Chapter 7 #2
She reached up, pressing her palm to her temple, head spinning. “I – at least let me give you the money?”
Juliet looked as though Darcy had offered to slap her in the face. “No,” she simply rejected. “Now, the car is here.”
“Just – wait.” She’d had a bomb dropped on her, and… what ?! “Juliet… why?”
Juliet’s lips parted on a sharp breath, a mirthless sound escaping.
“Why?” She echoed. “Darcy, you… sobbed in my arms. You were so… sad . And you told me ignoring her wasn’t what you wanted.
You told me you wanted to rage, you wanted to have a lawyer reach out to her.
You told me you wanted it to stop. But you made an agreement with Blythe, and you were honoring it. So, I handled it.”
“You shouldn’t have had to.”
“If I told you that there was something eating away at me, something that was breaking me down inside, and you realized you had a way to fix it, are you telling me you wouldn’t?” Juliet challenged, knowingly.
Darcy’s lips parted, but she couldn’t voice the words. Because she wasn’t a liar, and they both knew the truth.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me? Maybe not at first, but since then?”
“You agreed with Blythe not to take action. If you didn’t know, you wouldn’t have to lie to your sister that you had anything to do with it, if anything ever came out.”
The backs of Darcy’s eyes burned, and she reached up to swipe her fingertips over them.
Juliet quietly tsked as she reached for the bedside table, tugging out a few tissues. “Come here.”
Darcy obliged, letting Juliet carefully clean her up. “I’m not trying to ruin my makeup for the Grammys. I know I’m your arm candy tonight.”
And even though the words were joking, she took that responsibility very seriously. For years, Robbie had been Juliet’s dual arm candy and safety net on the red carpet. Tonight was the first time Darcy was taking that honor over, and she wasn’t going to screw it up.
She was going to glide next to Juliet, looking as beautiful and dignified as she could. And she would handle anything Juliet wanted her to, field any questions that came their way.
“I’m not doing this because of the Grammys,” Juliet responded, simply.
Darcy’s breath shuddered out, and she forced back a new wave of tears. “You paid my mother to disappear.” What a wild thing to say. And how crazy, without context, was it that it really did mean everything to her? “And you never told me.”
“I didn't want you to feel like you owed me. Anything other than being my date tonight, of course.”
Darcy looked at her, her heart in her throat. “Of course.”
She’d be Juliet’s date anywhere. Juliet could tell her they were going to the moon and never returning to this planet, and she’d pack her bag.
Before Juliet could take another step, Darcy reached out and caught her wrist, spinning her around. Wrapping her arm around Juliet’s waist and tugged her in.
She kissed Juliet, slowly at first.
Then harder, a little more intense. A little needier. God, it was going to be so hard to keep this need on a leash tonight. She poured as much of these emotions as she could into this kiss, because she didn’t have another way to say thank you that was big enough, yet.
But she was mindful of their makeup, and she was the one who pulled back first.
Juliet blinked her eyes open, breathless as she said, “We should go.”
There was still a lot to digest. She had to let this settle in, and she wanted to have a real conversation about it. But… for now, Darcy nodded. “Yes. We have to go and pick up a truckload of awards for you.”
Juliet’s eyes glinted at her as she tossed Darcy a look over her shoulder. “Please. Just one or two.”
Seated inside the ceremony, Darcy could barely focus on half of what was happening.
She was so aware of Juliet beside her. Of their shoulders touching. Of their hands occasionally brushing. Of the fact that every camera in the room knew exactly who Juliet Jacobs was really with.
The red carpet had been every bit as insane as she’d expected it would be. The typical chaos had been dialed up, and the cameras that had focused on them had nearly blinded her.
But she’d done it all with Juliet’s hand in hers. They’d done several quick interviews –
Yes, we are here tonight officially as a couple.
No, we will not be discussing our relationship timeline here at the Grammys pre-show.
Yes, we would comment on the vitriolic responses to our personal lives: our sexualities have nothing to do with anyone but us.
Yes, we are both friends with Robbie.
