Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Juliet stabbed indiscriminately at the fruit in her bowl with her fork, internally counting the minutes until this was over.
Doing brunch with her family was the quickest, most painless way through the morning. She’d learned that years ago. And on more occasions than not, Harrison would walk away mid-meal to take a business call, which really changed the entire mood.
She never really knew what to say to Harry or Cash. Siblings or not, she didn’t know them very well. And most of the time when they interacted, they reminded her so much of Harrison.
Sitting around the dining table for their Christmas Eve brunch felt even more painful than it usually did, though.
Because she kept thinking about Darcy. About Darcy and her family.
Technically, Darcy and Blythe were half-siblings. They were the same genetic percentage related to one another as Juliet was to her brothers.
But even when they were annoyed at one another or when they disagreed, it wasn’t uncomfortable. Juliet had only spent one real day with them, and it was clear as day: they were a team.
Even when they’d danced together against Juliet and Colton – and Juliet had tried her damndest, but Blythe’s fiancé was not gifted with rhythm – they’d been perfectly in-sync.
But Darcy and Blythe… loved one another. Like, deeply. As in, Darcy hadn’t wanted to spend a day stringing popcorn together, but she’d done it for hours and hours.
And when they’d all been hanging out, the mood had been so easy. Even when Blythe was sending out orders like the General of the Holiday Army, it hadn’t felt like a dark cloud had settled over the room.
Not like it felt in this room right now, as they ate in silence, occasionally interspersed with her brothers joking with one another, or her mom asking them relatively impersonal questions.
The mood in the Jacobs’ house had never been light and happy, though. When she and her mom had moved in after her mother’s whirlwind romance with Harrison, Juliet had believed their lives were changed for the better.
She’d been nine years old. Going from barely getting by and singing for her supper, sometimes literally, to moving into this mansion? To having everything she could ever need at her fingertips?
Even then, though, the vibe around here hadn’t been joyful. They’d never sung holiday songs together and decorated a tree, just for fun. One year, they’d done it for a photoshoot when Harrison had been featured in Capital that new album is coming out in a couple of weeks, and we’re all going to see it. She’s got a decent voice and a tight ass–”
“Harrison, please,” her mom attempted to cut in, with the quietest voice.
“But she’s cheap and gaudy. Thomas should have discussed it with me before agreeing to the soundtrack,” Harrison finished, shaking his head.
Juliet’s hand was trembling.
She only realized it when she felt her knuckles tap against the table. She lowered her hand to her lap slowly, so it wasn’t obvious that she’d had such a strong reaction. But her hands didn’t stop shaking, even as she locked them so tightly together she could feel the strain in her arms.
But she didn’t know if she’d ever been more livid. More insulted. Her blood was boiling in her veins, and she tried to take a deep breath, hoping her face wasn’t heating up the way she felt like it was.