Page 87 of The Man Upstairs

She’d sent it just twenty minutes ago, and she was still online. The tick came up next to her message as read, so this was it, she knew I’d seen it. Showdown time. Either in our apartment, or up here in Julian’s hallway. Which was it to be?

I looked at my hero, and he was so concerned for me that it made my heart sing, even in the looming chaos.

“Do you want me to be there with you?” he asked, but I shook my head and got to my feet.

“I can handle this. But it might be a long conversation, so don’t wait up for me. Get some sleep, because I likely won’t get any.”

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, smiling as though I was speaking the ridiculous for even suggesting it.

“Fat chance of that, sweetheart,” he said. “I’ll be waiting up for you all night.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Rosie

I’ll come down.

Those were the three words I sent before I got dressed and prepared myself. I didn’t know how it would go, or how tempers might escalate, or how the hell she’d react to me, but despite my stomach churning and nerves making my hands shake, I knew that I had to be truthful. On every level.

Julian was at my side as I brushed my hair in the mirror. “Are you absolutely certain you don’t want me to come with you? You only have to say the word.”

That sentiment meant so much, but I shook my head with a smile, turning into his arms for a hug.

“Thank you, but I’ll do this alone. I’ll be back up when I’m done, don’t worry.”

His eyes were so beautiful, so loving. “I hope that’s apinky promise.”

“It’s more than a pinky promise, I promise,” I said.

And then I braced myself. Time to do it.

“Call me if you need me,” Julian said then dropped a kiss on my forehead.

“I will.”

And then he let me go.

My heart was racing and my hands were trembling as I descended the stairs.

I opened our front door and stepped inside without the pretence of a bag full of things. I wasn’t going to be pretending I was leavingJennyand returning home.

Mum was waiting for me, sitting on the sofa without her phone in her hands for once. I could see she’d been crying. A lot. Her eyes were puffy and red, and I got a stab of guilt in the heart. I’d seen Mum struggling with her emotions to breaking point plenty of times before, but it wasn’t usually down to me. I was always the one trying to help her, not hurt her.

Her attention was all on me as I dropped myself down in the armchair.

“It’s him, isn’t it?” Mum said. “Jenny is the man upstairs? Julian?”

I wasn’t going to deny it, despite the pain in her eyes.

“Yeah, Jenny is Julian. She’s been Julian from the start.”

“I can’t believe this,” she said, and the tears started up again.

I had the urge to say I was sorry, but I wasn’t sorry. Julian was the best thing that had ever happened to me. I didn’t rush over to help her through her tears.

I kept quiet as she tried to calm her breaths. I waited until she was ready to speak again.

“You’ve been fucking Julian? For weeks?” she said, more tears threatening. “And you didn’t even think of telling me? Why the hell not? Why would you do this? Why would you be withhim?! It’s fucking sick, Rosie. SICK!”