No, we will not be addressing any of the rumors floating around.
Yes, Darcy did inspire several songs from Half-Truths .
Yes, Juliet does look absolutely stunning tonight.
“Are you excited to win?” Darcy leaned in to ask, her lips brushing over the shell of Juliet’s ear as her category was being read aloud.
She felt Juliet shiver against her.
“You don’t know that I will,” Juliet whispered back, keeping her eyes glued to the stage. Darcy could feel her vibrating in anticipation.
“Yes, I do.” She waited a beat before teasing, “After all, I'm not competing with you.”
Juliet whipped her head around now, mouth falling open, as that hot, competitive gleam danced in her eyes. “Excuse you.”
Darcy couldn’t even pretend to keep up the bit. “Even if I’d been up for this, you’d win tonight. This album is so amazing, Juliet, it’s – it’s everything.”
Juliet's expression softened.
“And now, for Album of the Year…”
Juliet’s hand dropped to Darcy’s lap, holding so tightly it cut off some circulation. And it didn’t matter, because Darcy held back just as tightly, everything inside of her going haywire, because she was so ready for Juliet to get her flowers.
But also because this was on camera. Everyone watching the Grammys could see this. Everyone in the world could see that Juliet reached for Darcy’s hand for comfort right now.
The presenter opened the envelope, and Darcy stopped breathing.
“ Half-Truths by Juliet Jacobs.”
For one second, Juliet didn’t move. Then she turned sharply to look at Darcy, who was already looking at her. Already staring at Juliet’s perfectly sculpted profile.
Darcy smiled so wide, her cheeks hurt. “You fucking did it.”
Their eyes locked, and she knew Juliet was going to do it even before she moved. And then, she did. She leaned in and pressed her lips to Darcy’s, and fireworks exploded through her entire being.
They’d come out with a kiss, but it felt like this one cemented it all.
Darcy was on her feet as Juliet climbed onto the stage; no way could she contain herself and force herself to sit, now. Not happening. Not when she already had tears in her eyes. Residual from earlier tonight, they were right there, waiting.
Juliet accepted the statuette.
She thanked her producers, but notably not Copper Canyon – and that was Darcy’s fucking woman. God, she loved a power move from Juliet more than just about anything. She thanked her fans. She thanked her mom, but didn’t lump in Harrison, as she’d done in speeches past.
Then she went quiet, hesitating. “And…”
Juliet looked in her direction. Right at her.
“To Darcy.”
Darcy’s heart stopped.
“This album was everything because of you. I–” Juliet paused, and Darcy swore she could see her hands gripping the statuette so tightly her knuckles turned white, even from this distance. “I,” she repeated, her voice shaking. “Am everything that I am, now, standing here tonight, because of you.”
Yes, they had come out.
Yes, they had walked the red carpet together tonight.
Yes, they had just kissed when Juliet had won.
But this, to Darcy, was everything.
The room was applauding, the music was playing. And Darcy didn’t hear any of it.
She only saw Juliet. Only her.
You , she mouthed back to Juliet. And she knew Juliet would understand what she was saying.
That Juliet was everything she was because of herself. It was all her. Not Darcy. Not the album. Not the award.
Just, Juliet.
She was standing there holding a Grammy because she’d worked for it, because she’d earned it, because she was brilliant and stubborn and impossibly talented and had somehow managed to love Darcy through all of it.
Juliet smiled and simultaneously rolled her eyes up on that stage, so Darcy knew she understood.
As she watched Juliet make her way off the stage, stopping to quickly chat or shake someone’s hand, Darcy could only stare.
Juliet was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She always had been; she’d been doing it long before Darcy had come into her life.
But so was Darcy, and Juliet had come swooping into her life, working in the background to take care of her anyway. Without Darcy knowing, without expecting or demanding anything in return.
Juliet had stated it so simply to her:
If I told you that there was something eating away at me, something that was breaking me down inside, and you realized you had a way to fix it, are you telling me you wouldn’t ?
Juliet was absolutely correct; Darcy would fix it for her if she could. And she was going to.