Page 294 of The Long Way Home

I stare over at him and shake my head. “What?”

“What?” He scoffs. “You think I didn’t know he’d defend your honour when he saw me shagging some girl in a club?” He rolls his eyes. “It’s sweet—” He waves his hand dismissively. “How much he loves you.”

I stare over at him, a bit incredulous.

No. Could he really have?

I squint at him. “Did you really do that for me or is this just a happy coincidence?”

He gives me this long look, the question hangs there and I don’t know what the answer is. There’s so much he’s not saying in the silence, I can feel it all thick with things I don’t know. Whatever it is, it makes me feel a peculiar tenderness towards him that I didn’t want to feel while I was doing this.

Julian clears his throat and gives me a tight smile. “You know what? I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve fallen into the ranks of men who find that there’s very little that they wouldn’t do for you, Magnolia Parks.”

My face softens.

“Oh my god.” I walk over to him, sit down on his bed. “Are you being serious?”

He shrugs like it’s nothing. “He needed to feel good enough for you. Nothing ups a lad’s confidence like fighting for the girl he loves—”

“Julian—” I reach for his hand. He lets me take it. “That is…” I trail. “Thank you.”

He lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses it, runs his thumb over my wrist and under the sleeve of my white Maddy ribbed-knit sweater from Khaite.

“You’re welcome,” he tells me then he drops my hand. “And I’m relieved.”

I blink at him, frowning a bit.

He gives me a look out of the corner of his eye as he shakes his head.

“I thought Daisy was a handful, but fuck me dead, you’re an absolute headache.”

I frown more.

He clocks my face and chuckles.

“Bit worth it though,” he says with a small nod.

“So this is it?” I ask him. “We’re done now?”

He nods. “Yep. We’re done.”

I look over at him fondly. “I’ll miss you.”

He nods, confident. “I’m sure you will. No way he is as good in bed as I am.”

I give him a look.

He cracks a smile that looks a bit tender. “I’m happy for you.”

“Yeah?” I smile up at him, my cheeks a bit pink.

He nods.

“Hey.” I poke him. “Would you do me a favour and not put out a hit on the man I love?”

He considers this, nodding slowly before offering me a shrug.

“He’s a Hemmes for all intents and purposes. Under their protection. So are you, so you don’t need mine. But you have it anyway.” He gives me a steady look. “You need anything ever — ever — I’m your man.”