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His large frame collapses onto mine; he rolls us to the side, and then,“Oof!” I yelp.
“Shit,” he grunts as he cradles me to his chest, his back hitting the hard floor as we tumble off the small twin bed.
I giggle, the sound light and free in the aftermath of our storm, like a rainbow painting the sky—a sign of hope. No matter the storm, I can laugh again. I will be with Julian.
“Fucking bed,” he grunts. His hands rub up and down my back in gentle reassurance.“You okay, Pumpkin?”
“No. I was just impaled by your huge cock, but instead of going to hell, I saw heaven. Color me surprised.” I reply, turning my head to rest my cheek against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, which picks up pace as he laughs.
“I missed you,” he breathes.“Missed you so much. Too much. Please don’t leave me again. Let me fix us, Pumpkin. Please, just let me try.”
I press my lips onto his chest, kissing directly above his heart.“Okay.”
We lie like that until I feel a cold trickle of air rattle out of the old air conditioner, brushing over our slightly sweat-coated skin.“We should move,” I suggest, pushing up to look down at his hard body.“While the coffee is still warm,” I smile slowly.
Julian nods, his hands finding my hips as he holds them for a moment. I see the fear in his eyes, and I hate it.“Let’s talk.”
Chapter 38
Poppy
The afterglow is practically tangible, a sensation I'd bottle and label 'After Sex Glow'—it’d fly off the shelves at Sephora. Julian's scent lingers on my skin, a reminder of how right everything felt just moments ago.
The problem with afterglows is that they fade. Reality has to kick in.
I snag a pumpkin muffin, taking an oversized bite to delay the inevitable conversation. Just a few more delicious seconds of ignorance before we dive into whatever's waiting on the other side of this bliss.
The muffin lodges in my throat, a painful reminder that avoidance is no solution. Julian’s eyes, once clouded with desire, now harbor a storm of worry that wasn’t there before. The lustful haze is lifting, replaced by a looming clarity that promises uncomfortable truths.
“I need to start with Andrew,” Julian drops the bombshell.“He and his father are about to be arrested any minute now.”
“What?” I can’t help the incredulous snort.It can't be that easy.
Julian just nods, deadly serious.“There's enough evidence to go ahead. Theo told me the FBI would arrest them this morning. I know it will be hitting the news as soon as it happens. I wanted to give you a heads up.” He places his phone on the table, and a message between him and Theo is shown.
Theo, the all-knowing wizard, has a hand in Andrew's demise. Why am I not surprised?
“Arrested,” I savor the word, letting it roll off my tongue. It tastes like victory, with a side of impending doom.
“You won’t have to testify unless you want to,” Julian continues, somehow reading my mind.“I begged Theo to keep you out of this. It's going to be a circus, Pumpkin. But if you want Andrew to publicly pay for what he did to you, we can make it happen.”
My breathing hitches. On the one hand, the idea of Andrew and his dear daddy getting a taste of their own medicine is a fantasy I’ve replayed more times than I care to admit. On the other, becoming the media’s new chew toy? Pass.
Foresight. It’s Julian’s superpower.
Tears gather, blurring my vision as the weight of years presses down on my chest, making it hard to breathe.
“I don’t think I could survive that,” I whisper, my voice trembling like a leaf in a storm. The thought of facing them, of dragging all those dark moments into the light for a public feast—it’s suffocating.
“I want… I want Andrew to pay for what he did to me, for the pain his family caused others." I pause, haunted by the memories. "He confronted me at Peter’s funeral. I tried to fight; I told him if he didn’t leave me alone, I would tell everyone what he did to me, what I overheard.” That memory haunts me.
I wipe away the tears with the back of my hand.“He laughed at me.”
Julian’s jaw tenses.
“Andrew said no one would believe me. He said he wasn’t even worried about me telling people. He was just trying to keep me safe from his father. Even after he raped me and dared to show his face at Peter’s funeral, he wanted me to see him as my hero. He’s a monster.”
“I know, Poppy. I know." Julian's voice is heavy with sorrow. "I wish I could take away all the pain in your past, Pumpkin. I'd give anything to have the ability to.”
