Chapter 27 Ex-boyfriend
For a second, Vincent simply stared at the phone, as though he hadn't heard correctly. Then his expression changed completely.
His brows drew together sharply, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.
Before Nolan could react, Vincent snatched the phone out of his hand.
"Who the fuck are you?" Vincent barked, his voice echoing through the room.
His face darkened instantly, veins standing out along his neck as fury surged through him.
"What the hell are you doing with my girlfriend's phone?"
Nolan and Griffin exchanged alarmed looks as Vincent began pacing back and forth in front of the couch, gripping the phone so tightly that it looked as though he might crush it in his hand.
"Where's Juliet?" Vincent demanded again, his voice rising with every word. "Put her on the phone right now."
Silence.
No answer came from the other end.
The silence only fueled Vincent's anger.
"Did you hear me?" he shouted, his chest rising and falling violently. "I said put Juliet on the phone!"
Before he could say anything else, the call abruptly disconnected.
Vincent froze.
For a brief moment, he simply stared at the screen in disbelief.
Then, without hesitation, he redialed.
Rejected.
He called again.
Rejected.
Again.
This time, the call didn't even go through.
With every failed attempt, Vincent's breathing grew heavier. He repeatedly stabbed at the screen, dialing over and over again while pacing across the room like a caged beast. His hands trembled with barely restrained fury, and the dark expression on his face made even Griffin uneasy.
Seeing how agitated he was becoming, Griffin quickly stepped forward and gently took the phone from his hand.
Vincent immediately spun around.
"Give it back to me!" he roared, his eyes blazing with rage.
"What the fuck is going on?" he demanded, shoving both hands through his hair before yanking at the strands in frustration. "Who the hell is she with at two in the morning?"
A harsh, humorless laugh escaped him.
His gaze dropped to the blocked number on the screen before he looked up again, jealousy burning fiercely in his eyes.
"Is she sleeping with another man?" he spat. "How fucking dare she!"
His voice grew louder with every word until, unable to contain his rage any longer, he kicked the coffee table with all his strength.
The heavy table shifted violently, causing glasses and expensive liquor bottles to rattle and topple over, whiskey spilling across the polished surface.
"What the fuck is she doing?" Vincent snarled, breathing hard as jealousy and fury twisted his handsome features into something almost unrecognizable.
Griffin quickly stepped forward and caught Vincent by the shoulder before he could kick the table again. His grip tightened as he tried to steady him, concerned that Vincent's temper was only seconds away from spiraling completely out of control.
"Hey, don't worry," Griffin said, keeping his voice calm and measured despite the tension in the room.
He gave Vincent's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"She could just be busy. You know Juliet.
Maybe she's doing this on purpose to get a reaction out of you because she knows you'll get angry.
She's probably just trying to make you feel bad. "
But Vincent didn't seem to hear a single word.
His chest rose and fell heavily, every breath harsher than the last as he stood rigidly in the middle of the living room.
Even though Griffin had already taken the phone from him and tossed it to Nolan, Vincent's hand remained suspended in the air for several seconds, fingers slightly curled as though he still expected the phone to be there.
The look on his face was terrifying.
His jaw was clenched so tightly that the muscles in his neck stood out sharply beneath his skin, and his hands shook uncontrollably at his sides.
His eyes burned with barely restrained fury.
If he could have reached through the phone and dragged the man on the other end out with his bare hands, he would have done it without a second thought.
He violently shoved Griffin's hand off his shoulder and began pacing across the room again, running both hands through his hair before gripping the back of his neck. The unfamiliar male voice replayed over and over in his mind, each memory fueling the jealousy raging inside him.
A man had answered Juliet's phone.
At two in the morning.
The thought alone made his blood boil.
Jealousy, anger, and frustration twisted violently inside him until it felt as though he could barely breathe. He stopped abruptly in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring out into the darkness with stormy eyes before suddenly slamming his fist against the glass.
"What the fuck is she doing?" he muttered hoarsely, more to himself than anyone else.
Neither Griffin nor Nolan answered.
For the first time in years, neither of them knew how to calm him down.
On the other side of the city, however, the atmosphere couldn't have been more different.
