I thought it was over.

After he said I wasn’t perfect, after he claimed not to remember my refusal, I thought he’d stop.

But Julian never stops.

He escalates.

And just as the wind shifted, carrying the last of the lemonade scent away, Serena spoke.

Not loudly.

Not angrily.

With a voice so soft, so kind, it made my skin crawl.

“Julian,” she said, setting her phone down, her eyes wide with concern. “Maybe you should respect her.”

I didn’t look at her.

I didn’t ...