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“Money has never made me happy. I don’t think I’ve ever taken a moment to realize how far I’ve come. I’m always contemplating what’s next, what happens now. It was so hard for me to be present until Autumn came back into my life. All I was doing was moving from one day to the next, but for the first time in over a decade, I’m actually standing still and enjoying every second of life. I haven’t worked since I made Locke Enterprises announcement, and it’s been some of the best days of my life.”
“Glad to hear it. You deserve it.”
I looked into his eyes. “I’ve always admired the man that you are. Always strived to be like you. I can’t tell you how relieved I am to know you don’t hold any grudges. What I did was truly fucked up.”
He chuckled. “It was very fucked up.”
I chuckled back.
“We spent a lot of years wondering if we did something wrong.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. The weight of his words was unsettling.
“My intention isn’t to make you feel bad, Julian. It’s to make you aware.”
“Either way it’s hard to hear.”
“You’ve always been like another son to us. When we read the article the other day, it all made sense, and we understood why you handled things the way you did.”
“I never meant to betray your trust with Autumn. I spent years pushing her away, but you know your daughter—she’s hard to resist.”
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Her mother is the same. If you would have told us back then what was going on between the two of you, we would have understood. You grew up together, so it was only natural if things took a turn in your relationship.”
“I know that now, but I didn’t back then. I was so grateful for everything you guys did for me, and I couldn’t bring myself to disappoint either of you. I didn’t want to make problems in a home where there weren’t any. Toward the end, Christian was getting suspicious, and I didn’t know what else to do. I knew if I’d stayed in Texas, I wouldn’t have been able to stay away from her. I loved her, I still do. She’s the only woman I’ve ever loved, and all I can do is make amends with everyone.”
“We don’t have to forgive you, Julian, we already do. It’s you who has to forgive yourself.”
“You may not have to excuse my behavior and betrayal, but I know I have my work cut out for me with Christian. He’s far more stubborn than your daughter.”
“You bet your ass I am.”
Our stares shifted toward Christian, who was walking up behind us.
I nodded. “Glad to see you could make it.”
“I came to see my niece and sister.”
“Christian—”
I stepped out in front their old man, interrupting him. This wasn’t his argument to fight—it was mine.
“I fucked up.”
He got in my face. “I fucking loved you, man. How could you betray me like that?”
“Don’t you think I know that? I missed nine years of my daughter’s life because I fucked up so bad. I’m the reason she’s spent all her life without a father.” I pointed to myself. “Me. The man who grew up in foster care, going from piece of shit parent to piece of shit parent, and you think I wanted this for her? You don’t think I’ve been punished enough for my poor choices?”
“I knew.” He sternly nodded. “I fucking knew you were messing around with Autumn. That’s what hurts the most! You blatantly looked me straight in the face, making me feel like I was crazy for even implying you two were hooking up behind closed doors.”
“You’re the last person I would ever want to betray, Christian, and you know that. It’s why I left the way I did.”
“You’re nothing but a coward.”
“I know, and I have to live with that. I lost everything that ever mattered to me. You were the only family I ever had. I fucking loved you too. It’s why I had to leave. I couldn’t tell you that I was in love with your sister, but I can now. And it’s the truth. I’ve loved her for as long as I can remember. I can’t lose her again—I won’t. I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to be the man she deserves and the father Capri needs.” I paused to let my words sink in. “I’ll prove to you how much I’ve always loved Autumn, but I need you to forgive me. I’m sorry, Christian. I’ll apologize to you until I’m blue in the face. Anytime I think about how I handled things it makes me sick to my stomach. You’re one of the most important men in her life, and she wants your approval. It would help me tremendously if you gave it to us.”
“I don’t know if I can do that. At least not right now. I just… I’m here for my sister and my niece. It’s all I can offer you, Julian.” With that, he turned around and left.
And my mind was thrown into the past.
