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“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?”
My head wasn’t just spiraling, it was tossing and turning, barely keeping up with what was happening and what he was declaring. I desperately wanted to stop Julian, but I couldn’t get my lips to move, to speak, to do anything other than watch with an open mouth because of what he was admitting.
I didn’t know what to think, let alone how to feel. He was sharing all this information with both of us for the first time, and he didn’t stop there…
Professing, “Up until last week, I hadn’t seen her since I’d left. Over ten fucking years I stayed away from her for you and your parents and I won’t do that again. I can’t.”
Breaking my heart all over again.
—Julian—
This was the only way to finally get over our past and move into our future. I was tired of all the games she was playing, so I once again took matters into my own hands. She’d left her purse on the table while she used the bathroom at the group home, and I didn’t think twice about it—I found her phone and texted her brother. Telling him to meet us at her favorite restaurant nonetheless.
I was back in control, and it was the only reason I wasn’t losing my temper with the man who used to be my best friend. He had every right to be furious, what I did was truly fucked up, but I was there now…
Ready to fight for her.
For us.
No matter what, she was mine. Even if I had to prove it to her and her brother. Man to man, we would have it out. Regardless of the outcome.
