I gave Julian a cold look, sharp enough to cut.
"What I call him has nothing to do with you," I said flatly. "Don't forget your place."
Julian stiffened. His jaw tightened as if he wanted to argue back, but before he could speak, I leaned closer and lowered my voice so only he could hear.
"Remember this," I whispered. "Everything that happened… it started with you."
No matter how much regret sat in his eyes, the truth didn't change. We were never meant to walk the same path.
Julian froze, his gaze darkening as memories clearly caught up with him. Whatever he saw there made his breath hitch.
I smiled faintly. "Don't look at me like that. Or are you trying to get me killed again?"
The word killed struck deeper than I expected.
His face drained of color. Without another word, he turned away, grabbed a glass of wine, and walked off. His back looked stiff, his steps uneven, like someone carrying weight he could no longer pretend wasn't there.
But this misery was his own doing.
