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That got a grin out of Julien and Priest.
“So come and spend the weekend with us. We can all go out,” Julien said in a much more convincing manner than Priest had. “Get to know each other.”
Priest took another bite of his bagel as he watched Robbie, who was carefully thinking over the proposition. “We know you work on the weekends—”
“You checking up on my schedule?” Robbie asked, and then batted his lashes at Priest. “Because that’s very—” Robbie’s words were cut off as the sound of an upbeat pop song hit all their ears. “Oh shit, sorry.”
Priest found it interesting that Robbie felt the need to apologize for the cell phone interruption, but at the same time, he couldn’t deny he was pleased. He liked that Robbie saw this as an intrusion on their time, because that was exactly the way Priest viewed it.
As Robbie disappeared inside the bedroom to find his bag, Priest turned to Julien and pressed a kiss to his mouth. “I’ll leave him in your capable hands. I have court this—”
Priest stopped talking as Robbie reappeared in the bedroom doorway. He had his cell phone in his hand, and the cheerful smile that had been on his face only seconds ago had been replaced by a forlorn expression.
“Robert? Are you okay?”
Robbie raised his head and blinked a few times as though trying to focus, and Julien went around the kitchen island and crossed over to him to take his hand.
“Princesse? What’s the matter?”
Robbie raised his phone and pointed at it. “That was Vanessa.”
His cousin, Priest thought, as he too came around the counter and headed over to where both men now stood. Robbie looked pale as a ghost.
“My nonna,” he said, and then slicked his tongue over his lower lip. “She uh, she fell this morning in the kitchen.”
“Oh Robbie,” Julien said, and guided him over to the couch to sit. “Talk to us. Is she okay? Where is she?”
Robbie brushed the back of his hand against the tear that had just rolled down his cheek. “No, uh, she…” He paused for a minute and then looked at Julien. “She broke her hip. Luckily her neighbor was stopping by to say she couldn’t play their canasta game today. Betty called the ambulance.”
Priest placed a hand on Robbie’s shoulder and then crouched down until he was eye level with him. “And that’s where she is now? The hospital?”
Robbie nodded, his beautiful blue eyes wide and full of tears.
“Okay,” Priest said, mentally flipping through the things on his calendar today, then he looked to Julien, who was staring right at him.
No way. There was no way he was sending Julien to a hospital right now. Not without him. Not when Julien was already dealing with—
“I’ll take you,” Julien said, and Priest’s jaw bunched. This was not good. “Priest has court this morning, but I can call Lise and tell her I won’t be in today, all right?” When Robbie nodded but continued to stare at the floor, Priest looked back to Julien.
What is he thinking? He can’t do this.
“Why don’t you get changed?” Priest suggested. “Then come back out here when you’re ready. Okay?”
As Priest straightened, Robbie got to his feet and wandered off toward the bedroom. Julien stood also, and was about to head in after Robbie when Priest took his arm, stopping him. “I don’t like this idea.”
“Well, there isn’t a better one right now. I’ll be fine.”
Priest wanted to call bullshit; there was no way Julien was fine right now, and going to a hospital and sitting in it all day would not help that. Not one little bit. Pissed off that he couldn’t call and cancel his schedule today, Priest cursed.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine,” Julien said, and Priest was really starting to hate that fucking word. “I’ll text you when we get there.”
As Julien headed into the bedroom, Priest had an overwhelming desire to say, To hell with what needs to be done today. Nothing was more important than protecting the two men currently getting dressed in his bedroom—and wasn’t that an eye-opening moment? This protective feeling he was experiencing, this want to be there for another, now extended to a second person. And it was that urge, that drive, that Julien was also experiencing, where he was willing to face his deepest fears for Robbie, that let Priest know that this, what they were doing here, was exactly what they needed. Exactly what they wanted. And he was going to do everything in his power to make it so.
Chapter Twenty
CONFESSION
Guilt.
It will eat you from the inside out if you let it.
HOW COULD I have let this happen? Those words had been playing on a loop in Robbie’s head ever since he’d gotten off the phone with Vanessa. Along with Why wasn’t I there? And What might’ve happened if no one had knocked on her door?
