Page 52 of I Knew You
Me: I had no idea I’d react like that. Bram invited me here, and I’m staying for now.
Whit: Stay where you need to. The house will be there when you need to go back.
Whit: You should ask Bram why you staying there is dangerous for him.
Fear ran through my body, and I sat up straighter.Dangerous?
Me: What do you mean? Can I call you?
Whit: Can’t talk this second. But ask him. I’ll text you later.
My heart thrummed inside my chest. Lakey began to jump on me, panting. I sat at the breakfast nook in the kitchen and bent down to hug her neck. The mysterious nature of theconversation intrigued and worried me. How could my staying there be dangerous for Bram?
My mind flitted back to that picture on his dresser of the mystery girl, but I pushed the thought away. He couldn’t be with someone, not if he were going to marry me. But that was an agreement just for show, wasn’t it?
I’d offend him if I started asking questions when he’d plainly stated he was unattached. All I could do was hope that eventually the truth of everything would spill out into the open, and that this perceived “danger” was Whit’s imagination.
Chapter Eleven
Bram |October 1, 2024
Julianna: It was great. Got some blood work as well as the hot physician assistant’s phone number.
Iread Jules’ last text repeatedly, trying not to let my emotions get the best of me in front of my coworkers. The forest service staff was gathered for our monthly safety meeting, and as the supervisor, I should have been paying attention. Instead, all I could think of was some douchebag in a white coat inappropriately soliciting Julianna at her doctor appointment. I shook the thoughts away for the twentieth time, trying to listen to my employees as they dutifully discussed chainsaw safety.
“Chaps are required for all operation of the chainsaw,” Doug droned in front of the large screen that projected his rudimentary PowerPoint slides. “Always operate the chainsaw within your skill level?—”
“I’m pretty sure that means you shouldn’t be using one, squirt,” Tom, an older forest ranger, joked. The staff around the table snickered, and Doug scoffed. Junior rangers always received a hard time from the staff—it was a rite of passage.
“Ha-ha,” Doug replied. He continued to read aloud more OSHA rules, and my phone rang. I’d forgotten to turn the ringer off. Whit’s name appeared on the screen. Melanie’s eyebrows raised when she glanced over and saw the name on the phone, which lay on the table.
“Guys, I’ll be right back.” It wasn’t my finest leadership moment, but I felt it could be significant if Whit called midday. I retreated to my office, shutting the door behind me. “Hello?”
“All I’m going to say before I blow my stack is, don’t you dare fucking lie to me. Did you talk my sister into staying with you?”
I didn’t think Julianna would talk to Whit before I did, but I was wrong. I ran a hand through my hair and sat behind my desk, the chair squeaking under my weight.
“How did you find out?”
I heard the echo of voices in Whit’s background, but he pressed on at full speed. “She told me, how else would I find out? What the hell, dude? Did you touch her? That’s your sister.”
I grit my teeth together. “She’snotmy sister. We don’t share one drop of blood.” I put a clear emphasis on my words.
“Semantics. What happened to ‘I won’t touch her, Whit?’”
I closed my eyes. “I haven’t touched her, not like that. What did she say?” I needed to know if she’d told Whit about the fake marriage, too.
“That she didn’t want to stay at Grams’ because of the remodel. That it hurt, she didn’t know what I’d done, maybe? I’m confused…”
I bit my lip. “I can’t speak for her. Things are complicated. She’s going through a lot.”
He huffed. “Listen to you, talking like you know her better than me. You’ve been with her for less than seventy-two hours.”
I shook my head, even though I knew what he was getting at. I didn’t know her, not really, even if I wanted to.
“There’s no reason to be a dick,” I snapped. “You know how I feel about her.”
“Yeah. That’s why I’m telling you, do not touch her. Don’t make any moves on her.”
