Can't Win Me Back

Julien beamed from ear to ear. "Hi, Aunt Mandy, Madam Lyla and Madam Colene. Hey, Taty."

"Where are you going, Jul?" Tatiana's eyes were wide with curiosity.

"There's a famous brand of desserts at Bernardia. I wanted to buy some back for everyone to have a taste."

"Yay! We get to have desserts, thanks to Jonah." Tatiana clapped her hands in joy.

She really didn't treat him like an outsider. She simply spoke her thoughts.

A sheepish smile flashed across Julien's face. He waved and headed off while humming a tune.

When he brushed past Mandy, her sharp senses detected that peculiar scent from Julien.

As she lifted her eyes, she caught a glance of his chest underneath his V-necked T-shirt. The faint, red marks on his chest made her blush!

Mandy exhaled and remarked, "Young men are physically fitter indeed." She picked up her cup of tea and took a sip. She let out a cryptic smile.

"What did you say, Mandy?" Lyla looked at Mandy with a confused look on her face. She didn't catch Mandy's comment.

Mandy waved her hand awkwardly. She chuckled, "It's nothing. Have some tea, have some tea!"

Before coming to Bernardia, Jonah mentioned that there was a local, award-winning dessert shop with delicious desserts. Although he had only said it in passing, Julien had made a mental note of it.

He wanted to buy their desserts tonight so that he could give Jonah a small surprise when they got up tomorrow morning.

The dessert shop was a small one. On top of that, Julien was in a foreign land. He had to brave the chilling wind for a long while before he managed to locate the shop.

By the time he entered the shop, his ears had turned red from the cold, and his fingers were stiff.

He selected a fair amount of desserts to his heart's content and settled the bill. Then, with two large bags of desserts in his hands, he walked toward the door with glee.

"Ah!"

Unexpectedly, he bumped right into

a man who just walked through the door. The paper bags fell from bis hands, and his purchased desserts were scattered across the floor.

"I'm sorry, so sorry..."

The man apologized continuously while he knelt to help Julien pick up his things.

They both happened to look up

simultaneously, and their eyes met.

It was a

as if that man was struck by

lightning. He widened his eyes in

shock and stared at Julien's face.

Julien didn't think too much about it. After all, he was publicly recognized as the ideal type amongst the gays back in Mosgravia.

Those who set eyes on him would be caught in a daze. It was the same even in Bernardia.

So, he picked up his paper bags and

stood back up. He curled the

corners of his lips upward and spoke in sweet-sounding Grunslandish, "Please stop staring at me. I already have a boyfriend. Please excuse

me." ś

Just as Julien was about to brush past him, the man suddenly grabbed his arm. In a trembling voice, he asked, "Blake Holland...?"

Julien frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Blake... You... You're still alive?" His face was full of disbelief!

Julien was perplexed. The man grabbed his arm so tightly that it started to hurt. He pulled his arm forcefully away from the man's grasp. "You've got the wrong person."Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

Upon saying that, he rushed out of the door and walked, in the cold winds, toward his car.

Much to his surprise, that man had run after him and blocked his way.

Instantly, Julien's eyes turned dark. "Hey, what are you doing? I'm going to call the cops if you're going to keep pestering me."

That man studied his face intently. He paid special attention to Julien's naturally mesmerizing eyes.

After scanning Julien's face with his surprised gaze, he let out a helpless and bitter sigh.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. It's just that... you look so much like a late friend of mine."