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“It wasti me as he comes closer He doesn’t touch me Instead he stops a few yards away from me It’s almost as if he’s scared to be too close

“It’s a beautiful garden I’ve always enjoyed spending tied with frustration at our situation “I’ lunch I’ll be back in an hour”

“If you want to take a half-day, that’s fine I’ll have lawyers here this afternoon, and I didn’t think you’d want to sit and listen to us talk” There’s tension in his tone He’s nervous, because when I look up at him, he turns away “I’ll see you to form

I could’ve told him I’d stay But I didn’t

“Thank your contact for the address,” I call after him, but all he offers is a wave, his head bowed, his focus on the ground rather than what’s happening around him

When I arrived this h he still looks troubled, I realize it’s not up to me to fix anyone I need to focus on myself

With a heavy heart, I go to pack updown the driveway toward the Uber I called, a car rolls up toward the house, and I notice tell-dressed men in the front, and in the back is a buxoh the plantation house is expensive and well s in thousands of dollars, this woman looks like she’d behounded by paparazzi

Ignoring the burning bite of jealousy, I walk away from Julian and whatever drama is about to unfold in that house I have the address to my mom’s old home Perhaps today is the day I need to pay a visit and focus on soht I hadChapter 24JulianThe moment Nea left, I felt the loss But I needed her to leave so I can say goodbye to my past Once I can do that, Nea and I can finally sit down and talk I want her to know me, all of me And I need her to know that I love her

My phone buzzes, and when I glance at the screen, I see Eli’s na at me I answer, “Hey, man”

“You okay?” he asks, knowing Shay is coe, and when he called o, but I haven’t yet I need to knohat she wants from me

“I don’t know I just fucking sent Nea away”

“Why?” I can hear the confusion in his voice, and I know I should’ve asked her to stay, but this is a fight I need to finish before I can focus on Nea

“Because I can’t let her see this bitch who’s tornahold of me

“I get it But re Nea is your future Don’t jeopardize it for Shay just because you were married”

“I know Thanks for checking in on ned, she’ll be in s”

“That’s exactly right You found a good girl Kate was gushing about Nea, and I think you can be happy with her Just don’t let Shay fuck with your head again” Eli is right, as he usually is, but I don’t tell hi end of it

“Thanks, man It means a lot that you both like Nea because I think I’ve fallen hard,” I ad, and I know he’ll see the change in me

“Oh, I know that; so does Kate That’s why she made , s up, I can’t help but sood friend, level-headed coodsend

Shay suddenly glides through the house as if she owns it The hate I have for her is stronger than I could ever have anticipated I’ve always been an angry person, always focused on ed that for ined But now that Shay is back, I feel like that young, inexperienced boy again

It doesn’t help that she’s older than me It also doesn’t help that she was the one anted the e, the name, and the fame when all I needed was so personality and lightened my world with color