Chapter 269
[ 492 words ]
Chapter 269:
Caroline didn’t raise her hands to placate him. She had done this dance too many times. Instead, she met his gaze with a weary, steady calm.
“It’s Brenna,” she said quietly. “Something’s probably happened with her and Julian. They were together when I left the lounge. I need to take this.”
Jarrod’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t hand the phone over.
“They were together,” he repeated flatly, testing the word.
“Julian has feelings for Brenna,” Caroline said, her voice even. “He told her tonight, in the hallway. If he’s calling me now, it’s because something went wrong, or went right, and Brenna sent him to find me. That’s all this is.”
A long, heavy silence stretched between them.
Jarrod studied her face. Whatever he was looking for, he seemed to find it. He swiped the screen to answer and pressed the speakerphone button. He placed the phone flat on the cold marble island, then stepped back, leaning his left hand against the edge of the counter. His right arm remained motionless at his side.
𝘓𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴.𝘤𝘰𝘮
Julian’s voice filled the quiet kitchen.
“Caroline? It’s Julian,” he said, his voice laced with obvious hesitation, but there was something else beneath it, a breathless, almost giddy energy. “I know I probably shouldn’t be calling this late, but I couldn’t wait until morning. Brenna said you disappeared from the hallway so abruptly. Are you okay? Did you get home safely?”
“I’m fine, Julian,” Caroline said steadily. “I felt unwell and decided to take a cab straight home. I’m perfectly safe. What’s going on? You sound different.”
There was a pause. Then Julian let out a nervous, disbelieving laugh.
“She said yes,” Julian said, his voice cracking slightly. “I didn’t even really ask. I was a complete mess, stumbling over every word, and she just kissed me and said yes before I could finish. I’ve been sitting in my car outside her apartment for twenty minutes trying to figure out if any of this is real.”
Caroline’s face broke into a wide, genuine smile. The tension in her shoulders melted away.
“Julian, that’s wonderful,” she said warmly. “I’m so happy for you. Both of you.”
“None of this would have happened without you,” Julian said, his voice thick with emotion. “You pushed me away tonight, and I finally understood why. You saw what I couldn’t. Thank you, Caroline. For everything.”
Jarrod’s posture shifted almost imperceptibly. The rigid line of his shoulders eased by a fraction. His eyes remained fixed on the phone, but the lethal glint had dulled.
“You don’t need to thank me,” Caroline said. “Just take care of her. She’s the best friend I’ve ever had.”
“I will,” Julian promised. “I should let you sleep. Tell your mysterious man I said hello, and that he has nothing to worry about from me.”
Caroline glanced at Jarrod. His expression was unreadable, but he made no move to speak.
“Goodnight, Julian,” Caroline said softly. “Congratulations.”
She reached out and ended the call.
The phone screen went dark. The silence returned, but it was no longer suffocating.
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