Page 95 of Broken Bonds

“Alright, we’ll be going,” I announced, directing my words to Ryan. “I’ll see you two later.”

“Have fun, you two!” Amber called. She stepped closer to me, her next words meant for me only. “Sleepover tonight, sexy.” And then, she sauntered over to my still-speechless brother. Wrapping her arms around him, she placed a kiss on his cheek.

Julian held the door open for me as we walked out into the humid Florida air toward his black SUV. He opened the passenger door for me, and I got in, sinking into the plush seat, willing all my nerves to evaporate, but the sinking feeling that this was wrong deepened.

Julian didn’t speak while he drove, and although from his appearance he seemed relaxed, I could see how tense he was from how tight he gripped the steering wheel in his right hand, the other arm lounging on the door.

My thoughts strayed to Ace, and I wondered if he was taking a pretty girl out tonight. I pushed that idea out of my mind because it hurt to think he had moved on. Closing my eyes, Aidan’s face popped into my mind when I opened the door for our first date. Why couldn’t I escape the two men who’d hurt me so badly?

“What’s going on in that pretty mind of yours?” Julian asked, finally breaking the silence. The memory of Aidan quickly evaporated when I turned to look at him in the dim lighting, his face illuminated by the lights on the dashboard.

“Just wondering where you’re going to take me tonight—that’s all,” I lied, but at least it was a smooth one.

He smiled at me. “You’ll like it. Your friend assured me you would.”

“Amber?” I asked, surprised. “You asked her where to go?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I wanted tonight to be a good experience for us. After all, I have a first meeting to make up for.” He shot me a cheeky grin that made me softly laugh.

“I think you did that when you stood up for me to Professor Barnes on Monday.” He chuckled, the sound funnily enough high-pitched, causing me to laugh with him.

Amber had directed him to one of my favorite restaurants, and we were getting on smoothly all evening as much as I hated to admit it, laughing and sharing stories about high school, no mention of dead exes and nothing about Ace. But Julian wasn’t the guy for me. He didn’t make my heart race or my skin sizzle with just one heated glance. Not like Ace had.

Why couldn’t I just move on from him?

Julian turned me to face him on my doorstep, his handsome face inching closer to mine.

“I honestly thought tonight was going to be a disaster,” I admitted, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear as I looked up at him.

“Me, too, Celine. I’m so glad it wasn’t.” His face was getting closer. I knew he wanted to kiss me, but I didn’t really want to kiss him.

I wanted to take a step back. I wasn’t ready for this. I wasn’t ready to kiss him. But before I could take that step, his hands were on my waist as if he saw the fear in my eyes, and he held me against his warm, hard body. I swallowed thickly, trepidation filling my veins.

“I’m going to kiss you now, Celine.”

That was all the warning I got before his lips crashed onto mine, moist and chapped, and I fought the revulsion bubbling in my chest. Julian was not a good kisser. Not when I had tasted Ace’s lips. Not when I’d Ace’s respect.

Julian pulled back, and I stifled the urge to wipe my lips of the moisture. It was like those kisses grandma always gave.

Ew!

“I’ve been wanting to do that since I saw you with that asshat last year,” he mumbled, leaning his forehead against mine.

Don’t wipe your lips, I reminded myself again as he closed the distance and pecked my wet lips one more time. I fought a grimace, my stomach turning.

“I’ll see you Monday, girlfriend.”

Girlfriend?

Did he just?

What. The. Fuck.

It was my turn to hold and comfort Amber as we watched Ryan walk across the stage to receive his diploma. He would be leaving in two weeks—right after New Year’s Eve.

Amber, like my parents, had not taken the news well four months ago. The day Ryan broke the news to her—on the same night of my first date with Julian—they had their first major fight. Amber and I stayed up all night talking about Ryan, Julian, and Ace, and then, like true college students, we slept through most of the next day and snuck out of the house for breakfast at IHOP to avoid my brother since she wasn’t ready to face him yet.

Julian and I had been steadily dating since August. He was a perfect distraction from all the chaos in my life, even if I still didn’t feel much for him. Ace had been far from my mind since the night Amber and I discussed the pros and cons between the two men. Ace had left; he wasn’t here for Ryan’s graduation, and he hadn’t contacted us in over a year. Ihadto forget him. To leave him behind just like he’d left me.

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