Page 63 of Julien (Confessions 2)

“I’m just thinking,” Julien continued. “Wondering why I put myself through this every year.”

“You put yourself through it because this is where she is, and they’re your family. Because you are theirs,” Priest said.

“They’ve made it abundantly clear they wished that wasn’t the case. But it is what it is,” Julien said. “I guess I should just be thankful they don’t lock the gates on me.”

I fucking dare them to try, Priest thought, and shook his head in disgust. But the truth was that he was also surprised they hadn’t resorted to locking their only living child from his home. Then again, Priest got the impression they enjoyed having someone to blame for their misery. Someone to hold responsible for all of their anger and sorrow.

“Haven’t you been punished enough?” Priest whispered, as he moved his hand up to cup the back of Julien’s neck.

Julien turned his head, and his sad eyes told Priest there would never be enough punishment for what had happened all those years ago, then he said, “Non.”

Priest wanted to argue, to vehemently disagree, and while the baggage area seemed an appropriate setting for them to talk about all of this, he knew it wasn’t the right time or place to delve into details.

After several silent seconds passed, the two of them looked over to where Robbie stood watching them with a pensive expression, and Priest decided it was time to head out. They were getting nowhere standing still.

“Well, Mr. Bianchi, are you ready to see L.A.?” Priest said.

“Why yes, Mr. Priestley, I think I am.” And the smile that crossed Robbie’s face was enough to pull Julien out of his headspace.

“Then what are we waiting for?” Julien said, and stretched a hand out to Robbie. “Let’s go, princesse.”

“IS THE TRAFFIC always like this?” Robbie asked, as they moved half a car length up the 405 and again came to a stop.

“Oui. It is, always. It’s even worse during rush hour,” Julien said from where he sat behind the wheel of their black SUV rental, with Robbie seated beside him and Priest in the back.

They were crawling up the 405 freeway and Julien was tapping his finger along to the music softly playing through the speakers, trying not to think about what was going to go down in the next forty-eight hours.

“Robert?” Priest said, as Robbie stared out ahead at the sea of brake lights, in what now felt more like a parking lot than a freeway.

“Hmm?”

Priest had been going out of his way to make small talk and keep everyone occupied since they’d left the airport, and if it had been any other time or place, it would’ve been highly amusing to see him so chatty. As it was, Julien was nothing but grateful for the distraction.

“How is it that someone as flashy as yourself has never been to L.A.? I would’ve assumed this was your kind of town.”

“Right?” Robbie said, his attention now redirected as he shifted in his seat so he was angled toward the middle of the vehicle. “It really does feel like my kind of place, doesn’t it? All the glitter and glam? Hmm, maybe I should think about relocating. My ma always said I should never hide my light under a bushel.”

“No one could ever accuse you of doing that,” Priest said, as he ran his eyes over Robbie’s grey V-neck shirt that had black Eiffel Towers and bright red kisses all over it. He’d told them he’d had to have it when he spotted it last week because it made him think of kissing Julien.

“I mean, who wouldn’t want to live here? I bet there are thousands of sexy single men waiting to be discovered, aren’t there?” Robbie let out a dreamy sigh and then shrugged. “Not that I care about that now, of course. But that would’ve been a huge draw before.”

“Before?” Priest said.

“Yeah. Before this. Before us. Now, I’m one hundred percent content.”

“How reassuring.”

“Oh, please.” Robbie rolled his eyes. “Don’t even try to act like you don’t know I’m totally stupid over the two of you.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Julien saw Priest lean forward between the seats to say, “There’s nothing stupid about you, sweetheart. Don’t say that, ever.”

“You know what I mean,” Robbie said.

“Do I?”

“Um, yeah. When you two are in a room, I can barely find my tongue to speak. A.k.a: stupid for the both of you.”

Julien reached over the console and placed a hand on Robbie’s thigh, deciding this conversation was just the kind of diversion he could do with.

“Don’t worry yourself, princesse. When you’re in a room with us, we’ll always be happy to help you locate your tongue.”

Robbie chuckled and put a hand over Julien’s to slide it higher up his leg. “Promise?”

“Promis.”

“Robert,” Priest said, and Robbie shivered at the sound of his name. “Give Julien his hand back. He needs to concentrate on driving, not your hot little body.”

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