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“Poor baby,” I said with a laugh, kissing his cheek.
I headed back into the bedroom to change back into my dress from last night, leaving Julian’s T-shirt on his bed. I picked up my purse, cursing myself for not taking my meds while Julian had showered. Now, I’d have to wait until I got home. I really preferred taking it first thing when I woke up. Oh well.
“Maybe we could pretend we haven’t woken up and go back to bed for the rest of the day,” Julian suggested.
I dropped my bag onto the side table and ran a hand back through my messy bob. “As much as I’d like that, you have things to do today.”
“Yeah. I don’t want to though.”
“Tough,” I teased.
He stepped forward, like he was going to draw me to him, but then the front door burst open. We stumbled apart in confusion as Ashleigh Sinclair strode in.
“Hey, baby,” she crooned. “I think I figured out our little distribution problem. Why are you not returning my calls?”
I gaped at her. She was in some white skirt suit with an actual silk scarf tied around her neck and four-inch nude high heels. Her hair and makeup were done up, as if for an event. She looked flawless as she carried a black leather folder before her.
“Ashleigh,” Julian said, his voice dipped with warning.
She smirked at him. “Don’t you look charming in this little…number?” She gestured up and down at him, still in basketball shorts and a worn-out T-shirt. “We’re going to need to get you cleaned up, so we can make the meeting with the distributors.”
I looked back and forth between them in confusion. “What is going on?”
Ashleigh sighed heavily and turned to me. “Oh, you’re still here?”
“Still here? I’m his girlfriend. What are you doing here?”
Ashleigh shot me a look of straight pity. “He didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“Ashleigh, this isn’t the time,” Julian said.
I whirled on him. “Tell me what?”
Julian held his aching head. “There was a…problem with the distributors. So, I asked Ashleigh for her help because she knows them.”
“When?” I snapped.
“Uh…Friday night.”
I saw red at those words. I stumbled back a step from him. The man I’d spent all night and morning taking care of. And now, he was telling me that the night that he’d refused to take my calls or answer my texts was the night he had been with his ex-girlfriend.
“And you never thought to mention that when I was trying to get ahold of you that night?”
“My phone is really broken,” he said hastily. “I don’t have it.”
“Is that why you aren’t answering my calls?” Ashleigh said.
“And the next day at the soccer game?” I accused. “Or the vineyard party?”
“There’s an easy explanation for why he didn’t tell you,” Ashleigh said with a viperous smile.
“Stay out of this,” Julian said, wincing all the time.
“Oh no, I think she’s right,” I said, glancing at Ashleigh. “For once, we’re actually in agreement. There’s clearly a reason you didn’t tell me.”
“I didn’t tell anyone,” he said. “The distributors came back with some bullshit excuse for why they wouldn’t work with Wright Vineyard. I panicked and went to Ashleigh to try to figure out if we could fix it. It had nothing to do with her.”
“Didn’t it? Isn’t that why you didn’t tell me? Why you didn’t go to me?”
“Why would he go to you?” Ashleigh scoffed. “What do you know about business? What contacts do you have?”
My breath came out uneven as the first working of a panic attack clouded my vision and wobbled through my body. I didn’t want this to happen. I didn’t want my body to take over for me, but I was helpless to stop it. And I’d forgotten to take my anxiety meds this morning. Oh fuck…
I scrambled through my bag, seemingly uncaring that they were both watching me have a freak-out. I shook a pill out into my hand and downed it dry. I didn’t even care at that point. I couldn’t care. Not when my entire body threatened to shut down as reality washed over me.
Julian had hidden this from me. He’d lied to me about it. He’d gone to his ex-girlfriend, who he’d claimed to hate. And yet, he’d chosen her over me. Her. Over me.
What had I been thinking all this time? That things with Julian were just too perfect. If something looked too good to be true, it probably was. I’d been living in this dream world. Julian and I were happy, and nothing could break that. Everything was fine. I belonged here. Finally right here, where I’d always wanted to be. I’d been dreaming, and now, I was awake. The bubble had burst. The dream world was gone. Only reality invaded my mind as I stared at what could have been and saw only what was.
