Page 21 of Believing in a Billionaire (Hearts and Holdings #7)

JULIA

J ulia’s heart dropped as her stomach twisted at the words. “Trouble?”

Grant shook his head as he grabbed her hand. “Kyle is making it seem worse than it is. I just…there’s no reason you need to worry.”

“But if there’s some trouble coming, I want to know.”

“You deserve to know,” Kyle answered. “You shouldn’t be kept in the dark.”

Julia flicked her gaze back and forth between them. Confusion reigned as she tried to sort through the information despite the exhaustion coursing through her. Her eyes landed on Grant. She tightened her grip on his hand. “Grant, what is going on?”

“Nothing, I promise. It’s nothing that you need to worry about, okay? I want you to focus on your recovery. I’ll handle everything else.”

“Handle what? You can tell me. I’m not going break.”

Grant shook his head as he perched on the edge of the chair next to her bed. “Nothing. Julia, please, it’s fine.”

“Someone leaked the photos of us kissing to the Harrington Global board,” Kyle said.

The knot in her stomach tightened at the words and her eyes went wide. “What?”

“Photos of you kissing her. Not the two of you kissing,” Grant growled as he leapt from the chair and poked a finger at his son.

“Not that it makes a difference,” Kyle said. “No one knows that but us.”

“Grant, I’m sorry,” Julia said, her features pinching.

“No. No, don’t apologize. This isn’t your fault.” He flicked his gaze to Kyle. “It’s your fault.”

“It’s not my fault,” Kyle shot back.

“It is. If you hadn’t taken her up there, this never would have happened.” Grant’s jaw tightened as he huffed out a sigh.

Kyle’s fingers tightened into fists. “Oh, I’m sorry I was trying to help you by playing doubt agent with your crazy ex-wife.”

“For all the good it did us. She’s nearly killed Julia twice in a matter of a week.”

“Oh, of course, you wouldn’t be grateful. Why would you be? I didn’t benefit you enough.”

“Stop,” Julia said, her head pounding as the argument raged.

Her heart didn’t just drop, it plummeted, echoing the turmoil swirling inside her.

The tension in the room, the sharp exchanges between Grant and Kyle mimicked physical blows, each work a strike that made their relationship more fragile.

Her plea for them to stop was more than a request; it was a desperate bid for peace, her voice a thread away from breaking.

“You didn’t benefit me at all. You made it worse. Like you normally do. And you want to talk about benefitting someone, I’m fairly certain that little trip to the cabin benefitted you.”

“Oh, how do you figure that?” Kyle shot back, his features twisting with anger.

“How do I figure that? I figure that because you got to sneak off and play loving boyfriend with my wife. In the name of helping me, you got to kiss her…twice. Was it worth it, Kyle? Wait, don’t answer that. I know it was for you.”

“You are way off base. But you can’t take responsibility for anything.”

“Like you? You did this and somehow, it’s everyone else’s fault.”

“I did it for you.”

Grant shook his head, his features scrunching. “Oh, please. You don’t do anything except for yourself. Oh, wait, and to get closer to Julia. Well, newsflash, Kyle, she picked me.”

“And maybe she’ll wise up and realize what a selfish jerk you are.”

“Stop it!” Julia shouted, the effort making her head pound and spin.

Both men snapped their gaze to her.

“Easy, Julia,” Kyle said as he wrapped his fingers around her shoulder. “You’re still weak. You should–”

“Get your hands off her.”

Kyle screwed up his face as he glanced up at Grant. “I’m her doctor.”

“Not anymore, you’re not. Get out.”

“What?”

“Grant…” Julia began.

He ignored her, his angry gaze fixated on his son. “You heard me. Get out.”

“I’m not leaving Julia. I don’t think she wants me to leave.”

“Well, I do. And if you don’t leave, I’ll call security. You’re not her doctor anymore. I’ve had enough.”

Kyle’s jaw flexed as he stared at his father before he shifted his gaze to Julia. “Julia, do you want me to leave?”

“No,” Grant said with a wave of his finger. “No, you aren’t going to play on her sympathies. I don’t care what she says, you’re gone. Leave.”

“I think we all need to take a breath here,” Julia said as she desperately tried to contain the situation.

“He can take one somewhere else,” Grant said. He waited a moment before his eyes went wide. “Did you hear me? Get out.”

Kyle huffed out a sharp breath, his hands balled into fists at his sides. He stormed from the room without a word.

Julia’s stomach turned over again. “Oh, Grant, go after him.”

“No,” he said as he collapsed into the chair. “He’s caused way too much trouble, and now I’ve got a mess to clean up.”

“I was part of that mess,” she answered, guilt coursing through her.

“No, you weren’t. He did it. He took you there, he kissed you. He did this. Not you.”

