They were finished getting ready and they just sat at the bed looking at each other. Justin didn't know what to say and Julian couldn't find another word to say to him after dropping that bombshell.
"Okay. This is fucking awkward." Julian shot up and said that as he went to have a glass of water at the table which was in the room.
"I don't know what to say," Justin admitted.
"I thought you knew about it and that's why you were being cocky yesterday night. I thought Alysa told you about it."
"Well, duh! I didn't." Justin freaked out. "And speaking of Alysa, weren't you dating?"
"We've never dated. She was just using me to not get with Kenneth."
"So, wait... Alysa had given up about finding Anna and still was around you to refrain from Kenneth. That's a little bit sketchy." Justin told Julian.
"I know. But it's the truth." Julian was red with embarrassment.
"And why was she crying that time when we found her on her knees in your room?" Justin asked him but before he replied, the phone in the room went off.
"I think our car is ready," Julian said as he went to pick up the phone.
It was indeed a call from the reception to remind them of their booking and they wasted no time in there as they went downstairs and checked out before they left.
"Listen, Alysa had been having some mental health issues and that's why she needed me to be in her rescue whenever she wanted. I wasn't being a jerk because I felt like it. I was being a jerk because I had a lot of things to take care of and I was just a little me. Well, that's until when you showed up." Julian admitted.
"So, you mean to say that, that breakdown was due to her issues and not anything concerning you."
"Exactly," Julian affirmed.
They rode in silence for a few minutes before Justin spoke up.
"When did you find out?"
"When I was twelve."
"You know I don't need to ask all the questions, just fill me the gist," Justin said to him before he chuckled.
"I was used to go see the boys when they were at the beach. I didn't know why until one day when I was with Alysa and she helped me through all of it."
"So, it is true that you love Kenneth? Love like 'like like'?"
"Who told you that?" Julian was shocked about the information Justin had.
"Just tell me the truth, Julian!" Justin pleaded.
"Yes."
"Shit! Does anybody else know this?!"
"I thought my dad told you. But he and Kenneth are the only ones that know."
Justin was contemplating the answer he got but he couldn't say another word after that and so he remained quiet for the rest of the ride. Julian himself, didn't bother to say anymore.
The place was all packed up and ready to party. They proceeded to the entrance and as they pushed the doors open, the whole place went quiet and everybody turned to look their way. The headlights which also pointed at them didn't help.
Everybody was wow and aww. They looked hot. Beautiful. Marvelous. Charming. Attractive. Mouthwatering. Ravishing. And cute together.
Martin who had a black suit and Stacy who had a black pink dress were in front of them and they beckoned them over but soon the headlights stopped lighting at them. They turned around to see if they were stuck or something but God! They were lighting at four people that just walked in.
They were on Blake, Alysa, Queen, and Anna.
Blake had a black hurricane suit, Alysa a deep red top with a black skirt that fell just above her lacey red heels and Anna had worn a dress that had a connected trouser which showed at the front and blocked at the back by the dress-tail. But that wasn't all. Queen who knew just how to steal the moment, was wearing a silk gown with a headband and heels that matched her blue gown. Being a blonde really helped her with that dressing choice.
As Justin looked closely at the two, Alysa and Anna, he noticed that they looked alike and were beautiful. They had a strong aura of cuteness overload and sex.
His thoughts were cut short by Blake who handed the two hotties to their dates when he whispered to him, "The car will be ready outside, five minutes before 7. Don't be late." Blake then patted him and went to the head table with Queen by his side.
They were about to join Blake and everybody at the head table but then the DJ chose to play 'My heart will go on by Celine Dion'. The Titaniacs in the hall went all crazy and started to dance their souls out. And speaking of Titaniacs, the four of them were included.
They danced to the end of the song and in a heartbeat, Whitney Houston's I'll Always Love you followed. Justin and Anna had had the rhythm of their own for that song and what a perfect moment would there be to show off their love if not at that moment where the world was watching them. Watching the two of them embark on their love with everything needed. They had to.
