Julian goes on his annual Thanksgiving weekend trip with Rafa and Nico to his Lake Aurora cabin, leaving me alone to process how it feels to be without him. After seeing Julian almost every day, I feel his absence already during the first day—a shocking development to say the least.
My mom, Lily, and I binge the latest season of our favorite telenovela together, which keeps my mind occupied for a day or two, but it never fixes the empty feeling plaguing me since Julian left for the cabin.
Because he fills a void that nothing else can.
A terrifying realization after everything I’ve been through over the last year.
You knew something like this could happen.
Yeah, well, knowing and experiencing are two very different things.
Despite my fear of getting hurt, my feelings are becoming difficult to ignore, especially now that I know how he feels.
I’m falling in love with you.
I’ve replayed the memory a hundred different times this weekend, expecting the buzz to go away, yet it remains throughout the weekend and well into Monday.
My heart slams against my rib cage when Julian walks into the Founder’s house kitchen with a paper bag I instantly recognize.
I ditch the tile samples and run up to him to confirm the name stamped on the side of the bag.
“No freaking way!” I squeal as he passes me a takeout bag from Aomi. “I thought they didn’t offer takeout?”
“They don’t.”
“Then, how?”
“They make exceptions.”
“For a price?”
He nods, and I laugh at the insanity of it all.
I place the bag on the counter and rip it open.
“I ordered a few different rolls since I didn’t know which one you liked most.”
“Are you kidding? I’d eat anything from there.” I reach inside and pull out the first container with a sigh. “How is this possible? They’re in New York.”
Aomi is the most luxurious and expensive sushi restaurant in the U.S., with most meals costing over a thousand dollars per head since they import fresh seafood directly from Japan. I only went once at my television network’s expense and never returned because I couldn’t justify the price or trip.
He avoids my gaze. “I hired a guy to pick it up.”
“With what? A private jet?” I laugh off the idea.
His lips form a thin, white line.
My eyes widen. “Oh my God. Tell me you didn’t.”
His silence says enough.
“That’s terrible for the environment.”
“Are you going to make me promise to never do it again?”
“Hell no. Next time, we’ll have to go together to make it worth the carbon footprint.”
He shakes his head. “You never cease to surprise me.”
“That’s why you like me. Challenge, remember?”
He kisses my forehead before stepping away. “Enjoy your lunch.”
The excitement I felt about eating seven-hundred-dollar sushi rolls disappears as Julian walks toward the door.
“I haven’t seen you all weekend,” I say to his back.
He turns. “Did you miss me?”
I bite down on my tongue.
“You did.” He smirks.
“Shut up,” I snap.
“When you’re ready to admit you couldn’t stand being away from me for four days, come find me.” His eyes glitter as he moves toward the archway.
“Wait!”
He pauses. “Yes?”
“Fine. I missed you. A lot.”
“Me too. I considered ditching Nico and Rafa on the second day.”
“And that right there is why I’m the favorite godparent.” I stick out my tongue.
He spares me an icy glare. “It was for their safety more than anything. I nearly poked Nico’s eye out while making s’mores because I was busy daydreaming about the other night with you.”
My cheeks flush.
He nods toward my container. “Hope the food is as good as you remember. I’ll stop by later and check on you once I’m done with the molding in the dining room.”
“Will you join me?” After spending a whole weekend without him, I want a little more than three minutes of his time.
“I was hoping you’d ask.” He winks. My whole world stops spinning for a second before I gather my bearings again.
“The house is coming along.” He stands on the opposite side of the island.
I glance around the half-finished kitchen, taking in the grand, warm oak cabinets Ryder and his team hung last week.
“I like the color of the island.” Julian glances over at the deep blue wood paint. “And the waterfall counter adds a nice touch.”
“What about the pendant lights?” I tilt my head toward the lampshades hanging above the off-white quartz counters.
“Fits the blend of modern and Victorian you’re going for, although I like the vintage light above the sink most.”
“Me too. I found it at Another Man’s Treasure and knew we needed it.”
He steps away from the counter and checks out a few paint swatches. “I like this one.” He points at my least favorite one.
I must make a face because he asks, “No?”
“Too dark, especially if we’re trying to balance out the island.”
“Good point.”
Julian and I spend the rest of our lunch break discussing other parts of the house while stealing pieces of sushi from each other’s containers. Compared to Oliver’s go-to you got this, babe reply and general apathy toward my design process, Julian not only seems interested but also gives opinions. We have become a team.
At one point, he smacks my chopsticks away with his own before lifting the piece to my mouth himself. Goose bumps spread across my skin as he feeds me, turning a casual lunch into our own version of foreplay.
I love the little ways he shows he cares, like giving me the last piece from his favorite sushi roll or only stealing a single bite of dessert before handing it over, although I know we both suffer from the same unfortunate sweet tooth.
As a thank-you for today’s meal, I lift the spoon and feed him the last bit of dessert. His eyes darken as he steals a kiss, flooding my mouth with the taste of peaches.
