A/N: And now, back to the present...

~ Dex ~

The knock on my door surprised me. I had the afternoon off, but I hadn't made plans with anyone.

"I'm coming," I shouted, my tone holding a questioning inflection.

As soon as I opened the door, I wished I'd stayed at work.

Julian was on the other side, all tall and handsome, a charming smile on his lips.

I drew in a shaky breath, my heart pounding as if I'd run all the way up to my fifth-floor apartment.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" He asked so at ease that it was obvious he had no doubt I'd step aside and let him into my home.

"No." I croaked out and licked my lips. I had half a mind to slam the door in his beautiful, statuesque face... But I couldn't.

At least I hadn't let him in.

I was standing my ground.

But for how long?

Not much, judging by past experience, which was precisely why my long-haired, blond ex didn't seem worried.

"Are we going to talk here?" He asked, voice calm and pleasant.

"No," I repeated. His smile grew and he took a step towards the door; I put a hand on his chest to stop him. "I mean, there's nothing to talk about."

He didn't miss a beat. In an instant, his hand was covering mine, squeezing it gently and it hurt; it hurt so, so much to think that once upon a time this gesture would've made me warm all over instead of causing needles to poke at my heart. And yet, I hadn't the strength to pull away.

"I think there is," he whispered, lowering his head a little to get closer to my face.

I looked into his amber eyes, and for a long moment, I was lost. Lost inside my head, lost inside my memories, thinking of him smiling at me while we played together as children; of him holding my hand to help me relax at the first teenage party we went to; of the first time we switched from a friendly peck on the cheek to our lips meeting; remembering how easy it had been to fall in love with him because I'd loved him for years; recalling the nights we'd spend in each other's company, sometimes in passion, sometimes in an embrace that promised an eternity together...

And then I crashed down.

Hard.

I ripped my hand out of his hold and angled my body away from his. Pain and anger were a powerful mix that fueled my voice and strengthened it.

"We could have something to talk about if you want to apologize. But we both know that's not going to happen," I said coolly, and the smile faded from his face. Warm eyes turned stormy, eyebrows dropping, and jaw clenching.

"I did what I had to, Dex."

"For yourself, not for us." I started to close the door, but he pushed his way in.

"Out," I said while I stood motionless in my spot, all my efforts on not shouting at him.

"Why does it always have to be this way?" He sighed, tired, but there was also irritation there. As if this was my fault. As if I was some stubborn child, throwing a tantrum, and refusing to see reason.

I slammed the door. It was obvious he wasn't going anywhere. Might as well make it harder for the neighbors to eavesdrop.

"Why? Why?" Fury rolled off of me in waves so strong, I was surprised they didn't push him back. But this was Julian, and he'd always stood tall. Sometimes it really seemed that a talented artist had carved a perfect figure from marble, given it life and the name Julian, and now nothing could destroy him.

"I said no." My voice was shaky. "When they called, I told them 'no' because there was no room for you in their firm, and me moving away meant I'd have to leave you behind. I told them 'no', but when they called you, you took that job without a second thought. Without even..."

It was getting hard to breathe, and my eyes began to sting.

"Dex..." Julian took a step towards me, alarm on his face, arms open and ready to embrace me. I pulled as far away from him as I could without bumping against the wall.

"You didn't think of me, Julian," I whispered, holding back tears of pain and anger. "You didn't think of us. You just did what was best for you."

The annoyance was back on his face, somewhat softened by an emotion I couldn't quite decipher.

Love?

Compassion?

I wasn't sure. But I knew what it wasn't: regret.

"I did what was best for my career. Sutson Accounting offered me so much more than what I'd get here, in Plymson."

"But I am here!" I bellowed, no longer able to restrain myself. "I'm here! And our home was here! The place we bought, and in which... Which..."

I hastily wiped my eyes and turned away from him.

The place in which we were supposed to grow old together.

"Dex... Please..."

His voice was so soft, and that one word - please - the begging inflection in it, made my knees go weak. I closed my eyes and my head lolled back.

It was moments like these that gave me hope.

And I hated them for it.

I hated him.

But only because I still loved him.

"Can I hug you?" His quiet, soothing voice came from right behind me. "Let me hold you, Dex. I hate it when we fight. I hate seeing you like this."

When I didn't respond, he took it as a silent agreement.

Toned arms wrapped around me from behind and Julian's natural fragrance mixed with his favorite cologne - bergamot scented - enveloped me. It was so good, I wanted to weep. The familiarity of it all, the support, the love... Yet, things could never go back to the way they'd been before. Even if he apologized for putting his career before us.

Not that that would ever happen.

He didn't regret what he did.

I should pull away from him and send him on his way. Tell him to lose my number and forget where I lived.

But I couldn't bring myself to do it.

It would be the best thing for me, but I didn't have the strength to end it for good.

In that moment, all I wanted to do was to stay in his arms and pretend the last couple of years didn't happen.

Another knock on my front door startled me out of my stupor. This one was quick, slightly impatient, and adrenalin pumped through my veins as I recognized it: Ash was in the hallway.

Ash in the hallway, Julian in my apartment; Ash in the hallway...

Fuck.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and pushed Julian away.

I had to think fast.

Ash knocked again, and I ran a hand over my head, my gaze darting between my ex and my front door.

Julian sighed and rolled his eyes.

"It's just Ash; stop freaking out, Dex."

"He is going to try to kill you," I pointed out, just as the knocking turned into pounding.

"Dex!" My brother shouted from the other side of the door. He didn't sound happy.