Everything had faded away for the time they danced. Could it get any better?! They were cute together and they had made a lot of people jealous with their own kind of romance.
Well, it didn't last long as soon Justin noticed it was 6:40. He was needed outside at five minutes before 7, for his ride back to his hotel. When it hit 50 having only five minutes in hand, he pulled Anna close and whispered that they run away from the party.
She was down and they sneaked out to find Rick standing outside a brand new Toyota Camry. He grinned at them as they followed him and Justin hugged him before Anna reached over and did some handshake game nailing each step. They then set off to the Desai mansion where a little feast was arranged.
Everybody was there except for Blake which made Justin wonder, at what time did everybody leave and they couldn't even notice. But everybody was there and that's what mattered. Matron ran to hug them welcome when she saw them. She had missed both of them so much and especially Anna, who she hadn't seen for ten years.
Dhamini was shifting legs as if she wanted to go to Justin and welcome him the way she used to, but something was keeping her back. Kenneth was beside her and the look he had was answering it all for her.
Not wanting to fuel anything at that moment, Justin just gave a distant hi understanding of the situation and God was Dhamini grateful. She mouthed a thank you as she waved back.
Not long after, Blake came back with Ethan. They said sorry for keeping them waiting and they all marched to the garden which was decorated and everything seemed elegant. Typical Blake thing.
They got seated as Matron put a cassette of slow songs on the radio to get them over the dinner.
"Congratulations Justin!" Blake started the conversation as they were eating.
"Thanks, Sir."
"Glad I didn't ditch Kell for nothing," Celine said.
"Can you shut up already!" Blake scolded.
"And here we go again," Julian said looking at his plate not lifting even an eye to anyone.
"But I thought we were free to talk today!" Celine said.
"What do you mean by that?!" Justin asked Celine as he cut his chicken on the plate.
"I mean the boring no-talking tradition during meals got back when you left," Celine said.
"It came back?!" Justin asked looking from Celine to Blake who was now scowling.
"It stopped?! Justin made it stop?!" Anna asked not believing what she was hearing.
"Yes, it did stop for the mere six months or so when Justin was here. That's why I'm glad that I ditched Kell to find it being broken again." Celine said grinning.
"So, you wanna talk?! Huh?!" Blake said in a threatening voice at Celine and then continued, "Fine, let's talk about that bastard piece of shit of a boyfriend you are going out with!"
"I don't wanna talk about him. And don't you ever speak of him." Celine said angrily.
"Celine, lower your voice. He is your dad." Justin warned.
"Excuse my outburst but I picked it from you," Celine said to Justin who just nodded in understanding not wanting to think of it. "And I'm sensitive of it. He is a father who is not doing what a father is expected to do."
"What now?! Me protecting you is the thing I'm not supposed to do?!" Blake asked furiously.
"Protecting me or making my life a mess?! Banana was the best thing that ever happened to me and you ruled him away. Away from me and so out of my life. And you are saying you were protecting me?!" Celine snapped.
"He was a gold digger for fuck's sake." Blake snapped.
"No dad, he wasn't. You were just being overly protective and stupid." Julian said making everybody gasp except for Justin, Anna, and Blake.
"I need your mouth shut!" Blake said in response but Julian was yet to back away.
"It will be in no time but you have to listen to what I gotta say."
"And why would I listen to a gay boy who is still wetting his pants under my roof?!" Blake shot back seeming two seconds away from ripping him off.
Everybody was shocked at what Blake said and they all turned to look at Julian except Kenneth who looked down and Justin who looked at Blake and give him a 'Are you serious?' look.
"Because you need it and my sexual preferences aren't any of your concern."
"It is of my concern because you are ruining my house, you asshole. Kenneth is already pole-straight and won't ever get spoiled by your stupid games."
"If you care that much about that perfect Kenneth you keep rambling on, then why don't you make him your son and leave me alone. You can add him to your inheritance and get him everything in exchange for my freedom." Julian snapped as he was already fed up with how he was treated by his family.
