Chapter 38 #2
Clearing her throat, making it a little less tight from the emotion welling up, she hummed. “But if you’re lucky, you might be able to find someone a little less bossy.”
Robbie dropped his head back, laughing. “Maybe. But a little bossiness can be good sometimes.” His eyes sparked with mischief. “Just ask Darcy; I’m sure she loves it.”
I love you. In all of the ways I’ve never loved anyone else.
Just the echo of Darcy’s words in her mind made Juliet’s breath catch and hold in her chest, before the butterflies returned in the pit of her stomach. She could feel herself blush, but – what the hell? She wasn’t going to try to hide it from Robbie, not here and now. “She, uh… she does.”
That feeling of wonder washed over her, the same feeling she got every time she thought about Darcy’s confession. The words, in the exact cadence Darcy had said them, were imprinted on her mind. Like the most beautiful song she’d ever heard.
Darcy Kincaid loved her. She loved Juliet in all of the ways she’d never loved anyone else. And Juliet was going to do anything in her power to make sure she didn’t jeopardize that.
After Robbie left, Juliet found herself standing at the large, glass sliding doors that led out to her backyard.
She felt… she felt good.
No, she’d never done this before. She’d always had Robbie as her added security. He’d given her an easier way to walk through the world under the microscope they lived in. And it was a little nerve-wracking to think about what was going to happen, next.
News of their breakup would spread; they’d both agreed on the statement they’d pass on to their publicity teams. Buzz would start. People would be talking. Theorizing.
And Juliet, unlike Robbie, wasn’t going to make any other arrangements.
She…
She was never going to make another “arrangement” again.
She had demo tracks of a lot of the songs she’d been working on; she was ready to start going into production soon.
And maybe she didn’t have a plan for what would happen, next. But she knew she wanted it to happen with Darcy, regardless of what they chose to do.
It was scary to think about, but it also made her pulse skitter with excitement. Was it ridiculous, she wondered, to hope Darcy was proud of her?
She hadn’t done it for that reason, but it was appealing. She really enjoyed imagining the look on Darcy’s face. Not because she’d broken up with Robbie, necessarily, but because of the honesty of it all. The lack of needing to lie.
Darcy would love that.
If only Darcy would return her call or text.
She was trying to be respectful of Darcy wanting to take a day or two, but she thought – given her news – that Darcy would be happy to hear from her.
When she felt her phone vibrate, her heart skipped, and she snatched it out of her back pocket.
Only to deflate when it wasn’t Darcy’s name – well, Thief – but Blythe’s.
…
Blythe’s?
She exchanged numbers with Blythe and Emerson one of the nights she’d gone to see them on tour, but they’d never really texted.
Confused, she opened the message.
Blythe Kincaid – 11:02A.M.
Hey just checking in on Darcy
Juliet narrowed her eyes.
Juliet Jacobs – 11:03A.M.
Well, interestingly enough, you haven’t texted Darcy, you texted Juliet
Blythe Kincaid – 11:03A.M.
No kidding
Look, I just want to know if she’s doing okay
I know she’s upset. And I’m TRYING to respect her request for space
But when she left she just took off, not even wearing actual shoes, and her notebook, phone, and suitcase are all still here
I’ve made it almost 24 hours to give her space
So. How is she??
Alarm blasted through Juliet, and she had to double-take at Blythe’s messages.
Not wearing her shoes?! She left her phone and notebook at Blythe’s house?!
She wanted space from BLYTHE?
She stabbed at the Call icon so hard her index finger smarted with it. But she didn’t really feel that, couldn’t really feel much of anything –
“Hey,” Blythe answered.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Juliet demanded to know, unable to temper her tone even a little bit. “What happened?”
“So, she hasn’t contacted you?”
“You said she left her phone at your place!” Juliet snapped back, her mind going a million miles a minute. “Where is she?”
Did they need to call the police? What the hell was wrong with Blythe? If Darcy disappeared twenty-four hours ago, something could be seriously wrong!
Juliet, without a word of exaggeration, would burn the town of Pineford down to the sticks; she didn’t care. If something happened to Darcy there, people would suffer the consequences.
“She did leave her phone here, but I don’t know; maybe she has her tablet or computer? Maybe she booked a ticket and flew back to L.A. or something,” Blythe shot back. “I know she made it back to Stardust last night, I asked Sandra.”
Okay.
Juliet managed to take in a deep breath. Okay. So, she’d gotten home.
Which made Juliet turn her attention to the matter of the next-biggest importance. “Why is Darcy so upset with you that she doesn’t want to talk to you, and literally left all of her belongings at your house?”
Blythe was silent for several seconds, which made Juliet’s concern notch up again. What the hell had happened since Darcy had left here yesterday morning? She’d been going to Pineford to relax and reset.
It didn’t seem like that had happened.
“Well?” Juliet pushed, impatiently, turning on her heel as she started toward the stairs. There was already enough cause for concern for her to go to Pineford, to be with Darcy. She didn’t even know what had happened yet, but –
“Emerson and I told her we aren’t,” Blythe broke off, clearing her throat, “That we aren’t going to do another We, The Romantics album.”
“What?!” She hissed out, stumbling to a stop as the shock coursed through her.
First, because… wow, what?!
Second, because… Darcy.
Juliet closed her eyes, her chest aching. Blythe and Emerson quitting We, The Romantics, would devastate her. Was currently devastating her, clearly.
She huffed out a breath, livid and hurt at Blythe on Darcy’s behalf.
“I’m coming.”
She hung up on Blythe without another word, charging up the stairs as she texted Laura to arrange her plane ticket.