Julian moved first, going for my door, and opening it, and by the time I got there a few seconds later, he was dodging a blow to the face from my brother. I put my body between them, arms splayed outwards, a physical barrier between Ash shaking in rage and the cool, much taller - and stronger -Julian.

"Ash, calm..."

He tried to maneuver past me, but I held onto him. We struggled, his fury compensating for his small stature, but I managed to keep him away from my ex.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" Ash's voice would've been too loud even if his mouth wasn't so close to my ear.

"He..." I began, but my brother gave me no time to explain.

"Don't tell me you are sleeping with this reptile again! Just throw him out! Or let me go; I'll do it for you."

"Whether Dex and I are sleeping together or not is none of your business, Asher." Julian's tone held a hint of calculated contempt that made me groan and Ash intensify his struggle to get lose of my grip.

"He's my brother!"

My ear began to ring and I really wished he'd stop shouting so close to it.

"Not by blood." I was sure Julian meant to wound Ash, but instead, my brother sneered.

"Not by blood, and yet I care for Dex more than you ever will."

With my back to Julian, I couldn't see his face, but by Ash's wide, cruel grin, I could tell he'd managed to crack Julian's control.

And Julian out of control was something fierce.

I let go of Ash and spun around.

I'd been right.

Julian's high cheekbones were flushed, amber eyes narrowed and dangerous, and he looked about ready to pounce on my brother.

"You!" I pointed toward my ex. "Out." My finger went to the still opened front door. "Now, Julian. I mean it."

He tried to compose himself, fists loosening, but his glare gave him away: he was still fuming.

I ignored the hint of warmth that threatened to mess with my judgment.

He'd gotten angry because Ash had claimed Julian didn't love me, something all three of us knew wasn't true; Julian did love me, he just loved himself more. And that was what I had to concentrate on: to Julian, Julian always came first. Before me, before us.

I straightened and trust my arm towards the door.

His feet began to move, deliberately slow, heading for the door. Once in the hallway, he threw one last glare in Ash's direction, then turned towards me:

"I'll call you."

"Don't," I said and this time managed to shut the door in his face. I leaned the ear that wasn't still ringing from Ash's shouts against it. It was silent on the other side for maybe ten seconds, and then I heard Julian walk away. I let out a breath, turned around, and leaned on the door.

As per usual when dealing with Julian, I felt exhausted. I wanted to slump down on the floor, but instead, I had to put my armor on. I pushed myself off the door, and without looking at Ash passed him and went into the kitchen.

"Nothing happened and I don't want to talk about this," I stated as firmly as I could in my shaken state.

"What was he doing here?" Ash didn't let up and followed me.

"He said he wanted to talk," I explained while hiding my face in my fridge. I moved my arms for good measure, to make it more believable that I was searching for something to nibble on.

"Talk about what?" Apparently, my brother wouldn't be showing me mercy today. I knew he was doing this because he was worried, but I couldn't wallow in sorrow and self-deprecation until I sent him on his way.

"I don't know. I was trying to get him to leave, and then you came, so we didn't get that far."

That was partially true; I'd just omitted the part that between me telling Julian 'no' about coming into my apartment and Ash arriving, I'd been in my ex's arms.

I closed the fridge more forcefully than I ought to and realizing I hadn't taken anything out of it, I rummaged through the cupboard I kept the snacks in.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, hoping to distract him.

He didn't take the bait.

"How did he know you won't be at work? Have you two spoken?"

I huffed and pulled a small dark chocolate bar out of the cupboard.

"No, we haven't. But we have a lot of friends in common, so someone might've said something." I tore the wrapper and extended my arm to offer him some of the treat. He didn't even look at it. His arms crossed over his chest and he glared.

"What kind of an asshole would do that when they know how things went between you two?"

I shrugged and bit into the chocolate; neither the taste of the snack, nor chewing it helped calm me down, but occupying my mouth would at least prevent me from shouting at my brother to just leave me alone.

It wasn't Ash's fault that I was too weak to push Julian away once and for all.

"Probably some idiot let something slip." Ash shook his head. "Anyway. We're going to Nightfall."

"What?" The sudden change in topic made me choke on the food and start coughing. My brother came to me and patted my back a few times, then took a bottle of mineral water from the fridge, uncapped it, and handed it to me.

"Nightfall." He repeated as I drank and managed to get my breathing to normalize. "Tonight. I don't want to leave you here, all alone, with nothing to do but think of that reptile and how things used to be."

"I appreciate the sentiment, Ash, but I'm fine, really."

We both knew I was lying. We both knew that I'd spend the night, lying on my back in bed and staring at the ceiling, my heart hurting until the pain became so strong, I turned numb and fell asleep.

Ash had seen me like that before. He'd been there for me when Julian had left me behind. And he didn't want to ever see me that way again.

"Nightfall. Get dressed." His grey eyes looking straight into my brown ones, he took the chocolate away from me and bit into it.

-----

So Julian and Dex were childhood friends turned teenage sweethearts. Later they worked for the same Plymson accounting firm until Dex got an offer from a bigger firm in another town (Sutson). He turned it down because there was only one spot and Julian wouldn't be able to tag along to the new town. Then those guys offered the job to Julian and he was immediately like "Yeah, sure, I'll take it". Naturally, Dex didn't feel too good about this betrayal...

Do you think he should've moved on by now; it's been two years?

Or do you think that with so much history between them, Dex might never truly move on?

Please give this chapter a vote if you enjoyed it! See you next weekend ❤