His dad had been an ass since he found out about him taking a liking to Kenneth. And the whole family didn't know that Julian did like Kenneth, they just thought he got on the wrong foot with his father. Alysa was just astonished by what she had heard and she couldn't even speak. She, of all people, was supposed to be the first to know about that since she was the only person who knew that Julian was a homosexual.
"Guys it's enough. I'm tired and fed up with this shit. Whenever I come here it's a tragedy and some stupid drama flowing around here when we could at least act like it's okay for a single moment and enjoy being a family." Martin shot up.
Since he moved out after he had graduated, he was cooling off from all that drama but it never got better as the second he set foot in the mansion, the whole thing kept crippling up for another time. Whether it be Julian was banned from dining, Celine was grounded or whatever pathetic thing that had been happening at the family.
"But it's never okay. And I hate that and that's why we need to speak of it." Celine said looking at Julian with a tear spring out of her eye.
"I know it isn't but we could at least forget it for a time," Martin said getting red on the face. "I know you all are waiting for me to say this and I'm gonna say it. Despite my respect and everything to you, dad, you are the one who messed all this up. I adore you but you are bitter. I idolize your courage but your actions are telling me otherwise. It's like I'm walking upon fire to get to you, be close to you, but you keep adding fuel to that fire. I tolerated you for the whole time I was here but when I could find my ways and live on my own, I ran away in an instant. It's because I don't know you anymore. I don't know this person here anymore."
Nobody was shocked at that because it was relevant to what he had been through as the firstborn. Being driven into a lot of shit just to be the perfect heir of the senator.
"The tension is high right now you can cut it with a knife," Justin spoke in a low voice but audible. "I don't mean to interrupt anything of yours in this family but I do wish all of you well and that's why I want to say this."
Everybody turned their attention to Justin as he stood up from the seat he was sitting from.
"Blake Lauren Desai, Senate of Florida and a father of three flawed children. I would like to ask you if this is common, this is what just happened?!"
"No, it isn't," Blake replied not knowing what was happening but he had hopes that Justin was going to take his side.
"I'm glad you said it right. But the real question is not it being common, rather why? Why did this happen? Why now? Why everything? Those are the questions to ask yourself right now if you understand what I'm talking about.
"It's surprising and confusing but try to relate. The kids were born pure but in time they turned to be a thing that you would never wish. Have they inherited it from anyone or is it a reaction to how they were treated? How they were made to believe and think? That's not my point at all but it is a head-start to get you through what I'm going to say right now." Justin breathed a heavy one.
"I'm a stranger to you and your family but I know a lot more than you, the actual father of this family. I know a lot of things about all of you here, from you the father, your sons, and daughter, nephew, Butler, driver, head-maid, cook, and everybody who lives in this house. I know the maids by their names which I think you only know two of the five if not one.
"But why do I know all these? This is because I'm friendly and a good listener, heck I'm so caring than I should be. If you had been the father they expected you to be, they would have opened up to you and told you each and everything that was disturbing them. But you weren't. Just like my own father. I often thought that you had learned something from his visit but you learned no shit and I'm so disappointed and sorry for you at that."
"Justin, I didn't call you here for this." Blake acknowledged.
"And I would never have come if you would have, but this keeps showing up when I'm over here. I don't like this a bit and so I shall address it. I don't like what I'm seeing for real and I also want you to not like it as well. I know you beckoned me over to stay and have this whole carried up in my shoulders. I can't do that anymore. I can't help you for another time, I've got a lot on my plate already."
"What are you saying, Justin?" Martin asked him as he couldn't follow.
"Do you think your father is generous enough to help anyone just because they need it? He always wants something in return and that's why my answer is no. He isn't that generous and what you all said is so true. I was here to help take his burdens whenever he was fed up with all your dramas as he said, in exchange for my life in America."
"Dad, how cruel are you?!" Celine asked in pure disbelief.
"Justin, you're making a huge mistake," Blake warned him showing no feelings apart from fuming.
"I do know what I'm doing. I don't just do things. I think of them beforehand."
