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Julia held back from rolling her eyes, though she couldn’t stop the curl of her lips as she walked away from them.
As she let her gaze linger on them, she failed to see the figure approaching her. She collided with Luke, spilling some of her brandy onto his suit.
“Ohhhh, I’m so sorry,” she said with a wince.
He flicked some of the liquid away with a chuckle. “It’s okay, Juju.”
Worthington hurried over to dab at the wet spots on the dark material. Luke slid the napkin from his hands and patted his jacket. “Really, it’s fine.”
Worthington backed away silently, leaving them alone. Julia glanced up at him through her eyelashes.
“So, I’m sorry for the surprise. But it’s great to see you again.”
“It’s…I’m so glad you’re doing so well,” she managed to say, her words laced with a mix of pride and a pang of something lost. Luke’s success, so starkly laid out before her, was a mirror to the path not taken, a life she might have shared had she not walked away from him.
“Yeah, I’m doing great. It was quite a whirlwind, but…I’m…” His eyebrows pinched as he set his eyes on her. “Can we talk? Privately?”
She sucked in a breath before she swallowed hard, flicking her gaze to the liquid left in her glass. “Luke, I don’t think this is the best time–”
“When your friends leave then. Please, Julia, it’s really important.”
“Everything okay over here?” Kyle asked as he approached, slipping a protective arm around her.
Lydia sashayed over, slipping an arm through Luke’s. “Well, well, well, what’s going on here? Are we trying our best to step into Daddy’s shoes?”
Kyle narrowed his eyes at her.
“Oh, I’m just joking,” Lydia said with a cackle, “but I would love to have a word with you, Karl.”
“Kyle,” he said through clenched teeth. “If you’d really love a word, you could at least get my name right.”
Lydia glowered at him as she pulled his arm away from Julia and tugged him away from them.
Julia eyed them as they left, her stomach clenching as she wondered if Lydia merely dragged him away to allow Luke more access to her or if she had something to tell him.
Grant conversed with Ava across the room. She hoped to get away from Luke soon. She twisted back to face him, finding him closer than before.
“Julia, I’d really like to talk privately before I leave. I just…there are somethings I think I need to say.”
Julia pressed her lips together as she stared up at him. Maybe it was best to get this over with and clear up any tension now rather than allow the pall to remain over all of them. “Okay, fine. Come on.”
She set her glass down before she led him from the room. The quiet hush of the library surrounded them as she stepped inside. Tension tightened her muscles as she spun to face him, her heart stopping when she spotted the softened gaze and flicker of unreadable emotion in his eyes.
“Luke–” she began when he interrupted.
“Julia, please. I…I’ve thought about you so often since Maine. When you left…it just never sat right with me.”
She chewed her lower lip as he spoke, her features pinching. “Luke, I’m with Grant.”
“Not really, though. And…if my math is correct, you won’t be with him for much longer.”
Julia fluttered her eyelashes as the fact slapped her in the face. “But–”
“But nothing, Julia. You’re not happy with him. You can’t be. This…this is all fake. We were happy together. And the only thing that kept us apart was my small-town mentality. But I’ve gotten rid of that.”
He flung his arms out, showcasing the fancy suit. “I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone. Made millions. And now I’ve come back for you. I’m not letting you walk away from me again, Julia.”
Before Julia could respond, Luke cupped her face in his hands. “I love you too much for that,” he said before he pressed his lips against hers.
