Under His Roof

chapter thirty-four

The room grew silent as Julian stepped inside. Even the people who didn't know who he was could sense that there was something important about this man. They all hushed their conversations to watch him.

Kimberly stood frozen beside her mother, knowing that soon enough, all eyes would be on her.

What was he doing there? She hadn't invited him.

Melitta looked anxiously from Julian to Kimberly, and for a second Kimberly thought that maybe Melitta was the one who invited him. She wouldn't put it past her to pull something like that in hopes that whatever was still left between them would be rekindled. But that idea was quickly squashed when Kimberly's father came up behind her and her mother, fuming.

"Leah, what is he doing here?" her father demanded.

Her mother's eyes lingered uncomfortably on Julian as she replied. "We invited him, Marcus."

"You guys invited him?" Kimberly asked.

Her father nodded, "Yes, but that was before..." He couldn't even bring himself to finish, but he didn't need to for Kimberly to know what he meant.

"Okay, and?" Kimberly shrugged. "Was he supposed to just assume that he was no longer invited without you telling him?"

"Yes, actually. I'm going to go and escort him out."

"Marcus!" Kimberly's mother grabbed her husband's arm. "Marcus, you can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"Because he helped pay for this whole celebration, and because we already invited him. We are not going back on our word."

"So we're supposed to just let him stay here? With Kimberly?"

"Jesus, he's not with Kimberly, Marcus! She will sit beside me and Melitta, don't worry."

Her father clenched his jaw. He was clearly uncomfortable with the situation, but when his wife put her foot down with him (especially because it happened so rarely), he couldn't argue with her. And she had a point; if Julian didhelp pay for this thing, then there would be so many things wrong with throwing him out.

Kimberly's eyes wandered from her parents over to the bar where Julian was standing, downing his drink in a single gulp.

She hated that she wanted so badly to run over to him and hug him, to tell him that he didn't have to drink away whatever it was that he was feeling. She wanted to hold him in her arms and feel him hold her in his. She wanted to hear him tell her that he loved her again, that he fucked up with Daphne, but that she was it. She wanted to be it for him.

She had been doing so much better this past month. So fucking much. But then again, she didn't have to see him as she recovered from him. She hadn't had to look into the beautiful blend of passion and refinement that was his eyes. She hadn't had to see at the light stubble that lined his jaw and disappeared underneath his chin, remembering times that she had felt it tickle her body in places she couldn't think about without holding her breath. She hadn't had to look at his broad shoulders and toned arms that had held her together at all the right times.

His hair was longer now, almost back to the length it had been when she first met him. He looked taller even – although Kimberly was sure it was her imagination seeing as he was thirty-one. Still, to her, he looked taller. His face seemed sharper and softer and handsomer and –

He turned around and the two of them locked eyes.

They were so close to each other.

There was nobody else in the room.