone."

Julian found himself gathering his coat, and putting it on as he headed for the door of his sister's home without any explanation. Behind him, she called out something he didn't hear. "Teal? Teal. I'm coming back now, talk to me, Teal. What happened?"

Shuffling and breathing was all he heard for a few moments, and the only reply he received before she hung up caused his heart to drop.

"I can't stay here."