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"Okay Thank you, Ellery" He smiled

I took his hand and led hiels and drank our coffee

"Do you have any plans today?" I asked

"Actually, I do"

I was disappointed when he said that because I was hoping we could spend the day together

"Oh, what are you doing?" I asked, as if it was any ofthe day with you" He srin spread across my face as I leaned over and kissed him

Connor

Jake stood in the living roos while she was upstairs getting her things together

"Beautiful, isn’t it?" I said

"Yes It’s stunning Who painted it?"

"Julia," I replied

Jake turned around and looked at me with a shocked expression on his face

"I know That’s how I felt when I saw her s for the first time" I smiled

"Wow Julia told me that she painted, but I had no idea that she could paint like that"

"She gets her talent froallery in Chicago wherewith Ellery’s Maybe, soo and you can see for yourself"

"Thanks, I would like that"

"Listen, Jake," I said as I looked at him "I don’t knohat Julia has told you about me, but I’m very protective of her, and I look out for her safety"

"And you should, because that’s what a father is supposed to do for his children You don’t have to worry about Julia when she’s with me, Connor I’ll make sure she’s always safe I know I’ve only known her a few days, but I already feel like I’ve known her forever I can’t even describe the feeling I get when I’m with her"

"You don’t have to, Jake I already know that feeling Just do me a favor and be really careful, if you knohat I mean"

"Oh my God! Dad!" Julia exclaimed as she and Ellery walked into the room

She took Jake’s arm and the two of the and wrapped her arive hihter?"

I took in a deep breath and sighed "I just told hi to happen Look at the way they look at each other"

"They rerip around me

"I know they do, baby," I said as I kissed her on the head

Julia

Jake and I spent every day of the suether The first ti experience ofand I couldn’t have asked for anything more We had sex a lot Now I understood why et enough of Jake, and I wanted him all the time Just the way he looked at me sent an ache down below It amazed me to see that, after all those years,for each other Collin and I were very lucky to have Connor and Ellery Black as our parents Soued, but what kid doesn’t argue with their parents? This was the best summer of my life, and I still h it and helped rave, so I could put flowers down and talk to her The anger that I had built up towards her for doing what she did started to subside each time Jake and I talked about her

My mom and dad loved Jake, especially my dad The way the two of them talked about corporations and finance bored ood to see the We packed up e needed and traveled back to New York I drove back with Jake and we stopped at his house first before he took me to Columbia for a tour We walked hand in hand across ca It was packed as students wereinto their dorms and sorority houses People were everywhere We ran into a few of Jake’s friends and he introduced uys and I couldn’t wait to get to know them better Out of the six friends I had already irlfriends We all went out that night and had a lot of fun We laughed, drank (don’t tell my dad), and Jake and I tore up the dance floor at the club When it was tioodbye to our friends and walked down the streets of New York

"Your friends are great," I said as I laid my head on his shoulder

"Yeah, they’re pretty cool, and I could tell they really like you"

"I hope so"

"I love you," Jake said as he kissed me on the head

I stopped theand my skin started to heat up "What?"

"I love you" He smiled

Neither one of us had said those words yet As much as I knew I loved him, I didn’t want to be the first one to say it just in case he wasn’t ready

"Why do you look so shocked?" he asked "I love you, Julia Rose Black," he screah the streets of the city"