Fast asleep beneath the warm blankets, Juliet shifted slightly in bed before instinctively snuggling closer to Cassian. With a soft sleepy sigh, she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face against his chest, seeking his warmth even in her sleep.
Cassian lowered his gaze to the woman curled up in his arms, and the coldness that usually filled his eyes immediately melted away.
His expression softened.
Tightening his arm around her waist, he carefully brushed a few loose strands of hair away from her face and tucked them behind her ear. His fingers then slipped gently into her silky hair, softly massaging her scalp in slow, soothing strokes.
Juliet relaxed almost instantly, unconsciously moving even closer until one of her legs draped over his.
"Who was it?" Juliet murmured sleepily, her words slurred with exhaustion. Without opening her eyes, she nuzzled deeper into his neck, her warm breath brushing against his skin. "Who called?"
Cassian looked down at her, unable to stop the slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Your ex-boyfriend," he said in his deep, rough voice. "He wanted to know where you were."
Juliet frowned adorably in her sleep and shook her head against his chest.
"Don't slander me," she mumbled drowsily, her voice soft and full of sleep. "I've never had a boyfriend except you. What ex-boyfriend?"
A smile spread across Cassian's face. Warmth and satisfaction flooded his chest.
He shifted slightly, rolling over until he was hovering carefully above her, one arm braced beside her head while his free hand gently caressed her cheek. His dark eyes remained fixed on her face as though he couldn't look away.
"Say it again," he murmured softly, his voice low and coaxing.
Juliet finally forced her eyes open.
Still half asleep, she blinked slowly up at him, her gaze unfocused for a moment before settling on his handsome face. Seeing the unmistakable expectation in his eyes, she let out a sleepy little huff.
Then, lifting her head slightly, she wrapped one hand around the back of his neck and pressed a soft, lingering kiss against his lips.
“You are my only boyfriend,” she repeated in a sleepy voice. Her tone was soft, warm, and drowsy, her words barely forming as she lay there half-asleep. Her body remained relaxed against the bed, unaware of how close he was.
He grew more agitated with every passing second, something dark tightening in his chest as he heard her voice again. His breathing deepened, uneven now, his control slipping further. The next second, something deep inside him snapped—and he didn’t let go.
He pulled her closer, his hand tightening instinctively as if afraid she would disappear. He kissed her breathless. His lips moved over her lower lip, then the upper one, again and again, unhurried but hungry, as if he was losing himself in her.
His hand stayed against her, steady but firm, while his mouth moved with growing intensity. The more he kissed her, the more starved he felt, like he couldn’t get enough no matter how much he took.
Then his kisses trailed down to her neckline. His grip shifted slightly as he followed, his forehead brushing her skin for a brief moment before his mouth continued. His kisses were slow, heavy, and consuming.
The sleep Juliet was in began to break little by little. Her brows furrowed faintly, her body shifting under him in small restless movements. She tried to stay still, trying to push through the haze of sleep, but it was impossible to fully resist the pull of his closeness.
His hand adjusted slightly against her as he continued, grounding her in place. His breath was warm against her skin, and every movement of his mouth made her more aware, dragging her slowly back toward wakefulness.
Juliet let out a soft, confused sound, still suspended between sleep and wakefulness. Her lashes fluttered as she struggled to open her eyes, her expression clouded with exhaustion.
He didn't stop. Instead, he brushed a lingering kiss against her skin and murmured in a low, rough voice, "You can sleep... but let me taste you. I won't be able to sleep without it."
His lips moved against her skin again, slower this time, more deliberate, while his hand remained firmly around her. Juliet's body responded before her mind could fully catch up—her breath hitched, and a faint gasp escaped her lips as a slight shiver ran through her.
Even in her half-asleep state, all she could feel was him. He was drawing her back to full awareness piece by piece.
The sleep was taking over, so she tried to stay still as he overwhelmed her little by little, her body slowly growing used to his presence as she shifted to her side.
Her lashes fluttered faintly, her breathing uneven, as her fingers curled weakly into the sheets.
He shifted with her instantly, his head lowering, staying close, refusing to let even a fraction of distance form between them.