“Is this your new pet?” Shay mumbles. She looks nothing like the woman I pictured Julian to be with. Her stare is filled with jealous anger, and for some reason, I want to smile. I may not be a pet to anyone as she thinks, but I know I make Julian happy.
“I’m no pet,” I spit the word, finding my confidence, and straightening my spine. “I suggest you listen to Julian and leave. There’s no longer a place for you here.” I move deeper into the room, sashaying past her toward the desk where Julian is standing with hands fisted at his sides.
“Seems like you enjoy leftovers,” Shay snarks. “Enjoy them. And when he turns into a drunken recluse just like his father, you’ll be the one taking out the trash.” Her warning startles me for a minute, but all I can do is smile in response. I’ve been around artists, I know what they’re like, but from the look of her, she would be more comfortable in a penthouse in the city where she can bask in the bright lights and nightlife.
“I don’t believe in leftovers, just second chances. Perhaps you were his wife, but love is what makes a relationship, not money, not titles, and certainly not possessions. I think it’s time you saw yourself out.” I gesture with my chin toward the door, and I can tell from her expression she’s not very impressed with me. But I don’t give a shit. I’m here, and the only way I’m walking out is if Julian tells me he doesn’t have feelings for me, and I should find another job.
But he hasn’t done that.
The blonde swings her hair over her shoulder, spins on her four-inch heels, and walks out of the office. Moments later, the door slams, and I breathe. Glancing up at Julian, I notice him staring at me.
“What?”
“You came back,” is all he says. His tone gentle, filled with shock, and I can’t help but smile.
Nodding, I tell him, “I was sitting in the park across the way, waiting. I don’t know why I couldn’t leave like you told me to, but . . .” I can’t finish my sentence because I’m not sure what to say. Yes, I didn’t want him to think I could give up so easily, and yes, I also didn’t want to give up so easily.
“I don’t know what to say,” he finally replies. “I mean, I know I sent you home, told you to leave, but I just didn’t want you to be the target of her fury. She tends to focus her energy on someone or something, and she doesn’t let go.”
“Is it over?” I ask, even though from the happiness in his eyes, I know it is.
Julian grins. “It is. She wanted money. She didn’t want to tell me why she stayed married to me and, to be honest, I don’t give a shit because she’s finally gone. The paperwork is legit,” he tells me.
It’s never easy giving your heart to someone, trusting they won’t break it. But if you never take the chance, you’ll never find happiness.
“I wasn’t going to come back,” I finally admit. “At least, not until tomorrow. But I had to say something to you.” I look up to find Julian staring at me. He’s handsome, giving me that stupid smile, and I want nothing more than to kiss him. “I’ve never felt so strongly about someone before. And I don’t know what to do with it. This” — I wave my hand between us — “thing is strange to me, and I don’t know how to handle it.”
“We can take it one day at a time. We don’t have to rush into anything if you’re not ready. I acted like an asshole when I said you should move in. I jumped the gun because I felt the need to have you around all the time.”
“But I acted out. I should’ve stayed, spoken to you, but I felt like you pushed me away. And perhaps it was my feelings from when my dad left. They seem to haunt me daily. I’m always reminded that if he could so easily walk away, then anyone can.”
“Does my gorgeous girl have daddy issues? Because I can fix those for you.” Julian’s tone turns husky, but his expression is deadly serious. “I’m not your father. I never will be.”
“You can’t promise me that,” I tell him because it’s true. Nobody can ever promise to stay with one person all their life. Surely. Well, I suppose there are exceptions, but right now, I find it difficult to trust, and that’s my problem, not Julian’s.
“I can promise that,” he tells me confidently. “I can promise it because I feel myself falling for you. My mind is on you all the fucking time, and I’m not complaining. Nea, you bring a light into my life that wasn’t there before.” He reaches for me, his hands cupping my face, and his thumbs swipe over the apples of my cheeks. He holds me tenderly; I feel my eyes burning with emotion.