CHAPTER 037: The End Of The World
I blink, feeling the weight of Maya’s words settle on me. “What? Why would I have to move out?”
She doesn’t look up, busy packing her notes, her movements brisk and businesslike, “It’s for your own good,” she says. “If we’re playing by Ryan’s rules, we need to look spotless–inside and out. Living with another man in the middle of divorce proceedings? It’s not a good look, Julie. Not for the judge, not for the court, not for anyone who’s watching.”
I sink back in my chair, letting out a sigh that feels like it’s been building all day. “An hour ago, I thought we were just going to have a civil conversation about this. And now we’re here, strategizing like it’s a
battlefield.”
Maya glances at me, a hint of sympathy in her eyes. “Civil?” She shakes her head. “Julie, this is divorce. Civility is an endangered species.”
A bitter laugh escapes my lips, more acidic than I expected, and I realize it’s the first genuine reaction I’ve allowed myself all day. “I’ll…think about it, I guess.”
“Think fast.” Her eyes meet mine with a glint that’s both a warning and encouragement. She straightens, gathering her papers into a neat stack. “And one more thing–get comfortable with discomfort. If Ryan wants a fight, we’re going to give him a show. We’re going to push back, and we’re going to do it with style.”
I feel my smile widen, turning into something that feels, for the first time in a long time, like strength.
Leaving Maya’s office feels like shedding a layer of skin. I head toward my Uber, heels clacking with each determined step, hoping the next hour can go by in peace.
Javier was right after all. The O’Briens do not plan to go down easy. And now, because of their stupid counterclaim, I have to leave Luke’s house?
No way. I’m not going anywhere. What’s the worst that could happen? I get found guilty of adultery, and it honestly wouldn’t be the end of the world.
I’m done letting anyone or even the law dictate my life.
I’m halfway to the car when my phone vibrates. A message from Ryan.
“We need to talk.”
I almost laugh. The urge to reply ‘go fuck yourself‘ rises fast. But then I stop myself. Ryan’s suing me for cruelty, for God’s sake. Handing him a fresh piece of “evidence” would be the perfect gift right now. So, instead, I pocket my phone and keep walking.
Another buzz.
“Please, Julie. You know I don’t want this to happen. My mom’s the one doing all this.”
A scoff escapes my lips before I can stop it. Sure, blame it all on Adeline, your puppet master of a mother. As if she’s the one who actually files the papers, who goes to court on your behalf. You’re an adult, Ryan. Take a bit of responsibility.
1/4
CHAPTER 037: The End Of The World
+25 BONUS
I make it to my car, climbing into the backseat. Another buzz.
“I miss you. And I’m sorry. The account has been unfrozen. Call me when you get the chance.”
My grip tightens on the phone as the driver starts the trip. I miss you? I’m sorry? How dare he. I want to fire back, to tell him he can shove the apology–and that money–right where the sun doesn’t shine. But my savings are in that account. For the first time in what feels like an eternity, my money is back in my control.
And then, an idea forms in my mind. Wild, unconventional, utterly thrilling. I’m free to do as I please. For the first time, my money and I are on the same side of this mess. Maybe it’s time to use that money to buy something worthwhile. Like happiness.
Happiness. The word feels fresh, new. I stare out the window with renewed focus as we head toward Luke’s house. I let the thought grow, twist, and take shape as the city lights blur past me.
Back at Luke’s place hours later, I’m seated in my room. The soft glow of scented candles bathes my bedroom in a warm haze, filling the air with an inviting fragrance. I check my phone for the third time, staring at Luke’s last message. “Thirty minutes,” he’d said.
It’s been over an hour.
Frustration stirs in me. The night’s not going as I planned. Just as I’m about to call him, I hear the rumble of his car pulling into the driveway, loud and unapologetic. My heart skips once. Twice.
Am I really doing this?
Footsteps. A pause, then a soft knock at the door.
“Come in,” I say.
Luke steps into the room. His gaze sweeps over the candles, the low lighting, eyes pausing on me in my nightgown and robe. He lifts his brows in surprise.
“Umm, what’s going on?” he asks.
I smile, motioning to the spot on the bed, beside me. “Come, sit.”
He crosses the room, moving with the kind of caution that suggests he’s aware this is some kind of trap. The bed dips as he sits, close but careful. I lean forward, gesturing to the candles scattered around.
