Page 131 of Betrayal of a Billionaire

Alicia called her attention back to the table as she asked her if she remembered a particular instance of pasta dinner with the four of them. Conversation flowed easily, though Julia remained quieter than normal, happy to let them assume it was due to her recent experience.

They settled on the couch afterward, leaving the dishes in the sink despite Julia’s offering to help.

“No, dishes can wait. We are going to spend some time together.”

She settled on the cushion next to Luke as her sister dimmed the lights and turned on the movie, a silly rom-com. The irony was that it was the first movie she and Grant had watched together.

It tugged at her heartstrings, but she tried to shove it aside, glancing at her sister lounging on the loveseat with Ethan. She wondered if their marriage was back on track. She guessed she’d find out soon enough.

She swallowed hard and flicked her gaze back to the screen as a scene Grant had commented on played out. Next to her, Luke chuckled before he stretched his arm across the back of the couch behind her.

She slid her eyes closed, the pull of the past tugging at her. But it felt too easy to slip back into. Was falling back into old patterns the easier path? But she knew it would only be a bandage for the pain she felt right now.

As her head started to throb at the temples, she leaned forward.

“Juju? You okay?” Alicia asked.

She sucked in a breath as she nodded. “Yeah, just…really tired again. That meal must have done it. If no one minds, I think I’ll just turn in early.”

“Oh, of course, sweetie. Yeah. It’s fine. We’ll have plenty of other nights. You want me to come up with you?”

“No, I’m okay. I’m just going to crawl into bed and go to sleep. Good night.” Julia rose from the couch and shuffled from the room, leaving behind the memories of her past and present as she climbed the stairs and pushed into her bedroom.

She found a set of her pajamas in the dresser and changed into them before she crawled between the sheets and tugged them to her chin.

The urge to cry overtook her as turmoil brewed beneath her surface again. She fought it, eventually dozing off despite the march of memories, old and recent, crowding into her mind.

The sensation of a hand clamping over her mouth startled her awake. She let out a muffled scream as she grabbed at the strong hand pressed against her lips.

“Shh,” a voice whispered in her ear.

Julia struggled against her attacker again.

“Stop, Julia, it’s me, it’s Kyle.”

She twisted to face him, his hand still clamped over her mouth. He pressed a finger to his lips as he eased his hand away from her.

“Kyle?” she exclaimed a little too loudly for his taste.

He pressed his hand over her mouth again. “Shh, Julia, be quiet.”

She lowered her voice to a whisper. “What are you doing? Why are you in my bedroom at…” She glanced at the clock. “One in the morning?”

“It’s the only way I could see you. Please, you have to be quiet, though. I really don’t want your sister sending me to jail.”

Julia’s brow crinkled as she tried to piece his statement together. “Only way you could see me? What are you talking about?”

“You’re not answering calls, you’re not answering texts. And the restraining order against me and Grant was the icing on the cake. Julia, how could you do that?”

The words stopped her heart for a beat. “Wait, what? What restraining order?”

Kyle eyed her as the moonlight streamed in through her window. “We came to the hospital this morning, and Ethan told us you had filed a restraining order against both of us. He said we couldn’t get within fifty feet of you without being arrested.”

She tried to form words but found herself unable. Why had they lied?

“Julia, we have been trying to see you since last night. Your sister said we’d never see you again. I can’t handle that. I’m sorry about everything that’s happened, but please…you can’t ignore me. It’s killing me.”

“I’m not,” she said.