was still planning a wedding between Stevie and Charles. At one stage, Charles had had to sit her down and give her a talking to.
As much as she’d miss England, she couldn’t wait to go home. Though she didn’t have a job, she had hoped maybe she’d have Julian. But no matter what, she had achieved several things in London. She had let go of Charles, and she had forgiven her mother for her not-so-present involvement in Stevie’s upbringing. She would also need to thank her stepmother, Rose, for raising her and not being the wicked witch in stepmothery. Stevie glanced down at her phone and smiled.
Charles: I’m proud of you, Stevie. Thank you for drunkenly entering my life. I love you.
Stevie: Thank you for letting me. Sober decisions make the best decisions. I love you, too, Charlie. Do great things xx
Once she had sent him a reply, Stevie pulled up Ally’s number.
Stevie: I’m coming home.
She got an instant response.
Ally: It’s about time.
Julian’s finger ran down the page, lingering over every highlighted sentence and stain. It had been two weeks since he had discovered the truth about Stephanie’s pregnancy. It had been ten days since Ally kicked him out of the apartment. He had left her four voicemail messages. In the end, he had given her his okay to stay and be with Charles. The truth was that he was genuinely giving her his blessing. When Julian had called Jarred, the truth about Stephanie’s relationship with Charles broke his heart. They had substance. They had a lot of meaning and a lot of reason to be together. Charles Henderson had been everything Julian couldn’t be for Stephanie. Even saved her from three suicide attempts.
“Hey, mate, you doing okay today?” Max, his best friend, asked.
He didn’t bother to look up from Stephanie’s copy of To Kill a Mockingbird. She had left it in his villa, and he had hoped that when she returned, he’d give it back to her. She didn’t have to love him back. He had hopes she’d appreciate the returning of her book—the same book she had read to him on Karon Beach four years ago.
“I’m doing real shitty, Max. Still sleeping with Sarah?” From the corner of his eye, he noticed Max flinch. Julian instantly regretted the cheap shot he took at Max. “Sorry, that wasn’t fair. I miss her. I made the worst mistake of my life, and I can’t take it back.”
“Remember when Noel and Clara were going through things? Back in New York, you kept your eye on them and made sure they weren’t interrupted when they were watching the sunrise together?”
He nodded and placed the book on his lap. Then he turned his attention to the bedroom door to see Max undoing his tie. “They needed to fall in love with each other again.”
Max smiled. “You told me that you hoped to find that girl who made you do all the stupid shit that Noel did. He was about to throw it all away for her. You said that they gave you hope. You gotta hope again, Julian. She’ll come back.”
“You have too much faith.”
“Someone has to. Last time, it was you. This time, it’s me. I believe in this true love shit,” Max admitted as he left Julian alone in his bedroom.
Sighing, Julian picked up the worn paperback and gazed at it. Soon enough, he’d have to let the book go. Let Stephanie go. And let his heart go. They never belonged to him in the first place. He then reached into his pocket and took out the sonogram of their baby. Julian brought it to his lips, kissed the picture goodbye, and then slipped it into the pages of the book. The two consecutive chimes of his phone had Julian reaching for it from the bedside table. When he opened the message from Rob, his heart stopped. Completely and utterly froze mid-beat.
The ugly older sperm: I’m only telling you this because we’re brothers. Ally told me this in confidence, and although I love her and you’re the only one who knows that, you’re also my brother and deserve to know. Now, I keep fucking up with Ally, so you better do something that justifies her hating me. But Stevie’s back. She landed today. I don’t know anything more than that. If you want to seek forgiveness, then it’s time you get over there. If you want to win her back, then I suggest you get the fuck over there QUICKLY. But