by C. Lymari
One-third of my closet was on my bed while another third was on the floor. I was trying to decide what to wear for my date with Jake, but nothing seemed good enough. It was late enough that my brothers wouldn’t drive me to the nearest mall to get an outfit. I may have had my license and a car, but Daddy wasn’t too comfortable letting me drive alone and far.
“Shit, what the fuck happened in here?” Prescott walked in and made some space on my bed so he could plop down.
What happened was I couldn’t find an outfit that said I wanted to look good but not try too hard. Obviously, I couldn’t let Prescott know. Which made me feel guilty because I wasn’t ashamed of Jake. I wanted to go on a date with him.
Shit.
I wanted to be Jake’s girlfriend. I had no idea how my parents were going to react, but I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be that good. I mean, they would freak at first, but they couldn’t be mad forever…
“Ow.” I glared at Prescott. “What was that?” I rubbed the side of my temple where he’d hit me.
“A bottle cap.”
“You could have poked my eye out!”
“Don’t be dramatic, Julie. You spaced out on me. What’s all of this?” My brother motioned to my clothes.
“Spring cleaning.”
“You wanna go to the movies tomorrow?”
I froze. Did my brother know something?
“Uh…”
“Oh, shit, I forgot you can’t stand scary movies.” The asshole laughed, but luckily didn’t question my hesitation.
“Gee, I wonder why?” I still couldn’t sleep with the light off. I swear, I didn’t know what my brothers were thinking by making me think my room was housing a demon. “Take Max. You two live for that crap.”
“Where is he? I haven’t seen him around much.”
Now that Prescott mentioned it, neither had I.
“Does he have a secret girlfriend or something?” I joked.
Before Prescott could reply, Estelle, our housekeeper, knocked on my door. “Miss Juliet, your father would like to see you in his study.”
“Thank you, Estelle.”
Daddy probably wanted to know how I liked my car. I hadn’t seen him much since he’d been busy working.
“If Dad asks, I’m not home.” Prescott started to walk to the door but paused before he left he turned around and looked at the clothes in my bed. “The ivory sweater complements your skin.” He turned back to look at me, and my heart started pounding. “I like seeing you happy.”
When my brother closed the door to his room, I could breathe properly again. Okay, Prescott knew I was seeing someone, and he was cool with it. But would he still be cool with it if he knew it was Jake Carson?
There would be time for me to ease my family into the idea of Jake and me. Tina’s words came to my head. Jake was leaving for college. What happened then? I cleared my head of that nonsense when I opened the door for Daddy’s study.
“Hey, Daddy, you wanted to see me?” I walked in, smiling at my dad.
He sat behind his oak desk with a stern look on his face. Upon looking at his harsh features, my stomach dropped.
“Take a seat, Juliet.”
Oh, shit. I did as he asked before he had to repeat himself. There was no “sweetheart” or “sweetie.” That was how I knew I was in some type of trouble.
“Is something wrong, Daddy?” I asked.
My father leaned back on his brown leather chair and gave me a once-over, his icy eyes never leaving mine. For the first time in years, I was scared of him. Something about the way he looked down at me made me shiver.
“Do you like your new car?”
“Y-yes, I love it.”
“Do you like everything that I provide for you and your brothers?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Do you like the fact that you can get anything you want with a snap of your fingers?”
I paused before I answered, not knowing where he was going with his questions. “Yes, Daddy. I know we are very fortunate.”
My father started to laugh, and it was dark and vile. “Do you think luck is what has made us wealthy all these years? Do you think it was luck that made your great-grandfather rich? No, Juliet. It was hard work, dedication, and sacrifices. You and your brothers have been privileged, not knowing the meaning of hard work.”
I sat statue-still, not knowing why he was giving me a sermon on work ethics. My brothers and I already did everything he wanted. We attended fund-raisers, got involved in our community, joined sports and committees because “this town is going places, and the people need to remember the Dunnetts were always there.”
