“He’s a good man. You’re lucky to have him.”
My heart fluttered, hearing her say those words to me.
Was I lucky?
The time flew by, and I’d be lying if I’d said I didn’t love every second of seeing him with his guard down. His suit jacket was in my lap, his tie was hanging from his neck with the first few buttons undone. He was relaxed, comfortable, and in his element.
My heart wasn’t just beating fast, it was hammering against my chest when Julian took off his collared shirt. Sweat glistening off every inch of his muscular, defined chest as he made his way toward us.
I could see it in his eyes—he was coming for me.
“Julian, don’t you dar—”
I didn’t have a chance to finish my sentence, as he flung his sweaty body on me, wrapping me in his manly scent.
“Julian!”
“What? You used to love it when I made you wet.”
“You’re all sweaty, and you’re ruining my dress!”
“Can’t have that now, can we?”
“What’s that supp—”
Clutching onto my waist, he sat on the bench, sitting me on his lap. My back to his front, his lips nuzzled my neck.
“Feels damn good to finally hold you in my arms, Autumn.”
I smiled. I had to, all eyes were on us. Including the camera.
Julian wasn’t deterred, muttering into my ear, “Do you have any idea how much I missed you?”
He was acutely aware of what I was experiencing with his whole body engulfing mine. Completely in tune with my emotions.
We were an illusion.
An act.
A charade.
Nothing about our relationship was real. We were living a lie in front of all these people, and the millions who’d eventually watch this intimate footage the videographer was capturing. Only suffocating me further into the reckless thoughts of what my family and brother would think when they saw us like this.
“Julian, please...”
“You know I love it when you beg.”
“You can’t do this.”
“I already am.”
“You need to let me go.”
“No, I have waited too long for you.”
The space began closing in on me, holding me hostage against my will. Sweat formed at my temples, my hands began to shake, and my heart started beating profusely through my chest.
I couldn’t breathe.
All I wanted was to breathe. Just for one second, one moment, one hour in time.
Tick…
“You’ll always be my number one girl.”
Tick…
“I lov—”
Boom.
I forcefully escaped, ignoring the disappointed expression taking hold of his face.
What did he expect?
“Kid—”
I didn’t allow him to finish, quickly walking away. I thought facing our past would be too much to bear, never thinking our future would be harder to endure.
Future? Where did that come from?
He was messing with my head. I took a walk while he showered, and once he was fully dressed in his suit, appearing like the Alpha CEO, it was much easier to be around him. His guard was back up, and I couldn’t help but remember that for most of my life, I’d prayed for him to bring it down, and now I wished for the opposite to happen.
We said our goodbyes, and I didn’t speak to him the entire drive back to the hotel. Except we didn’t go to the suite. When the driver pulled into my favorite restaurant, I was well aware Julian had told him to.
“I’m not going in there with you.”
“Autumn, one way or another, you’re going to have dinner with me. The choice is yours on how you’d like to enter that facility.”
Flinging my door open, I stepped out. Pretty much stomping my feet the entire way in. With one foot in front of the other, I walked inside with Julian behind me at the same exact time my life came tumbling down on me. Right there in front of our faces was our past beating me senseless.
My stare locked with the person I’d least expected, but he was focused on the man behind me.
Both men ready for a battle.
Over me.
Chapter SEVENTEEN
—Autumn—
“Christian,” I breathed out, overwhelmed by the turn of events.
His eyes flew from Julian to me. “What the fuck is this?”
“It’s not what you think.”
“Actually, it’s exactly what you’re thinking.”
I glared at Julian. “Stop it.”
“Stop what, kid? He knows the truth. There’s no need to hide it from him anymore.”
“Is this why you texted me to meet you here? For this, Autumn?”
“I didn’t text you to meet me here. What are you talking about?”
“It wasn’t her,” Julian declared in a steady, calm tone. “It was me from her phone.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I bit. “Why would you do that?” I couldn’t believe he’d undermined me again, going behind my back to confront the one person I didn’t want to deal with right now. Like dealing with us wasn’t already enough for me to handle.
“Because there was no better time than the present. You said you wanted me to reach out, make things right, and that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m done hiding our relationship from him.”
“We’re not in a relationship!”
My brother chimed in, “So who’s lying, Autumn? You or him?”
“Christian, just let me think for a second.”
“You haven’t answered your phone or replied to one fucking text I sent you in the last three days, and you’re telling me to let you have another minute?”
“Jesus! Can you relax? I’m as shocked as you are right now. I wasn’t expecting this! He blindsided me too.”
In one sudden movement, Julian shifted me aside and stood up to my brother. This was the first time in all our lives I was truly worried about what was going to go down between them. From best friends to enemies in a matter of seconds, at least it was with Christian’s perception of the man standing in front of him. I’d never seen him glare at Julian with such disgust and hatred. The tension, thick and palpable swarmed through the restaurant as if bees were suddenly set free, protecting their queen.
Me.
The expression on Kinley’s face mirrored my own, her concern evident through her dark brown eyes as she grabbed onto Christian’s arm, like she knew he was ready to strike and attack. Taking no prisoners.
“Let’s go outside, okay? This is a family establishment, and there’s no need to make a scene. I don’t want someone calling the cops.”
Christian considered his wife’s apprehension before his anger quickly turned to rage, and all the color drained from his face as he shoulder checked Julian on his way out of the restaurant. I couldn’t take the strain between the two of them. The years of waiting for this to happen was finally here, in a moment I’d least expected.
I hastily followed him out, not knowing what to say or do to make this okay. Once Christian rounded the corner of the building, he snapped back around and got in Julian’s face.
Spewing, “Is it fucking true?”