Page 180 of Scandalous Contract
My phone buzzed for the fourth damn time in five minutes. I checked, hoping it was her. It wasn’t. It was my father. I let it go to voicemail, already knowing what he wanted. I checked the message, mainly out of boredom.
“Answer your damn phone, Julian,” my dad sounded annoyed as hell. “Your cousins are here. The cake’s here. Your mother’s rearranging your presents for the fifth time. Where the hell are you, son? Everyone is at your birthday party but you.”
I sighed. I wasn’t in the partying mood. And in my defense, I’d told my dad not to throw me a party. But Cattaneos never passed up a chance to party. I stood, feeling sluggish, and strode into the kitchen to pour myself a glass of whiskey.
I downed it in one long ass swallow, then poured up another one and downed that one too. It burned my throat as it went down. And for a second, I was able to focus on that burn, instead of the pain in my heart.
I poured a third glass and drank it down fast. The burn came and faded much too quickly. I stared around the house. I didn’t want to spend another night here alone. I could be celebrating my birthday right now.
Fuck it!I was going to celebrate my birthday.
Chapter Forty-Three
JULIAN
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ISLIPPED MY SHOESback on. I snatched up my keys from the floor where I’d dropped them, then left the house. My phone rang again. I stared at the screen. It wasn’t her.Fuck!I leaned back in the driver’s seat, letting my head fall against the headrest, and exhaled slowly. They weren’t going to stop calling. Not tonight. Not onmybirthday. I lifted my phone again and hit call. It rang once before he answered.
“Julian,” Dad started.
“I’m not coming,” I said before he could launch into a lecture on being punctual. “I’ve got... plans.”
He went silent for a beat. Then asked, “Is it a girl?”
I should’ve said yes. Let him believe it was some random club bimbo I met at the bar. But it wasn’t. Stefanie wasn’t a girl. She was awoman. My woman, even if she didn’t claim me out loud. Not yet.
“No,” I said simply.
“Then it’s not important. Come home now, son.”
I shook my head. “Good night, Dad. I love you and Mom. Thanks for the party.”
I ended the call and tossed the phone into the passenger seat. I didn’t want a party. Tonight I had to see her. I had to talk to her. I had to be with the woman who’d been dodging my calls for far too long.
I was feeling the effects of the whiskey. I shouldn’t have driven, but that didn’t stop me. I needed to see her. When I arrived, I noticed her porch light was off. I parked crooked in her driveway and stumbled to her door.