My family showed a smile to the town, but behind their backs, they looked down on everyone who lived here. As the town grew bigger, so did our power. Hell, the Dunnetts and the Newtons were the reason the town was on the way to being recognized as a city.
“I don’t understand why you’re telling me this, Daddy.”
“Don’t play stupid, Juliet. I raised you better than that.”
My blood ran cold. My father had never spoken to me in that tone.
With my silence, my father gave an exasperated sigh. “Abigail came by today. She had a free period, brought some apple pie for your mother.”
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Abigail didn’t bring anything for my parents; it was all in hopes for Max to notice her.
“She had some interesting things to say about you and your new boyfriend.”
“What?!” I shouted, realizing it only made me guilty in my father’s eyes.
He didn’t know I was shouting with surprise, wondering how the hell Abigail knew about Jake and me when I hadn’t told anyone other than Jana. No, Jana wouldn’t do that to me.
“It’s nothing, Dad. We’re just going to a mov—”
“You think I worked my ass off for my kids to end up with nobodies? We may live in this tiny fucking town, but we are someone—our name is known! Secrets never last long here. I don’t know what you were thinking of getting involved with that boy.”
He said boy like Jake was diseased. My throat felt like it was locked in a tight grip, and my saliva tasted sour, but I no longer wanted to cry. I was angry. My father thought that way about Jake. Jake, who was one of the most amazing guys I had ever met.
“I want you to break it off immediately, Juliet!”
“No.”
I didn’t know why I said it, but the words were out, and I didn’t want to take them back. It was my most basic human right to date whomever I wanted “as long as they are from a respectable family.” I could hear my father’s voice as loud as he was currently glaring at me. If he weren’t in perfect health, I would fear he was having a heart attack the way his face turned a shade of red almost going on purple.
“No? Are you sure about that? How would you like your shiny new car taken away? Your cell phone? Your allowance?”
I gasped. If my dad did that, I would have nothing. I would be just like everyone else. Not even my last name could redeem me. Who cares? a part of me said, and apparently it showed on my face.
“It’s a small town, sweetheart. You think about lying to me, I will find out. You can say goodbye to your friends and finish high school in an all-girls boarding school.”
I could see it in his eyes: my father wasn’t lying. He was serious. He was hell-bent on my brothers and me marrying “the right way.” Wasn’t it enough that I didn’t have a life? Everything they wanted always came first, from dinners to social events, political events, rubbing shoulders with the right people, talking to the right people’s kids. Wasn’t that enough? My jaw was tense like it was cemented together. I couldn’t open it, scared that if I did it would break. I got up, trying to think of a way out of this mess.
“Did you know the Carsons took out a second mortgage on their business to pay for that boy’s college?”
My father’s voice brought a chill down my spine, yet I didn’t turn around to look at him.
“Not a good idea with today’s ec
onomy, don’t you think, sweetheart?”
My father was threatening me. Me, his own daughter. As sick as I felt about the whole encounter, an even sicker part of me told me my father was just looking out for my best interests. I was young, and Jake was leaving to college soon. Still, the biggest part of me was screaming on the inside. For the first time, I had something that made me look forward to tomorrow, and it was being ripped away.
I needed a plan. I needed to think of what to do next. I needed—
“Shit. Sorry, sis. I didn’t see you there.” Max grabbed me before I could fall.
Even though I couldn’t see his face, I knew he was smiling. My brother was on cloud nine, and right now I envied that.
“It’s okay. I was just leaving Father’s office,” I mumbled.
My brother kissed the top of my head and gave me a hug. He didn’t look me in the eyes, or he would know something was terribly wrong with me. Second, he didn’t question why I went from calling our dad “Daddy” to “Father.”
“It’s okay, Maxi Pad.” I patted him.
He didn’t even care what I called him. I watched him walk to his room on a high that could only be brought out by a crush. I knew the feeling all too well, and at the moment I hated my brother just a bit.