“Cute, right?” I ask, letting my eyes linger on him.
He smirks, tilting his head, and his eyes catch mine in a look so steady it makes my pulse jump. “They’re cute, alright. But not the cutest thing in the room.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “Luke, the flatterer.”
“You think I’m flattering you?”
I pause, letting the silence hang between us, watching as his gaze narrows, assessing me. “Maybe you are,” I say, my voice low. “Maybe you’re not. But that’s not why I called you here.”
His expression shifts, and he straightens. “Why, then?”
2/4
CHAPTER 037: The End Of The World
+25 BONUS
I rise, stepping away from the bed, letting my fingers trail over the edges of the candles, my touch skimming each one as if savoring its warmth. I feel Luke’s eyes following me, tracing every movement.
“I got served today,” I say, almost to myself, but loud enough for him to hear. “Ryan is suing me for defamation, adultery, and a whole list of colorful accusations.”
“What?”
I turn to face him, letting my gaze hold his, feeling the weight of the words between us. Then, slowly, I reach up to pull out the band that holds my hair in place. My hair falls around my shoulders, and I see his eyes darken, his focus sharpening. The room feels smaller, the air thicker.
I let my fingers slip through my hair, closing my eyes, drawing the moment out, feeling his gaze like a touch on my skin. “I went to see Maya. She thinks I should leave your house, find somewhere else to stay
for now.”
His voice comes low, tight. “Why the hell would you need to do that?”
open my eyes, my hands falling back to my sides. “Apparently, it’s bad for my case. And I just thought… why me? Why is it that happiness slips right through my fingers every time I think I’ve finally caught it?”
He opens his mouth, but I lift my hand, silencing him. “I’m done being sad about it, Luke.” I let my fingers find the tie of my robe, pulling it loose. The fabric slips from my shoulders and drops to the floor, revealing the silk of my nightgown that clings to my body like a second skin.
His gaze drags over me, slow and deliberate. I can see the tension tightening in his jaw, the flicker of heat in his eyes.
I take a step closer, the silk brushing against my skin, cool and electrifying, igniting something reckless in me. “I think I’ve finally figured out a way to be happy,” I say. “And that’s by taking happiness wherever I find it, even if it costs me.”
He doesn’t move. His gaze is locked on mine, fierce, unblinking.
“Julie… what are you…” His voice is rough, strained, like he’s fighting something primal
I slip the straps of my nightgown off my shoulders, letting it slide down, pooling at my feet. Standing there, completely exposed, I watch the last fragments of his self–control break, the hunger flashing in his eyes like a spark catching fire.
He’s still, barely breathing, his eyes dark and consuming, as if he’s memorizing every inch of me, as if he’s already touching me without even moving.
I cross the distance between us, standing directly in front of him. With a finger, I lift his chin, forcing him to look up into my eyes. “I’ve been a good girl all my life, Luke. And where has it gotten me?” My voice drops to a whisper, intimate and dangerous. “Nowhere but pain. I want to know what it’s like to be bad. To feel something darker, something reckless.” I pause. “If I’m getting sued for adultery, it’s only fair I know how it tastes.”
For a while, he just stares, frozen, his eyes searing into mine. It feels like we’re sharing the same breath.
Then, in a single moment, he grabs me, and I’m on my back on the bed, his weight pressing down on me, his hands framing my face. His gaze is intense, piercing, leaving me breathless. For a moment, there’s nothing in the world but his eyes, dark and unyielding, filled with a storm of emotions I don’t dare name.
3/4
CHAPTER 037: The End Of The World
+25 BONUS
Then his mouth is on mine, and everything else fades. The world, the lawsuits, the bitterness of the past- all of it vanishes as we lose ourselves in each other.
The taste of him is intoxicating, raw, a mix of passion and something deeper, something that feels like a promise. His hands slide down, fingers skimming my bare skin, sending shivers racing through me, each touch drawing me further under, further into him. I cling to him, my fingers threading through his hair, pulling him closer, needing him, needing this.
He breaks the kiss for a breath, his forehead resting against mine, his voice a hoarse whisper. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this.” The words send a thrill through me, my pulse racing, as if hearing them for the first time, though I realize I’ve sensed it in every look, every touch he’s given me.
I smile, pulling him back down, my voice barely a whisper. “T
