CHAPTER FOUR
First official fight
JULIETTE
Adaline doesn’t answer my calls. It started off with me texting her, asking her to speak.
I was ignored, then my next fifty calls also were.
I sit there and pretend that she just needs a night, she’s upset and I screamed at her.
I never scream at her. My chest coils when I think about it, an all too familiar rage took over my body and I lashed out.
I let my phone sit on my bed, face down, like I’m not checking it every five minutes anyway.
By the next morning, the silence feels intentional, like she isn’t just angry at me but it’s more than that.
I replay the night over and over while I get dressed. The way she looked at me when I shouted, the betrayal rooted into her smile lines. The guilt gnaws at me like a dog with a bone, but she still won’t answer any of my calls.
Stuff with my mother isn’t any better. I’ve been ignoring her because I know she did something to provoke Adaline.
I know she didn’t just snap for no reason.
I wish I had told her that. I wish I hadn’t snapped and actually thought everything through.
I still don’t know exactly the words my mother used, but it was something about Adaline not being good for me.
When I walk downstairs, I see my mum. She sits at the kitchen island, coffee untouched, scrolling through something on her tablet like she hasn’t completely disrupted my world.
“You’re up early,” she says without looking at me.
“I didn’t sleep.”
She hums. “Do you want some breakfast?”
I ignore her question. “You need to apologise.”
She finally looks up. “For what?”
“For what you said to Adaline.”
“I expressed concerns,” she replies evenly.
“You waited until I left the room.”
“That’s your interpretation.”
“You did it on purpose,” I snap. “You wanted her alone.”
Her jaw tightens. “I was trying to have an adult conversation.”
“No,” I say. “You were trying to put her in her place.”
“She swore at me.”
“Because you pushed her,” I shoot back. “And now she won’t answer me.”
She exhales slowly. “Juliette—”
“What did you say to her?”
She sighs deeply before answering. “She’s using you for your money.”
“Oh my god.” I laugh the words out, bewildered. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Adaline Emery, using me for my money? The very same girl who has worked for as long as I can remember, the very same girl who has to be forced into accepting gifts from me?
“Is it that ridiculous? You bought an apartment, you’re a lot better off than that girl—”
“That’s enough!” I slam my fist down on the kitchen island.
She blinks at my outburst and, for my mother, that translates to shock. “She isn’t like you, Juliette. She has no decorum. She was raised differently… from a whole different world.”
Anger flares from every crevice. “She is different! She’s not spoiled and entitled!
She works hard for everything she has, even though she was dealt a shitty hand!
” I shout the words loudly, finally understanding how Addie must have felt when my mother provoked her.
My mother looks stunned at my outburst, but I don’t stop there.
“I like spending my money on her, on us, and you can cut me off if you want, but that is never gonna change. Don’t ever speak about my girlfriend like that ever again!” I slam my fist down again, fully expecting my mother to berate me for acting so insolent.
Instead she says, “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not the person you should be saying that to,” I tell her and walk away. I slam the front door on my way out. I can’t take it anymore. I need to see Adaline. I’m surprised I wasn’t pulled over with how fast I was driving, but I’m glad I wasn’t.
Her house looks the same. My mind had assumed it would look different.
I knock once, no answer. I knock again, harder.
This time the door opens, but it’s not Adaline.
It’s a girl my age. Pretty. Casual. Standing inside Adaline’s house like she belongs there.
She’s holding a notebook, hair pulled back, like she’s been here a while.
“Oh,” she says. “Hi.”
My stomach drops, my fists inadvertently clenching. Who the fuck was this girl? Standing in my girlfriend’s house and greeting me.
“Hi,” I reply, already sharp. “Who are you?”
She hesitates, her smile dropping. “I’m Chloe.”
Her name sounds as stupid as that look on her face. This feels all too familiar, flashbacks surface of Priya and when I was kicked out of Adaline’s house.
“Is Adaline here?” I ask, urgency plastered in my voice.
“She’s inside,” the girl says. “She’ll be back in a minute.”
Back from where? Nausea lives in the pit of my stomach, growing more precarious every second that this girl speaks. Were they upstairs? In her room? On her bed? The very thought feels like hot coals on my arm.
“So you’re just hanging out here?” I ask, stepping closer. “In her house?”
The girl shifts, uncomfortable. “I’m just—”
“Juliette?”
Adaline’s voice cuts in from behind her. She’s walking down the stairs and she looks exhausted. Not ‘I just woke up’ tired but a more tedious type. When she sees me, something flickers across her face that I can’t read. I push past the girl and into her house.
“Who is this?” I ask immediately, irritation coating my words. It’s almost taking over the relief that I feel seeing her.
The girl looks between us like she’s stepped into something explosive. “I should go.”
“No,” I say. “I’d actually like to know why you’re here.”
“Juliette,” Adaline snaps. “Stop.”
“What?” I fire back. “You disappear and I show up to this. What do you expect?”
I stare between her and the girl, rage building up in my chest. I wanna break her hands, kneecaps or anything at all for the way she’s standing here. Jealousy is a green ugly monster and I hate the way it’s hiding under my bed, but I can’t help it.
“I’m just here for tutoring,” the girl blurts. “For biology.”
Suddenly the monster is retreating, replaced by the even bigger guilty one.
“What?”
Adaline exhales slowly. “I’m tutoring again.” She crosses her arms.
My chest tightens. “Why?” Even though I know the answer.
She reluctantly meets my eyes. “Extra money.”
“Because of my mum,” I say quietly.
She scoffs but doesn’t answer. Before I can say anything, the girl speaks up.
She grabs her bag. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t know.”
