“You’re not leaving me, are you?” She frowns with worry.
“No, I’ll be right here all night.”
She relaxes and closes her eyes, snuggling into my hand.
I take out my phone and text Julian.
Goodnight, Jules
I love you
xx
I wait for my reply but it never arrives.
I exhale heavily and slink back into my chair. It’s going to be a long, long night.
Chapter Twenty-Three
I wake in the chair with a start. It’s early morning and Julian is sitting beside Will with his hands are clasped in front of him. “Hey,” I whisper.
He smiles. “Hey.”
“You okay?” I ask.
He nods. “Sorry about last night.” He shrugs his shoulders. “Tough day yesterday.”
My eyes roam to Will. She’s sleeping peacefully.
I gesture to the bathroom and make my way inside. Moments later, Julian follows, shutting the door behind him. He takes me into his arms and we stand in an embrace.
“I missed you last night,” I whisper.
“Me, too.” He kisses me softly. “Did she sleep okay?”
“Yeah, she was zonked out the whole night.”
“Have you slept?” He looks down at me and tucks a piece of hair behind my ear.
“No, I just napped. I’m fine, though” I kiss him again. “I’m sorry she wanted me to stay last night. I’ve felt bad about it all night. You should have stayed with her. She’s your daughter, not mine.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m just not used to having someone else to rely on.” He blows out a deep breath. “I acted like a spoilt brat last night when she didn’t want me.”
I smile up at him. “I love my spoilt brat.”
He smiles as his hands squeeze my behind. “Let’s get the hell out of this place.”
“Brell?” I hear Will call.
Shit. I take off out the door. “Here I am.”
She frowns. “I thought you’d left.”
“No, I’m here, baby. I was just talking to your dad in the bathroom. We didn’t want to wake you up.”
Julian walks out of the bathroom. “Hey.” He kisses her on the forehead and takes her hand in his.
Watching him be so caring and gentle with his children really hurts my ovaries.