Page 115 of Ella Gets the D
“Thank you for the trip. It was amazing.” I snuggle into Julian’s parka and rest against his chest. Green looks good on him. So does every color, but this olive on his skin has my mouth watering. I’m a sucker for beanies and goatees. I’m a sucker for him.
Raindrops patter against the car, a lullaby that would coax me to sleep if we weren’t seven minutes from my house.
His lips touch the tops of my curls. “Thank you for coming with me.”
Julian’s definition of a “small” birthday celebration was renting a farmhouse in Wintergreen, Virginia, during spring break, which happened to coincide with Mama’s visit.
Taco Tuesday turned into a three-hour road trip with Mama, the kids, and directions Julian gave my mother that had me scratching my head. We ended up at a gorgeous property that had a carriage house on the grounds and enough space for Morgan and Duke, who arrived with Joseph twenty minutes after us. Erica, Grier, and Mateo eventually joined us for three nights away to celebrate my fortieth birthday. Rose laughed meoff the phone when I called about missing work, like Julian didn’t already check in to square away my time off.
Thursday night came with champagne and rose petals on the balcony. Friday, we all drove back, and Julian surprised me yet again with an hour-and-forty-five-minute nonstop flight to Montreal for the weekend. Less than two hours away and home by Sunday afternoon were my stipulations for our private trip, and he met them with ease.
Time stood still once we were away from our phones and weekly demands. We got lost in each other and indulged in every savory temptation. When Julian wasn’t feasting on my body, he was my personal tour guide, weaving in and out of French and Haitian Creole during our time in Saint-Michel.
Otis is driving us back from the airport. I suspected it was a way to keep our privacy, and for him and Julian to see each other since they hadn’t in the office. At least, that’s what I thought, until he took one look at my mother in the doorway on Friday and tripped over the curb to introduce himself. Mama already picked up the kids from Katharine’s today, and she’s working on dinner. Judging by the tie Otis is fiddling with, someone is hoping to score another look.
Julian raises the partition and leans me back to lay on the black leather seat. My pulse skitters under his appraisal, and I move toward him and brush my lips against his. The touch of his mouth prickles my skin under my turtleneck and utility jacket. For a long moment, we get lost in each other.
He grazes his nose over mine. “Do you forgive me for spending more than $19.99 this week?”
Laughter floats up my throat. “It was too good to stay mad.” The phone buzzing in my pocket pulls us apart. This weekend was magical, but come tomorrow, it’s back to a life of chauffeuring kids across state lines and heating up spaghetti and meatballs.
Julian leans back over me to bury his face against my throat with a groan as the car comes to a stop. “I don’t want to go back.”
Same. Also, I’ve never been more thankful for an SUV with large back seats. The man would crush me with his full body weight if he didn’t have the room to pout half-draped over my body.
He really is sad.
I kiss his neck and smile. “Want to run away?”
His head lifts. “Don’t tempt me. Otis!” He lowers the partition while still covering me like a weighted blanket. “We need a private plane. We’re running away.”
My cackling shakes the car. “What about the kids?”
“I’ll homeschool them myself on the beach.”
I snicker and push him to sit up. “Right.” My phone buzzes again. “You might want to turn your phone back on unless you want to spend all day responding to messages across different time zones.”
Morgan and Erica are blowing up my phone, but one notification leaves me at a loss for words.
April 1 was the date I left Charles, the start of the yearlong separation requirement to officially file for divorce. That time is here. Tomorrow.
“I made it.” I show Julian the calendar reminder. “Grier can file the divorce papers.”
Every sleepless night.
Every fear, every step into the unknown brought me to this moment.
Julian cups my face and seals his lips to mine. Through this journey, I unlocked my heart and soul. I rediscovered myself, and I found love.
His phone vibrates in rapid succession. “Sure you don’t want to run away?” The words tickle my lips in a whisper.
Buzz.
Buzz.
He curses under his breath, kisses my nose, and reaches for his phone. I don’t check the rest of my notifications. How can I when tension is twisting Julian’s features? His thick lips purse, and his brows dip.
“What’s wrong?”
