Chapter 3
We were so close that we were practically pressed together.
"Let me ask you," I said, stepping closer. "Have you been standing out here for a while?"
Julian didn't answer.
"Were you watching me the whole time?" I pressed.
He still kept quiet, but his ears went red.
I leaned in even closer, rising up on my tiptoes, bringing my mouth right to his ear.
My warm breath tickled his ear.
He stiffened all over.
I whispered softly, right in his ear, "Do you like me?"
The comments exploded.
[OMG!]
[Elizabeth's finally got guts.]
[Julian's ascended right here.]
[Look at him, his neck's totally red.]
[His ears are bright red, OMG.]
[He's toast, absolutely toast.]
[Elizabeth's going for it.]
Julian stood there, rooted to the spot.
I couldn't see his face, but I could tell his breathing was totally messed up.
After a few seconds, he finally spoke, his voice so hoarse it barely sounded like him. "You—"
"What?" I stepped back, looking up at him.
He looked at me, his eyes so dark and intense it sent chills down my spine.
Then he grabbed the back of my head and pulled me tight against his chest.
His hold was so firm that I could feel his heart racing, so fast it felt unreal.
He lowered his head, his lips pressed right against my ear, his voice so rough that it sounded like he could barely get the words out.
"Yeah," Julian whispered. "I've liked you for ten years."
The live comments were blowing up.
[Ten years! He said it out loud—ten years.]
[I'm bawling my eyes out.]
[Elizabeth, did you hear him?]
[Kiss him. Go for it.]
He pulled me tight against his chest, my ear pressed to his heartbeat.
The booze was hitting me hard, my head spinning.
But I heard him, clear as day.
He said he had been in love with me for ten years.
Three years sharing a desk in high school, seven years since graduation—that was ten years, right there.
I had no idea.
He never told me.
I tried to lift my head, wanting to look at him.
But he pressed my head down, not letting me move.
"Don't move," Julian said, his voice low and hoarse. "Let me hold you a little longer."
I didn't move.
The comments kept rolling, but I wasn't paying attention anymore.
He held me for a long time, so long that my legs started to ache.
Then he slowly let go, looking down at me.
His eyes were still red, but there was a little more calm in his gaze than before.
He asked, "How much did you drink?"
I thought for a second. "Three shots of vodka, two glasses of red wine, and a few beers during the toasts."
He frowned.
"Did Grady make you drink all that?" he asked.
"Nah, that was all me," I said.
His frown deepened. "You really drank all that on your own?"
I gave a little laugh. "What can I say? Big day. I got married."
His eyes darkened.
Those two words hit him hard.
"Married," Julian repeated, his voice flat. "To the guy caught kissing another woman in the parking garage."
I was stunned for a moment.
He took out his phone, unlocked it, opened his gallery, and handed it to me.
Two photos showed up on the screen.
The parking garage was dim, but the shots were clear as day.
Elsie was up on her tiptoes, arms around Grady's neck, kissing him right there by the car.
The second photo was even worse.
Elsie was in the passenger seat, Grady leaning in to buckle her seatbelt, his face practically pressed to hers, like he was kissing her cheek.
The timestamp was tonight, 8:47 PM, barely an hour after the ceremony.
I just kept staring at those photos, unable to look away.
The comments went quiet for a second and then started flooding in again.
[I felt sorry for Elizabeth.]
[She looks so calm. Is she just too stunned to react?]
[Grady's a total jerk. It's his wedding day!]
[Elsie's no better. Stealing her own sister's man? That's sick.]
[Elizabeth, don't hold it in. Just let it out, cry if you need to.]
I didn't shed a single tear.
I just stared at those photos, lost in thought.
Then I handed his phone back to him.
"You took these?" My voice was flat.
Julian nodded.
"Why'd you take those?" I asked.
He stared at me for a moment, not saying anything.
Then he said, "Wanted you to see the truth about him."
I gave a small smile. "Yeah, I see him now."
His gaze shifted.
"And then?" he asked.
I looked up at him. "And then what?"
He stepped closer, right up to me.
So close I could see the delicate curve of his eyelashes.