- Visitor
Sign in
By the end of the party, I reeked of alcohol.
Bourbon, vodka, tequila—Lawton clearly didn't think one bottle was enough. He ordered two more.
I downed glass after glass, a smile fixed on my face while my stomach churned.
In the underground parking garage, I walked towards Julian’s Aston Martin. The moment my fingertips touched the handle, the lock clicked shut. The sound was deafening in the silence.
Julian rolled down the window. The scent of his cologne mingled with Chloe’s sickly-sweet Jo Malone perfume and drifted out.
“Get your own ride. I just had the leather detailed. The smell of booze will seep in.”
He’d forgotten who was responsible for the smell. The disgust in his eyes was sharper than the neon lights on Fifth Avenue.
The old me would have trembled, would have demanded an explanation, would have cried. I would have stood by the car until he gave in.
But this time, I just smiled and nodded. “Of course. Drive safe.”
Julian’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel. His eyes lingered on my face for a second, as if trying to determine if this was a new form of emotional blackmail.
“Harper, you…”
“Julian!” Chloe scurried over, squeezing past me and sliding into the passenger seat as if it were made for her. “I’m ready, can we go?”
She was wearing his Brunello Cucinelli suit jacket. The champagne stain on her dress shimmered under the garage lights.
But Julian didn’t seem to mind the “smell” on her. He leaned over to buckle her seatbelt, his fingertips lingering on her knee for half a second too long.
“I turned the heat up. Don’t want you to catch a cold,” he said.
Only then did he look at me, his tone defensive. “Don’t get the wrong idea. Chloe’s new to the real world. As her mentor, it’s my responsibility to look after her.”
I nodded. “I understand.”
Afraid he wouldn’t believe me, I added, “You used a strike, didn’t you? As we agreed, I won’t be mad.”
Julian stared, stunned. As he tried to decipher my calm expression, Chloe let out a perfectly timed sneeze.
“Get home soon,” he finally said. The roar of the engine echoed through the garage as he sped into the night.
Sign in with Google
By proceeding, We will assume you have read and agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.