Page 125 of The Shadows Beyond
Cinn? He stupidly allowed himself to hope, while fully knowing there was no way he was behind that door. Julien didn’t deserve it.
“Julien!” Darcy’s shrill voice boomed down the corridor through the letterbox.
“I’m coming!” he croaked, then dragged himself through his flat to open the door.
Face set into a grim line, she tornadoed into the apartment, dragging him by his arm to push him onto the sofa.
They didn’t speak, not until she had made two mugs of tea, and pressed one into his hand.
“Elliot told me,” she said, by way of explanation. “Well, Cinn rang Elliot and then Elliot rang me.”
“Cinn rang Elliot?” Julien’s voice was a hoarse whisper. “What did he say?”
Darcy gave hima look. “He asked if Elliot knew what you’d done in London. Then he shouted at him for not stopping you. Then he beggedElliot to come check on you.” Darcy glowered at him. “Because Cinn’s a fucking angel and you’re a complete twat.”
“I know, Darce, I know,” Julien moaned, pressing a cushion to his face. “So how come you’re here and not Elliot?”
Darcy ripped the pillow from his grip. “Because it’s been hard enough for Elliot watching you two grow closer and closer without him torturing himself by comforting you right now!”
A strangled scream emanated from deep within him, and he pressed his head to his knees. “I’m a fucking awful person. An awful friend. Just leave me. Go.”
A sigh, then Darcy placed her hand on Julien’s back and rubbed it. Even more tears leaked out of Julien’s eyes. How did he even have this much water left in his body?
“You’re not an awful person, Julien. You’re just a complete mess. But you’reourcomplete mess.And we’ll sort this. Together.” Darcy wrapped her arm around him and squeezed.
“I can’t lose him, Darce,” Julien said.He was never yours to lose,screamed his inner voice. “You’re not going to believe this but, I genuinely care about him so much. Far more than anyone else I’ve ever been with. He’s the only one I’ve ever wanted tobewith.”
Darcy petted his hair, smoothing it like he was an upset child. “I know, Julien. I know.”
“Cinn said that Tyler might die because of me,” Julien confessed in a whisper.
Darcy paused her strokes.
“What?” After a moment’s further silence: “Darcy, what is it?”
“So, I wasn’t sure if I was going to tell you—”
“Just spit it out!”
“Okay. But stay calm.” She pressed her hands into his shoulders like she could contain him. “I rang Cinn before I came here, and he’d just heard from Bradley that Tylerdidend up in thehospital—”
“Non!”Julien jumped to his feet, pressing his fist against his mouth. “Oh, God!”
“Calm down and let me finish! What happened was, he ended up gambling half of the money, losing it, and then got into a fight with two other drunk men. They knocked Tyler around a bit, that’s all.”
“That’sall?” Sinking to the floor, Julien ran a hand over his tear-stained face. “Are you joking? That’s awful. And there’s no way Cinn will forgive me now.”
“It sounded like Tyler will be absolutely fine. Just a few cracked ribs. You can’t entirely blame yourself for this. It was his choice after all.”
He stared at her. “I gave ten thousand pounds to a drug addict.”
“Well, on the bright side, Bradley has confiscated the rest of the cash now!”
A low moan dragged itself out of Julien as he lightly bashed his head against the sofa.
“Julien, come here.” Darcy grabbed his arm, tugging him towards her. Julien fell into her, letting himself be enveloped by her tiny frame embracing him.
“He could have died.”
