her pregnancy from him and chosen abortion. That baby had been half of him. He had as much right as she did. That was what he told himself at night.
“Julian. Dude?” The concern in Mitch’s voice had Julian lifting his chin at him.
“Yeah?”
“Why are you so mopey? You’re a VP!” Mitch grinned.
“Yeah,” was all he could reply.
Julian’s thoughts of Stephanie had bombarded him. Her tear-stained face haunted him and left a clenching sensation that occurred with every breath he took. He missed her. But he could never forgive her betrayal. She tore out his heart and played him for a fool. It was time he had thought about himself and when the opportunity to fire her came to light, he selfishly took it. He couldn’t see her. Not every working day of his life.
“It’s okay, Mitch. I’ve got him.” Rob’s voice had Julian shifting his line of sight from the bartender to his brother. “What’s going on, Julian?” Rob asked in his careful voice that Julian had known all his life.
“Not much, Robbie. I’m quite all right.” Julian widened his grin and then gave his brother a thumbs-up.
“It’s your promotion party. Why aren’t you celebrating with everyone?”
“What is this? An interrogation?” Julian glanced at Mitch and pulled an ‘am I right?’ face at him.
“Mitch, mind giving us a minute?” Rob asked, and Mitch had left within seconds.
“Don’t send him off. He pours the beers!” Julian argued.
“You drunk?” Rob leant in, eyeing him.
Julian scrunched his nose and waved his hand. “No, sir, I am not. That there is about to be my first for the night. Though I hope to get pissed tonight and find me a new girl! I need new, Robbie. I need new to forget.”
“Forget what? What are you talking about? New girl? Where’s Stevie?”
The mention of her name had him bursting into laughter. “Who gives a fuck!” he shouted from the top of his lungs.
“Julian,” Rob warned.
Julian shook his head and then climbed the bar. Once he stood on top of the counter, he pointed at his brother. “No seriously. Who gives a fuck about her! Am I right?”
Several people chanted, “Yeah!”
“Rob, get him down. Now!” Julian heard Mitch shout behind him.
“Stop that, Mitchy boy. Stop being a Julian downer and bring beer… bring whiskey. Whiskey to forget! Whiskey to forget what a horrible whore she is!”
“Stop!” Rob roared and grabbed his arms and brought Julian off the counter. Then he pushed him into the barstool. “Don’t you ever call Stevie a whore again! She is not a whore.”
“Because she didn’t put out for you, she isn’t one? Sorry to break it to you; that woman you regard so highly slept with me in less than a month. She didn’t even deny it when I accused her of being one.” The bile rose up Julian’s throat. With a hard swallow, he managed it from passing his lips.
Then, without a moment to react, Rob’s curled fist slammed into Julian’s jaw. It felt good. The pulsing pain was a relief. He needed it. Julian cupped his jaw and stared at his brother. The rage in his eyes was new and it unsettled Julian.
“What. Happened?” Rob asked through clenched teeth.
Julian had rubbed his jaw before he folded his arms over his chest. “She was pregnant with my kid, Robbie. Kept it from me. From you. From everyone. Her stepbrother gave me the sonogram. When I showed her the picture, she tells me she never gave birth.” He then reached into his pocket and took out the picture of her ultrasound, staring, wishing it were an actual toddler rather than a little dot.
“You think she aborted it?” Rob asked in a small voice as he too stared at the sonogram.
“She didn’t give birth.”
“That doesn’t mean she didn’t miscarry, you fucking idiot!” Rob snatched the picture, held it up to Julian and pointed at it. “What if she had a miscarriage and you accused her of something she never did? Is she really capable of killing a baby? She loves you. You really think she could have done this to you? It was her baby, too, Julian. I know her better than you do, and I can honestly say that Stevie wouldn’t, no matter the circumstances. You just accused my best friend, the woman you love, of horrible things. I thought you were the good guy. The one who sees the goodness in people. You should let her tell her story properly. If she did miscarry, then you’ve just made her relive