“You should go,” Adaline says gently. I want to shout at her for being gentle with someone else. I must truly have something wrong with me.
The girl slips past me without looking at my face. I don’t apologise. Why would I? I don’t even move. She has to squeeze past me to leave, and when she does I turn back to Adaline.
“So,” I say. “That’s what you do now? Shut me out to prove a point?” I know I’m being unfair. I’m the one in the wrong, but the residual anger from seeing that girl here still hasn’t left.
“I didn’t shut you out,” Adaline snaps. “I left.”
“I wanted to talk it out with you.” I step closer to her and she only moves back. It makes me want to sob.
“You didn’t protect me,” she fires back. “You screamed at me.”
“Baby.” I plead, trying to hold her hands but she yanks them out of my grasp. “I’m sorry, so sorry. I told her she was wrong. I promise I did. I was just so angry.”
“You had no right to be angry with me.”
“I know.”
“You should have listened to me.”
“I know.”
“I hate you.”
“I know, baby.” I cup her face, bringing her closer to me and she doesn’t resist. I rejoice inwardly. “This will never happen again, baby, never. You don’t need to tutor anyone. My mother was hateful and rude and I told her she was wrong.”
She scoffs. “She hates me.”
“She can hate you all she wants. She’s just gonna lose me.”
“You would pick me over her?” She asks, quirking an eyebrow like she doesn’t believe me.
“I would pick you over anyone and I’m sorry I didn’t yesterday.”
She hesitates, turning her face so she’s facing away from me, but I move it back. I rest my forehead against hers, breathing in her air that I missed dearly. I need her like oxygen and I can’t believe I forgot that momentarily.
“You can’t ever do that again, Juliette.” She mumbles warningly and I move my lips to the nape of her neck.
“I won’t, princess.” I murmur, littering kisses all over her neck.
“I’m serious.”
“I know, never again.”
“I won’t come back next time.” She says seriously. That stops my kisses and I look at her, hoping she sees how much that scares me.
“There won’t be a next time.” I say resolute and she only nods in response. I hug her tightly and rest my head on her shoulder. “I missed you so much.”
It felt like an eternity, not hearing her snoring through FaceTime or having her wake me up at the crack of dawn to work out with her. It was misery. Having her leave me like that was unimaginably painful.
“I missed you,” she mumbles back.
“So…” I whisper in her ear. “Chloe?”
I don’t know how, but I can feel her rolling her eyes.
“Did you think something was going on?”
“No.” I lie, scoffing dramatically. “I just don’t like when bitches are in your house.”
“She’s not a bitch.” The minute she utters those words, I pull back from the hug, my hands now placed firmly on my hips.
“Oh?” I quirk my eyebrow.
She sighs, unable to hide the smile tugging at the sides of her mouth. “I’m just tutoring her.”
“Not anymore,” I say. “I don’t like her.”
“You don’t like anyone.”
“Because everyone wants you.”
“You can’t tell me who to tutor.” She scoffs and I answer by pulling her closer to me by her wrist.
“So you’re not gonna listen to me?”
“No.” She yanks her hand out of my grip.
“Don’t be difficult.” I grit my teeth.
“I’ll do what I want.” She says petulantly.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No!”
Our faces are inches apart at this point. Anger radiating from every inch of my body. We get here so fast, all the time. Little things turn into massive arguments which always turn into, well… sex.
So it comes as no surprise when our lips smash against each other in a heated frenzy. I move my hands to her ass, picking her up and she wraps her legs around my waist. I feel her moaning through the kiss, our tongues gliding against each other. I walk her towards the wall, slamming her against it.
“Fuck.” She moans and I move my lips to her neck, littering hickeys all over her. She’s mine. Only mine. I need everyone to know that.
“No more Chloe.” I grit against her neck.
“Fuck you.” She spits back and bites my neck in return, making me wince in pain.
“Bitch.” I groan, ripping her shirt as she starts licking my earlobe. My mouth travels downwards to her boobs, sucking her nipples hard. When that doesn’t seem to be enough, I walk us over to her sofa, slamming her down on it as I get situated in between her legs.
She wiggles out of her underwear and I take my shirt off. She throws her head back when I move my hands into her pants, my fingers thrusting in and out of her roughly. Her wet pussy takes me in immediately, always so needy and greedy for me.
“Fuck.”
“You take it so well, baby… so needy for me.” I coo in her ear and she bites my lip in response. She smirks watching me in pain and I use my free hand to choke her.
“Be fucking good for me, okay?” I grip tighter.
“No.” She smiles deviously.
“Fucking brat.” I fuck her harder, resting my forehead against hers. “Open your mouth.” For once she does as she’s told and I spit in her mouth.
“Swallow it.” I order her and she does so straight away. I feel my pussy throb even harder and maybe she notices because she moves her hand into my underwear and attaches her mouth to my nipples.
“So fucking wet.” She grins against my nipple.
My clit throbs with her fingers pressed against it.
I find myself grinding into her fingers while fucking her at the same time.
She circles my clit even harder and I moan into the crook of her neck.
My hand is cramping but I don’t stop. Making her feel good is what I live for. It’s what makes my pussy drenched.
“I need to cum.” I whimper, clenching my pussy.
“Together.” She pants loudly and I can only nod because pleasure takes over my brain. I capture her lips with mine and we both reach ecstasy together, her hips jerking up and mine meeting them.
“Fuck!” We shout in unison and if I had a penny for every time that happened, I would have thousands. I collapse on top of her and she holds me to her chest immediately, our anger now replaced with something much softer.
A few beats pass before she says, “That was our first fight as a couple.”
“I think we ended it well, don’t you?”
“Absolutely.”