Julian’s POV

Seeing Roman again made my blood boil, but finally Rafael’s words from this morning had be abundantly clear.

Running into them was no coincidence, despite the way Roman was smiling at Amber and telling her,b” /bRafael invited me to visit his pack as a show ofradery between our two packs. I had no idea you’d be

here.”

Everything about that screamed that it was a lie, especially as Rafael had already made that earlier threat against me. He’d been nning on bringing Roman in, just to try to get him between Amber and ollime. /li/ol

I watched Amber closely, seeing if she would fall for the lie. She seemed as ufortable as I felt.

“It’s been a while,” she said to him.

“Yes,” he replied. “It has been. A while, I mean. But it’s good to see you.”

“Yeah,” Amber replied. “It’s nice to see you too.”

Roman smiled, but it was a bit awkward. “You mean it?” he seemed like he genuinely couldn’t tell.

“I mean…” Amber hesitated, stumbling with her words now that he had called her out. Clearly, she hadn’t been expecting that. “Yes?” She sounded as unsure as he did.

Gods, even watching this interaction was painful.

“We were in the middle of dinner,” I said, gesturing to the table. Yes, the food hadn’te yet, but that was all the more reason for this twosome to disappear.

“You don’t mind if Roman and I join you, do you?” Rafael asked. His grin was sharp. He knew exactly what he was doing, or at least he thought he did. I wasn’t sure he fully understood all the history that stood between Roman and Amber however, or he might not be so eager to invite the man to be his new brother–inw.

I certainly wasn’t about to give up the position anytime soon, not to anyone, least of all Roman.

“I…” Amber started, but then looked at me. There was something pleading in her eyes, like she was giving me a secret message. Help me.

“I think this booth is really only for two people,” I said.

“Then we’ll grab a couple of chairs,” Rafael said.

b“/bI really don’t think that’s necessary,” Amber said.

+15 bBONUS /b

b“/bbIt /bbwill /bbbe /bbgood /bto catch up,” Roman said. His awkward smile gained some bwarmth /bthenb. /bbJust /bblooking /bbat /b

bhim/b, he bseemed /bbto /bgenuinely care about Amberb, /bwhich made me deeply bufortable/bb. /bb“/bbHow /bbis /bbAlice /b

doingb?/bb” /b

Amberb, /bbtoo/bb, /bseemed to soften at the question. “She’s doing well.b” /b

“I bet she misses me,” Roman said.

That soured Alice’s mood. I remembered a cool night in the parking lot where Alice ran bto /bbme/bb, /bcrying

because she did not want her mom and Roman to be together.

Knowing Alice as I did, I doubted that position of hers had changed much since theirst meeting.

“I…b” /bAmber looked around, deer–in–the–headlights like, before finally putting her napkin on the table and

saying, “I’m sorry. I’m just not feeling very hungry anymore.”

“We just ordered,” I said.

“I’m sorrybi,/i/bbi” /i/bshe said again.

b“/bI’ll have them make it to go,” I said at once and moved out of the booth as she did. I gave her the keys bso /bshe could escape to the car while I spotted the waitress near the hostess station.

b“/bbIf /bJulian wishes to stay, I could drive you home, Amber,” Roman said. “Then we’d have some chances to

btalk/b.b” /b

Again, Amber’s pleading look came back to me.

b“/bbThat /bwon’t be necessaryb,/b” I said. “I’m more than happy to escort Amber back bto /bthe hotel bwe /bbare /bboth bstaying /bin. bTogether/b,” I added thatst word for a bit bof /bpunch, which, with the way Roman winced,

bseemed /bbto /bbhave /bbmet /bits intended mark.

Amber bgave /bbme /ban annoyed sort of look, but it quickly dissolved into bone /bbof /bbgratitude/b.

b“/bbGentleman/b, bif /bbyou /bbwill /bbexcuse /bbus/bb,/bb” /bI said bto /bRafael and Roman and bthen /bushered bAmber /bbtoward /bbthe front /bbof the /bbrestaurant/b. As she went outsideb, /bbI /bwent bto /bthe desk bto /bbsee /bbhow /bbfar /bbalong /bbour /bbmeals /bbwere /band bto /b

bsettle /bbthe /bbill.