Chapter 0445


    “I didn’t say any of those things,” Julian said, after I exined exactly what Bridget had told me. “And I


    have no idea why Bridget would say I did.”


    I didn’t either, though I had some guesses, none of them very favorable to Bridget.


    “I guess I should tell you what actually happened, or you might not believe me,” he said with a self–


    deprecating kind of chuckle.


    He didn’t have to, exactly. I could see now, just from the way he was talking about it with me, that


    whatever Bridget had said happened was mostly untrue. At least, the parts where he had said those


    terrible things about me.


    It was much easier to believe that Julian had confessed his love and Bridget rejected it. I wouldn’t


    assume though. Julian could tell me the truth, if and when he was ready.


    “I’m just worried about you,” I said. “You’ve acted so strangely today. I don’t even recognize you.”


    “I guess there’s a reason for that.” Julian looked down as if ashamed. “It happened again.”


    I blinked, confused. “What happened again?”


    He nced to the side now, unable to meet my gaze. “I confessed my feelings for Bridget. I told her


    she is the only woman I’ve ever loved. I thought if I told her the truth, she mighte clean with her


    own feelings, one way or another.”


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    “You thought she might reciprocate?” I asked.


    “I’ve been so confused since her arrival. Yes, she’s given Nichs more attention, but she hasn’t


    ignored me. Nichs clearly doesn’t feel for her as I do. I thought if I told her my feelings, as well as


    made clear that Nichs wouldn’t care for her as I do, that she would see the light.”


    That didn’t seem like a very good n to me, an outsider. But as an objective third party, I didn’t have


    my feelings tangled as Julian did. My heart wasn’t on the line like his was.


    I could see the writing on the wall from a mile away, but that didn’t diminish the heartache I felt for


    Julian now. While I wasn’t certain their love was genuine, whatever Julian felt hurt him. And I’m sorry


    that he couldn’t have the dream he wanted.


    “She rejected you,” I said. “You’ll need time, but –”


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    “No,” Julian said. “That’s the thing. She didn’t.”


    My thoughts came to an abrupt halt. Of all the things I had expected him to say, that hadn’t been one of


    them. It took a long time for my brain to restart, like I was aputer that


    needed rebooted.


    “She… Wait.” Even with my braining back online, I remained confused for a few minutes longer.


    “She didn’t?”


    “She reciprocated,” Julian said. He pushed a hand through his hair. His face crinkled in his own


    uncertainty. “It was just like it was all those years ago. She told me she felt the same. She was d


    that I came forward. We spent all night together, kissing and talking.”


    “But…” Why was she acting that way with Nichs today if she had spent all night kissing Julian? If


    she returned Julian’s longsting love? None of this made sense. But then I realized what Julian had


    said, It happened again.


    Oh. Oh, no. “She didn’t,” I said.


    “She did,” Julian said. His eyes met mine again, and there was a hint of sadness within them.


    He didn’t usually show his emotions this tantly. To show them here, to me, meant one of two things,


    or abination of them. One, that he trusted me. Two, Bridget had totally


    broken him inside.


    “In the morning, with the light of the rising sun, her entire story changed,” Julian said. ” She told me that


    she was mistaken, or that I had heard her wrong. She saidst night was fun, but that was all it was.”


    He cleared his throat. I knew his next words would be particrly painful. Nothing left


    Julian speechless.