Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
JULIEN
“ T oday could have been better,” I tell Elijah when he arrives at my house.
Knowing Jayson has to pick up Liz from work, I texted Elijah and asked if he could come over at six instead of seven. I wanted some alone time with him before everyone showed up.
We’re sitting on my bed in my bedroom with the door closed and locked.
Elijah hugs me. “Unfortunately, everyone at Highland saw the video, too. I’m so sorry, Julien. Liz didn’t deserve that, and she definitely didn’t deserve to have it aired publicly like that.”
He leans in, takes my face, and kisses me.
I melt into him and pull him closer. Mouths fused, we fall sideways onto the bed, our heads sharing my pillow.
Giving him one final swipe of my tongue, I brush my nose against his.
“That’s not the worst of it. Ryder tried to talk to Maria. She said she hates Liz and was only her friend so she could get access to him. Apparently, Maria has had a crush on Ryder for a really long time.”
Elijah plays his fingers through my hair. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Wish I was.”
“It’s amazing what jealousy does to people. Take us for example.”
I give him a quizzical look. “What about us?”
Elijah chuckles and kisses me softly on the lips. “Sorry, that didn’t come out right. Maria is jealous, and she’s taking it out on Liz. But that’s completely on her and it’s wrong for her to do it. I could allow myself to be jealous of Liz.”
I can’t stop my knee-jerk reaction or the hard tone of my voice. “Why the hell would you be jealous of Liz?”
“Because you love her,” Elijah states quietly.
Still defensive, I reply, “Well, of course I fucking love her. I always have. She’s my best friend. What does that have to do with us?”
We covered all this when we started dating. He knows I love Liz, but it’s a deep friendship kind of love, and nothing like the love I feel for him. They’re two completely different things.
“You’re bi, and I’m not,” he explains. “I could worry that one day you’ll leave me to be with a woman or another man. If there was anyone else who I could see you with, it would be Liz. Does that make sense?”
“No.”
Is he saying that he’s afraid I’m going to dump him for Liz?
Yes, I’m bisexual, and yes, if I wanted to have a relationship with a girl, I would definitely have wanted it to be with Liz. But I don’t. I want him. I’m damn lucky to have found Elijah, and I’m even luckier that he loves me in return. I’m happy. My life is good. I have so much to look forward to, even if I’m afraid of the future that awaits me.
“I could let my insecurities and jealousy control me, but I don’t. I trust what we have together, Julien. I trust you. Maria couldn’t do that with Ryder. She’s been swimming in her own pit of jealousy for so long, it taints everything in her life.”
Needing to dispel his insecurities, I reach for his hand and hold it to my lips.
“I love you. Only you. Got it.”
Elijah’s eyes soften, the colors shifting to a deeper green than brown.
“Got it.”
“That was the most godawful best- est movie I have ever seen.” Liz is laughing so hard tears stream down her cheeks.
Brea wipes tears from her face. “Whose idea was it again to watch VelociPastor ?”
Jayson raises his hand.
“You’re the best, Jayson!” she exclaims.
Mom calls from the kitchen. “Who wants more pizza?”
You would think after we devoured the four large ones she already made, along with two dozen cookies, we’d be full.
Mom sets a meat lover’s pizza on the coffee table, and four sets of hands dig in.
“Thanks, Mom,” I tell her, fighting Elijah for the slice with the most cheese.
“You know, we should do this more often,” Brea comments, munching on a cookie. “I mean, I know you guys have your breakfast thing every morning now that we aren’t invited to ”—she sticks her tongue out at Ryder—“and you guys will be off to college soon, leaving me and Hailey here to fend for ourselves. It would be nice to do stuff like this together before you all leave to become adults and all.”
“I second that,” Hailey agrees.
“I don’t see why not,” Ryder says, picking up a slice, the gooey mozzarella creating strings that stretch from the pan to his hand.
I lick grease off my fingers. Elijah watches me with smoldering eyes. My dick hardens at his heated gaze, and I roll over onto my stomach to hide my growing erection.
“I’ve got one for you guys. It’s called this or that. You have to pick your favorite from a choice of two things. Like beach or mountains.”
“Mountains,” Ryder, Elijah, and Brea say.
“Beach,” from Liz and Hailey.
“ Black sand beach.” Jayson smirks at Liz, waggling his eyebrows, and she giggles.
“Oh yeah. Definitely black sand beach,” she agrees.
“Are we missing something?” Brea asks them.
“I am a vault,” is Jayson’s remark.
“My turn,” Hailey jumps in. “This one’s for the boys. Boxers or briefs?”
I don’t answer because I usually go commando, and that’s information I’m not going to share with my friends.
“Boxers,” Elijah and Ryder reply.
Liz pokes Jay in the side. “He’s definitely a briefs man.”
“Okay, smartass,” Jay counters. “Thong or underwear?”
Brea and Hailey reply, “Underwear.”
“Neither,” Liz says.
I point at her. “You have to choose. Which is it?”
Liz shocks the hell out of us when she says, “Neither because I’m not wearing any.”
The girls burst out laughing, Ryder sucks in an audible breath, and Jay suddenly lurches up off the couch and tosses Liz over his shoulder.
“Not this again! Jayson, put me down!”
He takes off with her and heads for the stairs. “Be right back. I have to see if she’s telling the truth.”
Liz pushes up from his back. “Can someone please help?”
I smile. Hailey and Brea send her a finger wave.
“Traitors!” she shouts.
Tapping my watch, I call out, “You have nine minutes!” Then laugh my ass off when Liz gives me the finger.