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I guess I'm a selfish man. The heart wants what it wants, and it will do anything—even override rationality—to get it.
The coolness of my watch against my skin is a stark reminder of the ticking time and escalating situations. The more lies told the faster time seems to tick away.
"Julian!" Uncle Dan yells, his voice reverberating off the high ceilings and sleek, modern furnishings.
I finally look up from my watch. "I want Calvin to follow her, and I want a team on her discreetly until this is settled."
"Who?" Uncle Dan presses his hands on the surface of the glossy, dark wood table. He hasn’t sat down.
"His secretary," Theo replies, sitting rigidly in his chair. The tension in his posture is as tangible as the chill from the air conditioning, which subtly battles the room's warmth.
I’ve felt Theo’s side-eye the entire meeting. I practically have third-degree burns from it. He’s still pissed at me for not heeding his warning and staying away from Poppy.
Too. Fucking. Bad.
I’m still furious that Theo went as far as he did, all to repay a favor. Theo fucking pulled the strings of Poppy’s life, getting her into a job position and home where he could keep an eye on her so that he could report back to a friend.
When I look at my uncle, I see his face transition from irritation to a level where, if I were a kid, he’d tell me to pick a belt for punishment.
“You’re not fucking your secretary,” he bites, the words sharp against the soft hum of the air conditioning. His eyes shift from those of my uncle to the stern, cold man who runs the CIA.
"He hasn’t sealed the deal yet," Kent chimes in, trying to lighten the mood. Instead of his usual goofy grin, I see his eyes watching me like a hawk, just waiting for me to pounce on my uncle.
"Julian," Uncle Dan stresses, his men shifting from foot to foot, their shoes barely making a sound on the plush carpet as they keep their eyes on the floor.
I’m tired of this already. Tired of the secrets and lies building the foundation of a relationship I’m genuinely excited about.
I can't tell Poppy everything, but I can erase some of the secrets, one of which is that I've been trying and failing to keep our relationship hidden.
I glance at Theo and then back to my uncle. "Uncle Dan, I need to tell you something," I state. I’m going to tell him about Poppy and me. I want him to put guards on her until this is all settled. Hell, I’d still like guards on her after that.
I look at my older brother next, "Theo has something to tell you, too."
***
“You’re going to tell Dad, aren’t you?” I ask Uncle Dan, my voice echoing slightly in the vast expanse of my plush office. I stand and walk towards the large windows, feeling the warmth of the Texas sun on my skin as it pours through, casting elongated shadows across the sleek, modern furniture. I look out at the view, and the sharp contrast of the cityscape is so different from the rugged terrains I navigated in the army. It's a stark reminder of the life I've left behind.
Theo and Kent have departed, along with Uncle Dan's men, leaving just the two of us in a silence heavy with unspoken truths and lies. I can read the mixture of shock and disappointment in Uncle Dan's eyes, tinged with a hint of pride. The revelation about Theo's actions, so masterfully orchestrated, must resonate with a man like Uncle Dan, who has spent a lifetime maneuvering the intricate webs of the CIA.
“That you’re dating your secretary?” Uncle Dan raises a brow, the sternness of his CIA director persona softened by a hint of warmth towards me. “Absolutely. But I’d rather you tell him.”
I flex my fingers, feeling an ache in my knuckles, the tension evident. “You can tell him. It doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter,” Uncle Dan counters, sinking further back into the luxurious leather chair in the small seating area of my office. “You boys make him out to be a monster. He isn’t.”
“You’re right. My dad isn’t a monster. He’s just a stranger.” My voice breaks slightly. He’s been distant since my mom died and we were sent off to boarding school.
“I know you boys think you’ll never live up to his expectations, that you will disappoint him,” Uncle Dan says, his voice full of understanding and firmness.
“Kent never could keep a secret,” I mutter under my breath, thinking of my overly talkative brother.
“Maybe you and Theo should have talked more.” Uncle Dan leans forward, his elbows on his thighs, fingers steepled under his chin, a gesture reflecting his analytical mind. “Did you ever consider the opposite?”
“Opposite of what?”
“That it’s not that you and your brothers will never live up to your dad’s expectations, but that he feared he would never live up to yours.”
His words hit me like a physical blow, leaving me momentarily dazed. Uncle Dan continues, his voice steady yet compassionate. “I don’t agree with everything he has done, but I’ll tell you this: your dad loves you boys.”