"You don't want your job offer at Boston to be revoked," Blake said smiling at him.
"I kept wondering where the stupid side of mine came from but it's right before my eyes now," Julian said laughing at that.
"You don't have to worry about that. I was gonna reject them the moment after I leave here. But thanks for putting a good word for me." Justin smirked.
"So, you kind of did that for what exactly? I don't get it." Celine asked her father.
"He did it for me," Julian spoke up causing everybody to turn their attention to him. "He's sending me to Boston so I don't ruin his reputation here. He still thinks that I might do something foolish while I'm there and that's why I'm getting a bodyguard." Julian said getting tired by just the thought of it.
Blake stood up and stared at Julian with anger. "If he's giving you the courage to talk shit to me because of his money, I'm gonna fucking close that account."
Justin didn't expect Blake to know about the money he had because he knew his father wasn't a person who talked about people he wanted no business with. That couldn't be right.
"Have you been stalking me?" Justin asked him.
"What money is he talking about?" Anna asked Justin that question since she had lost an appetite for speaking to Blake for that day.
"Ooh, you didn't tell her! This is getting funnier!" He chuckled. "He has 100,000 US dollars in his bank account. He just got them a few weeks ago and they are making him forget that everything else exists. But you don't have to worry Anna, I'm closing that account soon and the money will go to charity."
"Justin, where had you get all that money from?" Martin was shocked to hear that.
"It's not like it's any of anybody's business, but that money was given to me for the healthy India project which will commence in a month. And that's why I would like to see Mr. senator here close the account and cause deaths of a lot of people." Justin was already pestered by then since Blake had crossed his limits.
"Well done dad. The efforts and resources you used to find loose ends to tie Justin down on whatever bullshit you are planning, would turn out more useful if you had used them to save your family instead. What a cheap person!" Celine couldn't keep it in when she had seen and heard enough.
"Shut up you piece of shit or you'll find another place to live!" Blake said angrily but not before giving a tight slap to her.
Celine didn't believe that like how everybody else was. But that didn't make her lose her comeback. "Don't even bother with me. I'll be out of your hair for good. I just need to remind you this."
Everybody then paid attention to Celine since it wasn't every day that she got serious though she had the most surprising and unexpected things to say any day.
"Queen, Keanu, and Bae." They never thought it would be something about that but well, she was Celine the unpredictable. "That's what you care most and love in your life. Baby, Martin, Julian, Kenneth, and I, we are the fucking liability of your success and joy. Well, at least you took care of one by giving her heart attacks and a lot of stress to continue living. RIP my mother."
Blake started to march where Celine was but he didn't move further as Martin stepped between them.
"You started to go out with her when I was a baby and she was 17. What were you expecting from us? To let you all alone and shatter your family? We tried to get ahold of every moment that could bring you closer to us and see what you were doing was wrong but that couldn't happen for a million years and we lost you altogether." She shed tears and her voice was breaking. "So, do you think I can bear living with a cheater, liar, and motherfucking killer of my mother? I'm never going to let your sorry ass see my face again after this day. Farewell, stranger."
All that was needed to be said was then said as Celine went to her room and after like two minutes when the tension didn't even clear out, she was already walking out with her bags.
"You'd packed already?" Julian asked her.
"Turns out I like doing my homework and I also ask for help on that if it's a little too much to do on my own." She longed a look at their dad before she turned to look at every one. "It has been really great living with you all and I'll be forever grateful. I will never forget this experience just like how I will never forget all of you. I'm one call away if I'm ever needed." She hugged Matron first before she went for Alysa, Ethan, Rick, and lastly the boys and Dhamini and Anna.
"So, where are you going to stay? It's like 9 pm right now!" Dhamini enquired.
"When I said I like doing my homework, I meant that. I'm going to a place where Mr. Senator won't even bother to go and look for me."
"Big up sis! I would have joined you but it turns out I'm still under house arrest for nearly two weeks. I'll look for you when I'm outta here for good." Julian hugged her for another time.
