51. Juliette
JULIETTE
T he second I get down my lattice, something feels off. But Beverly wouldn’t lead me astray, so I trust in her words, and even though everything is confusing right now, I follow her directions and make my way to the edge of the property, my mind whirling with who I should be looking for.
She never gave me their name.
There wasn’t time , I remind myself.
Even if what she was saying doesn’t make much sense to me, there’s not a lot that does make sense right now, and all I know is that if Roman is suspected of murdering Ty, then my family will never let me get to him.
And I have to get to him.
Maybe when my mind isn’t going a hundred miles a minute and my heart doesn’t feel like it’s about to beat right out of my chest, I’ll be able to sit in the grief of Tyler being gone, but every time it tries to surface now, I push it back, compartmentalizing it as best as I can so that I can focus on getting to Roman and figuring out the truth.
What if he did it?
My inner thoughts are traitors, whispering the what-ifs like an eerie lullaby to my subconscious.
Would it really change anything if he did, though?
I’d still love him, even if he did something I’m not sure I can forgive.
I feel sick at the possibility but push it to the side, too, and I cut that thought into a thousand different pieces so it won’t surface again.
I may not have known Roman for years, but I know his heart. He wouldn’t have done this. Not to me. Not for anything. I hold on to that truth, knowing it’s what will get me through this until I can find him.
It’s still early enough for the morning sun to be behind clouds, dew on the grass and an odd mist that clings to my skin, making it tacky. When I get to the edge of the property, there’s a car idling.
Just like Beverly said, someone’s waiting for me. Anxiety squeezes my middle tightly, but I ignore it and quicken my steps to get there.
I approach slowly, my heart thudding in my ears. The woman standing by the passenger door straightens when she sees me. She looks familiar, but I can’t place where I know her from. Maybe if my brain was working better, but for some reason, it’s not.
Probably the shock of everything.
She’s a bit older, her face having deep lines like she’s lived a hard life. Her brown-black hair is pinned back, and she’s wearing a soft gray cardigan. And she’s just so…damn…familiar.
She gives me a small smile. “Juliette?”
I swallow, unease flickering deep in my gut as I nod at her.
“I’m here to take you to Roman.”
I hesitate, my brows pulling in and my footsteps stuttering. “That’s not…Bevie said I couldn’t see him.”
She grins wider, her fingers absentmindedly scratching at her opposite arm. “Change of plans.”
Her voice is calm. Reassuring, even.
I tilt my head, my vision going fuzzy before snapping back into place. “How do you know Roman?”
She eyes me carefully before opening the passenger side door. “I never said I did. Hurry up, if we don’t want to be seen then we need to go.”
My stomach churns but I slide into the car and she’s there in the next second, slamming her door closed and driving away.
The interior smells faintly like leather and alcohol remover, and the silence coats my skin like razors.
“I’m sorry about your cousin,” she says after a few minutes. “And about Roman. I can’t imagine what that feels like.”
The words make my throat ache. I don’t want to talk about Tyler. I don’t want to think about Roman.
“Yeah, thanks,” I mutter, resting my head against the window. The cold feels good against my overheated cheek.
My eyes close and then I shake my head. Why am I so tired?
The woman nods, eyes still on the road, and I drift off, unable to stop myself.
“Hey,” I mumble, trying to get my head on straight and force my lids open.
They slide shut again.
A familiar woman is standing over me and shaking me awake.
I’m not really all here, my brain feeling like egg yolks that got scrambled. I squint up at her.
“You’re…Roman’s mom?”
She freezes, her hand gripping me tightly on the shoulder.
Suddenly, my memory filters in, and I realize where I am. How I didn’t recognize her…and now she’s here.
I press my hand to my forehead, banging it a few times, trying to unmuffle the memories.
“Yeah, sweetie, I told you that.”
“You did?” I scrunch up my face, trying to recall.
I look around, realizing we’re at the entrance to the trail that leads to Upside Down Rock.
“Why are we here?” My tongue trips on the words.
“This is where he said to meet,” she replies smoothly. “Where you two first saw each other, isn’t it?”
My stomach twists, but I nod. “Yeah.”
“You’re sure you’re okay to walk? It’s a little rocky.”
“I’m fine.”
But I’m not. My legs feel strange when I climb out. Like they’ve been replaced with something heavy and loose. I wobble, and she’s there, steadying me with a hand under my elbow.
“Careful,” she murmurs. “Let me help you.”
I nod, too tired to argue. I let her guide me up the trail, let the trees blur around the edges. Everything feels sticky. Slow.
“What was in that drink Bevie gave me?” I ask, my tongue thick.
She doesn’t answer.
We walk.
Or…she walks. I stumble.
My knees drag. My arms tingle. I blink slowly, once. Twice.
Something isn’t right.
Something’s wrong .
“Where’s Roman?” I ask.
Or maybe I don’t ask it. Maybe I just think it.
We reach the cliff, and I search for him, but he’s not here. He’s not…
And then the world tilts, and the sky smears sideways, and I’m falling.
Darkness rushes in.