Page 91 of Forever Yours

“Can I ask who’s calling?”

“My name is Gabriela Patel, and I’m the assistant to Mr. Holmes.”

“I don’t know who that is.”

Silence, then, “Am I speaking to Elijah Barnes?”

Brows furrowed at the phone, I replied, “Yes.”

I heard what sounded like the clacking of fingers typing on a keyboard. “Mr. Holmes asked that I contact you.”

Feeling like we were going around in circles, I repeated, “I don’t know anyone named Mr. Holmes.”

More silence. More clacking. I stopped near one of the benches in the quad and sat down.

“I was told you had RSVP’d to the wedding and to contact you with the itinerary. Would you like a window or aisle seat?”

Wedding. Mom. Mr. Holmes must be Brad. I rubbed my temple, a headache brewing.

“I never RSVP’d.”

The monotonous clacking continued. “Would you like to do so now?”

I had told Dad I was going, despite my reservations. There would always be a tiny part of me that desperately wanted to connect with my mother… because she was mymother.

“Can I call you back?”

“You can reach me at this number or call the law offices of Metcalf and Holmes and ask for Gabriela Patel.”

Law offices. So, Brad was a lawyer who owned a historic Charleston mansion. I hated how much IhatedBrad by knowing those two things about him. Dad was a simple man who led a simple, quiet life. A life my mother didn’t want. Because she wanted more.

Hanging up, I stared off into space. Mom hadn’t bothered to come see me in the hospital or even call. Why should I bother going to her damn wedding?

Because she was your mother. And because… I didn’t let that second thought materialize.

Lost in thought, I walked the rest of the way to the guys’ condo and found myself knocking on their door without realizing how I got there.

And then the door opened and all my worries melted away when I saw Julien.

Gorgeous, dazzling, wonderful Julien.

His face exploded with happiness. “Hey, baby.”

Before I could say “hey” back, he stepped forward and kissed me. It was a hot as hell kiss, made even better when he fisted my shirt and pulled me inside, then pushed me back against the wall, taking the kiss deeper.

“I missed you.” He stroked my cheek. “Thanks for coming.”

I nuzzled my cheek in his hand. “Thanks for cooking me dinner.”

Whatever he had made smelled fantastic. I hadn’t eaten since lunch, and I was starving.

Holding my hand, he pulled me along to the kitchen. Soft music played from somewhere, but it was the flickering of candlelight that had me. Julien had lit candles and placed them all over the condo. Along the floor, in the living room, on the counters in the kitchen. There were dozens of them. A fresh bouquet of lavender roses sat in the middle of the small eating table that had been draped with a white tablecloth.

I walked over to literally smell the roses, pun unintended.

“This is beautiful, Julien. Thank you.”

He didn’t need to do all that romantic stuff to show me that he loved me. But Ireallyliked it, so…

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