—Autumn—
“Christian,” I breathed out, overwhelmed by the turn of events.
His eyes flew from Julian to me. “What the fuck is this?”
“It’s not what you think.”
“Actually, it’s exactly what you’re thinking.”
I glared at Julian. “Stop it.”
“Stop what, kid? He knows the truth. There’s no need to hide it from him anymore.”
“Is this why you texted me to meet you here? For this, Autumn?”
“I didn’t text you to meet me here. What are you talking about?”
“It wasn’t her,” Julian declared in a steady, calm tone. “It was me from her phone.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I bit. “Why would you do that?” I couldn’t believe he’d undermined me again, going behind my back to confront the one person I didn’t want to deal with right now. Like dealing with us wasn’t already enough for me to handle.
“Because there was no better time than the present. You said you wanted me to reach out, make things right, and that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m done hiding our relationship from him.”
“We’re not in a relationship!”
My brother chimed in, “So who’s lying, Autumn? You or him?”
“Christian, just let me think for a second.”
“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.
“Don’t fucking try me, Julian! Not right now!” he spit out with a menacing tone, drawing my attention back to the present, where I was willingly putting myself on the line.
For her.
“Or what?” I countered, cocking my head to the side. “You’re going to hit me again? Then just fucking do it! Hit me! Hit me as many goddamn times as you want! If that’s what it’s going to take to make you realize I’m not going away. I’m not leaving her. I’m right fucking here, waiting!”
He shoved me, and since I was expecting it, I didn’t waver. Further inciting the fury to course through his veins. “I thought you were my best friend!” He pushed me again. “I thought you were my brother!”
“I know, but it’s been over ten years, ten fucking years for us to get to this point. She’s not a little girl anymore. She’s a grown ass woman, and I fucking love her.”
“You think that matters to me? I don’t give a shit if you waited for the rest of your life after what you fucking did!”
“Christian, please,” Autumn coaxed.
“Kid, stay out of it. This is between me and your brother.”
“Actually, this completely involves me! So just shut your mouth and walk away. He’s not going to listen to you, and I don’t want to either!”
My eyes snapped to her. “Too fucking bad! I’m done playing your little games.”
“Julian—”
Christian cut her off, seething, “I had to find out about you guys from a picture of you kissing on your fucking bed, Julian! I had to find out you were her first love, her first kiss, her first fuck in a New York Times article I had no intention of reading! I had to find out that not only did you betray my trust, you’re also back together—”
“We’re not back together,” Autumn interrupted. “We were never even together! This is ridiculous. You both need to calm the hell down. Nothing is going to get worked out. I don’t want Julian. I haven’t in years!”
Just to prove my fucking point, I gripped onto the back of her neck and crashed my lips against hers.
Kissing her as if my life depended on it, and in the most significant way, it did.
I tugged her closer to me as if she wasn’t already close enough, devouring her mouth in the same way I always did her pussy.
I softly pecked her lips one last time before I pulled away to look into her eyes.
They were shut tight like she was trying to hide the truth I frantically wanted to see for myself.
“Now,” I coaxed, fully aware of the truth behind her closed lids. “Tell me you didn’t feel that?”
She didn’t reply, not that I’d expected her to.
“You shameless fuck!” Christian roared, shifting my gaze back to him.
“She’s my sister, you piece of shit! I loved you, and I fucking trusted you, man! I didn’t know you at all, did I? Because the man I thought I knew would’ve never betrayed me with my own family!”
“Fuck, Christian! What do you want from me? I’m telling you the truth!”
“How am I supposed to get past this?”
“I tried not to love her. I’ve tried for years… I can’t. I never wanted to do this to your family, especially after everything you guys did for me, and you know that.”
He shook his head, disappointed. “How long were you lying to me? Huh? How long were you fucking my little sister?”
“It wasn’t like that, man. She was never just a fuck to me.”
“Every woman you ever came across was just another fuck to you, and you expect me to believe that she was any different?”
“She was. She meant … she means everything to me.”
“Is it you?”
I jerked back, confused. “Is it me, what?”
“Christian! Enough! Now!” Autumn pleaded, standing in front of him with her back to me.
“How can you even be with him after what he did to our family?”
“It’s not like that,” she explained. “Please just calm down and let me explain. I’m just his publicist.”
“So what’s the difference now? Huh? You don’t suck his dick for free anymore? Now he just pays for your pussy instead?”
My fist connected with his jaw, sending him flying back against a car.
Autumn’s stare went wide. “Oh my god!”
Kinley darted to her husband’s side while Autumn snapped around, getting right in my face. “Are you fucking insane?!”
I sternly pointed to him. “He cannot talk to you like that.”
“Why not? You do!”
Unable to control my temper, I roared, “What did he mean by is it me, Autumn?”
“Nothing.”
Christian shoved his sister out of the way, standing in front of me again.
“Christian, please!” she pleaded in a desperate tone that shook my body to the core.
“What’s going on?” I asked, torn and baffled by what was happening between them.
“How the fuck can you defend him, Autumn?!” His glare flew in my direction. “Is that why you left, Julian?! Huh? Couldn’t deal—”
“Christian, stop! Please!”
“It is you, isn’t it?! That’s why she’s defending you! Well, I won’t let her take the fall for you again, motherfucker!”
“For fuck’s sake! Just out with it, Christian! What the hell are you talking about?”
“It’s you!” he raged, knocking me on my ass, and my world as I knew it came plummeting down on my head.
When he added…
“You’re the fucking father to her daughter!”