Tomorrow was coming soon enough, and I knew there was no way out of doing what my father wanted me to do.
I was Juliet Dunnett, and it was time to start acting like the spoiled bitch everyone thought I was.
15
Jake
“Juliet Dunnett?”
Although she whispered, it still echoed in the kitchen. That was just the type of voice Ma had. She was loud, vivacious, energetic, and lived life her way. And it fucking gutted me that she started to look around our home, not wanting Juliet to think less of us because, for some insane reason, she believed that Clark was dating Juliet.
My throat clogged up, and my fist clenched. Never in my life had I ever been jealous of my brother. That was, until he walked into Ma’s kitchen with Juliet behind him. She looked fucking gorgeous, rosy cheeks and all, hiding behind my brother like he was protecting her.
She wouldn’t look at me, and it was pissing me the fuck off. I’d waited for her to come into the store, even though I was scared of what she was going to say. Yeah, I’d stopped her from kissing me, but that didn’t mean that I hadn’t memorized the frame of her mouth. Or the softness of her lips.
“You must be used to fancy dinners and not some roast beef.”
Juliet smiled warmly at my mother, and I felt my chest ache. Since she’d been back, Juliet had given me many looks, but nothing like the one she just gave my mother. She was so sincere; I could see a million different things in her eyes, and I still wanted to see more. The green looked more vivid, dulling the darkness of the brown. I had to stop myself from leaning forward so I could see more.
“Your food is delicious, Mrs. Carson. Thank you for having me. To be honest, I can’t remember the last time I had a home-cooked meal.”
Her statement didn’t only affect my mother; it hit me deep too, hitting a spot I didn’t know was there. Juliet wasn’t much of a cook. She’d said so herself. How was she getting by now that she was on her own? She was a big girl and had her parents. She was fine, I told myself, but it didn’t make me feel better.
“Oh, honey, I’ll give you extra. Whenever you want to come over, just tell Clarkie to bring you. He’s a good boy. He’ll treat you right.” Ma winked at Juliet, and my father nodded in agreement.
However, I snapped.
“Jesus! She’s Juliet fucking Dunnett. She’s not going to date Clark. They come from different worlds.”
Juliet dropped her fork, and I knew I’d fucked up when her face blanched and her usually rosy cheeks were devoid of the pink I was beginning to like. Ma’s head snapped my way, and she was pissed.
“Jake,” Ma whispered. She wasn’t pissed; she was disappointed. She usually called me Jakey, unless she was mad or, in this case, disappointed in me.
Fuck, I was jealous.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to use the bathroom.” Juliet got up and left before I could say something.
That was probably a good thing. The way I was going tonight, I was bound to fuck it up even more.
“I can’t believe you said that, Jake. Do you think so low of us? About your brother?”
“This isn’t about me; this is all Jake.” Clark kept eating like nothing was wrong.
“Son, you know we taught you better than to treat a guest like that.”
I raised my hands. “In my defense, I was just repeating what she said in high school.”
This didn’t earn me any favors with my mother, and she snapped at me. “Jake, you’re holding a grudge for something that woman said when she was a child? Need I remind you that you told me and your dad you fucking hated us when we didn’t let you go to the seniors’ cabin party? Do you see us throwing that against you?”
No one could make me feel like I was two inches tall like my mom. She was something else.
“Um… guys,” Blake yelled at us. He was standing in the hall that led to the laundry room and kitchen. “Juliet left.”
“Fuck, we didn’t get her car out of the snow. She’s probably walking.” Clark got up, putting his food away, but I stopped him.
“I got it.”
“No offense, brother, but I don’t think she wants to see you. Besides, I’m sure Ma wants her to have my babies.”
Everyone turned to me when I growled at Clark. My dipshit brother started laughing, and I knew he did it on purpose. He’d brought Juliet to fuck with me.
“Juliet is getting away. If you aren’t going after her, I am. I’m almost eighteen.”
