JULIAN: What you said to him. About choice. About love instead of fear.
JULIAN: I don’t know what I did to deserve you.
I stare at the message. Feel my eyes sting.
ME: You saw me. The real me. Not many people do that
ME: That’s what you did
Three dots appear. Disappear. Appear again.
JULIAN: I love you
JULIAN: I know we haven’t known each other for long. But I love you with every single fiber in my body.
I wipe my eyes. Type back.
ME: I love you too
ME: Now stop being romantic and let me finish this pool party. I have a bridesmaid reputation to maintain.
JULIAN: Yes ma’am.
JULIAN: I’ll see you soon.
ME: Counting on it.
I set down my phone and take a deep breath before standing up on legs that are only slightly unsteady.
“I’m going back to the party,” I tell Elena and Sofia. “I’m going to drink champagne and gossip about boys and pretend my lifeis normal for the next few hours. After that, I’ll worry about tomorrow.”
“We’ll be watching,” Elena says.
“I know.” I pause. “Thank you. For being here. For helping.”
“Thank us after Damien is ash,” Sofia says. But her voice is softer than before.
I walk back to the bridesmaids. Slide onto my lounge chair. Accept the fresh champagne that someone presses into my hand.
“Everything okay?” Violet asks. “You were talking to that guy for a while.”
“Old acquaintance of Julian,” I say. “Nothing important.”
She doesn’t look convinced, but she lets it go, returning to her conversation about honeymoon destinations and married life—all the normal things that normal people worry about.
I watch her. Watch my future brother-in-law approach with a tray of snacks, and kiss her like they’re the only two people in the world.
That’s what love is supposed to look like. Easy. Simple. Human.
My love story is none of those things.
But I’m happy to choose mine. Every complicated, terrifying, impossible piece of it.
CHAPTER 24
JULIAN
She didn’t run.
