After The One (The One Series Duet) (28 page)

With his arms locked around my waist, Julian kissed my neck. “We saw you so we snuck in behind you.”

He let me go and I spun around to face him, kissing all over his face. Something about the rehearsal had made me incredibly giddy around Julian. I had been unable to stop getting moony-eyed around him at dinner.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were drunk,” he joked.

“I’m seriously surprised she’s not. I want to know when my sister stopped drinking,” Zach teased from behind Julian.

I quickly pressed my lips against Julian’s and then walked around him to stand in front of the others.

“Zach.” I glared at my brother, who looked exactly like our father. Smiling at the rest of the group, I gave Zach’s girlfriend a hug first.

“You should’ve ridden with us,” I whispered loudly, causing her to giggle shyly.

Slapping Zach’s arm, I narrowed my eyes at my brother. “What?! I don’t drink all the time! How dare you?!” My voice was comically indignant.

He laughed. “No seriously, I can’t remember the last holiday you didn’t have a new drink concoction you’d picked up from the bar that you wanted everyone to drink. It’s New Year’s Eve—better yet, it’s the night before your wedding and I don’t think I’ve seen you drink all weekend.”

If the look on Omar, James and Scott’s faces were any indication, I was positive my best friends and Julian’s faces were just as bad.

Way to keep it cool, guys.

I planned to tell the rest of my family after the weekend was over. The producers could be sneaky and I didn’t want any of them to slip up and tell anyone.

“If you saw my dress, you’d understand why I can’t afford the empty calories. Why don’t you worry about your alcohol intake so you aren’t wasted escorting Mom down the aisle?”

“It’s New Year’s Eve; I can’t make any promises,” he returned.

Everyone laughed but my cousin and her boyfriend laughed a little too hard as I hugged and then slapped their arms as well.

“Okay, let’s do this,” Julian called out, intertwining his fingers with mine.

We let everyone else in front of us so they could lead the way down the main corridor that led to the ballroom hallway. The steady beat of a pop song pulsed through the air. Julian’s hand slipped from my grasp as he positioned himself behind me. He grabbed onto my hips and I started swaying to the music as we walked. We managed to avoid members of the camera crews until we crossed the threshold of the ballroom.

“Zoe!” Bailey Anderson screamed, inadvertently grabbing the attention of a crowd of people around her.

“Bailey!” I called back as she threw her arms around me. “I love your hair like that. You look amazing!”

She hugged me tightly. “It’s been way too long,” she said as we pulled apart. She eyed my low-cut, black metallic dress that showed off my curves. “You look gorgeous.” She looked over my shoulder and gestured to me. “Julian, your fiancé is gorgeous!”

He laughed. “I know.”

Throwing one of her two cornrowed braids over her shoulder, the blonde beauty made a face. “Oh and you look okay, too, I guess.”

With a laugh, they hugged and by the time they pulled apart, a camera crew was set up with cameras in our faces. Our friends and family were bumped out of the way as we were backed up through the door we’d just come in through.

“We’re going to head to the VIP area,” Koko screamed over the head of the producer who positioned herself in front of her.

The VIP area was literally a reserved section of tables that had a velvet rope around it. Only one camera crew at a time was allowed in that area so it wasn’t really as private as it had been presented to us before we’d agreed to it.

But tonight is about having a good time, ringing in the New Year, and then marrying the love of my life tomorrow.

I mouthed an apology to my friends and they waved it off and smiled. Julian’s friends and the rest of our family followed Koko.

“Hi! I’m Pepper,” the producer announced cheerily. She proceeded to introduce the rest of her crew. She smiled brightly at us. “It’s so good to catch you all together. We know you are just walking in and we already have you back in the hallway, but we have a couple of quick questions before the party really gets started. We’ll let you go as soon as we get a couple of things. Is that all right?”

“Fine with me,” Bailey replied quickly, adjusting her sexy, blue dress that matched the color of her eyes and showcased an ample amount of cleavage.

Julian’s hand rested on my hip as he pulled me into his side. I looked up at him as he looked down at me. He lifted an eyebrow fractionally and I nodded indiscriminately. The corner of my lip quirked up and his slow, easy grin spread across his face. He looked at the producer and answered, “Yes, that’s fine with us.”

