Chapter 4
JULIA
A s Julia hurried up the stairs, her chest tightened, physically reflecting the turmoil swirling within her—a blend of fear, guilt, and a crushing sense of isolation, even amidst her makeshift family. The trip had been a disaster so far. Her mind swam, and she needed time to think.
“Mrs. Harrington?” Worthington asked as she arrived on the landing at the top of the stairs.
“Worthington, which one is my room?”
“Just down this hall,” he said, leading her to a darkly stained door. “May I bring you anything?”
“No, thanks,” she said as she pushed inside.
“I do hope the conversation with your sister went well.”
“It didn’t, but thank you for asking.”
“Of course, if you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you, Worthington. I’m just going to stretch out and try to relax. Good night.”
Julia pushed the door closed with a sigh, the weight of the situation weighing on her.
She slid to a seated position, her eyes burning with tears.
She’d never meant for her sister to learn about her marriage.
Of course, she’d expected it to be over in a year.
Sixteen months later, she still had a ring on her finger. A ring her sister now knew about.
How was she going to explain this? Maybe Alicia would calm down, and they could move forward. Of course, the looming divorce eight months in the future could change things, too. Maybe she’d only lose her sister until then.
She let her head thud against the door as she blinked her tears away. She pulled herself to stand and wandered to the full-length mirror. She stared into it with unseeing eyes, trying to see through herself.
What had she become? Her fingers went instinctively to the necklace around her neck. Her eyebrows pinched as she studied the massive ring on her finger contrasted with the bronze compass hanging on the simple chain.
They couldn’t have been more different. Her thumb rubbed her wedding band while her finger touched the compass. For the entirety of her marriage, she’d kept things separate, but now they’d been thrown together into a dizzying clash.
Who would survive? Who would come out on top?
She’d worked to keep her past in the past, but now it stared her straight in the face. And she wasn’t certain what would come of it.
A knock at her door startled her. She pulled herself away from the mirror and her own self-reflection, crossing the room and opening the wooden barrier.
“Hey, Julia,” Kyle said, his voice soft.
“I’m fine.”
He heaved a sigh. “We both know that’s not true.”
“Obviously, I’m not pleased with Alicia’s reaction–or her knowing about this period–but there’s not much I can do about that, is there?”
“Maybe not, but you can let me give you some support. You don’t have to take this on yourself.”
Support was a nice gesture, but a terrible idea. “I’m fine,” she repeated.
“Julia–”
“Kyle, please. I just want to be alone.” She pushed the door, but he stopped her.
“Do you really? Or do you not want to accept my offer because it’ll make him mad?”
She ran a hand through her hair. “I have enough going on right now that I don’t need you two at each other.”
“I don’t care. I can handle my father. I’m worried about you. That could not have been easy for you.”
“No, it wasn’t. Ally’s upset. She’s shocked. Hopefully, after sleeping on it, she’ll see things differently.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
“I don’t know.” Julia shrugged. “I’ll figure it out as I go.”
“You don’t have to do that alone. I’m here to help you. Actually, I don’t normally like to admit this, but…we’re all here to help you.”
Julia smiled at his progress. Whether it was genuine or a ploy to get on her good side, at least he’d said it. Maybe this vacation would be good for the Harringtons. Maybe they’d find some common ground that could knit them together when the tapestry of her marriage to Grant unraveled.
“Thanks, Kyle. I appreciate that.”
“So, do you want to talk? Or we don’t have to talk. I can just sit with you.”
“No, I really want to be alone.”
“Julia–”
“Kyle, I appreciate your concern, I do. And your offer to help, but there’s nothing to do right now. I just want to lie down. That entire encounter was exhausting.”
Kyle huffed out a sigh as he let his gaze fall to the floor. “Okay. Well, if you need anything, I’m in the bedroom way across the house probably on purpose, but you can text me or call or knock or–”
“I’ll find you if I need you. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Julia. See you tomorrow for whatever Sierra planned.”
She offered him a soft smile and a goodnight before she slid the door closed and blew out a long breath. While she appreciated the support he offered, she couldn’t accept it. The turmoil twisting her insides into knots and threatening to be her undoing had to be dealt with alone.
She tugged open the top drawer of the dresser, finding pajamas inside. She changed into them and crawled into bed after opening the window a crack.
The soothing sound of the ocean crashing against the rocky coastline and the harbor bell clanging in the distance offered her some comfort. She’d missed that sound, but it brought pain with it, too.
