Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 141251 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 706(@200wpm)___ 565(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141251 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 706(@200wpm)___ 565(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
Twenty minutes later, he appears, talking and walking beside another man in an expensive suit. I immediately stand up straight, my racing heart driving me wild. He glances up and frowns when he sees me.
“See you later,” he says to his friend as he walks over to me. His eyes hold mine, and I know he can tell I’ve been crying, “What’s up?” he asks.
I should say something intelligent, or ask a calm question—anything that will help me not look like a complete lunatic—but I just don’t have it in me.
I hold up the letter. “You tell me.”
He frowns, takes the letter out of my hand and reads it. His eyes come back up to my face and he rubs his tongue over his teeth.
“You opened my mail?”
“Tell me it’s not true,” I whisper.
He closes his eyes and opens his car to throw his briefcase in his trunk, slamming it shut with an almighty thud. "This is not the time or place to discuss this," he says calmly.
“Is it true?” I scream, completely losing control.
He puts his hands into his suit pockets and swallows the lump in his throat. “Yes.” I stagger back from him, shocked. “What?” I whisper. Pain shoots through my chest.
He raises his eyebrows and looks at me. “I told you… I don’t want any more children.” I stare at him in shock, his silhouette blurred because of my tears. “So you were going to just do this without telling me?” I whisper.
He drops his chin to his chest. “No, I was going to tell you.”
“To make me leave?” I frown.
His haunted eyes rise to mine.
I screw up my face. “You said that you loved me,” I whisper.
“I do.”
I sob loudly, all my control gone.
He steps forward. “Bree, baby.” He pauses. “We… we’re at different stages of our lives. We want different things.”
I frown, the tears still rolling down my face.
Is this happening?
“I can’t give you what you want,” he confesses sadly. “I wish I could. I just can’t.”
“Yes, you can,” I whisper. “You just don’t want to.”
His jaw clenches. “You’re right. I don’t.”
If he hit me with an axe, it would be less painful. I gasp as my chest constricts.
I step back from him. How can he knowingly hurt me like this?
Oh, my God, I need to get away from him.
He steps forward, taking me into his arms, and I screw up my face and let myself cry. My shoulders are shaking violently. “Baby, listen to me,” he whispers into my hair. “I love you. More than anything, I love you. But I can’t go back there.”
“I don’t want you to go back there,” I sob. “I’m not Alina, Julian. Stop punishing me for her mistakes.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
Anger hits me all at once, and I pull out of his arms. “Well, you have!” I cry.
“It’s my body.” He snaps.
“It’s mine, too,” I whisper. “How could you take away my chance of happiness without even talking to me about it?”
He presses his hand to his forehead, unable to give me an answer.
I stare at him. “I don’t even know you,” I whisper.
His face falls. “Don’t say that.”
“Where’s the beautiful man I fell in love with?”
He gestures to himself. “He’s right here.”
“No.” I shake my head in disgust. “Alina’s husband is here and I don’t love him. He’s a fucking coward.”
His eyes well with tears. “Bree…”
I turn and walk to my car on autopilot. I’ve never been so hurt before in my life. Even my ex, the adultering prick, didn’t hurt me this badly.
I start the car and drive out of the parking lot. Julian stands behind his car with his hands in his suit pockets, watching me, devoid of emotion.
I begin to howl, trying desperately to see the road through my tears.
That’s it…
We’re done.
Julian
I walk into the bar to find my two best friends at the back booth, and I fall in beside them. My beer is already waiting for me.
“Hey.” Seb smiles. “You look like fucking shit, man.”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t ask.” I pick up my glass and drain it, quickly putting my hand up for another.
“What the fuck’s wrong with you?”
“She wants marriage and babies.”
They both frown and glance at each other. “And?” Seb asks.
“I don’t.”
They both raise their eyebrows and sip their beer, afraid to comment.
I stare at the television on the wall with a huge lump in my throat as I picture her heartbroken face. I close my eyes and exhale heavily.
Seb is frowning when I look up again. “I’m lost.” He points his beer at me. “Why do you look so shit if you don’t want marriage and babies?”
“Because I love her,” I whisper.
They exchange looks and Seb holds out his hand. “Well… I mean, she is twenty-two.”
"Twenty-six," I correct him.
“Of course she’s going to want marriage and babies. Where the hell did you think this relationship was going to go?”