Chapter 20
Rue raised her eyebrows, shaking her head in disbelief. “I can’t believe there’s actually someone you don’t have the guts to confess to,” she teased.
She didn’t notice the way Savannah kept glancing at her with a sly smile, like she knew something Rue didn’t.
The three of them had planned to meet up at the airport the next morning, but when Rue waited too long and still didn’t see Savannah, she borrowed a phone to call her.
Savannah’s voice crackled through the line, a little breathless. “Hey, I think I caught something. Not feeling too great. I don’t think I can make it to Seabrook.”
Rue’s concern immediately kicked in. She didn’t notice Silas fidgeting beside her, rubbing the bridge of his nose like it was his stress reflex.
Silas hadn’t expected Savannah’s version of “giving him a shot” to be this blatant.
As they stood by the gate, Rue glanced down at her phone, skimming a text from her brother, when she heard sharp, deliberate footsteps behind her.
Silas instinctively stepped forward, dragging the suitcase with him, positioning himself between her and Julian Carter like he’d done it a hundred times in his head.
Julian was in a sharp charcoal suit, every inch the powerful executive. His eyes were locked on Rue’s face like she’d stolen something from him.
Rue forced a polite smile. “Mr. Carter. Small world.”
Silas adjusted his glasses, his tone calm but edged. “Business trip to Seabrook?”
Julian’s gaze flicked to him like he was dirt on his shoe. “Is that your business?”
Silas smirked. “Just being polite on Rue’s behalf. If that offends you, my bad.”
Julian’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t say another word. He simply turned and walked away with a cold scoff.
A boarding announcement echoed through the terminal, snapping them out of the standoff.
Once onboard, Rue buckled in and leaned back, only to catch a familiar scent—cedarwood and something colder underneath.
Julian slid into the seat beside her like he owned the plane. His gaze burned into her profile, but she didn’t flinch. She was done playing into his weird little games.
She turned away, pretending not to see him.
Turbulence rocked the plane just enough to lull her to sleep. Her head tilted to the side, landing gently on Silas’s shoulder.
Silas barely breathed, steadying her head with his palm, his fingers brushing lightly against her cheek as he moved a strand of hair from her face.
Julian’s voice was a low growl, barely above a whisper. “Don’t touch her.”
Silas didn’t flinch. Instead, he smiled like he’d been waiting for this exact moment. Then, right under Julian’s nose, he pulled a blanket over Rue and smoothed it out like it was the most natural thing in the world.
By the time they landed, Julian had handed off his luggage to the hotel staff and started trailing Rue and Silas like a shadow. Always close enough to watch. Never close enough to confront.
They stopped at a small, cozy Thai restaurant, its worn wood floors and packed tables giving it a warmth chain spots could never replicate.
Julian followed them in.
He approached Rue’s side of the table without missing a beat. “Miss Monroe. Mind if I join you?”
Rue gave him a half-glance, puzzled. “It’s a public restaurant. Sit wherever you want.”
The server came over, ready to take their order. Rue lit up at the menu. “Grilled lemongrass fish, green papaya salad, tom yum soup—extra spicy. All of it.”
Julian hesitated.
For a second, he remembered Isla. The way she used to light up around spicy food. Before she gave it up. Before she started turning herself into someone she thought he’d love.
He clenched his jaw and ordered exactly what Rue did.
The moment the food hit the table, the air turned rich with chili and citrus. He took one spoonful of soup and instantly regretted it. The heat hit his throat like fire, and his eyes welled.
He swallowed anyway.
But when he turned to Rue, she wasn’t watching. She was laughing at something Silas said, totally unaware of the man beside her unraveling from the inside out.
