Page 83 of Cause and Effect

“I’m fine,” I said, my heart racing as we climbed into the Escalade.

Later that afternoon, I was sitting at my desk when my phone rang. Glancing at it, a number appeared—a number I didn’t recognize.

“Laurel Evans,” I answered.

Silence filtered on the other end. Yet, beneath all the quietness, I could detect the subtle sound of the person’s breathing. Then I heard a click.

Jumping up from my desk, I walked over to Morgan’s office.

“I got another call, but this time, it came up as a number.”

“What? Let me see?” Morgan held out her hand.

I handed her my phone. She typed the phone number into her computer.

“We got that son-of-a-bitch. This phone number pinged off a cell tower in West Hollywood by these apartments right here.” She pointed. She opened her desk drawer and pulled out her gun.

“Let’s go see who this motherfucker is.” She smiled.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Julian

I walked into my mother’s house and saw her working on her laptop on the patio with Maddie playing in her playpen.

“Hey, Mom.” I opened the sliding door and stepped outside.

“Julian, sweetheart. What are you doing here in the middle of the afternoon?”

“I just wanted to visit.” I smiled, picking up Maddie. “It’s your turn to watch Maddie today?”

“Yes. It is. And she’s been a pure angel. Now, tell your mother what’s going on. It’s not like you to drop by in the middle of the afternoon unannounced.”

I pulled out one of the chairs and sat down with Maddie on my lap.

“I’m broken, Mama, and I don’t know how to fix myself.”

“Oh, my sweet boy.” She reached over and placed her hand on my cheek. “Does this have to do with Laurel?”

“Yeah.” I turned Maddie around and stood her on my lap.

“I know how badly Danielle hurt you. God knows I wanted to hunt her down myself after what she did to you. But you can’t keep closing yourself off, sweetheart.”

“It’s not just about Danielle,” I bounced Maddie on my lap, watching her laugh.

“Then what is it about?”

I sighed, turning my head and staring at the water. “It’s simpler this way—no expectations, no disappointments.”

She reached across and placed her hand on my arm. “And no joy. No partnership. No one to share your amazing life with.”

“You never had a steady relationship since Dad,” I said.

“That is not true, and you know it. I’ve dated a lot of men over the years. I just never found the one that made my heart race, made me weak in the knees, and showed me what a future with them could be. Until Declan.” Her brow raised. “You found all those things with Laurel, and you’re running scared.”

“Maybe,” I said.

“After Danielle, you built a fortress around you. All these years of you avoiding anyone who might actually matter. Shutting yourself away isn’t living, sweetheart. And we’ve all tried to get you to see that. But I knew this day would eventually come, and it breaks my heart to see you walk away from the happiness you deserve,” her voice softened.

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