Read Page 45

"Fuck." Julian turns away again and starts pacing the length of the living room.

I try to come up with something else.Advertisement

"Hey, I just talked to Rip," I say. "And he said it was cool and ... I think he just wants to talk."

"He wants Rain," Julian says. "That's what he really wants. And that's not going to happen."

"He gets it," I say. "He just wants to talk to you about ... something. He just wants to, I don't know, clear things up." I'm struggling to keep my voice steady. "He wants reassurance ... " I clear my throat and then calmly say: "He thinks you know something that connects him to Kelly."

Julian stares at me and says after a beat, "That's not true."

"He knows that people think he wanted Kelly out of the way," I'm saying.

"That's just a dumb rumor," Julian says, but his voice has changed and something in the room shifts. "Rip doesn't really give a f**k about me."

"Julian," I say, slowly moving toward him, "he had you beaten up."

"How do you know that?"

I swallow. "Because Rip told me."

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"Bullshit."

"Yeah, Julian," I say, nodding as I move closer to him. "It was Rip. Rip did that to you ... "

"No he didn't." Julian waves me off. "That was something else. That wasn't Rip. You're making that up."

"Look," I say, "all I know is that part of the condition on taking the money is that he wants to see you. Tonight. Before you guys leave." I pause. "Otherwise there's no deal."

"Why the f**k does he want to see me when I know he's pissed off? Why doesn't he just take the money?" Julian asks this almost pleadingly. "Don't you think I should probably stay the f**k away from him? Jesus, Clay."

"Because once I told him I'd pay him back - " I start.

"Why are you doing this?" Julian looks at me and then almost automatically realizes why.

"Yeah," I say. "I'd do it for her," I say softly, pulling out my iPhone, and then trying to calm him down: "What's he going to do to you? I'll be there. I'll be with you."

I find Rip's contact info and send him a blank e-mail.

Julian looks at me. He's changing his mind about something. "You've become friends with him? A month ago you told me he was a freak."

The only thing I can do is counter with: "Why did you go to Rip when you needed the money to pay back Blair?"

"I didn't go to Rip," Julian says. "Rip came to me. Because of Rain he came to me and offered to help me out in exchange for ... " Julian pauses. "I was trying to figure out another way to pay back Blair, but when Rip came to me it just seemed easier ... But I didn't go to Rip. He came to me. I didn't go to him."

"Wait, Julian. Hold on."

"What are you doing?"

I'm looking at the response I just received. Is he with you now?

I text back: Give me the address.

I wait, pretending to read something on the screen.

"Clay," Julian asks, walking toward me. "What are you doing?"

And then: You'll bring him here?

An address in Los Feliz appears on the screen barely a second after I text back: yes.

Julian calls Rain and I only hear his side of the conversation. It lasts a minute as he tries to calm her down. "We don't know it was him," Julian says. "Hey, chill out ... We don't know if he took the money." He pauses while pacing the room. "Clay said - " and then he has to stop. "Calm down," he says, almost stunned by the ferocity of the voice coming over the phone. "If you're so worried then confirm it with Rip," he says softly. "Make sure it's happening." Finally Julian looks over at me and says, "No, you don't need to talk to him" and that's my cue to nod. "He's helping us out," Julian says. Once Julian hangs up, my phone immediately starts vibrating in the pocket of the robe I'm wearing and it's Rain and I ignore it.

Julian stands in the bedroom doorway, drinking a bottle of water, watching as I get dressed. I'm pulling on jeans, a T-shirt, a black hoodie. I'm debating whether to give him another chance.

"Rip loaned you the money to pay Blair back?" I ask. "And then what happened?"

"He only loaned part of it," Julian says. "But this has nothing to do with the money. Rip's just using that as an excuse. It's not about the money." He sounds almost scornful. pqdm.com