“It wasn’t what it looked like,” I said on reflex.
“You said before what you felt for Julian wasn’t serious,” he said.
“It’s not.”
Nicholas crossed his arms. His jaw tightened and he didn’t say anything else.
I didn’t know what else to say, how to ease his worries, than to tell him the truth. “Julian saved me from you father.”
Nicholas’s enter focus zeroed in on me. All emotion vanished. He looked me over as if looking for injury, then spoke fiercely, “What happened?”
I explained, about the summons, about the threat, and about Julian’s timely intervention. By the end of it, Nicholas had come closer, standing before me again, concern crinkling his brow.
“I’m okay now,” I said. “I heard some of your speech. You likely assuaged most of his fears. So you saved me, too. Thank you.”
He s
