Chapter 6: A door to the past
1116 Words
Charlotte’s pulse raged in her ears, drowning out the clinking of cutlery and muted hum of conversation around her.
Her fingers trembled as she clutched her purse. Was she seeing things?
She blinked hard, but the man standing in front of her didn’t disappear.
It was Julian.
“Julian?” she whispered again, her voice shaky, unsure.
He smirked, that familiar, lopsided grin that used to make her stomach flutter now sending a chill down her spine.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Charlotte.”
Her throat felt dry, her thoughts scrambling to catch up. Julian. Here. In New York. Of all places, and of all times, it had to be now.
Julian was taller than she remembered, or maybe it was the way he carried himself.. broad shoulders, sharp jawline, his dark eyes studying her with a mix of curiosity and something she couldn’t place.
His tailored suit fit him perfectly, his appearance polished, confident, and undeniably handsome.
He had always turned heads, and tonight was no exception.
“And you?” Julian’s voice pulled her from her daze. “What brings you to this side of New York?”
She faltered, her mind racing for an answer. This wasn’t her side of New York, not the downtown world she had known with her stepfamily.
This side belonged to the Grahams.. cold, unfamiliar, and suffocating.
“Julian, I...” Her voice trailed off, her thoughts clouded. She knew the appropriate thing to do was to thank him. He had just covered her bill, after all.
That was the polite, proper response in a situation like this.
But those weren’t the words that came out.
“I didn’t expect to see you here,” she said instead, her voice barely above a whisper.
Julian tilted his head slightly, his smile tight but his gaze unwavering.
“Neither did I,” he admitted. “I’m in town for a contract job. It’s temporary, but... well, imagine my surprise running into you here, of all places.”
Charlotte’s stomach twisted at his words. A contract job? That meant he wouldn’t be here long, but it was long enough to complicate everything.
Julian’s dark eyes softened, but there was an edge to his tone when he added, “I saw the news.”
Her breath hitched. The news.
Of course, he had seen it.. the headlines, the photos, the endless speculation about her sudden marriage to Ryan Graham.
Her cheeks burned as the weight of her situation pressed down on her.
“Julian, I can explain,” she started, her voice trembling.
He raised a hand, stopping her. “You don’t owe me an explanation, Charlotte. We both know what happened between us.”
Her chest tightened. Nine months ago, their relationship had crumbled under the weight of distance and neglect. He had left New York, pursuing opportunities abroad, while she had been left behind to fend off her stepmother’s manipulations and her father’s debts. Their once-perfect connection had become shaky, and in the end, it had broken.
“I didn’t think I’d see you again,” she admitted, her voice small.
“And yet here we are,” Julian replied, his gaze flicking to the counter where her declined card still sat. His lips quirked upward in a faint smile. “Seems fate has a sense of humor.”
Her fingers tightened around the strap of her purse, gripping it as if it might hold her together.
“Yes,” she murmured, barely audible.
“But then.. married to Ryan Graham,” Julian pressed, his eyes narrowing. “Quite the leap, isn’t it? Last time we spoke, you were…”
“Don’t,” she cut him off sharply, the words laced with more bite than she intended.
Julian blinked, his surprise evident.
Around them, the low hum of the restaurant buzzed, but Charlotte could feel the weight of imaginary stares.
“I’m sorry,” Julian said after a moment, his voice softer now, apologetic. “I didn’t mean to suggest anything.”
Charlotte took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “It’s fine,” she said curtly, though her clipped tone betrayed her discomfort. “It’s none of your business.”
Julian hesitated, studying her with a look she couldn’t quite read. “So..” he paused, “That’s it?” he said finally, his voice low and disbelieving. “You just… moved on?”
The words hit her like a blow, but she refused to let it show.
Her throat ached with the things she wanted to say, the truths she wanted to spill.. how the marriage wasn’t real, how desperation had forced her hand, how none of this was what it seemed.
For a fleeting moment, she wanted to fall into his arms and cry, beg him to save her from the nightmare she was living.
But she couldn’t. She wouldn’t.
Julian didn’t deserve to see her like that.. broken and vulnerable.. not after he’d left.
“Life happens, Julian,” she said finally, squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin. Her voice was calm, steady, even as her hands trembled. “People move on.”
His jaw tightened, frustration flashing in his eyes. “You’re right,” he said, his tone clipped. “Life does happen. But this?” He gestured toward her, lowering his voice. “You and Ryan Graham? It doesn’t make sense, Charlotte.”
She met his gaze without flinching. “You don’t know anything about it,” she shot back, her voice cold, sharp as a blade.
Julian opened his mouth to respond but stopped, his expression softening. For a moment, it looked like he wanted to say something else.. something that might break the wall between them. Instead, he sighed and shook his head.
“I missed you,” he said quietly, the words landing like a confession.
Charlotte’s resolve faltered, the emotions she’d buried rising to the surface.
She glanced at him, and for just a moment, she let herself feel it.. the longing, the grief, the what-ifs.
But then she pushed it all down. She couldn’t afford to break.. not here, not now.
“Julian…” she began, her voice soft, almost apologetic.
“Charlotte?”
The voice was sharp, cold, and cut through the air like a knife.
She froze. Her heart plummeted as she turned, dread curling in her stomach.
Ryan stood just a few feet away, his expression unreadable, his presence commanding.
Julian glanced between them, his brows furrowed in confusion.
Charlotte wanted to disappear, for the ground to swallow her whole, but there was no escaping this moment.
She stood frozen, unable to speak, as Ryan’s piercing gaze locked onto hers.
- Writer
