Chapter 56
Rosie’s birthday was today. We decided to throw her a birthday party at her grandparents‘ house. That was the biggest birthday she had ever had When we were in New Jersey, I used to take her out because it was only the two of us. She had a couple of friends there, but they weren’t that close and she only befriended them during our last year there. I threw her a slumber party on her last birthday and she had so much fun, so I was certain that she was going to love this one.
I wanted to throw her a big party to make it up to her for the four years I took from her and when I wired my desire to Rose, she told me to leave everything for her. Knowing Rose, I was certain that she wasn’t going to disappoint me, and I was right. She turned the hackyard into every child’s dream.
some of their
She had bouncy castles, and every single piece of decor was related to Rapunzel since she was Rosie’s favourite. Her cousins and som friends were here and it seemed like everybody was having fun
Two weeks had passed since any conversation with Julian. We had been talking m more, but he hadn’t tried to do anything that could fall under the category of ‘winning his ex–wife fuck‘ and I was glad that he was giving me some space.
I was scareil, because I shouldn’t feel that kind of happiness upon seeing Julian’s name on my phone I had never felt like that with Mart, even before resuming to California, What if Julian was my comfort zone that I couldn’t escape from!
“What’s on your mind?” Harper snapped me out of my thoughts as she stood beside me in the backyard:
**Lots of things, Treplied, moving my glass in circles absentmindedly.
“Does Julian happen to be one of them!” The thing I liked the most about Harper was hoor direct she was. She was never the type of person who would conceal what they really wanted to say and I appreciated her honesty.
“Yes,” I admitted with a heavy sigh.
“He still loves you,” she said and my heart tightened. “I’m not trying to cloud your judgment, but for years, I have seen my brother turn into a ghost and he only started to get back to life when you appeared again. I know that what he del was terrible and there are probably remnants of the damage he caused, but he’s really sorry, Amelia. He has never loved anybody in his life the way he loved you- loves you.”
I hated how I was sure that she wasn’t lying to me.
“I’m petrified, Harper, I whispered, trying to calm my pounding heart down. “I had another plan in mind, and I thought that I would be able to follow it. When I came back, I wanted Rosie to be close to you as her family and I wanted her to have a good relationship with her father. I wanted to keep my distance, but the moment I saw all of you, my plan crumbled before my eyes and I couldn’t do anything I found myse!! longing for my onings with you and long phone calls with Rose. I found myself geuing excited when Rose invited me over for dinner even though I was afraid of meeting Julian Hell! I thought I would be annoyed when I saw Julian, but no! I never found his company annoying Not even once. Not even at the event I hosted when I first came back.”
Why the hell was I venting to Harper? What was wrong with me? What did I want! I didn’t even have an answer to that question
“You still have a place among us, Amelia. You had it once as Emily and you still have it as Amelia” She smiled at me. I was thankful for the sunglasses I was wearing because they concealed the tears that welled in my eyes
“Can I tell you a secret?” I took a shaky breath.
guys call me Emily.” I let out a short laugh. “Maybe I should have never come back.”
“I miss having you guys
“You don’t know how glad I am that you’re hack. I miss having you bere, Emily” My heart thuttered at hearing my old name from the woman. I ronsidered the sister I never had.
“I needed to come
to come back, though. She needed to have her family around her
“And you neriled people around you too. I know that you’re strong enough to handle the entire world on your shoulders, but just because you’re strong, that doesn’t mean that you have to endure it all alone,” she replied
Ildn’t know what to say to her I didn’t have the right words that could describe what I wanted to say
Easily, my eyes managed to spot Julian and they lingered on him. He was wearing a baby blue shirt and white shorts with white sneakers. He was playing wah Besar and the two of them looked over the moon. My little girl was squealing as he camned her by placing his hands under hier armpus
My slaughter’s eyes fell on me and her grin widened. “Mommy! Come play with us” the hollered.
“Duty calls” I told Harper before heading to my daughter and ex husband. When she saw me walking towards her, she quickly rit towards me. I
cheiber up and unushered her with kisses
“You look beautiful play” Julian sand when 1
swer to him. “This dress is your design, right
Chapter 36
“I designed it two years ago, but I never got to wear it,” I replied. I noticed how it had become easy for Julian to spot my designs. Something about that made my heart long for him.
The two of us kept playing with Rosie for a while before she ran off to play with the other kids. Julian disappeared for a while, and I found myself an empty seat to rest on. A few minutes later, he came back with two drinks in his hands and he handed me one, then sat beside me.
“Rosie wants a tree house,” Julian told me, taking me by surprise. She hadn’t told me anything about that before.
“Where do you plan on building it?” I wondered, looking at him. I didn’t want to fall for any illusions, but the more I looked at Julian, the more I realized that he looked better than how I first saw him when I first arrived in California.
“That’s what I want to discuss with you,” he replied. “Is it okay with you if I build it at my place?” Why did he feel the need to discuss that with me? He had the right to build it wherever he wanted.
“Definitely okay.” I smiled at him.
“What did you get her?” he asked.
“She wanted a vespa, a pink one to be exact, so I got it for her,” I replied.
“I’m planning a big surprise for her, but I also would like it if you’re included,” he said. Wasn’t the tree house her birthday gift? I looked at him with curiosity and waited for him to reveal the surprise. “I want to take her to Disneyland
Knowing my daughter, she was going to love the hell out of that surprise. My heart danced in my chest when I realized that Julian wanted me to be with them. It was stupid of me to feel that way, but I couldn’t help but be overjoyed.
“Well, I don-“The words stopped at the tip of my tongue when my eyes fell on the last person I wanted to see at my daughter’s birthday party. It had been so long since I last saw her, and I surely didn’t want her to be here.
“What’s going on?” Julian frowned when he noticed the change in my facial expression.
“Look behind you,” I muttered, standing up.
It was time to bare my sharp teeth to the witch who destroyed my life out of jealousy and envy.
