Chapter 35 #2
Juliet cleared her throat and read, “My last message says: I just saw the trial run of your dress for the premiere. Speechless. Which, as you know, is rare for me. Can’t wait to be there with you and see it in person.”
As soon as it was over, Juliet locked the phone and slid it under her thigh, an unmistakable blush on her cheeks.
Kaitlyn and Mackenzie both oohed, undoubtedly mistaking the blush as Robbie-related.
But… it wasn’t Robbie-related. It was Darcy-related. Something deep inside of her stomach twisted uncomfortably.
“First,” Kaitlyn started, her smile wide and gleaming, “We have to talk about the fact that Robbie is in your phone as Thief with that heart. Like, he stole your heart?! I mean, come on.” She held her hand to her chest.
Darcy’s smile completely slipped into a frown, that twisty feeling in her stomach burrowing deeper.
Which was maybe foolish; she could acknowledge that.
But she found in this moment that she hated – despised, actually, seemed more accurate right now – having her name in Juliet’s phone believed to be anyone else.
On the recording, Juliet visibly relaxed and nodded. Clearly, Kaitlyn concluding that Darcy’s nickname in her phone was actually Robbie was a relief to her.
Mackenzie cleared her throat. “I think it’s so sweet that you two still text one another like that. You’ve been together for, what, almost ten years now?”
“Over eight years, yes,” Juliet confirmed, leaning into it.
“Not to be those people… but we’re totally going to be,” Kaitlyn started, wiggling her eyebrows. “But, Juliet. Over eight years?! Is marriage in the plans? Is that something you want or are planning on?”
Juliet nodded, sobering a bit. “It is something I want. But we’ve both wanted to really spend time to build up our lives, both together and individually. One day, though.”
Darcy’s heels tapped against the floor in front of her, that unsettled sensation working through her entire body, even as she tried to make it go away.
This was just a part of the deal. This was just a part of their situation. Darcy had gone into this knowing that Juliet was “with” Robbie, that everyone believed so.
But for the first time, she was confronted face-to-face with what that meant. With how it felt to hear Juliet talk about how deeply entrenched she was in this relationship with Robbie. How, of course, they were “one day” going to get married.
And how deeply unhappy and hollowed out that made her feel.
She did her best to shake it off by the time she reached the hotel.
This was a part of her life. Of their lives. Robbie had been around since long before she’d known Juliet.
Darcy didn’t quite feel back to normal, back to the same excitement she’d been buzzing with earlier. But she was sure it would come. This didn’t change anything, she’d reasoned with herself. The world already believed Juliet and Robbie were together.
Rather than go straight to her own suite, where her hair and makeup team were waiting, she went to Juliet’s. Just for a quick hit, just to make everything feel normal again.
And when Juliet opened her door, ushering Darcy in, she was able to really release most of the ugh feelings she was carrying.
Juliet’s hair was carefully pulled back, her makeup was done, and she wore a white satin robe, obviously in preparation for her stylist team to come in next.
“I sent everyone down for lunch,” Juliet informed her, reaching for Darcy’s hands to tug her in for a kiss.
Darcy stumbled forward a step to close the distance, already leaning down. Her lips were already tingling, even before Juliet’s made contact.
She sighed into her mouth, finally able to relax again. She reached up, careful not to brush over Juliet’s face or her hair, just in case, and instead gripping the collar of her robe, brushing her knuckles against Juliet’s bare skin.
They both shivered.
Juliet breathed out a soft sound against her, before she leaned back.
Darcy chased her lips, wanting more.
Juliet chuckled, and granted her another kiss. Lingering only for another few seconds, before she brought her hands up to grip Darcy’s hips and gently push her back. “We have to stay somewhat on schedule. You, Thief, are very much behind on hair and makeup.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she jokingly muttered, before she fluttered her eyelashes at Juliet. “But do you really think I need a long time in the chair?”
She expected Juliet to laugh and push at her hips and roll her eyes. Which, she did.
But she also murmured, “No.”
Yes, this was precisely what Darcy had needed, as her smile widened, warmth skipping through her.
“So, there is a slight change of plans tonight.” Juliet winced, holding her thumb and index finger a few centimeters apart as she released Darcy’s hips from her hold.
Darcy hummed. “What kind of change?”
Juliet had planned almost everything for the event, down to even how she’d wanted them to pose for the first few photos after they got out of the car. Darcy was, truly, enamored by it, even if she felt as though that level of planning was unnecessary.
