18. Chapter 18
Chapter 18
Julien
T he energy in the house shifted once Tyler came out of the living room with Wally. The morning had been tense, to say the least.
Julien had thought he would quickly escape once he could get into Tyler’s room, but now he was staying once again.
This time, he wasn’t being paid for his time. Or, he supposed, he had already been paid. Tyler hadn’t asked for the money back, and Julien hadn’t brought it up.
Tyler’s mother hardly said a word after Julien had described the nature of their fight and come clean about who he was. Mostly. He didn’t know why he hadn’t mentioned that Tyler had hired him, but that seemed like something Tyler should probably tell them himself.
Julien felt like a bit of weight was off his shoulders. He had the money and could afford to enjoy Christmas with a nice family and Tyler. Despite what Jules said yesterday, Tyler wasn’t a bad guy. Bratty and spoiled? Yes. But apparently, Julien didn’t mind a spoiled brat. Actually, he kind of loved it.
He helped Hailey do the dishes after breakfast before Mr. Ashford talked him into looking at one of their cars, which had been making a noise. They hadn’t had a chance to bring it in with all of the Christmas prep.
Mrs. Ashford reminded them they would take family photos that afternoon, and the photographer would be there after lunch.
Things hadn’t exactly changed, but Julien felt something huge had shifted.
He put on some of his clothes upstairs and returned in a gray T-shirt and ratty jeans. It was a good thing he did because once he was finished looking at the Ashford’s car, he was covered in dust from the garage, grease from the engine, and a layer of cold sweat from working in the cold.
When Jules finished up, Mr. Ashford, who had supervised, spoke up. “You know, I hope you don’t think we’re a bunch of uptight jerks with all that’s happened,” he said. “Tyler’s always been funny about things, worried he’s not good enough. We don’t care who he dates as long as he’s happy.”
Julien didn’t know if that was supposed to make him feel better. It didn’t make him feel great, but it wasn’t exactly an insult. “Yeah. It’s fine. I’m just glad it’s all out there now.” Mostly.
“Me too. I hope you stick around because the guy I bring my car to really takes me to the cleaners with this sort of thing.” Mr. Ashford patted him on the shoulder and led him back into the house.
Tyler was helping his mother set up gifts under the tree, and he looked up when Julien came back inside. His mouth fell open.
“Need any help?” Julien went over to them.
“Umm,” Tyler said, still gazing at him.
Julien almost couldn’t parse the look, but he’d seen it before. It was the same look he’d given him when he first came to Tyler’s apartment. The same one he’d given him when he went out of the bathroom shirtless.
Tyler was totally checking him out.
Mrs. Ashford turned her attention to him and wrinkled her nose. “Oh, no, no. Julien, honey, you need to go shower and get ready. You are covered in grease. The photographer will be here in half an hour.”
“Oh, but I don’t have to be in the picture,” Julien said, not that he would argue that he needed a shower. He definitely did.
“Yes, we are all in the picture. Now go shower before you get oil everywhere,” Mrs. Ashford instructed with a flourish of her hand, pointing him to the stairs.
Julien tried not to feel any type of way about the motherly tone she had taken with him. Still, it made his chest ache, and he found himself marching up the stairs dutifully before he could even think twice about it.
When he exited the shower, he stepped back into Tyler’s room in a towel. Tyler was there, changing into the most hideous Christmas sweater Julien had ever seen.
It was thick, with red, green, and white snowflakes. It made Tyler look like he stepped out of one of those bad nineties photoshoots .
“What are you wearing?” Julien asked with a laugh.
Tyler’s mouth hung open again. Julien realized that while he had asked what Tyler was wearing, he was wearing only a towel. Oh yeah . He was being ogled.
“I…umm…have one for you too.”
Julien raised his eyebrows. “Uh, no, I don’t think so.” He stepped back as Tyler produced another sweater from his bed.
“It’s the law. We all have to wear them.” As he advanced, Tyler pulled his eyes from Julien’s chest to his face.
Julien backed away until he hit the wall. “Ugh…it’s seriously ugly, Baby.”
“Well, good. Maybe it will bring you back to the same level as the rest of us.” Tyler unfolded the sweater to show off an identical pattern and color.
“I hate it.” Julien grimaced at the sight of the ugly sweater.
Tyler grinned. “So do I. That’s part of the fun. Come on. Suit up.”
Julien had let Tyler play dress up with him since before they got here, but this was almost a step too far. It was nice to be included in a weird family tradition without payment held over his head.
“Fine,” he grumbled. He snatched the sweater away. “But only to prove that I look good in anything.”
“You look good in nothing,” Tyler said, and when Julien looked up, his mouth was firmly shut now, and he was blushing. “I mean not nothing because you’re in a towel.”
Julien licked his bottom lip, his eyes sweeping over Tyler as he considered how nice he would look in a towel. Of course, he didn’t wander around without clothes on as much as Julien did.
“Perv,” he said before he did something inadvisable, like dropping the towel then and there.
Tyler shook his head. “Shut up. You know what I meant. Get dressed. Mom will kill us if we’re not ready in time.”
Julien rolled his eyes but found a pair of his new, Tyler-approved jeans and returned to the bathroom to put on the most horrible sweater he had ever seen. At least it was soft. It didn’t do him any favors, though. He was man enough to admit that.
When he stepped back into Tyler’s room, Tyler grinned. “Much better.”