Her hand went to the compass as memories flooded into her mind. The encounter with her sister had been draining enough, but she wasn’t certain she could face one with another key member of her past.
Luke . The man’s face floated in her mind along with memories of moonlit nights, warm embraces, heartfelt kisses, and emotions that stirred from a place she thought she’d left behind long ago.
He’d been her sole reason for avoiding Harbor Cove. She’d left him behind once, afraid their lives weren’t a good match. She wasn’t certain she could do it again.
Her heart ached as night began to fall. She tossed and turned, finally falling asleep for a few hours before the sun rose over the ocean. As light filtered in, she pulled the covers over her head. She had no desire to face the day.
A soft knock at her door made her push back the duvet. “Julia?” Grant’s voice called.
“Go away,” she said.
“Really?” he asked.
“Yes,” she answered, pulling the covers over her head again. “I’m staying in here for the entire vacation.”
“I’m coming in.” The door creaked open, and footsteps approached before the duvet slid down from her face. “Hi.”
“Hi,” she answered with a sigh.
“You can’t hide in here all week.”
“I can so,” she retorted. “The bed is comfortable enough.”
The mattress shifted under her as he perched on the edge of it. “Julia, it’s not that bad. We’ll work it out with your sister.”
She didn’t answer, her fingers twisting the duvet.
He grabbed her hand, squeezing it. “We’ve been through a lot worse than this.”
She flicked her gaze to him. They had dealt with a lot, none of which had her heart attached to them.
“Your sister can’t stay mad at you forever.”
She pressed her lips together as she rubbed a palm against her forehead. Her sister was only part of her worry. But she couldn’t tell him that.
“If you don’t get up, Sierra is going to drag you from this bed and force you to come with us. She’s rambling on and on about this boat tour she booked and the meal after it.”
Julia heaved a sigh. Maybe a boat tour wouldn’t be so bad. At least she wouldn’t be in town dealing with all her former friends. “Fine.”
He smiled at her, squeezing her hand again. “Good. This is supposed to be our vacation. It wouldn’t be a family vacation without you.”
“I think you could have handled it just fine.”
“But we don’t want to,” he answered. “Now, I’m going to report to Sierra that you’re on your way down. Don’t be too long, or she’ll be banging down your door.”
“I’ll be down in a minute.”
He nodded before he left her alone.
With bleary eyes, she rose, searched through the clothes someone else had packed for her, and dressed for the day.
She was pleased the day’s plans took her away from the small town of Harbor Cove instead of into the heart of it.
She wasn’t kidding when she said the entire town would soon know. Small towns like this one didn’t have secrets. She couldn’t imagine walking down the street and answering to every face from her past.
With a deep breath, she left the quiet solitude of her room behind and descended the stairs, finding the rest of the family already in the dining room.
“ There you are,” Sierra said after a sip of her orange juice. “I almost had to ask Kyle for a kidnapping plan.”
Kyle shook his head at her.
“No kidnapping plan needed,” she said as she slid into the seat next to Grant. “I’m here.”
“Feeling any better, Julia?” Kyle asked.
She sucked in a breath. “I’m ready for the boat tour.”
“Everyone better be. This trip has not been what I planned. We’re supposed to be having fun. This had better be fun.” She grabbed her phone and scrolled through it. “This tour is supposed to be ‘guaranteed fun.’ I don’t know what a puffin is, but I’m excited to see one.”
“They’re cute. You’ll like them,” Julia said.
“Oh, yeah, you’ve probably seen them because you’re from here,” Sierra answered.
She nodded as she scooped up another spoonful of oatmeal when a ruckus sounded outside the room.
“…can’t go in there!” a female voice shouted.
“You can’t stop me.”
Julia’s stomach turned over as she recognized her sister’s still-angry voice. A second later, she stomped into the room followed by one of their maids. She shot a frightened glance toward Worthington. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Worthington. I couldn’t stop her.”
“It’s fine, Teresa,” Grant said as he set his fork down.
Alicia pushed past the butler and slapped a folder onto the table, startling them all.
“Ally…” Julia began.
“No. Before you claim you can explain, I’d like my say. See, I spent all night trying to figure out why my sister would do this. But I may have figured that out.”
Julia swallowed hard. What did her sister think she knew?
Alicia flicked open the folder she’d brought and grabbed the first page. “I did a little research last night on my sister’s new family.”