Page 15 of Our Unexpected Beginning (Club Surrender #4)

“I’m sorry, Auntie. I am. I shouldn’t have kept it.” Julia looked down ashamed. “Mommy asked me not to tell and I thought.” Frustration and sadness welled inside her. “I–Devin-”

“No. Don’t you dare! It’s not nice to speak ill of the dead! ”

“Cassandra hasn’t been telling the truth. At least not the whole story.” Her hands balled into fists, drawing strength from Graham’s presence behind her. His hands rested on her shoulders, his thumbs digging into her muscles. It gave her a point to focus on as she declared her truth.

“The crash wasn’t an accident. Devin did it intentionally.” A lump welled in her throat. “He was on the track on purpose.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because he left us.” Julia pointed at her mother. Although they stood in the same arms-crossed position, their demeanors were different.

“Mom knew about the note.”

“You never said there was a note.” Tears welled in her aunt’s eyes and she leaned against the doorframe, listening and absorbing everything.

“Shut up, you’ll ruin everything! Don’t dirty your brother’s name!”

“I’m tired of shutting up. The only thing silence does is keep the peace, and I’m sick and tired of keeping everyone else’s peace but my own!”

“I don’t know what note you’re talking about.” The lie slipped off her tongue easily.

“The note you found, that you destroyed, and claimed never existed. Why’d you shred it, Mom? Was it because he did it on purpose or because you drove him to do it? Did he have something to say that you didn’t approve of? ”

Graham’s grip on her shoulder tightened, and he gently nudged her back to him. Julia understood and took a few slow, steady breaths, mindful of her heartbeat.

“I’ve tried for years to live up to your standards. No matter how ridiculous they were. I tried for so long, but being me is an insult to you.”

Julia sighed in relief, shedding years of weight from her shoulders. “For once in my life, I have something that’s mine. I may be a business of one, but I’m a damn good one,” with a six-month waiting list that she was proud of. “Someone who sees me and not through me.”

Julia looked up at Graham. “Let’s go. I’m done with this conversation. I choose me.” She walked over to her aunt and wrapped her arms around her.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I don’t know why I tried.”

“It’s okay. She’s your mom and you were trying. Everyone has a breaking point.” Her eyes were glassy as she nodded, reinforcing that Julia was in the right.

“Someone loving how you make them feel is not the same as someone loving you. I know that now. No, no. I’ve always known that, but now it matters.” Julia glanced at Graham and smiled faintly.

Graham guided Julia to the car, and they drove away. They turned the corner, and Julia grabbed his arm. “Did that just happen?”

“Yeah, kitten. It did.” His hand covered hers. “Are you okay?”

“Is it still considered aftercare without the scene? Because… ”

He kissed her softly. “You don’t ever have to explain yourself. Let’s go home.”

Graham

Graham walked into his bathroom, spotting Julia drying off, and he pulled his shirt off and tossed it toward the laundry pile.

“Did you get all the paint out of your hair?” They decided to paint the spare room to Graham’s new place.

He wanted to make it as baby and Julia friendly as he was able to. He craved her in his space.

“I couldn’t get the purple heart on my stomach.” She teased him. He’d put it there when things became out of hand and they were more interested in painting and mounting the other than painting the rest of the mural.

Julia wrapped the towel around her and looked over at him. “I’ll end up coloring it next week anyway. Don’t worry, Mia and I have been belly bonding.”

Graham wrapped his arms around her waist. “I honestly don’t know if that makes me feel better or not.” He sighed.

“Why?”

“Because I should be here. Not for only two weeks at a time.”

“Are you off partying somewhere?”

“No. You’ re the only one I want to party with.” Graham shrugged and kissed her nose.

“If I wouldn’t get my badass girl card taken from me, I’d pack up my projects and go hang out in your camp while you were on-site.

That is how much I hate the distance.” He wouldn’t object one bit.

He’d pack her stuff up and bring her in two seconds if it was feasible and wouldn’t put more stress on her and their baby.

“Listen. Is it easy all the time? No. Does the distance bother me some days? Yeah, it really does. But I understand what you’re doing.”

“Would it be strange to say that I’m proud of you, kitten?”

Julia blushed under his gaze.

“I am. You are one of the most independently driven women I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. It takes growth and strength to know you can lean on someone when you need it.”

“Mel and I have been that way for years.” She shrugged, grabbing her hair brush to pull out the tangles.

Graham’s eyes met hers with all seriousness. “Six months ago you wouldn’t confide in anyone but Mel.”

“Yeah well I kinda have a big ape shaped hole that broke my armor.”

“Oh, I can fill your ho-”

“Oh my God!” she laughed loudly and tipped her head back. “Sir, you are horrible!”

Julia batted him away with the hairbrush. “I’m going to get dressed, you still have paint on your neck.” She giggled, blew him a kiss, and hurried out of the room leaving him to shower.

Graham watched her disappear through the doorway, her laughter still echoing in the room.

The shower hissed to life, steam beginning to fill the small space for the second time.

He tilted his head, examining the blue paint splatter on his neck in the mirror.

Evidence of their impromptu painting session for the nursery.

As warm water cascaded over his shoulders, Graham’s thoughts drifted. Six months. Six months since Julia had let him past those carefully constructed walls. Sometimes he still couldn’t believe it—that this fierce, brilliant woman was carrying his child, that she’d chosen him to build a life with.

The universe chose her to be his and it wasn’t something he would let slip through his fingers.

The water washed away the paint but not his thoughts. He’d meant what he said about being proud of her. Julia’s fierce independence had been what attracted him initially, but watching her slowly lower her walls, allowing herself to be vulnerable with him—that was something else entirely.

Graham stepped out of the shower, drying off quickly and wrapping a towel around his waist. He grabbed his phone from the nightstand and checked his messages as he made his way out of the bedroom .

A few missed calls from work, nothing urgent. Two from the reporter that won’t quit asking about his fathers estate. But there was a text from Julia’s best friend, Melody.

Melody :

Hey! How’s my favorite expecting couple? Any baby updates?

Graham smiled at Mel’s enthusiasm. It was nice to have someone else outside of their relationship who was just as excited about the baby as they were. He wondered when Wes was going to pop the question, he hadn’t heard anything since the day they went to pick one out.

Graham :

All’s good. She’ll be yours again when I leave Tuesday. I’ve been kicked out of her art project for today though * laughing faces *

Melody :

You’re lucky she let you in it at all, mister!

Melody :

No word from the other side?