Pepper the Producer gestured to crew and then counted down.

“You three were the clear winners of your session. Congratulations on everything you’ve accomplished and the success you’ve had courtesy of the show.”

“Thank you,” the three of us said in unison.

Pepper the Producer looked at Bailey. “How does it feel to see your ex-boyfriend about to marry the woman who used to be your rival?”

I inhaled sharply. I was not only caught off guard by the question, but also by the purpose of the question. Turning my head, I looked up at Julian and saw his jaw clenched tightly, expression blank.

Bailey pulled at her braid and flashed a smile. “Zoe and I were never rivals. We’re both busy, but we have a great relationship. I host Summer Fling and I also have a new movie coming out. Zoe is an attorney and thriving in her career.”

I nodded in agreement. “We see each other at least once a month… well except for the last few months, but that’s because of my schedule. But, the point is, Bailey and I are friends.”

Pepper tapped her chin. “Sounds good,” she murmured, even though she sounded skeptical. “But at one point in time, you two were competing for the same man. Doesn’t that negatively impact your friendship?”

Before I could open my mouth to respond, Bailey started talking. “From the moment these two met, they were fated. Julian was never my boyfriend. He always belonged to Zoe. I mean, come on…look at them.”

The camera panned to just us and I was already grinning at Bailey’s words as Julian had me tucked protectively into his side.

“I dated everyone in the house per the game, but the heart wants what the heart wants.” Julian kissed me on the top of my head. “And my heart belonged to Zoe from the moment we met.”

Turning, I wrapped my arms around Julian and gazed up at him. “And Julian will have mine until the day I die.”

“You see what I’m saying?” Bailey pointed out. “They are the real deal.”

“I see.” Pepper smiled and nodded. “Well, Julian, do you keep up or speak to anyone who was on the show?”

“No…” His eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. “Why would I? I mean, besides Bryce, I didn’t spend much time getting to know anyone, but the women. And I am about to marry the only woman I needed to keep in touch with.”

Something in Pepper the Producer’s eyes looked sneaky and maybe even a little devious. “I just meant as friends,” she clarified.

“Zoe keeps up with Bailey and if I’m in the room when they are speaking, I say hello. But like I said, no, I don’t have a need or desire to keep up with any woman I’ve had a romantic past with.”

I discreetly squeezed his side to let him know that his answer was good and that I loved him.

Pepper’s smile widened. “Good, good, this is good.” She signaled toward me with her head. “So Zoe, a question for you: how do you feel about Julian being surrounded by so many women tonight?”

“Well I would hope the guests at our wedding wouldn’t hit on the groom, but bottom line, I trust Julian, so there’s nothing for me to worry about.”

Pepper bit her bottom lip as she grinned. “That’s good. Trust is good.” She looked at Bailey. “Do you speak with anyone from the show besides Zoe?”

“No, but I’m looking forward to seeing how everyone is doing tonight,” she responded diplomatically.

Pepper nodded, signaling to her cameraman to stop rolling. She cast her gaze over the three of us. “Do you mind if I find you a little later to talk more?”

“Okay,” Julian responded.

“Sure,” Bailey answered.

I just nodded because something felt off.

“Wonderful,” Pepper cheered mischievously.

As soon as the camera crew scurried back into the ballroom, the three of us looked at each other.

“Did that seem off to you?” I asked, looking between them.

Before either of them could answer, the DJ made an announcement that I didn’t completely understand and then the music pumped through the speakers louder. As the hip hop beat vibrated through the air, the few people still hanging out in the corridor ran inside the ballroom.

A good-looking man with a great smile wearing a nice suit waved at Bailey, inviting her over to where he was standing.

I looked from him to Bailey. Her eyes lit up and her pretty face flushed.

“I’m going to meet up with you guys in a little bit,” Bailey mumbled distractedly as she stared straight ahead.

I smiled up at Julian. “I think Bailey may have found—umph!” A yelp escaped me as I got bumped hard. “What the hell?” I snapped as Julian caught me, keeping me from falling into the door. My hand protectively covered my belly as I remained unsteady on my spiked heels.

“Who was that?” Julian barked to no one in particular as he eyed the people hanging around the doorway.

