“I know you want that for me, Stat.” Her voice grew stronger as she faced her brother. “A normal life, with someone I…love.”
There it was.
Petula had said it out-loud, and Julian wanted to cheer.
The “L” word floated in the air between them, and it didn’t scare him at all.
While Petula had been recovering from the accident that had almost made him lose his mind, Julian had also come to the undeniable conclusion that Petula was the one.
He loved her. He wanted her in his life, forever.
The starch went completely out of Statler. “You and Julian…?” he began but couldn’t complete his sentence.
Petula waited for Julian to speak.
“…are the real thing,” Julian finished for him, and Petula’s smile grew.
There was no last word from Statler. Just a nearly silent huff, followed by a long hug for Petula.
Statler’s eyes, however, when connecting to Julian’s over her head, told Julian everything he needed to know.
Fuck this up, and face the consequences.
Julian gave him a definitive chin-nod before Statler left the room.
“He’ll get over it,” Petula mused.
Julian knew the man would, but that’s not what he wanted to talk about right now. Since Statler was absent, he wanted to hear Petula’s words again.
“You love me, huh?” he angled.
Petula grinned and wagged a finger at him. “Nope. You first.”
That wasn’t a deterrent. Not at all.
The words came easily.
“I love you, Petula. You are amazing. Compelling. Beautiful. And sooo freaking under-my-skin. How could I not love you?” he asked.
She giggled. “That waspretty good,” she replied. “Butthisis what I’m really looking for.”
She launched herself at Julian and immediately claimed his mouth.
Julian caught her, and once she was secure in his arms, he lifted her from the floor and twirled her around, all while devouring her soft lips.
He was in heaven.
They went at each other like randy teenagers, but eventually Julian separated them.
A disconsolate noise accompanied by a moue of complaint came from Petula, but Julian knew she wouldn’t be unhappy for too long.
“What do you say we pack you up and I take you home?” he suggested.
Her answering smile was radiant. “I’d like that,” she responded. “I’d like that a lot.”
After thoughtsand input from Statler and his crew were given a short time later, they all determined that—just in case Jefferson was watching—they’d disguise Petula’s belongings in construction material boxes, then load them into Dizzy’s truck. He’d take the long way to Julian’s new house, making sure he had no tail before delivering her goods to the door.
Just in case Jefferson had somehow tapped into Statler’s video surveillance, Sherbert had already rigged it on a temporary loop where nothing unusual would appear to be happening as they took care of business.
