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“Just…You…We have rules for a reason.”
His gaze drops to my lips. “I know. It won’t happen again.”
Except the strange look on his face doesn’t fill me with confidence.
Julian places his hand on the small of my back and steers me toward the other side of the fairgrounds, keeping his touch to a minimum as we navigate the large swarms of people.
“So now that you’ve officially won, what do you want?” I ask as we near the entrance.
“You’ll find out when the time is right.”
“Julian!” I grab at his arm, but he steps out of reach before I have a chance to latch on. “Where are you going?”
“Far away before I give in to temptation and kiss you again.”
I’m beginning to hate my rule about no touching in public, especially when I’m hit with a sudden feeling of emptiness as he disappears into the crowd.
I was so distracted by his words that I forgot to get an answer from him.
Damn.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Dahlia
While Julian’s carnival competition kept my mind occupied last night, I wake up on Sunday at four a.m. with a heavy weight pressing against my chest. I battle between wanting to get out of bed and wishing I could disappear into the dark pit of despair threatening to swallow me whole.
That’s the depression talking, I remind myself.
I’ll be damned if I let myself sink into deep sadness today, no matter how tempted I am. So instead, I reluctantly slide out of bed, throw on some workout clothes, and head out for a run like my therapist suggested once.
Good for you for getting out of bed, I chant to myself as my sneakers smack against the pavement.
No one but you defines your life’s purpose.I wipe my sweatyforehead.
There are plenty of ways to have a child. Julian’s words from yesterday ring true, erasing the last bit of self-doubt.
By the time I return home an hour later, I’m feeling loads lighter after challenging every single one of my negative thoughts.
And now that my mind feels clearer, I’m able to take on the second day of the Harvest Festival.
But first…
I pull out my phone and get to work, planning something much more worthy of my time and energy.
After Julian tricked me into losing yesterday’s carnival games, I have one goal in mind. Thankfully, Lily, Josefina, and my mom are all on board for my prank since I’m down one arm and need all the help I can get.
“He’s never going to forgive me.” Josefina unlocks the front door to his office building.
Mom’s face pales. “Will he be mad?”
“Mom. Relax.” Lily grabs her shoulders and gives them a squeeze. “You’re so tense all the time.”
She does a quick prayer under her breath before passing over the threshold with bags filled with Christmas decorations.
My prank is silly and unexpected, which will only make the whole thing that much better when Julian enters his office tomorrow morning.
“Do I need to ask?” Lily pulls out a nutcracker smoking a joint.
