Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Agitation and anticipation swirled inside of Juliet as she sat in her art studio, glowering at a blank canvas.
This space had always cleared her mind. She was always able to turn off all of the stressful, whirling thoughts when she was in here. Even last summer, this had stayed her safe space.
But not even this oasis in her own home had helped her work through this sickening feeling that had taken root inside of her since We, The Romantics’ release party.
Now, Darcy was due to be here – truly taking up residence in Juliet’s home – any minute now.
Her phone buzzed and she leapt to check it, to see if it was her alarm system letting her know that Darcy had arrived.
“Look at what she’s done to you,” she murmured, rolling her eyes at herself.
She had her phone in the art studio! She’d never kept her phone with her in here before… but what if Darcy decided to reach out? Juliet had missed the moment that she’d internally given Darcy permission to completely mess her up inside, but obviously somewhere along the way, it had happened.
She’d never been so disappointed to see Laura’s name on the screen. Closing her eyes tightly, she let out a long, deep breath. Calming. Centering herself.
She swiped her finger over the screen to answer, “Hey.”
“… so, no resolution with Darcy yet, I see,” Laura surmised.
She narrowed her eyes down at her phone. They weren’t even on video. “How do you even know?”
“Juliet, how long have I worked with you?” Laura returned with a laugh. “Some credit, please.”
It was a reminder that Laura truly was the best assistant in the game.
Juliet had been lucky enough to stumble upon Laura – of all places – at one of Harrison’s business dinners.
Juliet had been performing, and Harrison had flown in business acquaintances from all over the world.
Laura had been, at that time, the assistant to one of Harrison’s associates, and had been at her wits end, ready to quit after dealing with a ton of bullshit.
As to be expected from one of Harrison’s associates.
So, she supposed, Harrison had been good for something.
“No,” she heaved a sigh, dropping her head back. “No resolution with Darcy, yet.”
It had been nearly a week since Jukebox Calamity had come out, and Darcy was busy. She’d been between L.A., New York, and Nashville, recording and pre-recording a ton of promotional material for the album.
Even before their argument, they hadn’t planned on being able to spend much time with one another even when Darcy was here in L.A.
And that had felt okay before, because Juliet knew she was going to have Darcy all to herself, sequestered together in her house.
She’d approached Darcy in the last week with a lot of uncertainty. But she’d really thought – hoped, she guessed – that given some space, things would cool off by the time Darcy was set to arrive here.
Last week at the release party… it had been a weird night for her, as she’d said.
Harrison and her mother didn’t go to every event they were invited to, and they often didn’t go to everything thrown by Copper Canyon.
She hadn’t known they were going to be there until the moment she and Robbie had arrived in the lobby, and she’d discreetly picked up the key Darcy had left for her at the desk and tucked it into her purse.
But seeing Harrison had thrown her entirely off. Knowing that he was going to keep an eye on her, an eye on Darcy, had fucked with Juliet’s entire nervous system.
And it wasn’t like she’d had the time to prepare Darcy or warn her.
Juliet didn’t even know what she would have said to Darcy if she’d had time to prepare.
Her situation with Harrison wasn’t one she wanted to share with anyone.
It made her feel shame and embarrassment – she wasn’t Darcy, was she?
She’d had Harrison backing her – and made her feel so disgusted that she, publicly, was associated with him…
Darcy hated the fakeness of it all. Well, Juliet’s “family” was one of the fakest things about her.
She didn’t want to tell that to Darcy. She didn’t want to see Darcy’s reaction, the way she might possibly look at Juliet differently. Hell, Juliet had already seen a flash of it, when Darcy had seemed so baffled that her mom and Harrison didn’t know she wasn’t really in a relationship with Robbie.
“Well… she’ll be there soon, right?” Laura prompted. “She is still coming?”
That edge of uncertainty slashed through her again, and she clicked over to her texts with Darcy. She didn’t need to reread them, she knew what they said, but she couldn’t stop herself.
“Yeah, she’ll be here,” she sighed, flicking through their messages.
They hadn’t talked much. Again, disheartening, but Juliet had sucked it up.
Tuesday – she’d waited four days to message Darcy – she’d asked:
Juliet – 7:43A.M.