"You are all making this a wrong turn. We can talk you know." Said Blake who thought they were bluffing all that time but he was wrong. They were deadly serious and shit was going down.
"We have been ready for that for like forever and not saying how much we've waited but it never happened. I think you have made your choice and we are now making ours." Martin pitched in after a moment of not saying a word.
"You're making a grave mistake. I'll make your life a mess that you'll fear even to step outside your rooms."
"A legend named Marie Curie said once, nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less." Justin finally said and earned a high five from Celine who then went away not even bothering to look back at what she left behind. At who she left behind.
"She is going for good. And there's no one to stop her because there's nothing to stop her for. You ruined this for all of us." Martin told his father.
"Just shut the fuck up and get the hell out of here," Blake said while going upstairs.
Well, they were done either way. They just said their farewell and broke down before Justin left with Anna and Martin with Stacy. Their breakdown ended in their rides back to wherever they were crashing at.
¶
At 4 am, Justin's phone went off, and seeing it was a foreign number, he was a little scared.
"Hello?" He answered a little questioning rather than speaking.
"Justin, it's me, Martin."
"Martin! What the fuck? It's literary 4 in the morning!"
"Yeah, shout all you want. You aren't the one whose little sis is sleeping at a stranger's house. Why do I even explain this to you when you don't even have a sibling for the start?"
The words did hurt Justin a lot. Not just because he didn't have any siblings, but also for how he didn't have one, and the fact that Martin thought he didn't care was a huge blow on the ass.
"Justin, you still there? Why you quiet?" Martin asked after he received zero response. "I'm sorry if I said something stupid. I'm not thinking straight."
"There's no need to apologize. Just don't speak about my family. At least not now and not with me." Justin said his voice weaker than when he woke up.
"Okay, copy that!" Martin replied and took a breath. "I won't keep you up for long. I just called you to tell you that at 10 am this morning, we are meeting all of us and we would like to have you and Anna present."
"Our flight leaves at 12. I don't think if we can make it, I'm sorry."
"This is very important Justin. Reschedule your flight, you can leave even tomorrow. It's about Celine and Alysa and that's why I'm telling you this." Martin pleaded with him.
"Fine. But make it a lunch meeting, that will be the time where no one can come up with an excuse." Justin suggested.
"You could have just said that you have plans that can't wait."
"Well, I could have said that I'm bailing out on you and I have my own shit to take care of."
"Okay, you won. It's 1 pm then." He then hangs up and left Justin smiling.
"Who was that?"
"Holy fuck. Shit. You scared the shit out of me."
Anna was up as well after she heard her boyfriend on the phone.
"Sorry, darling." She placed her hand on his chest to caress him.
"It's fine. It was Martin."
"Martin? What did he want at this time?" Anna was surprised to hear that.
Justin sighed. "He just wanted to talk about Celine and asked us to meet him tomorrow for lunch. Everybody will be there as well."
"But we have a flight to catch!"
"I will take care of that, for now, let's hit the bed." Justin pulled Anna closer and went to la-la land for another time.
They only had a little rest as the morning rose faster and they had to go about their plans.
"Are we there yet?" Justin asked Anna for the umpteenth time as he felt like they weren't gonna get there in time.
"Not yet but it was around this place. We're gonna be there soon." Anna replied looking left and right to find the restaurant that Martin said they would meet at.
"You've been saying that for the last ten minutes and we are still walking in cycles," Justin complained.
"Spare my old self. I haven't been here for I don't know six, seven years? How do you expect me to be like I just left this morning?" Anna was getting frustrated over the fact that Justin was breathing on her neck.
"Okay, let's get there first. We can argue later."
They then walked for two minutes before they found the place. And lucky for them, Stacy was standing outside waiting for them to get there.
"Hey, guys!" She lunged onto them and pulled both of them into a hug.
"Hello, stranger!" Justin said.
"Leave me alone you shit bag. You sold me out!" Anna whined and pushed her away before she pulled her for another hug. Only for the two of them.
"Well, for the record, I did a great thing. You are dating Mr. gentleman."
