Page 54 of Betrayal of a Billionaire

“Ah, yeah, I don’t mind at all,” Grant said. “Have a nice time. I’ll see you when you get home.”

Julia shifted her weight as she studied him. She felt awful doing this, but she did want to go to dinner with her sister. “It’s fine, you can come with us.”

“Maybe we should go. We don’t want to spend our vacation sitting alone, right?” Kyle said.

“Kyle, I think we should let them have some family time.”

“But–” Kyle started as Grant offered him a shake of his head.

Alicia tapped him with a play punch. “See, he gets it.”

“Well, I think–” Julia began.

“Don’t think,” Alicia said as she looped her arm through her sister’s. “Just go with it and have some fun with your family.”

Julia shot Grant a glance over her shoulder as Alicia tugged her away, his silhouette framed by the fading light. The heaviness in his posture made it obvious he wasn’t pleased, though she could only guess at the silent struggle within him. She desperately wanted some downtime with her family, but not like this.

“Ally, wait,” Julia said as she slowed her steps.

“No, Juju. Let them go back to the house. I think you can have one night with your family.”

“But–”

“But nothing,” Ethan said, wrapping his arm around her. “Come on. It’s only a few hours.”

“I’ll ride with Juju, meet you boys there,” Alicia said as she waved them off. She wrapped her arms around Julia, hanging tightly onto her as they walked. “Oh, it’s so good to have my sister back.”

Julia’s heart melted as she pressed closer to her sister. “I’m so glad to see you.”

“Aw, Juju, it’s been way too long. And I’m sorry if I came across as rude before, but I just…really wanted some time alone with you.”

Julia stiffened a little, pulling away as her car came into sight.

“Juju?” Alicia asked.

Julia shot her a glance before she circled around the Jeep and climbed in. Alicia joined her, her gaze questioning as the long shadows cast from the lowering sun.

Julia shifted in her seat her finger hovering on the start button. “I missed you, too, but…”

“But? You didn’t miss me?”

“No, I did. I do. I just…please stop with this agenda.”

“The agenda to spend time with my sister?”

Julia offered her an unimpressed stare. “No, Ally, the agenda to push Luke and me together or cut Grant out entirely.”

“Julia,” Alicia said with a slump of her shoulders, “I’m not…”

She stopped, heaving a sigh. “I’m not doing anything that’s out of line. Look, this relationship with Grant is…fake, right? And, to be honest, fake or real, I don’t like it.”

“That’s not your decision to make, though,” Julia said.

“No, it isn’t. But here’s the thing…if all it takes for you and Luke to reconnect is a dinner with your sister and brother-in-law,maybethis fake thing with Grant isn’t where you should be.”

Julia tapped her fingers on her steering wheel as she shook her head. Her emotions scattered in a thousand different directions at once. She fought the urge to cry, instead, firing the engine.

“Fine.” As she backed from the parking space, she added, “Although this is far more than a dinner with you and Ethan, and you know that.”