Read Julian (Beautiful Mine #1) for Free Online Page B

auburn hair. He took a seat across from me.
    “I just finished nursing school,” I said. “I’m a private nurse for the Garner-Willoughbys right now.”
    “Good for you.” He smiled, his eyes sweeping over me as if all of our sweet high school memories were replaying in his head. “I think about you all the time, Evie.”
    Taken aback, I opened my mouth to respond, and then stopped. I’d fantasized about him saying those very words to me for the last few years, but never in a million years did I think it would happen.
    “I wish things could’ve worked out with us,” he said with an air of bittersweet regret, his eyes lowering as he spun his empty glass on the table.
    “Yeah, if only I would’ve gotten into Vanderbilt, huh?” I said. I easily could’ve gotten into Vanderbilt. I graduated at the top of our class. My family just couldn’t afford it. I should’ve added, “And if only you’d never cheated on me.”
    My stomach dropped, floored by the vivid memory of my first love telling me things were over and the way my teenage self interpreted it as not being good enough for him.
    After a couple minutes of awkward silence, our little reunion was interrupted by yet another old classmate, and as he and Spencer got reacquainted, I got up and returned my empty glass to the bar. I waved goodbye to Carys and headed outside. There was no point in sticking around and talking about what might have been with the guy who crushed my heart into a million pieces.
    “Evie,” Spencer called out, running behind me in all his former track star glory. I kept walking, and the instant the cool, February air hit my face, I embraced the freezing cold of the night. “You can’t drive home. You’ve been drinking. Let me take you.”
    “You’ve been drinking, too,” I replied, stopping to turn to him. He looked even more gorgeous than he had before standing in the street under the pale light of a streetlamp, snowflakes falling into his perfect, ruddy hair.
    “Actually, no,” he said. “I haven’t had a single drop. I’ve been drinking water all night.”
    “Oh. I just assumed…”
    He placed his arm around my shoulder, ushering me toward his car, and my stumbling feet indicated he was correct. I was in no shape to drive myself home. “Come on. Get in my car. I’m taking you home.”
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
    JULIAN
    I couldn’t sleep. My mind fixated on Evie and refused to let go. The way she was so quick to push me away and end our kiss, and the way she was so eager to take the night off and get away from me stung like nothing I’d ever felt before, and I didn’t have the slightest clue what to do with those feelings.
    It didn’t help that some douche in a black Range Rover dropped her off at eleven o’clock the night before. I watched from my window as he pulled up and she stumbled, drunk, to the backdoor. He didn’t even walk her there. He just drove off and left her.
    The moment a hint of sun peeked from around the curtains of my window, I reached over and buzzed Evie on the intercom. I waited, patiently, until she came scrambling into my room, her hair a frizzy mess and a thick bathrobe tied tight around her.
    “Hey,” she said with a scratchy voice, as if she’d spent the entire night yelling. “This is really early, Julian. You okay? You need something?”
    She rubbed her eyes, smudging a hint of makeup under them. She covered her mouth after she spoke, as if the smell of last night’s alcohol was too strong for her to stand.
    “I thought maybe we could go for a walk,” I said, testing her.
    She leaned against the door frame and smiled. “Is that all you wanted?”
    “I know it’s early, but I just need some fresh air. And you’re right. I should be more active,” I said.
    “I have a horrible headache,” she said, rubbing her temples. “Can we got in a little bit?”
    “Yeah. Fine. Whatever.” I turned away from her.
    “I promise,” Evie said, her sweet mouth curling into a