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?”
“Christian, please,” I begged for I don’t know what. I still hadn’t read the damn article, but I could only imagine the details Julian revealed just from briefly speaking to Charlie about it.
Julian didn’t hesitate, simply stating, “Yes.”
Everything happened so fast, yet it still felt like it played out in slow motion.
“Christian, no!” I shouted as his fist slammed into Julian’s jaw, causing his body to whoosh back from the impact of Christian’s forceful blow.
Julian tried to catch his balance, stumbling around for a second, while I stared with a wide, petrified gaze back and forth between them. Not knowing who to focus on more. Julian caught his bearings, massaging his jaw and moving it around.
Kinley lunged into action, gripping onto her husband’s arm. Her attempt at holding him back pitiful. She was no match against my brother’s strength. “Babe, come on,” she begged. “This isn’t the right way. He’s your best friend, and that’s your sister.”
“He was my best friend!” Christian growled, roughly yanking his arm away from her. In one stride he was in Julian’s face again, shoving him back with so much force. “Is she the reason you left without so much as a fucking text?!”
I’d never seen my brother so mad before, scaring the absolute shit out of me.
But it wasn’t until Julian responded, “Christian, I have loved your sister ever since I can remember.”
That I truly almost fell to the ground.
He didn’t stop there, speaking with conviction, “I’ve wasted over ten years being away from her, and I can’t do it anymore. I pushed her away so many fucking times—letting our friendship and my gratitude toward your parents get in the way of my decisions and the future I wanted with her. How I left was fucked up, and I’m the first to admit that. I’ll apologize as many times as I need to in order to make things right between us, but don’t think for one second that I’ll ever apologize for loving her. Do you understand me?”