“Blakey!”
Flipping my little brother off, I grabbed my keys and my jacket and cursed when I saw Juliet was already a block away. Turning my car on, I closed the door and ran after her.
There was something so adorably heartbreaking in watching her trying to make her way home in the snow. Her shoulders were slumped, but she was not giving up, even if the snow reached her knees.
I was an asshole.
“Motherfuckingsonofabitch!”
“You have a mouth on you, babe,” I said, choosing that word deliberately and hoping like hell it still affected her.
The brief flash in her eyes gave me hope.
“Is there something I can help you with?” Juliet bit out.
I had to bite my lip to stop myself from grinning. I didn’t think she would appreciate that I found her intimidating act cute.
“Look, Juliet, I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry?” Juliet crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at me. “That was humiliating, Jake. I told you I was sorry. I told you that I wasn’t the same person anymore… I thought we were past that, and you go right ahead and humiliate me in front of your parents. You wanted revenge? Well, congratulations, you’ve got it. All you had to do was tell me you didn’t like me… but don’t worry, I got the message loud and clear the other day.”
The kiss.
The kiss I regretted not taking.
The kiss I knew would change things if I gave in.
Juliet’s back was to me. She was hell-bent on walking home. I had to admire that.
“Juliet, stop!” I yelled, even though I knew it was going to be useless.
I was right; if anything, her little steps came quicker.
Jogging behind her, I didn’t know why I started sharing what I did, but I knew anything short of the truth wouldn’t fly by.
Not for Juliet.
“My fiancée broke things off two months after I asked her to marry me.”
Juliet halted her step, and I wanted to curse myself. I’d never shared this with anyone other than Ma, and I wasn’t sure if telling Juliet was the right idea.
“Right after graduation, to be precise. I was excited to go out to eat and have our families finally meet, and she told me she was sorry as she handed me a
ring I spent more money than I should have buying… She said that her parents expected certain things from her and… and marrying a small-town nobody wasn’t one of them. We came from different—”
“Stop,” Juliet snapped. She was standing right in front of me, and there was such sadness in those eyes of hers. “And you thought of me, didn’t you? When she said that you remembered me… I was the first bitch to say that to you.”
“Hey.” I reached out and let myself touch her skin. She was freezing. “Don’t. You were sixteen; she was twenty-two. Big difference.”
“If I were you, I would hate me.”
A part of me did want to hate her, but also not in the same way I loathed Brooke. They’d both said the same thing to me, but the cuts affected me differently. As much as I wanted to, I didn’t think I hated Juliet, and I didn’t think I ever really did. Without thinking, I pulled her back to me.
Juliet wrapped her hands around me, and I swear I forgot we were outside in the snow for a hot second.
“I don’t hate you… I don’t think anyone in their right mind could hate you,” I said.
I felt her whole body stiffen at my admission, but she recovered quickly.
“Did I just get an infamous Bear hug?” she teased, trying to change the subject.
“It’s not the first time,” I said.
I remembered our embrace on her birthday all those years ago like it was yesterday. When I saw her at school that day, I knew I couldn’t keep away any longer.
“About that kiss…” I started.
“Let’s forget about it,” she rushed out.
I nodded, letting it go. At least until I knew what the fuck I was going to do about it. Juliet started to pull away, and I let her.
“Friends? I like you, Dunnett, and from what I can tell, you don’t have many of those around.”
Juliet rolled her eyes at me and let me lead her out of the pile of snow we were on and walk her back to my car. “I made friends with my neighbors.”
“Oh, yeah? Who?”
“Nosey much?”
When it comes to you, yeah.
I didn’t say that. Once we were in my car, I drove her to where her car had gotten stuck. We were mostly quiet, mindless chatter here and there. When we got to where her car was stuck, I grabbed my chain and helped her move her car. Once her car was free of snow, she gave me a thank-you hug that was too short and started to walk on her way.