“I don’t know if you watched the podcast yet–”
Her stomach clenched, tension filtering through her. “I… did.”
“Okay. Well, that part where they had me read the text?” Juliet quirked an eyebrow at her, waiting for Darcy to confirm again.
“Mhmm,” she managed to hum without giving away how much she wanted to scowl.
“While you were on your flight, they posted that part as a teaser. Hyping up the premiere tonight, I guess,” Juliet added, waving her hand in the air dismissively.
“Uh huh.” Darcy could already feel what was coming. She was preparing for dark gray storm clouds rapidly coming her way, and she didn’t have an umbrella or her rain jacket. That was precisely the feeling ricocheting through her.
Juliet shrugged, heaving a slightly annoyed sigh. “Agitating, I know. But it’s already done. When you were on your way here, I was on the phone with Robbie to coordinate.”
“To coordinate that he’s going to be coming tonight,” she stated, flatly.
Because Darcy had texted that she couldn’t wait to spend tonight with Juliet. Tension slid through her, making her shoulders literally ache with it. The disappointment that settled inside of her was thick and heavy and bitter.
“Are you… jealous? Of my fake, gay boyfriend?” Juliet’s voice was soft, almost sweet, as she lightly teased Darcy. Obviously not feeling the same negative reaction to this update.
Darcy did hear how ridiculous that sounded, but she couldn’t control how much she fucking hated it. “I’m not jealous,” she disagreed, because… she wasn’t.
Right?
“Not – ugh,” she cut herself off, agitation swiftly settling inside of her, making her feel like a livewire.
Like she wanted to be in motion, because she couldn’t contain how she felt inside.
“I’m not jealous in that I believe you and Robbie are together.
I’m…” She worked her jaw, her breath coming a little faster, as she finally managed to put into words, “I’m jealous that instead of spending the night next to me, you’re going to spend it next to him.
I’m jealous that everyone is going to see you two together and think what a gorgeous couple you two are.
And I know no one was going to think of us as a couple, and that was fine. But…”
But it changed the entire tone of the night. It did, undeniably.
It wouldn’t be her and Juliet, seen as a pair. It would be Juliet and Robbie seen as a pair… and Darcy.
And it made her feel insane, really, that Juliet didn’t see that.
“Robbie is… it’s the same thing as if Laura came. Or Blythe, or Emerson,” Juliet pushed, her tone coaxing, though she was clearly a little surprised by Darcy’s response.
“Um. No, it’s not,” she vehemently disagreed, narrowing her eyes.
“Maybe, emotionally, yes.” Sure, Juliet didn’t have any romantic or sexual feelings for him; Darcy wasn’t arguing that point.
“But you know it’s not the same. If you’re there with your assistant or I’m there with my best friend, we would still be seen as the duo, together.
The entire point of your arrangement with Robbie is for you two to be The Couple. ”
Darcy had attended multiple events with Robbie-O and Juliet, The Couple.
They drew attention just by being next to one another.
They’d been doing it so long, it was easy between them, and that ease was visible.
The way Robbie slung his arm around Juliet’s waist, how Juliet posed so easily for photos leaning into him.
But they hadn’t been… them, before. She hadn’t even liked seeing Robbie and Juliet together at her album release, and that had been months ago.
Juliet’s eyebrows were furrowed, as she reached up and pressed her fingertips against her temples.
Obviously not having anticipated this strong of a reaction from her.
Her voice was quiet but steady – probing – as she asked, “What does it matter what it looks like to anyone else, when we both know who I’m going home to at the end of the night? ”
Darcy swallowed back the bitter, burning sensation those words evoked in her. It mattered because… it mattered.
Two knocks quickly sounded on the door. “Back from lunch! Decent?” Presumably one of Juliet’s stylist team called out.
Darcy could see the no forming on Juliet’s lips even before she shouted it, and she quickly cut her off. “Don’t. They can come in. Like you said, I’m running late for hair and makeup.”
Juliet frowned, sharply. “Darcy…”
She shook her head, forcing in a deep breath as she stopped Juliet from continuing.
“We aren’t going to get to a happy medium right now.
” That was the simple truth. Because Darcy knew herself, and she wasn’t going to be happy about Robbie, no matter what.
“I know that you and Robbie had your own thing going long before I came around.” Her throat felt so tight. “I’m just going to go and get ready.”
And if what she was feeling on the inside was in any way reflected on the outside, they would, indeed, have a decent amount of work to do.