He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 700

Julian narrowed his eyes.

He could do absolutely nothing but stand there and watch as Stellan blatantly drove off with Scarlett.

Clearly, he had severely underestimated her charm. The list of men vying for her attention was growing by the minute. Yardley was still lurking around like a starving wolf, Stellan had just openly declared war, and then there was Heath Sheridan, the relentless playboy who kept sending her flowers and showing up with takeout.

If he kept playing the patient, 'nice guy' routine, slow-boiling the romance... what if she suddenly said yes to one of them?

If that happened, he would lose everything.

The sudden spike of anxiety gnawed at him. That night, Julian laid in bed, tossing and turning, completely unable to sleep. For the first time in his thirty years of life, he finally understood the ancient poetic cliché of 'wasting away over a lover.'

He had never known a night could feel this agonizingly long.

Several times, he picked up his phone, fully intending to call her. But every time, he forced himself to put it back down. He was terrified of waking her up. But he was equally terrified of what Stellan might be doing. What if Stellan took advantage of her vulnerability to confess his feelings? What if she said yes?

He literally couldn't bear to finish the thought.

He agonizingly waited for the sun to rise. The exact second dawn broke, he practically leaped out of bed, showered, and drove straight to her favorite bakery to buy breakfast before speeding to the Magnolia Villa.

—

After Stellan had helped Scarlett back to her room, she had face-planted onto her bed and instantly passed out. She was so exhausted she hadn't even bothered to change her clothes.

Thankfully, while the vintage single malt packed a punch, it was remarkably clean. When she finally woke up, her mind was crystal clear without a trace of a hangover. She took a quick shower, threw on a face mask, and headed out of her room to check on Dawn.

As she reached the table, her eyes lit up like stars. "Whoa! This is all my favorite stuff! Did you go wait in line for this at the crack of dawn? You're the absolute best!"

Jacqueline beamed, looking at Julian like he was the greatest thing on earth. "Isn't he? Julian has been waking up early to bring us breakfast all the time lately. Saves me so much trouble. Honestly, whoever ends up marrying this man is going to be the luckiest girl in the world. Some people really need to realize how good they have it."

Her mother's pointed comment made Scarlett blush fiercely.

She opened her mouth to reply, but right at that moment, the heavy front doors of the villa swung open.

Stellan strode in, also carrying a massive takeout bag. Without looking up, he lifted the bag victoriously. "Scarlett, I went across town and waited in line to get those warm savory pies you love!"

He looked up—and froze. He stared in absolute shock at Julian, who was standing casually next to a perfectly plated, infinitely superior breakfast spread.