“Better than the towel or the greasy shirt?” Julien asked with a flirty raised eyebrow.
Tyler pressed his lips together, and Julien felt a low roll of satisfaction pool in his belly as pink decorated Tyler’s cheeks. “What do you want me to say? Yeah, you look cute in an ugly Christmas sweater.”
“Thank you, Baby. So do you,” Julien said, satisfied. It almost felt as if they weren’t pretending anymore. Julien was playing with fire again, but he couldn’t help himself.
They got downstairs just as the photographer set up the lighting and the tripod.
Cece and Brad had finally returned to the Ashford residence, all in the same ugly sweaters. Even Duke had been forced to wear one, the poor mongrel.
The photographer posed them and rearranged them, and honestly, Julien had never been so warm in his entire life with the camera lights and heat from the fireplace. He tucked his arm around Tyler’s waist.
They took what felt like four hundred pictures with various but minute differences. When he thought they were done, the photographer said he wanted one with all the couples individually.
“You think we can sneak a drink while Cece and Brad are up?” Wally asked Julien, Tyler, and Hailey.
The twins nodded. “We’re on it,” they said in tandem.
Julien laughed in surprise. “Do they do that a lot?”
Walter chuckled. “You get used to it. Umm, did you guys work things out in the end?” he asked when the twins had disappeared into the pantry where the wine cooler was.
Julien shrugged. “It’s complicated. I guess I’m staying, though.”
“I’m happy about that,” Wally said. “It’s nice to have a friend here.”
Julien smiled and then said, “Yeah. It really is.” Wally wasn’t the type of guy he usually made friends with, but he was friendly and welcoming, and Julien was glad he was there with them. He just hoped he wasn’t hurt about what had been said about him.
“Are you good?” he asked.
Wally nodded. “Yeah. I’m glad we cleared the air. It would have been rough to marry Hailey if her twin didn’t like me.”
“I don’t think he dislikes you,” Julien assured him.
“I think it’s better now that you’re here. Tyler probably felt left out, but how can he with you around?” Wally asked with a laugh.
Julien shook his head and clicked his tongue. “You have got to stop this, Wally. We’re taken, men.”
Wally snort-laughed. “You’re an idiot.”
“Found a rosé,” Hailey said as she returned with glasses and a bottle. She looked between Julien and Walter for a moment, grinned, and thrust the bottle at Julien. “Hurry before Dad sees. If we open it, it’s open, but he’ll try to get us to drink something else if he notices.”
Julien made quick work of the cork, and they poured themselves hefty glasses. It tasted nice. Julien was not a wine guy, but Mr. Ashford had good stock.
“Cheers.” Hailey clinked her glass to everyone’s. “Make sure to make eye contact, or it’s seven years of bad sex.”
“Oh, is that what my problem is?” Tyler asked. His blue eyes were wide over the rim of his wine glass as if to prove to the universe he wanted to make eye contact.
Julien couldn’t help but open his eyes wider and lean in, staring Tyler down. “Yeah. I’m not risking it.”
Tyler giggled.
It was too late by the time Mr. Ashford realized his kids had stolen wine. He decided to pour himself a glass as well.
“Come on, Tyler, Julien. You’re up next,” he said when Cece and her family moved away from the tree.
“Us?” Tyler took a step back. “Oh, I don’t know if Julien really wants—” Tyler was cut off by Mr. Ashford, who grabbed him by the shoulder and led him to the tree .
Julien frowned but followed. “It’s okay.” It wasn’t different from the pictures they had taken a few days ago. Just more lights, more matching, and more just them two.
Mr. Ashford took their wine glasses and smiled as they set up near the front of the tree.
Tyler raised his eyebrows and watched Julien with uncertainty. Julien smiled at him. “You look cute.”
Tyler scrunched his face, but soon enough, the photographer was down to business. He instructed them to move closer, to look at each other, to look away, for Tyler to put his hand on Julien’s chest, for them to smile broader, and then he instructed them to kiss.
Julien watched Tyler swallow nervously, and he grinned. “Come here.” He took Tyler’s chin in his hand and tilted his face up so he could gently kiss his lips.
The same as the previous time, Tyler’s mouth was pliant and willing, opening for him like a teasing promise.
He pressed a few quick kisses to his mouth, enjoying the hesitant way Tyler responded at first, before his mouth moved in kind, opening a smidge more, just enough that Julien could slip his tongue past his lips for the briefest of tastes.
He’d wanted to kiss Tyler again since the first peck under the mistletoe, and this was the perfect excuse to give in to those desires.
Tyler placed his hand behind Julien’s head and pulled him closer for a deeper kiss.
Julien’s hands moved down Tyler’s body. He let himself forget, for a moment, that Tyler’s entire family was watching. It didn’t matter when their tongues moved to explore each other’s mouths.
Julien knew he could grow addicted to it. Maybe he already was.
“I think we got it,” the photographer announced, and Julien pulled back as real life crashed around him.
They were ushered away to be replaced by Walter and Hailey, who would take the longest. They had an engagement ring to show off .
Tyler leaned against the island with his wine. He was flushed but watched Hailey and Walter pose with envy playing across his features.
“You were right, you know?” Tyler said softly. “I’m just jealous I don’t have what Hailey and Walter do.” He turned his gaze up to Julien and shrugged.
“You could,” Julien said, and he had to wonder if he meant with himself or in general. He had a bad feeling he knew which one.