Blurred Lines (Behind Closed Doors Book 2) by Erin Cawood Read Free Book Online Page A

without opening my eyes. “You two can stop worrying about me now. I'm awake.” Even though I don't feel like smiling I show them the upwards tug of my lips. I make an effort for Wayne because I know he's on the edge of despair. “I want a shower and a toothbrush.” I let my eyes flutter open. My first view is not as bad as I think. I can see nothing but the man I love casting a painfully worried and remorseful look down on me. “But first, a kiss from my fiancé would be nice.”
    “Julia.” The unexpected breathless gasp drags my eyes toward the door, panic stirring in the pit of my stomach because who else can be here?
    Ashleigh shoves two steaming cups at Sean and he winces but she's already left him holding them handle end sticking outwards. She runs towards me. She leaps, her knees bounce on the bed throwing her forward and she wraps her arms around me. “I love you. Please let's never ever fight ever again. Ever!”
    A laugh bursts from my lips. It hurts. But she sounds like my best friend from middle school, which conjures up this image of Ashleigh with braids and braces and thick rimmed glasses and a geeky school uniform and I laugh even harder. I don't think she's ever been that unfortunate. “What are you, like five?”
    “Yes,” she says with all the seriousness of a fully grown adult as she clings to me. “Promise you'll never scare me like that again.”
    My eyes connect with hers. She nods at me and I know she understands I'm too fragile to talk about it. She doesn't protest when I ask my brother to rid me of the slobbering child and bring her back when she resembles something more like Ashleigh.
    “Okay.” He chuckles as he offers his hand to her. “But it might take a couple of hours.”
    “You cheeky son of a—” She gasps and swats and kicks his hand away. “—my best friend, ever! Gets attacked and you're—”
    “God!” With one hand around her waist Sean effortlessly hauls her off the bed and cradles her in his arms as she squeals and wriggles in protest. “You're such a drama queen!”
    “It's an occupational hazard,” Ashleigh quips and their eyes meet. They smirk and start laughing. I look at Wayne as he looks at me. His silent question passes between us. Did we miss the joke? I shrug. I have no idea what's tickled the pair of them. She's just barely a lawyer. According to Sean, she’s spent the last year interning at one of the best firms in New York, Worthington and Associates. There’s nothing more mundane and less dramatic than running around for the daughter of Judge Worthington all day and all night. I mean come on! Talk about on best behavior at straight lace central or what!
    “Come on.” Sean sweeps her out the door, still cradled in his arms and as it closes I hear him say, “And you can tell me all about date number three with Dex Leighton over coffee.”
    Some things never change.
    But it makes me wonder if Ashleigh's grudge was over Wayne at all or maybe her stubborn streak just got in the way of getting our friendship back on track. After all, it's clear her feelings for my brother haven't changed. If anything, they're stronger than ever.
    “Is it me...?” Wayne is thinking out loud. I know, because his eyes have a glassy look to them. “Or is that the most intimate non-marital, non-sexual, non-blood related, cross gender relationship known to mankind?” His eyes cleared as they locked with mine. “I mean, I'm actually jealous. I'd love to have that kind of relationship with you. There's nothing between them. Not one boundary or topic off limits. Nothing. Nothing at all.”
    I disagree. Sean's marriage is a constant pink elephant in the room and I guess I understand what it’s like to want something you can't have because Wayne and I had that burning between us and it was awful. I honestly don't know how they live with it because acting on how we felt was awful. But not acting on it was torture.
    “But they can't do this.” I wiggle my index finger at