“Because Lydia insisted he do it.”

“Oh, don’t kid yourself, Julia. He wanted to do it as much as she wanted him to. You can’t convince me otherwise.” The anger etched into every line of his face made him look even more exhausted.

She sucked in a breath as she tried to settle the pounding in her head. She reached for his hand. “I’m sorry this is happening.”

“Don’t apologize, it’s not your fault. And I’m going to handle it. There is nothing for you to worry about.”

“I’m certain you’re going to, but you don’t have to do it alone.”

“I don’t need you to fight my battles,” he said, heat entering his voice. He slid his eyes closed. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” she said. “You’re tired. You need to get some sleep.”

His phone rang, splitting the silence between them. “Yeah. After I handle this.”

He dug in his pocket and slid the phone out with a sigh. “I need to take this.”

“Okay,” she said as he strode from the room and pressed the phone to his ear.

She let her head fall back against the pillow as she tried to bring her tension down, though it wouldn’t dissipate.

This was partially her fault. And, after sitting vigil at her bedside, her exhausted husband now had to deal with it.

His outburst with Kyle had been born of frustration with the situation, but not his son.

Kyle wouldn’t take it that way, though. He needed support. And so did Grant. Both of them, exhausted after her ordeal, had reverted to their old ways, snapping at each other.

She needed to fix this. Ignoring the pounding in her head and the ache in her muscles, Julia attempted to rise from the bed. Her body protested, a sharp reminder of her recent ordeal, but her spirit, unyielding, pushed her to intervene.

As she stood, the room spun, a stark reminder of her physical limitations.

“Julia!” Kyle hissed as he rushed into the room and eased her back onto the bed. “What are you doing?”

“Going after one or both of you since you two can’t seem to get along.”

“That’s not your concern,” he said as he lifted her legs back onto the bed and pulled the covers over her.

Julia rubbed at her temples. “It is my concern. You’re both my concern. And that got way too heated.”

“Of course, it did. The great Grant Harrington is upset, which means everyone around him suffers.”

“That’s not true,” Julia said with a shake of her head. “He’s exhausted.”

“And he’s taking it out on me. Surprise.” Kyle set his hands on his hips and shook his head with a sigh.

“And so are you. You both need some rest. And I think you need to understand that this probably is putting a lot of pressure on him.”

“That doesn’t give him the right to–”

“Easy, Kyle,” Julia said as she grabbed his hand. “It doesn’t give him the right, no, but it does explain his behavior. It would be nice if you offered him a little understanding.”

Kyle slid his eyes closed, his jaw tightening.

“I know that’s hard. And if you aren’t able to, I understand. But maybe it’s best if you two avoid each other until you’ve both calmed down.”

“So, you want me to leave, too,” he said, his voice taut as he refused to look at her.

“Kyle–”

“What did I tell you?” Grant’s voice boomed from the doorway.

Julia flicked her gaze up to her husband, his exhausted features twisting with agitation. “Grant…”

Kyle’s features pinched before he stormed from the room.

“Kyle!” Julia called after him before she slid her eyes closed. Her weakness and the lingering headache and stomachache made the situation ten times worse.

She flung back the covers again and slid her legs over the edge of the bed.

“What are you doing?” Grant asked as he wrapped his hand around her arm.

“Going after him.”

“No, I don’t think so. You’re staying right here in bed. You need to focus on your recovery.”

“Grant–” She tried to tug her arm from his grasp.

“No, Julia. I’m not going to let you run all over the hospital chasing Kyle. He’s a grown man. He can handle himself.”

“He’s hurt.”

“He’ll get over it.” Grant picked her legs up and placed them back on the mattress before he pulled the covers over her.

She heaved a sigh, crossing her arms. “And how are you?”

“Fine. I, too, am a grown man.”

Julia reached a hand toward him, caressing his face. “I know. But you also need support. How bad is the fallout from the picture leak?”

He heaved a sigh and shook his head. “It’s handled.”

“Grant–”

“It’s handled, Julia. Honest. I sicced Sierra on them.”

Julia flicked her eyebrows up as she settled into the mattress. “Oh, well, then it’s probably handled.”

“I’m glad you have confidence in her,” Grant said, an edge still in his voice.

“I have the same confidence in you, too. But that doesn’t mean I don’t also want to support you. Especially since I’m partly to blame.” Her guilt ramped up again.

“You are not to blame, Juls. None of this is on you. He manipulated you.”

“Lydia manipulated him,” Julia answered.

“Fine. It’s Lydia’s fault. In either case, you are not to blame.” He kissed her hand before he offered her a weak smile. “Now, stop worrying and try to get some rest.”

“When are you going to get some rest?”

“I’m fine.”