Page 112 of I Knew You
“I’m sure you did,” she replied, rolling her eyes. She stepped forward, and Mel and Julianna exchanged bright greetings.
“I can’t hug you because I have paint?—”
Julianna pulled my sister into a tight embrace anyway. I stood back, watching Lakey circling them.
“I can’t wait to hear all your stories about young Bram,”Mel said, finally looking my way. “And I’ll tell you all the stories about this love-lorn fool. He’s been pining for you since I met him.”
Julianna blushed, looking back at me, and I shook my head with a smile I could not contain.
This was happiness. This was bliss. How could life ever get any better?
Chapter Twenty-Six
Julianna |October 21, 2024
Melanie had taken it upon herself to fix dinner before we arrived, and I was beyond grateful. She roasted a chicken with a pan of vegetables and made an excellent chopped salad that I could not stop gushing over.
“You’re amazing,” I praised, putting my napkin on the table.
She smiled, picking up a piece of chicken with her fork and putting it in her mouth.
“I love cooking,” she replied after chewing. “And it’s the least I can do with Bram letting me bunk here. But now that you two are back together, I will be moving out quickly.”
“You can stay as long as you want,” Bram and I said simultaneously.
Melanie laughed. “I don’t think anyone in their right mind wants to share a house with newlyweds. So excuse me if I make myself scarce.”
I blushed and felt Bram’s hand slide over mine on the table.
Did our declaration of love make our marriage legitimate? Neither of us had said the words out loud.
“You should stay in Whit’s house,” I said, the thought popping up suddenly in my mind and out of my mouth just as fast. “It’s fully furnished, and it’s closer to work.”
Melanie startled. “I don’t want to put anyone out.”
“You won’t,” Bram assured her. “Julianna doesn’t need it now.”
“Is this your official offer for us to live together, Bram Winchester?” I feigned shock.
He frowned at my theatrics. “We’re fucking married.”
I put an arm around my stomach. “So presumptuous.”
He rolled his eyes, which made Melanie laugh.
“Yeah, be respectful, Dracula,” Melanie guffawed, her loose, long mane of straw colored hair swishing behind her.
“I don’t like all this teaming up against me. This needs to stop.”
His ire made Mel and me laugh even harder.
The conversation and alcohol flowed easily. Bram opted for beer while Mel and I tackled a bottle of wine. It was our little celebration of our new family coming together.
I appreciated the ease with which Melanie accepted me, especially when I was prone to being quieter and more self-protective. Her confidence didn’t make me feel stifled, and she wasn’t pushy in her questions about my back or the story of Bram’s and my shared past. She listened well, and there were many moments in conversation when she reminded me so much of her brother. Before I knew it, our bottle of wine was gone.
Melanie stood and gave a large stretch. “I’ll put my earbuds in, so I don’t have to listen to a symphony of copulating,” she said with an eyebrow wiggle to Bram, who threw a pillow on the couch at her.
“Are you sure you don’t want to listen?” I joked, taking her wineglass from her as she got to her feet.
