The Best Mate He Trusted Wanted Me More Chapter 08

The Best Mate He Trusted Wanted Me More Chapter 08

Rowan left.

The door slammed hard.

He’d barely been gone when Julian came through the door.

His forehead was still beaded with sweat. He cleared his throat, trying to steady his breathing.

“Handyman…”

I tossed the apron into the kitchen.

“He’s gone.”

Julian was quiet.

He walked into the kitchen and looked around.

“Were you cooking earlier?”

I hummed and nodded.

“Yeah. But I don’t feel like it anymore. Let’s eat out.”

Julian stared at me, his gaze heavy.

The air froze for a few seconds.

Then he answered. Just one word. His voice was completely wrecked.

“Okay.”

In the days that followed, I realized for the first time just how much

free time Julian had when his Mayfair friends weren’t running interference.

His self-control had finally crashed.

Outside of work, Julian was stuck to me like glue.

Even during meetings, he snuck photos to send me.

At night, all his old limits disappeared.

At first, I loved it.

After a while, I couldn’t keep up.

“Baby. Let’s call it a night…”

I pushed at his chest.

But Julian only moved faster.

“Baby… you’ve never called me that before. You…”

Something in his voice caught, but he swallowed it.

I could see him getting more anxious by the day, and I knew he’d gotten the wrong idea.

So I held him and explained.

“It’s the first time I’ve called anyone that. You’re my first love. You’re the only one I want. Stop overthinking.”

Julian’s dark eyes stared into me, red at the corners.

“Really?”

I was exhausted. I just nodded.

“Of course.”

In the middle of the night, my phone woke me up.

When I opened my eyes and saw Julian’s face above me, I nearly jumped.

He was sitting straight up, expressionless.

“Someone’s been blowing up your phone.”

His voice was low, barely hiding the panic underneath.

I had nothing to hide.

Seeing him look like he was about to shatter, I handed him my phone without a second thought.

“Look.”

I’d already blocked and deleted Rowan anyway.

Besides, there was nothing going on.

The only person who’d blow up my phone this late was my hopeless romantic best friend, Poppy.

My openness seemed to ease some of the tension in Julian’s shoulders.

His lips curved slightly as he scrolled.

Then the smile faltered.

Noticing his expression shift, I leaned in to see.

My stomach dropped.

Staring at the photos of half-bared abs in costume, I nearly choked.

Rowan had gone all out. Bought the whole wardrobe.

The caption was one line.

“He can wear it. So can I.”

I had a feeling Rowan was setting me up.

He hadn’t shown his face and had used an unknown number.

The only reason I knew it was him was because one outfit was identical to the one Julian had worn.

The reader feed was cracking up.

“Clara could hire a whole legal team and still not explain this away.”

“Someone’s crying. And honestly, fair.”

“That’s what Julian gets for acting too cool to wear it. Other men can dress up too.”

“Feeling stressed? Rowan has been worse. Clara forgot he existed a week ago.”

I scrambled for tissues as Julian’s tears started falling.

“Let me explain. Okay, that sounds guilty, but just let me…”

My head was spinning.

“I really…”

“You know him.”

Julian’s voice was certain.

I froze.

His face was blank, but tears were streaming down his cheeks.

“You know who sent that.”

I sucked in a breath.

Julian’s eyes got even redder.

“He’s worn that for you.”

“No. No, he hasn’t.”

I waved my hands frantically.

“We only…”