buckle beneath me. Julien caught me before I could fall and held me up, wrapping his arms around me. I stiffened for a moment, but relaxed as soon as I realized he wasn't using this as an excuse to feel me up. I couldn't take another fight.
“I am so sorry.” There was no pity in Julien's words, only sympathy.
I pressed my face against his chest and tried not to cry. How stupid was I? I'd not only slept with a nearly-married man – twice – but I'd fallen for someone who'd tried to rape me. Not only fallen for him… but fucked him. Made love with him. Cared for him. I was even planning to move closer, had allowed myself to dream of a future.
I swallowed hard, imagining how he must have been laughing at me the entire time. Trying to see how gullible I was? How far I’d go?
My stomach heaved and I was pretty sure I was going to be sick. If I was, I didn't want to do it in front of Julien.
“You can go to the cops about what he did,” Julien said, his voice soft. “I'll come with you and say how he confessed in front of me.”
I shook my head but didn't look up. I didn't want to see if the pity that wasn't in his voice was in his eyes. “Doesn't matter what you say. No one cares about an almost-assault on a stripper. I wasn't hurt. Don't even remember it.”
“He shouldn't be able to do something like that and get away with it.” There was heat to Julien's voice now.
“He got a sore jaw out of it.” I tried to make the words light. If I didn't, I was going to crack and, as nice as Julien was being, he didn't deserve that. “Thank you, by the way.”
“Should've castrated the bastard,” Julien muttered darkly. “Maybe that would've taught him a lesson.”
Now there was a pleasing image. I pressed my lips together tightly. Julien's comfort was welcome, but I needed to regain my composure enough to see him out before I could let go of everything I was holding in. I was just getting ready to take a step back when I heard a voice speak.
“Well, looks like you're really working your way through the Who's Who of Philadelphia society.”
For the second time in just a few minutes, my mind and body were frozen in place by the sound of a male voice. Only, this one wasn't Brock. This was the one voice I didn't want to hear again, but also the only one I secretly longed for.
Reed.
What was he doing here? That question was immediately followed by one prompted by my recent discover. Had he been in on it the whole time?
That thought gave me what I needed to move. I took a step back, breaking free of Julien's embrace. He let me go and stepped off to the side. I wasn't sure if it was because of what Reed had said or if he was able to tell I had someone else to be angry at. I didn’t care. All I knew was that now I could see Reed standing in the doorway.
His expression was tight and his eyes guarded. I thought I could see a hint of hurt in them, and rather than feeling sorry for him; it just made me angrier.
“Did you see your buddy in the hallway?” I spat at him before remembering. “Oh, sorry, your brother-in-law. Did he tell you the game was over? I know.”
“Oh, so Brock was here too?” Reed snapped. “Were you having a threesome, or did Brock go first?”
I felt Julien take a step forward and knew he was going to come to my defense. I put a hand out. “Could you give us a minute?”
Julien hesitated and I could see him pulled by indecision. Warmed by his need to protect me, I touched him arm and said, “Please.”
I waited until Julien closed the apartment door behind him and then turned on Reed again.
“Listen to me, you arrogant bastard.” I crossed the space between us until I could've reached out and touched him. I didn't though. I didn't want to touch him ever again. “I'm not sleeping with Julien. He was comforting me. Besides, you have no right to act all holier-than-thou considering what you've done.” My hands were shaking and I curled them into fists. “Was it all part of some
“I am so sorry.” There was no pity in Julien's words, only sympathy.
I pressed my face against his chest and tried not to cry. How stupid was I? I'd not only slept with a nearly-married man – twice – but I'd fallen for someone who'd tried to rape me. Not only fallen for him… but fucked him. Made love with him. Cared for him. I was even planning to move closer, had allowed myself to dream of a future.
I swallowed hard, imagining how he must have been laughing at me the entire time. Trying to see how gullible I was? How far I’d go?
My stomach heaved and I was pretty sure I was going to be sick. If I was, I didn't want to do it in front of Julien.
“You can go to the cops about what he did,” Julien said, his voice soft. “I'll come with you and say how he confessed in front of me.”
I shook my head but didn't look up. I didn't want to see if the pity that wasn't in his voice was in his eyes. “Doesn't matter what you say. No one cares about an almost-assault on a stripper. I wasn't hurt. Don't even remember it.”
“He shouldn't be able to do something like that and get away with it.” There was heat to Julien's voice now.
“He got a sore jaw out of it.” I tried to make the words light. If I didn't, I was going to crack and, as nice as Julien was being, he didn't deserve that. “Thank you, by the way.”
“Should've castrated the bastard,” Julien muttered darkly. “Maybe that would've taught him a lesson.”
Now there was a pleasing image. I pressed my lips together tightly. Julien's comfort was welcome, but I needed to regain my composure enough to see him out before I could let go of everything I was holding in. I was just getting ready to take a step back when I heard a voice speak.
“Well, looks like you're really working your way through the Who's Who of Philadelphia society.”
For the second time in just a few minutes, my mind and body were frozen in place by the sound of a male voice. Only, this one wasn't Brock. This was the one voice I didn't want to hear again, but also the only one I secretly longed for.
Reed.
What was he doing here? That question was immediately followed by one prompted by my recent discover. Had he been in on it the whole time?
That thought gave me what I needed to move. I took a step back, breaking free of Julien's embrace. He let me go and stepped off to the side. I wasn't sure if it was because of what Reed had said or if he was able to tell I had someone else to be angry at. I didn’t care. All I knew was that now I could see Reed standing in the doorway.
His expression was tight and his eyes guarded. I thought I could see a hint of hurt in them, and rather than feeling sorry for him; it just made me angrier.
“Did you see your buddy in the hallway?” I spat at him before remembering. “Oh, sorry, your brother-in-law. Did he tell you the game was over? I know.”
“Oh, so Brock was here too?” Reed snapped. “Were you having a threesome, or did Brock go first?”
I felt Julien take a step forward and knew he was going to come to my defense. I put a hand out. “Could you give us a minute?”
Julien hesitated and I could see him pulled by indecision. Warmed by his need to protect me, I touched him arm and said, “Please.”
I waited until Julien closed the apartment door behind him and then turned on Reed again.
“Listen to me, you arrogant bastard.” I crossed the space between us until I could've reached out and touched him. I didn't though. I didn't want to touch him ever again. “I'm not sleeping with Julien. He was comforting me. Besides, you have no right to act all holier-than-thou considering what you've done.” My hands were shaking and I curled them into fists. “Was it all part of some
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