Chapter 6 #2
“Be that as it may,” Darcy continued, refocusing Juliet’s attention.
“I never imagined that this would be my life. That you would be my life.” She reached her free hand up, sweeping Juliet’s hair back over her shoulder with her free hand, her touch lingering on the light jacket Juliet wore.
“And yeah, we’re in the midst of a storm right now.
But the storm was always brewing. As long as our plan was to ever come out, we’d always have to go through this.
So, I’m in it. I’m weathering the storm with you, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. ”
“When you say it like that, it makes me sound really awful that I don’t always have that can-do spirit in the same way,” she pointed out, acerbically.
Darcy scoffed out a laugh. “No, it doesn’t. Nothing about you is awful.”
God, the sincerity in Darcy’s voice when she said that – it left Juliet with no doubt in the world that Darcy really felt that way for her. That she genuinely believed, with her whole heart, that nothing about Juliet was awful.
Darcy had a kind of faith in her, a kind of love in her, that Juliet had never known.
And it bolstered her, giving her the strength to manage to say aloud for the first time, “And… if we have to self-produce our album, then so be it. You did it before, and it’s one of the best albums I’ve ever heard in my life.”
Darcy’s smile melted into warm honey. “And who says you don’t have a can-do spirit?” She gently teased.
Juliet smiled back at her, raking her eyes down Darcy again from head to toe.
While she’d been to weddings, she’d certainly never been to one with Darcy .
And it made her think, as she trailed her eyes back up, “You know… there are some things we haven’t really talked about, yet.
Things that – when you think about it – most couples who’ve been together for years and live together probably have discussed. ”
She wasn’t taking a dig at them, nor did she believe they hadn’t been living a very full, very healthy life together.
But it was different. It was different when their full and happy and healthy love story could only play out behind closed doors.
Darcy lifted an eyebrow at her. “Care to elaborate?”
“Do you want to get married?” Juliet asked.
“Why, you asking?” Darcy managed to say back, after several seconds of seemingly stunning silence.
“ No ,” she denied, incredulously, even as the thought did make the blood pulse a little faster through her veins. And the feeling wasn’t nerves.
“Sort of sounds like you are,” Darcy obviously couldn’t resist teasing.
“Well, I’m not,” she refuted firmly. She’d never propose here – no ring? No plan ? Who did Darcy think she was? “I’m merely asking if it’s something you want in the future. We’ve been together for a while now, so… it’s probably something we should discuss.”
She could tell that Darcy really was considering it, mulling it over. Which Juliet appreciated; she wanted a real, meaningful answer.
“Yeah, I think I’d like to be married, eventually. Make things official and all.” Darcy shot her a questioning look. “What about you?”
“Same,” she answered, easily. “It’s not a deal-breaker for me.
” How could it be? For so long, Juliet hadn’t ever known when she’d even have a real relationship.
How could she dream of a wedding or a marriage when, before Darcy, she hadn’t even been able to realistically picture having a partner?
Still, she stared intently at Darcy, her breath catching in her lungs.
Because… yeah, she could see it. “But yes,” her voice was soft. “I’d like it.”
The grin that stole over Darcy’s lips was breathtaking.
At least, until Juliet continued her line of questioning:
“Do you want to have kids?”
Darcy’s eyes widened, and she didn’t have to think, this time, before she answered, “Uh, no.” She breathed out a quiet laugh, shaking her head.
“Nope. I want to be a fun aunt. Take Blythe’s kids out, treat them to ridiculously cool experiences, buy them toys that give my sister a headache, and then I want to return them home to their parents at the end of the day. ”
Relief filtered through her. “Thank god. I feel the same.”
“What if I’d said yes?”
“Well. We have the money for nannies and a lot of hands-on help. So, I’d have considered it.
” And that was the reality for Juliet, even if it wasn’t for most people.
If Darcy had really wanted to have a child, Juliet might have been able to get on board.
“But the reality is, I love our life. I want to keep going on tour with you. I want to make music with you at three in the morning. I want to have mind-blowing sex with you until early afternoon.”
Darcy breathed out a tremulous breath, and Juliet definitely hadn’t expected any of those tears that glittered in her eyes.
Concerned, she stepped in closer, lifting her hand to Darcy’s jaw. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
“Whew. God. I’m okay,” Darcy assured her, but didn’t back away from her touch. “I – in the last couple of weeks, I’ve been really concerned that things between you and me… that if nothing with the labels panned out, or things got too intense, that you wouldn’t want…”
“I literally told you that you were forbidden from breaking up with me. What in the world makes you think I have any intention of not being with you?” Juliet didn’t mean to sound so abrasive or make it sound like she thought Darcy was crazy.
But she also kind of couldn’t help it; if Darcy thought she was ever going to leave her, she was a little crazy.
And that was fine, because Juliet had her moments, too.