Melted Ring, Severed Bond

Synopsis

Every time after Julian Bennett and I spent some intimate time together, I'd catch a strange scent lingering on the blanket, one that didn't belong to either of us. This time, I couldn't keep quiet. I pressed him for an answer. Julian twirled a strand of my hair around his finger, giving me a soft smile. "Oh, that's on Bree. She breaks out in a nervous sweat every time she thinks about us together. She always sneaks in before us to leave her scent and mark the spot. "Honestly, I never knew nerves could smell so strong until I met her," he said. I froze, staring at him like he was out of his mind. "What did you say?" He crushed his cigar into the ashtray, a half-smile on his face. "Nadia, your dad tore your mom to shreds during the rejection, not me. You freeze up like a corpse whenever I hold you, but that baggage is on you, not me. Got it? "You ought to thank Bree. She's the reason this relationship hasn't completely fallen apart." Just then, the door was flung open. Bree Lane burst inside, her eyes bloodshot. She marched over and slapped Julian hard across the face. "You bastard. Apologize to Nadia!" I watched them, a bitter taste lingering in my throat. So all these years, Julian had seen me as nothing more than a buzzkill, a pathetic burden. This den was supposed to be our home, but I was never going to crawl back here again.