"That's the only thing I'm grateful for what you did. All others are shit reasons." Anna laughed and high-fived her as they went inside to join the others.
"Justin, Anna, how are you doing guys?" Julian ran to welcome them making Dhamini and Kenneth who didn't see them turn to look at them.
Julian kissed Anna on the cheek and gave a lung-crushing hug to Justin while whispering, 'Thank you.'
"Cuzzo! I missed you!" Dhamini screeched and was about to get up and run to him but Kenneth stopped her.
"Where are you going? He's coming right here where we are seated." Kenneth spitted bile in each of the words he said.
"Are you right upstairs? He is my cousin and I can do whatever I want for him. You are no one to tell me what to do and what not."
Well, that was the Dhamini Justin knew not the angel one who he was met with when he got back from Canada. She went to hug him as well, and a slap on top of the hug.
"Ouch duffer. You hurt me." Justin shouted.
Everybody laughed except for Kenneth who stood up and yanked them apart.
"What the hell is this, huh? I'm your fucking boyfriend but you are getting all huggy with this rascal and a cheat! Shame on you Indians!"
"Kenneth! Quiet the fuck up!" Stacy had had enough of him. "I haven't said anything since the first day we met and that is seven years ago but today, well you struck a nerve. You are a jerk from the start. You are just like your uncle and for the kind of a cheat he is, I'm shocked that he is your uncle and not your father."
"Bitch, shut the fuck up! You have no right of speaking about me or my family concerning anything." Kenneth snapped at Stacy not knowing that, instead of calming down, he was making everything worse.
"I wouldn't if it wasn't for the fact that those people you so call your parents, they were there to tell Blake Desai to take you, or else they would do something horrible that he would regret for the rest of his life. Well, that's before they died in that terrible crash. May their souls rest in peace." Stacy was hurt but she had to say what she needed to say.
"What are you talking about?" Kenneth was then confused adding to his anger.
"Really though, what are you saying Stacy?" Julian was also left at crossroads. "Taking into consideration everything, I think you have a point there. I might be the one who is the nephew of Blake Desai and Kenneth here is the real son!"
"What's with all this commotion? I thought Martin had told you the secret behind Julian and Kenneth but he told it to his girlfriend. Fascinating." Celine who just arrived said and took a seat that was left for her.
"I'm his fiancée, not his girlfriend. And he didn't say anything to me. I was there on that day because my father was taking a parcel from yours." Stacy defended her fiancé.
Kenneth didn't know what to say. He just felt like he needed to vent and be alone and so he asked Dhamini to go with her. "Babe, we are going."
He stood up and started to go but Dhamini didn't even budge.
"Are you coming or what?" There was still no response from Dhamini as what it's supposed to be. "Dham!"
"Eey! Shut up! If you're going, just go. Don't expect me to follow you around like I'm your bum. What a freak!" Dhamini finally spoke back and that was without even looking at him.
Kenneth was furious, confused, and frustrated over what Dhamini did and so he stormed off without even a goodbye.
"I didn't quite catch what he called you. Was it Damn or what?" Celine asked making everybody that was there laugh except for Julian who sat there just looking at all of them.
"Julian. What's wrong?" Justin asked after seeing Julian was getting more pestered by their laughs.
"You heard everything and you still ask what's wrong? You're smarter than that Justin."
"I thought they were pissing off Kenneth. So, you were serious?"
"And why didn't you tell me all this? Was I not supposed to know that I am an orphan or what? Even you Martin! I can't believe this." Julian was on the verge of crying as his eyes were red already and not speaking of how his voice was breaking.
"I wanted to but a lot came up and you were in a lot of trouble." Martin tried to comfort his brother but he was on no luck streak.
"Trouble my ass. I was born for trouble and I doomed myself into more trouble a lot of years back." Julian was crying by then.
"What are you saying, Julian? What did you do?" Martin was all serious in just a second. He went into father mode.
"It's not like it's any of your concern." Julian was angry over the fact that they kept that hidden from him for such a long time. "I don't even know why I'm still talking to you when you are just another professional liar and betrayer."