Just wanted to confirm that you and I are still on?
I’m going to arrange a viewing with Nik for sometime in the next few days
They both needed to make time with Nik to see the early cut of the film, to get a feel for the movie and the characters, for what they’d need to create.
Juliet had been hoping – without sounding obvious about it – that Darcy would read between the lines and go with Juliet to her viewing. That maybe they could connect before Darcy came over, that they could get back to normal.
Thief – 8:11A.M.
Yeah we’re still on.
I saw the movie before I left L.A. for Nashville two days ago so I’m ready.
Juliet felt like she’d been slapped in the face every time she read that message. Darcy had arranged and gone to the studio for her viewing without even bringing it up to her?! She knew that Darcy knew she wasn’t busy, that she was in the city and could have been around to join her.
So… it was very deliberate.
And Juliet’s stomach had been in knots about it for days.
She’d messaged Darcy again last night, when her agitation had reached its true peak – if Darcy was still coming, shouldn’t she let Juliet know, to confirm?
They hadn’t not texted one another for so long in, like, two months. Even though they weren’t in constant communication, they always exchanged some messages, especially after they’d debuted “Porchlight.”
Juliet – 11:12P.M.
Do you need a ride or anything from the airport?
Just want to make sure everything is on track
Thief – 11:15P.M.
I flew in earlier today so I’m good
Had Juliet been offering to pick Darcy up?! She hadn’t even registered what she was saying until she’d sent the message. She never picked anyone up from the airport! Juliet hated going to the airport unless she had to get on a plane!
And, what the hell was that response? Darcy had flown in, but she wasn’t staying at Juliet’s. Just rereading the message made her foot start tapping against the bar across the bottom of the stool.
Finally, the nail in the coffin had come this morning –
Thief – 9:19A.M.
Just want to check in that one of the rooms you have upstairs that I’ve never been privy to is actually a guest room?
Given the way their last conversation had gone, and how things had been in the week since, Juliet shouldn’t be surprised. Shouldn’t feel upset.
But she did feel surprised, and much more than that, she was upset.
She’d given Darcy’s message a thumbs up, and that was all. Because it was all she’d been able to bring herself to do.
Darcy had never not slept in her bed. The first night they’d spent together, she’d passed out there.
And, fine. If Juliet had really wanted to forcefully wake Darcy up that night, she knew she could have.
She’d been surprised by Darcy’s prompt and deep sleep, but…
she’d laid next to her and gone to sleep herself.
She was not only accustomed to it, she liked it.
She’d even liked sleeping in Darcy’s bed in her apartment above the bowling alley. The old mattress and the soft, flannel sheets weren’t what she was used to in the slightest, but she’d slept like a baby next to Darcy.
And now Darcy was going to be here with her for a full week, and this was how it was going to be?!
Darcy, by her own admission, didn’t sleep well without Juliet.
Fine, whatever, without sex, she supposed.
But with Juliet was also a part of that comment.
How was Darcy sleeping without her? It had now been almost a month since the last time.
She both wanted Darcy to be able to have a normal, healthy sleep schedule but also…
But also, she liked that Darcy slept the best with her.
Fuck.
“She asked if I have a guest room,” she muttered, working her jaw tightly back and forth. The stress-clenching she’d been doing was not great for her.
Laura hummed, sounding not surprised at all. “And what did you do?”
Insulted, Juliet reeled back with a frown. “I, obviously, made sure the guest room is ready. I’m not a freak who’s going to mandate she sleeps with me if she sleeps here.”
The only thing that would make her unhappier than Darcy sleeping here in her guest room would be Darcy not staying here at all.
“Juliet.”
“What? What am I supposed to do?” She pressed, exasperation pushing through her, tying together with the frustration that had been simmering for days.
Not at Darcy, but at… everything else. Everyone else.
At Harrison, at her mother, at the label.
She stood from the stool, pacing through the small room.
“Even if I did tell her what was going on, then what?”
She felt like a caged animal, and turned to storm out of the studio, needing to not be so contained. Not with these far too big, tumultuous emotions taking hold of her, now that she was finally voicing the thought that had quietly existed in the back of her mind for days.