PROLOGUE
A Few Years Ago . . .
“Dude, you’re being a dick.”
Julian Sinclair flipped off his younger brother, Xander, for his negative comment. “Unlike you, I don’t have the luxury of going to see Mom and Dad right now. I’m trying to build a goddamn career!”
Was it so wrong for Julian to want his parents to be proud of their middle son? If that was going to happen, he needed to stay in Los Angeles and work. Julian’s brother Micah already had a successful corporation that he’d built himself. As the eldest, Micah had made his own mark in the world, even though he’d already inherited a billionaire status from their father’s wealth, just as all three of them had when their dad had retired.
Xander, the youngest, was already a music superstar.
All Julian wanted was a chance to prove himself without revealing that he was one of the billionaire Sinclair clan. He’d been busting his ass in Hollywood for years, living the life of a struggling actor to keep himself motivated.
“It’s their anniversary, man,” Xander answered reasonably. “And you haven’t seen them since . . . when? Your college graduation? Five or six years ago? You told them you’d be at the party.”
It had been a long time. And yes, he had told his parents that he’d come to their anniversary celebration, but that was months ago. Before he’d gotten the starring role in a movie that meant everything to him. “I’ll call them. I always do.”
Xander scowled at his older brother from his straddled position on a rickety dining-room chair in Julian’s sparsely furnished apartment. “They miss you. Micah can’t make it, either, but he just visited them for a week before he left for business. You can catch a ride with me. I’m flying there tomorrow. It’s just a couple of days.”
“I’m not fucking going,” Julian answered angrily, glaring at Xander as he tossed his movie script on the old table. He obviously wasn’t going to be able to work on it until he got rid of his pesky younger brother.
This movie could be pivotal to his career. The last thing he needed was to be away for a couple of days.
Once he’d made it in the film industry, Julian would make it up to his mom and dad, visit them every month. He missed them, too. “I want to be somebody when I see them again,” Julian told Xander as he leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his unruly hair in frustration.
“You don’t get it,” Xander answered sadly. “You are somebody. You’re their son. They’ll love you the same way whether you’re mega-successful or not. It’s what parents do. Dad admires the fact that you aren’t using your money to buy success. He and Mom are both proud of you. All they want is to see you in person.”
“I’m busy,” Julian snapped. “It can wait. This film I’m taking on right now is special to me. Really special. And I finally got a starring role. This could be my big break.” The screenplay was important to him for another reason that he hadn’t yet revealed to any of his family. And he wouldn’t. Not unless he could make the film successful.
Xander had been discovered almost immediately once he’d started his music career. Julian didn’t believe for a moment that it was only because his brother was a Sinclair. Xander was talented. Always had been. But the fact that their family was one of the richest in the world certainly didn’t hurt to open doors and find connections. Stubbornly, Julian refused to use the Sinclair name to try to launch any opportunities for himself.
He’d been damn lucky to get his current break, and he didn’t want to fuck it up.
“Mom and Dad aren’t getting any younger, bro. How long do you think you have?” Xander answered. “They’re both in good health and pretty damn active. But they won’t be around forever.”
“Dad is still playing tennis and golfing like a pro, and Mom can work circles around other women her age and younger. They aren’t going anywhere. I can wait until this movie is done,” Julian insisted.
He was starting to get angry at his little brother for trying to guilt him into going to their parents’ place with him tomorrow.
Considering that he was a music superstar, Xander looked pretty relaxed in a pair of black boots, jeans, and a black T-shirt underneath his dark leather jacket. He never seemed stressed over concerts, touring schedules, recording, or the rest of his busy life. And Xander always . . . always put family first. Fame hadn’t seemed to change Julian’s younger brother much at all.
Unfortunately, living close to Xander meant that Julian got frequent visits from his younger brother, since they lived only about fifteen miles apart. Micah, who was headquartered on the East Coast, visited when he was in town for business, so Julian’s interaction with his older brother was sporadic.
It wasn’t that Julian didn’t care about his family, but since he lived a completely different lifestyle, he felt like none of them could relate to his struggles. Being reminded by his siblings and parents that he actually had a portfolio worth billions of dollars, which his father had settled on his kids when he’d retired, could tempt Julian to give in and use his money and connections. It would be so much easier. But it wouldn’t feel the same as making it completely on his own.
Xander rose and kicked the chair out from under his butt, easily catching the back of it to return it to its place against the table. “I give up. I promised the folks I’d do what I could to bring you with me, but I can’t make you understand that you’re being a self-centered asshole to parents who love you regardless of what you’ve achieved.”
Julian rose, furious now. “It’s not like I’m sitting on my ass doing nothing. My career matters, dammit!”
“I know that. Mine matters, too. But your priorities are all fucked up, Julian. We’re lucky to have great parents. All of us were raised in a life of privilege, and unlike our cousins, we had a great mom and dad who’ve always been supportive of whatever our personal dreams might be. I’m never too busy to go see them, because I want to spend time with them.”
“Yeah, you were always their precious baby boy,” Julian sneered as he stepped up nose-to-nose with his sibling.
Xander slammed Julian in the chest to push him back. “Bullshit. They never played favorites with any of us and you know it. You just want to justify the fact that you’re a dick. Go ahead. Tell yourself whatever makes you feel better. Just remember, you may regret not seeing them more often someday.”
Julian flinched as Xander walked out of his apartment and slammed the door.
“Fuck him,” he cursed as he strode back to the table and picked up his movie script. “I’ll make it up to Mom and Dad once the movie is done.”
He’d eventually apologize to Xander, too, for his angry words. Honestly, Julian’s parents hadn’t played favorites with their children. But he and his brothers were close in age, and Micah had always been brilliant with business and eventually special because he was skilled with extreme sports. Xander had excelled as a gifted musician from a very young age.
And I’m still trying to find my damn place in the world.
It wasn’t that Julian hadn’t gotten the same amount of attention. It had just been . . . different. He’d been a kid who’d liked books and movies. Pretty boring when one compared his childhood interests with Micah’s and Xander’s talents. But his mom never failed to discuss the books he was reading with him, and his dad took him to movies and shows that he wanted to see, on opening day.
Nothing his parents or brothers had done had caused Julian’s discontent. He just wanted to be extraordinary in his own way, which was why he needed to make it without using the Sinclair connections or money.
He forgot Xander’s words a few moments later as he focused on movie scenes.
The next time he thought about what Xander had said, it was at his parents’ funeral. They were both dead, and Xander was in the hospital clinging to life.
Julian had been wrong. He’d never gotten the chance to make anything up to his parents, and Xander had been right.
Julian had what seemed like a million regrets, and even though he wanted to turn back the clock and do things in his adult life with his parents all over again, he couldn’t.
There were no do-overs, and no second chances sometimes. Life wasn’t like a movie or a Broadway show, where you could have multiple takes, rehearsals, dress rehearsals, and then, hopefully, a perfect opening night, or a polished, finished movie after an incredible amount of preparation.
Life was finite and unpredictable.
Unfortunately, Julian grew up and learned that lesson much too late.