I tug him closer, not wanting to let him go.
“People are working upstairs.” He pulls me to him.
I reach for his shirt. “We can be quiet.”
“You just don’t want me to go.”
Not at all. The more time I spend around Julian, the less time I want to spend apart, and that kind of reliance on someone else is what scares me most.
After Julian went out of his way to bring me sushi from Aomi earlier, I almost feel bad about the prank Lily and I have planned.
It only took me finding one of the crew members laughing at my video for me to remember today’s mission. Lily assured me the plan is still on, so I need to get Julian into position and let the rest fall into place.
The flaps of the tent slap together after I walk inside. “Oh, good. You’re still here.”
Julian looks up from the half-carved wooden post. “Yeah. Why?”
I walk around the makeshift woodshop. Based on the number of balusters stacked in neat columns beside him, I doubt Julian has taken much of a break since he arrived at noon.
“I was wondering if you had plans tonight.”
“We both know I don’t.” He wipes his damp brow, spreading sawdust across his forehead.
I walk up to him and wipe it away. “Do you want to get out of here? I’m hungry.”
He leans into my touch. “Sure.”
“I was thinking we could grab something to eat on the way back to your place.”
His brows jump. “Where are you thinking?”
“Nothing too fancy.”
“That’s a relief, seeing as the upscale restaurant options in town are probably closed for the night.”
“Maybe another time.” I wink.
“What about Early Bird?”
“That’s perfect.”
Julian holds the tent flap back for me, turning my stomach into a ball of knots.
It’s not too late to cancel everything.
I give my head a hard shake. There is no way in hell I’m skipping out on the opportunity to pull the ultimate prank, especially after what he did to me in the attic.
“Should we go in two cars or one?” I bat my lashes.
His thick swallow nearly makes me drop my cover. “You could drop yours off at your house, and I’ll drive us to the diner.”
“Sounds good to me.”
I pull out my phone and shoot Lily a text.
ME
Plan is a go.
My phone vibrates from an incoming call from my agent before we make it out the front door.
“Give me a second,” I tell Julian before answering. “Hey, Jamie.”
“Dahlia! How are you?”
“Good. And you?”
“Doing well. I know it’s late, but I couldn’t wait until tomorrow to call you.”
My heart rate increases with each beat. “What’s up?”
“We got a new offer.”
“Really?”
Julian’s face strains as he tries to listen, so I put Jamie on speakerphone to save him the trouble. “An offer from who?”
“Archer Media.”
“No way.” The Creswells always complained about their growing web of networks and record-breaking viewer numbers.
Julian pulls out his phone and taps away while I process Jamie’s news. Until I have a contract in my hand, I probably won’t believe Archer Media wants to work with me, especially after being burned once before.
She laughs. “They’re in the market for a show like yours for their fixer-upper network.”
“Wow.”
“And the best part? They’re willing to pay you double what you made with your last contract.”
My lips part.
“I can get started on discussing logistics with filming in San Francisco. They seem eager to get started as soon as possible.”
Julian gives me his back, either out of privacy or to shield his disappointment. My excitement dies with every rise and fall of his shoulders.
“If you’re interested, we can schedule a meeting with them to discuss everything.”
I shake my head to clear my thoughts. “Yes. Of course I’m interested.”
Then why do you sound less than enthusiastic about the offer?
Probably because while renovating the Founder’s house, I fell in love with the man who bought it.
Are you considering giving up a television opportunity like this for Julian?
Yes? No? Probably, although I hate admitting it. As much as I love connecting with families and helping make their dream homes come true one television episode at a time, I also love working with Julian and his team. Just like I love being back at Lake Wisteria with my family.
San Francisco has been my home since I started at Stanford, but Lake Wisteria has my heart…and Julian along with it.
But after spending years of my life catering to someone else’s needs, I’m afraid of repeating the same mistake.
Jamie rattles on. “Things are going to move pretty fast because Archer wants to start interviewing potential homeowners after Christmas.”
“Huh?” I shake my head. “That’s in a month.”
“I know. It’s a lot to take in, but they’re so excited about collaborating with you.”
“Great.” I try my hardest to muster up a cheery voice.
“They want to meet with us as soon as possible.”
“I’m pretty flexible, so I can meet as early as next week.”
“Perfect. My assistant can reach out once I nail down a date.”
“Sounds like a plan. Thanks, Jamie.”
She hangs up, and I turn toward Julian. He is quick to school his features, but it doesn’t stop me from sensing the weird energy brewing between us.
“Julian.”
“Congratulations,” he says with a tight smile. “I knew it would be only a matter of time before you’d get another offer.”
Oh God. He’s already starting to pull away. “But—”
He silences me with a kiss. This one is fueled by a new kind of desperation that has my toes curling and my chest tightening all at the same time.
I’m hit with a wave of different emotions. Happiness. Sadness. Fear and uncertainty.
I might not have it all figured out, but I do know one thing: Lily was right. My biggest issue isn’t that I don’t trust Julian, but that I don’t trust myself.
