Page 67 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 4

She pulled an envelope out of her back pocket. One that had her name written across it in my script. One I’d written years ago when I made my first million. I’d updated the information within as I’d aged and my wealth grew, but I certainly never expected her to find it while I was still alive.

My heart started to beat a million miles an hour as shame and worry filled my mind. “Jules, you weren’t supposed to see that…”

She pursed her lips. “No? Then why was it in your, “When I Die” file in your desk? Hmm? Aptly named seeing as we did just fake our deaths.”

“Jules.” I put my hand out for the envelope. “That was private. You weren’t supposed to see that until…”

“You died. Got it.” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared.

“You read it,” I whispered, fear in every word.

“Of course I fucking read it. It had my name on it and was in yourdeathfile. Horrible freakin’ name, by the way. And it’s your fault I found it,” she snapped angrily.

“Mine?” I practically gagged, knowing what was in the file. Most specifically, knowing what I’d admitted to in a letter to Julianne that was included within that file.

“You’re the one that told me to work with Muriel on keeping the business afloat yesterday. So today, when I thought you were napping, I got to work. Muriel told me anything current would be in the desk drawers. Imagine my surprise when I came across this.” She waved her hand, the envelope flapping in the breeze like a big red flag.

“I’m…” I slowly walked over to the railing of the pier and braced my weight against it, worrying if I didn’t, I’d fall over as all the truths I’d admitted in that letter scattered like confetti all around us. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” she growled. “For leaving me every penny of your fortune, going back as far as being the beneficiary of the trust your parents left you at eighteen?”

“Yes.” I swallowed, knowing what was coming next.

“For telling me you are in love with me and always have been. Since we were kids?” She growled.

I cleared my throat as I croaked. “Yes.”

“For taking my virginity that night and pretending you didn’t know it was me!” she screeched, tears flowing down her face.

I nodded.

“Say it!” she demanded. “Say it to my face, you bastard!”

I firmed my jaw as all that I was, all that I would be, spilled out on the ground before the woman I loved.

“Yes! I took your virginity and pretended it never happened. Yes, I have been in love with you since we were children. Yes, I left you everything of mine, even when I’d planned to marry someone else. Anyone I ever dated, Bianca, all of them were a consolation prize to the one woman I could never have. You. It has always been you, Julianne. Always.”

“And when we made love that night?” she croaked. “And the next morning when you rolled over and said another woman’s name…you destroyed me.”

“I know,” I admitted, the old shame-filled feelings rising back to the surface all these years later.

“I loved you too. From the very beginning. You were all I ever wanted. My brother’s best friend. Giovanni Falco, the most beautiful boy, then man, I’d ever known. Inside and out. And that night, you ruined me for others. RUINED me for all other men, because I’d given myself to the only person I wanted to be with.”

“Jules, I’m sorry. I was drunk, scared, but more than that, I wasterrified. Of all of it. What it would mean to you that I took advantage while drunk. What it would mean to your family. ToBrenden. You were the star of the Myers clan. The one person that shined brighter than any other, and I’d tarnished you. Taken something I could never give back. I hated myself. And then, when you also pretended it never happened, I stole that opportunity to do better. Be a better man. Let you flourish and shine without me.”

“I went a decade thinking I was a loser because I’d given my virginity to the one man I loved—one who didn’t love me back.”

“I did love you. Idolove you. I just didn’t love myself enough to take the risk back then.”

“You should have fought for me! You should have made it up to me.” She sniffled and wiped at her tears as though they were pesky flies.

“Can I now?” I gulped and moved forward, coming one step closer to the woman I loved. “Can I make it up to you now? Prove that you are the only woman I could ever truly love.” I took another step. “Show you every day that I am sorry for how I behaved. I am sorry for making you think even for a moment that you aren’t exactly what I want and need.”

Her bottom lip trembled. “Why did you even put that in a letter to me? I’d already forgiven you. Reading it today brought all of it back.”

“What does the last paragraph of the letter say?” I made it to a foot away from her, where I gently went to my knees. My back and legs pulled at the movement, but I gritted my teeth and took the pain as I’d deserved.

“No, you’ll hurt yourself.” Jules reached for me, but instead, I took her hands and held them, the envelope crushed between us.

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