Page 83 of I Knew You
“I missed you, too. I’m sorry we fought.”
“Our first fight as a married couple. It wasn’t that bad,” she replied. “And I understand what you were saying about Whit yesterday. I was being selfish. I know we have to tell him the truth. I didn’t want…”
“Shhhh,” I soothed as her voice trailed, softly running my fingers through her hair. “As much as I want to gloat that I was right, I want you to rest. We can talk about this when you feel better.”
“You make everything better.”
Her whispered words were all I ever wanted to hear, and as my body sank into deep sleep, I repeated them over and over, drowning out the voice that made me feel unworthy of holding her.
The following day,I stayed home from work for a few hours to ensure Julianna was well. She’d seemed to bounce back and wasn’t even hobbling when she came into the kitchen, holding out her phone.
“Whit’s calling.”
Before I could respond, she answered and put the phone on speaker.
“Hello? Whit?”
“Hey! Sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you. There was a media blitz, and we were on the road. It’s no excuse, though. Surgery is tomorrow? That is so quick.”
“Yes,” she replied. “It is. But there’s something else I need to tell you.” Julianna’s eyes met mine, and I nodded. “Bram and I came to an arrangement of sorts. We got married, so Bram’s trustfund can be released.”
Silence filled the line.
“Did you say you married Bram?”
“In name only, but yes.” Julianna’s eye shifted from mine. The night before didn’t seem like “name only,” but I said nothing.
“No. No, you couldn’t have. That’s insane.”
Julianna did not skip a beat. “I’ll have Bram tell you the details when you have time.”
There were a few agonizing moments of silence, and Julianna made a face at me that showed apprehension. “What? This is crazy. Am I too late?” Whit asked, “I can’t stop you from marrying that asshole?”
“That asshole is on the phone,” I announced, leaning over the receiver, and Julianna slapped her hand across her mouth, silencing a laugh. “It’s already done. We were married the day before yesterday.”
“Fucking figures,” Whit grumbled. “So, you guys having fun ruining your lives?”
“You’re so dramatic,” Julianna said, rolling her eyes, clutching the phone. “It’s not a big deal.”
My brow furrowed, but she didn’t look at me, staring at Lakey at our feet. What did she mean by that?
“Call me crazy, but getting legally married for money seems like a big fucking deal,” Whit replied, his voice hard. “I could have given you whatever money either of you needed.”
“But it wasn’t about you,” Julianna said, not waiting for me to comment. “Bram has plans for his money, and what he’s doing will be so good for Mill Creek.”
Whit sighed. “I’ve got too much going on. I’m just going to pretend like I didn’t hear this. But I am happy for Bram to be able to stick it to his Dad with the inheritance.”
“I’m not sure Dad knows yet,” I interjected, and Julianna looked up at me, her expression a little shocked. “I sure as hell didn’t tell him. Time will tell.”
“He won’t come for you, will he? He wouldn’t do anything bad?” Julianna’s question was meant only for me. I looked at her and shook my head. But in truth, I wasn’t sure.
Whit coughed a little, breaking up our conversation. “Well, congrats, I guess—something like that? I don’t know. This is weird. I need to talk about something else. How are you feeling about the surgery, Jules?”
“I’m dealing,” she replied, looking me in the eye again as she spoke to her brother. “I’ll be glad to have it over with.” I softened so she wouldn’t see the worry on my face. We hadn’t discussed her feelings about the surgery much, but I knew she was nervous by the way she fidgeted every time it was mentioned. I would rather be sliced open with a rusty knife than watch her go through what was coming.
“I’m sure you will,” Whit replied, concern in his tone. “You know I’d be there if I could, right?”
There was no denying that, despite Whit sometimes acting like an ass and his relationship with Julianna being strained, he still loved his sister deeply.
