Page 75 of The Princess, the Prick & the Priest (Confessions 4)

Julien’s eyes blurred as he kissed Priest’s fingertips, then he shifted down the bed until he could lay his head on Priest’s chest.

As Priest’s heart steadily thudded in his ear, Priest wrapped his arms around him, and Julien said, “I don’t know. But I understand how you feel.” Julien looked up at Priest. “He’s shown us new ways to love each other. Kind of incredible, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It really is.”

Julien smiled, thinking of their princesse sleeping somewhere else in the house, and knew that Priest was missing him just as much as he was.

“Did you text him yet?” Julien asked.

“No,” Priest said, and then smiled. “But he texted us about fifteen minutes ago.”

Julien chuckled and looked over to their phones on the nightstand. “Of course he did.”

“Ah huh,” Priest said, and then reached over to grab his. “I thought I’d wait for you to wake up so we could give him a call.”

Julien kissed the center of Priest’s chest as he shifted up the bed so his head was propped up on the pillow against the headboard. As he unlocked the phone, Priest turned it around and showed Julien the message.

Robbie: Good morning! Happy wedding day! I hope you both slept well. I tossed and turned ALL night. This bed is too big for just me. ~sigh~ I can’t wait to see you both today. Or text you. Or call you…

Julien grinned, and could see the pout behind those words as clearly as if Robbie was standing in front of them. When neither of them had responded, a second message had come through, then a third, and then a fourth.

Robbie: Or you know, you could call me maybe?

Robbie: Great, now I have that song in my head.

Robbie: Where are you two? The sun is up. Don’t tell me you’re actually sleeping in, Jules. Really? Today?

Julien shook his head. “You could’ve texted him back. Put him out of his misery.”

“I could have,” Priest said, as Julien got off him and moved to sit up. “But I find that I’m a little weak this morning. One suggestion from him that he come over here, I would’ve caved like a house of cards.”

Julien held his hand out for the phone, and when Priest gave it to him, Julien leaned down and kissed him on the lips. “I don’t blame you at all, mon amour. I would’ve done the same thing. But I think the two of us can handle him.”

“That’s what everyone keeps telling us,” Priest said.

“Then let’s see if they’re right.” Julien hit Robbie’s number, and not halfway through the first ring, their princesse answered.

ROBBIE STARED AT the second hand of the clock as it tick-tick-ticked its way around too damn slowly for his liking. It was creeping up to seven thirty now, and he’d been staring at it since five.

Ugh, so much for beauty sleep. He’d tossed and turned all night in the bed he used to sleep in just fine whenever they’d come to the lake house. But not last night. No. He’d lain there most of the night thinking how big it felt, how…empty, and had come to the decision that he never wanted to sleep anywhere alone ever again.

Figuring Julien would be up by now doing his yoga—or if he’s lucky, Priest—Robbie sent them a quick message to let them know that he was up too. Just in case they wanted to, you know, call him on their wedding day.

Robbie stared at the phone, waiting for a reply, and when nothing came through, he sent off another text, and then another, and when he still got no response, Robbie let out a deep sigh and texted: Where are you two? The sun is up. Don’t tell me you’re actually sleeping in, Jules. Really? Today?

Feeling slightly desperate, and a little pathetic for how much he missed them, Robbie tossed back the covers and walked over to the large windows that overlooked the lake, and just like that, he forgot all about his restless night.

The morning sunlight was shimmering across the calm water and filtering through the property’s tree line to electrify the vibrant colors of the fall leaves. The rich shades of red, orange, and yellow made the morning appear as though it were bathed in gold, and the arbor that had been delivered yesterday evening sat still and silent, beautiful in its solitude, as it overlooked the sparkling water.

Robbie could see his mother down there already, slipping the bouquets of orange roses, burgundy chrysanthemums, and yellow daisies into the organza bows, and Felicity was behind her putting the programs on the chairs with little gold pumpkins on top to hold them in place.

Robbie brought a hand to his heart to try and calm its erratic thudding. But he knew it was no use. This was his wedding day. This moment? He’d never have again, and as he stared out at the morning greeting him, he knew it was going to be perfect.

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