Page 110 of Ungodly Rich

Before she knew how challenging their relationship would become, weighed down by family and money and expectations.

“You’re still upset,” Harry observed, watching her. He tilted his head. “No, actually—you’re angry.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I know anger,” he replied, which struck Julia as a funny thing to say. She lifted the glass and took another sip.

“I am angry that this happened,” she admitted at last. “And I’m afraid.”

Harry passed her the plate of cake. Julia held it but didn’t take a bite.

“You shouldn’t be afraid of the storm,” he promised. “This building is state-of-the-art, very secure against flooding. We may not be especially comfortable here, but we’ll be safe.”

Valentine’s words from this morning echoed in her head.Harry will come to hate you for it—and worse, he will come to hate himself.

“I’m afraid of losing you,” she confessed.

Harry’s eyes were affectionate and warm. “Julia, you won’t lose me. Not now, not ever.”

“You don’t understand! I’m afraid of what might happen if I marry you. That choosing me will cost you your family.” It was hard for her to say this last bit; Julia had to look down at the cake to avoid meeting Harry’s eyes.

Harry reached for her arm, forcing her to meet his gaze. “You won’t cost me my family. They all know how important you are to me, and they love you, too.”

“No, Harry. Be honest. Percy is my friend, and I like your brotherand sister, though Alina lives halfway around the world. As for the others…they tolerate me, at best.”

His frown returned. “Did my parents say something?”

“No, it was—”

She broke off before finishing the sentence, but it didn’t matter; Harry could finish it for her.

“It was Valentine.”

Julia’s silence was confirmation enough. Harry cursed under his breath, his grip on the stem of the wineglass tightening so visibly that Julia worried he might snap it. She set down the cake and reached for him.

“Please don’t say anything, okay?”

Harry clasped her hands in his. “Whatever she told you, Julia, forget it. I choose you over my family.”

“But I don’t want you tohaveto choose!” Julia exclaimed, then lowered her voice. “Harry, watching you over the past few months, the way you’ve reconnected with your family—I know how much it’s meant to you. I hate that I’m putting you in a position where you need to decide between me and them.”

“You aren’t,” Harry said fiercely, but Julia wasn’t sure she believed him.

The things Valentine had said today—they might have been barbed and hurtful, but Julia sensed that they were also true.

If the Ellenes thought Valentine, impossibly beautiful and eager to please, wasn’t good enough, then what hope didJuliahave?

Tears pricked at her eyes; she wiped them away with a brusque motion. “I can’t let you lose your family again, not when you’ve worked so hard to get them back.”

“Let’s elope,” he said, ignoring her last comment. “This big wedding weekend was never our style anyway. Why don’t we do what we should have done from the beginning? As soon as it’s safe to leave this island, we’ll get on the first plane out: to New Zealand, to Bali, I don’t care. We’ll do our vows on the beach, just the two of us. Or we’ll bring your aunt and uncle and Abby, if you want. We won’t invite any of my family.”

“I don’t want to run away like we have something to hide.” Julia’s voice shook. “Not to mention that your mother wouldneverforgive you for getting married without her.”

“I think my mother may have forfeited her right to be included,” Harry said darkly.

“Don’t punish your mother because Valentine told me some ugly truths this morning. Tara had nothing to do with this.”

Julia couldn’t drive any more wedges between Harry and his family. And as tempting as it sounded, she couldn’t do what Harry had suggested and elope. It would draw a line in the sand.