Choices
1023 Words
Julian didn’t move for a long time.
He stood frozen on the hillside, breath shallow, eyes fixed on the path Ava had disappeared down. The wind swept past him in harsh bursts, cold against his skin, but he barely felt it. Her sobs still echoed in his ears- sharp, gutting sounds that left him raw.
He dragged a hand through his hair, heart racing. What the hell had he done?
“I’m engaged.”
The words he’d spoken tasted like ash now. He had meant to tell her- but he had just met her. How would he have even known he would fall this deeply? Or maybe he just hadn’t wanted to see her pull away. Maybe he had been too much of a coward to lose the way she looked at him.
Now he’d lost it anyway.
He finally descended the hill, slower than before. Each step felt heavy, like he was sinking with every breath. He disregarded whatever Freddie was saying to him as he opened the door for him and just sat quietly the entire ride home.
The estate was cloaked in quiet when he returned, its manicured gardens and stately architecture now feeling more like a gilded cage. He went straight to his wing of the house and entered the sitting room off his bedroom. The lights were low, the fireplace flickering dimly. He poured himself a drink- scotch, neat- and downed it in one gulp.
His phone buzzed in his coat pocket. He already knew who it was.
“Can’t sleep. Thinking of you. ❤️ - V”
Julian slammed the phone onto the table, the cracked screen flaring with light before dimming again.
A knock came at the door. Light, but firm.
“Julian?”
His mother’s voice. Always composed. Always precise.
He didn’t answer.
The door opened anyway, and Katherine St. Clair stepped inside in her long robe, her silver hair tied back, eyes sharp despite the late hour.
She took one look at him- his shirt rumpled, his jaw clenched, the half-empty glass in his hand- and frowned. “What happened?”
Julian sat back on the couch, rubbing his hands over his face. “It’s complicated.”
Katherine crossed the room and sat across from him, her posture as regal as ever. “Complicated or foolish?”
He looked at her, jaw tightening. “Both.”
She waited, saying nothing, the silence a tool she wielded well. Eventually, he broke.
“I met a girl” he said.
Katherine’s brows lifted slightly, but she didn’t look surprised. “A girl? I don’t understand”
He continued, slowly, like peeling off a bandage. “Tonight was the third time I saw her. We had dinner. It was… amazing. Until she found out something I should’ve told her earlier.”
Katherine narrowed her eyes slightly. “Julian. What did you do?”
He didn’t look at her. “She didn’t know I was engaged.”
Silence.
“I didn’t lie to her. I just… I didn’t say it. And then she saw a text from Vanessa and…” His voice faltered. “She ran.”
Katherine leaned back in her chair. “So you’re emotionally entangled with a woman you barely know- while still engaged to a perfectly appropriate match.”
Julian winced. “Vanessa isn’t- ”
“She is who your father and I chose,” Katherine cut in gently but firmly. “You’ve known her for years. You share a history. Not… candlelight and adrenaline.”
He set the glass down harder than he meant to. “This isn’t just adrenaline, Mother. It was three meetings, yes, but I’ve never-”He hesitated, frustrated. “I’ve never felt like this with anyone.”
Her expression softened just slightly, but her voice remained cool. “Julian, you are still grieving. Your father’s death was only a few days ago. You are navigating emotions that feel much larger than they may be. Be careful not to mistake grief for love.”
He stood up, pacing now. “This has nothing to do with grief. Or maybe it does- but that doesn’t make it less real.”
Katherine watched him quietly for a moment. Then she said, “You’ll have to set this aside for now.”
He turned, surprised. “Excuse me?”
His mother was silent for a long moment. “You are now the head of this family. There’s no room for reckless behavior, especially not now.”
Julian gave a bitter laugh. “I didn’t plan this. I didn’t expect to feel anything for her.”
“But you do.”
He didn’t answer. He didn’t need to.
Katherine sighed and stood, walking toward the fireplace. “I came to remind you that your father’s memorial board meeting has been moved up. You need to fly to Geneva tomorrow.”
Julian blinked. “Tomorrow?”
“You’ll meet with the board, finalize your seat as Chairman, and review the updated asset reports. This is your responsibility now.”
He stood slowly, as if the words weighed him down.
His mother turned, expression unreadable. “I suggest you focus on your priorities. The company needs you. The legacy your father built depends on it.”
“I know” Julian said, voice low.
Katherine’s expression softened—just slightly. “Good”.
She left without another word.
Later that night, Julian lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. He couldn’t sleep. His mind was a warzone of memories—Ava’s laugh, the way she had smiled up at him on the hill, the sound of her voice breaking as she said “I’m so stupid”
He got up before sunrise.
In the dim light of dawn, he walked to his study, opened his laptop, and searched for her name. Not just her phone number- her full name, her business, her apartment lease, anything.
If he had to cancel the flight, delay the board, burn every bridge- he would.
Because Ava Rose had touched something in him that money, power, or status never had.
And he wasn’t ready to let her go.
- Writer