One of the security guards approached us. “Mr. Winters, can I speak with you for a second?”

“Yes. Give me a second.” He threw the response over his shoulder as he looked at me. “Are you okay?” He ran his hands up and down my arms. “Did you see who did it?”

I put my hand on my belly briefly and nodded. I lifted my foot and rotated my ankle in a circle. “I’m fine. It really just surprised me.”

“Who was it?”

I reached up and touched his hardened face. “I don’t know. I know it was a woman. I’m sure it was an accident though.” I gestured with my head to the anxious-looking security guard. “Handle your business, my love.”

Julian watched me for a second before dropping a kiss to my lips. “This won’t take long and I’ll be right here.” He turned around, taking maybe one step away from me to have his conversation.

My smile slipped after Julian’s back was to me.

Who pushed me?

I knew it wasn’t an accident. It was a legitimate push in the center of my back and it felt intentional.

I whipped my head around to see who it was and my eyes narrowed at a woman in a backless, pale pink slip dress. Wavy, light brown hair cascaded down a bare back and long, toned legs ended in an expensive pair of shoes. She turned around dramatically and my eyes went from narrowed to a blatant glare as I recognized the woman before me.

“Oh, sorry! I didn’t see you there,” Leah Trotter shouted over the music. The smirk on her snobby face indicated that she wasn’t sorry at all. Her eyes shifted to Julian. She took several steps closer to us, stopping with a foot of space between us. Her tone changed considerably as she eyed my fiancé.

“Did you push me?” I snapped, wanting confirmation before I had her tossed out.

Julian must’ve heard me because he turned and looked.

“By accident,” Leah replied, shifting her body toward him and tossing her hair over her shoulder. “You know I would never do anything like that on purpose. You know me, Julian.” She batted her eyes. “But how are you? You look good. Very, very good.”

I gaped at her incredulously. She flirted like she didn’t see him having a conversation with someone and didn’t see me standing right beside him.

“He’s great,” I answered for him. “You’re not welcome here.”

Leah’s eyes cut to me, flashing with unnecessary hostility. “I am an invited guest. Is this the way you treat invited guests? That’s unbelievably rude and unbecoming of a celebrity’s wife.”

“Showing up to an event where you are unwelcome is unbelievably rude and unbecoming of a decent human being,” I retorted, my irritation rising. “But that’s to be expected. You proved you weren’t decent a long time ago.”

“It’s a shame you’re so jealous of me. I mean, the press said so. The—”

“Jealous?” I interrupted almost breathlessly as rage boiled under my skin. “You are crashing my wedding weekend in a desperate attempt to get attention and stay relevant. I have nothing to be jealous of.”

“Oh am I getting under your skin because you know deep down Julian will marry a girl like you because you’re safe?” She smirked. “He may marry you, but he won’t ever stop wanting a girl like me.”

“Leah, he chose me. This is desperate and sad. Grow the fuck up.”

Seconds passed as she glared at me and I glared right back.

In our silence, I heard Julian and the security guard exchanging goodbyes. Even if I didn’t hear it, I knew his conversation was over courtesy of the way Leah’s face transformed from snarky to flirty in a flash. I rolled my eyes.

His hand settled on the small of my back. “Everything all right?”

Leah twisted her body toward him, sticking her chest out. “I’m great.” She scrunched her nose up and tilted her head toward me. “But she’s aggressively angry for some reason. I mean, look how angry she is.”

“It’s time for you to go. You’ve overextended your welcome and your fifteen minutes of fame. Get the fuck out.”

She lifted her eyebrows and her shoulders. “And this is the type of woman you say you want to marry?”

My breaths were coming out in short bursts as Julian tightened his arm around me. I wasn’t a violent person, but I wanted to launch my body toward her and knock that smug smile off of her face.

This bitch has some nerve! Breathe. Just breathe. First of all, I’m pregnant. Second, there are cameras everywhere. Third, the show and the media will twist it to paint me as “angry” and “irrational” while painting Leah as the victim. She’s baiting me. She wants me to act irrationally because she wants to reignite her fifteen minutes of fame and that’ll be exactly what happens if I put my hands on her. Just breathe.

I had to look away from her to calm myself down and I noticed a camera crew noticing us.