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I twist one of my rings. “He made me feel…”
He crushes my body against his. “What?”
“Defective.” I choke up.
“Did he say that specifically?” The way Julian’s voice quickly shifts into something dark and menacing has the hair on my arms rising.
I don’t answer—not out of fear for Oliver’s safety butbecause I don’t want Julian’s pity.
“I’m going to kill him.” Julian’s expression sends a shiver down my back.
“When did we go from wanting to murder each other to wanting to murderforone another?” I tease in a desperate attempt to change the subject.
“Since I found out how much he hurt you.”
I bat my tear-soaked lashes. “That might be the sweetest thing you’ve said to me.”
“Don’t get used to it.”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
“He never deserved you.”
My next confession rushes out of me. “I’m not torn up about him or his marriage.”
“No?”
“No. It might not seem like it, but I’mrelieved. I know all of this is for the best, although I wish my breakup and life weren’t so publicized.”
“Then, why are you crying?”
“For myself, mainly. And for the show I was promised.”
“What happened?”
“The network pulled out of the contract this afternoon after the news broke.”
His jaw ticks. “If a network doesn’t stand by you for something like this, you’re better off without them.”
I sniffle. “What if another opportunity doesn’t come around?”
“It will.”
“You sound awfully confident about that.”
His eyes narrow. “I’m surprised you’re not.”
My gaze drops.
He lifts my chin. “You can tell me anything. I won’t hold it against you or think any less of you.”
My shoulders slump. “I let Oliver redefine my self-worth. I doubted everything that made me feel likemebecause I thought that was part of growing up. That love was about compromise.”
“If you have to change yourself to fit someone’s ideal version of you, then that’s not love.”
I stare down at my clasped hands. “I realize that now.”
“What took you so long?”