"Maybe you are still talking to them because you are waiting for me to come." Alysa who appeared from nowhere in particular spoke making the whole table turned to her in surprise.
"Alysa! You came?" Anna wasn't expecting her young sis to be there.
"Sure I did big sis. Hello, y'all."
"What are you doing here? Blake won't be forgiving if he comes back to see his work pending." Julian warned her.
"Pipe down little nephew. Your uncle won't do a thing, well, there's nothing he can do if I'm not under his roof." She smiled diamonds at them.
"You didn't!" Celine wasn't believing what Alysa was saying. But it turned out she wasn't joking as she turned to where her things were and there were two bags and two well-folded boxes.
"Did you think of any of this before you did it?" Anna was hot on her for the kind of decision she had made but Alysa wasn't backing out either.
"Did you think at any time that, your stupid runaway would cause me a lot of problems physically, mentally, and psychologically? Did you ever think that one day, I would also grow up and be an adult, and I will have to make my own decisions concerning my life?" Anna remained quiet because she didn't have the answer to her questions. Well, to be honest, she had the answers but she couldn't give them to her. "I figured that much. So, let me enjoy my decisions while I'm still able to make them."
She then pulled a chair and sat down. The looks on everybody's face were priceless, shocked, and ultimately dumbfounded.
"Martin, can we get over this with? I feel like I need to bury myself anytime soon." Julian insisted for Martin to tell them what he had called them for.
"I know how you might be feeling but this isn't how I wanted to reveal all this to you. I called all of you here for Celine but what happened has happened. I couldn't stop it but I can try to explain it from my point of view and what I know about it all. I'm really sorry Julian." Martin said to his cousin.
It was hard for him to acknowledge Julian as his cousin. They had lived sniffing each other's armpits as brothers for their whole life and that's why Martin didn't consider Julian as a cousin of his, but a brother. A blood brother with who he had been raised under the same roof. He would always be his little brother whatever the case.
"What about me?" Celine broke the silence.
"Well, you left your home dramatically dangerous, what do you expect us to do?" Stacy pitched in to kick start the conversation.
"Psst! It's Blake Desai's house, not my home." Celine snickered.
"Even if it's a barn for Satan's delight, what were you thinking when you decided to do that?" Julian was fully sensitive and so he spoke points but in a very weird expression.
"I'm going to London. The flight of 9 am Monday. I won't be a burden to anyone, I have everything figured out, and not to say the money, I'm well prepared. So, thank you all for your concerns." Celine was then serious.
"Are you speaking as yourself or are you possessed?" Alysa asked her.
"And what about your education? I'm not looking forward to hearing you are dropping out." Justin told her directly.
"If I was really possessed, would I have said that I am?" She glared daggers at Alysa before continuing. "I am glad that I'm finally saying this openly. I am dropping out of medical school and I have been enrolled in a fashion school there in London where I'll be studying beauty and lifestyle. I am following my dreams, you guys!" Celine shrieked.
Everybody smiled at that news. Celine had been dying to get into the fashion world and there she was, moving to London to pursue her dreams and lead the life she had always wanted to.
"Why didn't you tell anyone? We could have helped." Dhamini pressed.
"You have helped enough financially especially you Stacy. I wanted to do the rest on my own. I am so sorry for giving you all a lot of excuses to give me money, but all those excuses were lies.
"I knew it all along. And to be completely frank, I've forgiven you since the day I found out." Julian told her and made her smile when her face was already going bitter.
"Why London?" Martin asked the question that nobody seemed to be interested in asking.
"Should I lie? Nah, I'm not gonna. I hope to find Banana while I'm there. That's where he went when their family moved." Celine told them.
"Good hell! What about Kell?" Alysa asked.
"He is an old story now."
"But I thought you went to their place after you kicked yourself out of Blake's property?" Anna had her question asked.
"Well, I did. And that's how I learned that he is an old story. Can we talk about something else? This whole conversation is screaming murder investigation and questioning."
"I'm not going to Boston."