I don’t know if he means the dance or the way he’s holding me.
Or the fact that he didn’t leave me tonight.
I swallow. “Your father...”
“Don’t,” he says quietly.
His words aren't meant to be harsh... Just… protective. Like, he doesn’t want him inside this space with us.
I nod.
We sway; we move as one. The room spins slowly around us in a glittering blur.
Julian’s thumb strokes the side of my waist once, barely there, just a quiet touch that tells my body we’re real. And something inside me unclenches.
Because this... this is what I needed.
Not diamonds.
Not dresses.
Not contracts.
Just…this.
Someone standing beside me.
Someone choosing me.
Even if it’s new.
Even if it’s complicated.
Even if it’s an arrangement that’s starting to feel like something else.
Julian leans in slightly, pulling me in just a little more, almost like he doesn't realize what he is doing.
We finish the song, but Julian doesn’t release me immediately. He keeps me close as the music fades.
Julian turns, guiding me back toward the table. His hand stays on my lower back the whole way.
And I realize something, like a truth sliding into place.
Last gala, I felt like I was barely surviving.
Tonight… I feel like I’m being cared for.
And that’s the most terrifying thing of all.
Because care makes you hope.
It makes you believe you could be loved.
We reach the table again.
Richard is gone.
Theo’s grin is wicked when we sit.
