Bella didn’t wait.
That was the difference between who she had been and who she was now.
She called Julian the next morning before work, fog still clinging to the edges of the city outside her window.
“Talk to me,” Julian said immediately, his voice already alert.
“I saw the message,” Bella replied. “About the fundraiser.”
Julian exhaled slowly. “I was going to tell you again, properly.”
“I know,” Bella said. “This isn’t about timing.”
Silence followed. Invitational.
“How did it make you feel?” Julian asked.
Bella leaned against the counter, grounding herself. “Exposed. Not because I think you did something wrong, but because distance means I can’t read context for myself.”
Julian nodded, though she couldn’t see it. “That’s fair.”
“And,” Bella continued, “it reminded me how easi
