“Are you saying this stops here? That this thing between us stops now, Juliet?” The violence of his disappointment made P.J.’s jaw clench while the biceps that were crossed against his chest tightened and flexed.
“I’m saying I’m not available in the way you might need me to be.” Juliet tried and failed to stop the tears that welled up in her eyes.
“Because of him?” P.J. snarled.
“Because of me.” Juliet said brokenly.
“Who’s the picture on the license? What does that woman have to do with you, Juliet?” Then P.J. threw his hands up in the air in angry accusation. “Juliet! Hah!” Is that even your goddamn name?!”
In answer, Juliet stood firm and drew her mouth into a hard, thin line.
And that’s when P.J. began to stab a pointed finger in the air and fire questions at Juliet in loud, rapid, succession. Juliet watched on in disheartened incredulity as P.J. huffed and puffed and tried to blow her house down.
Then in one final attempt, he bellowed out. “If you don’t talk to me, Juliet. Then it ends here. It ends now.”
Juliet looked at P.J. and saw his strength, his pride, his determination. She saw the way his body tensed with controlled violence. She thought of the night she had spent in his arms, of the way she had felt warm, protected, and loved. Juliet wanted to trust him, she did. But when she began to reach for him, when she stretched her hand towards him, the light glinted off the thick keloid scar on her wrist. A sad souvenir of how bad things could get, and how far she had come. She just didn’t trust what it would mean to open herself up to him.
“I mean it. You don’t tell me what you’re running from then it ends here.” He repeated with a glare.
“Then it ends here.” Juliet glared right back at him.
“You are one fucking stubborn woman!” P.J. roared at Juliet. When she remained unmoved by his thundering anger, P.J. made a mighty fist, and punched a hole straight through the wall. Then he stuffed his feet back into his still wet and muddy boots, grabbed his jacket and stomped back out into the dying storm.
Juliet looked at the door as it slammed shut behind P.J. in a thud that was strong enough to shake the house. Then she sighed deeply, and began to clear off the table because really, Juliet did not have the luxury of stomping off the way P.J. had. Her shoes had not made it out of the mud, and the last time Juliet had seen her jacket, it had been a tattered, muddy, thing lying on top of the trash. Her phone! Juliet’s phone had been in her pocket. The thought had barely formed when she heard a ringtone sound out from the muddied mess.
“Hi Layla.” Juliet caught it on the last ring. She sent up a silent prayer of thanks for the waterproof pouch that she kept her phone in.
“Oh, thank god!” Layla squealed. “I feel so horrible that I didn’t call to check up on you. It was a hell of a night. We lost power at my mother-in-law’s house and my phone died. I am so glad you are okay! Reggie’s been out all morning working. He just texted me, he’s on his way to pick up P.J. They are going to try and help the town clear up some of the roads. P.J. told him that you were there. Reggie just forwarded a pic that P.J. had sent him earlier. I barely recognized your car. When I realized what it was, I almost had a goddamn heart attack!”
Juliet held the phone away from her ear, while Layla went on and on in that high pitched squeal. Juliet knew from experience that the rant would last a while before Layla came up for air. But really, Juliet didn’t mind. It was good to know that she had a friend who had worried about her. Of course, when Layla was done with her rambling on and on about her own adventures in the storm, she wanted to know all the specifics about what had happened to Juliet. Juliet told her about the horrendous drive home, and about taking the wrong turn. She told her friend about the car being stuck, but glossed over what had happened after that, because really, how could she explain the abject horror and terror of her body being stuck in several feet of freezing cold mud for what seemed like hours.”
“So, you spent the night?” Layla asked and Juliet could just see the wheels turning in her friend’s nosy little mind.
“Yes. I spent the night.”
“And?” Layla quizzed.
“And I will be forever grateful that P.J. was here to help me.”
“Oh, that’s how we are going to play this?” Layla sighed in apparent disappointment. “Well, I’ll let you get away with that for now!” And then true to Layla’s nature, the conversation took another rapid swing. “Lines are down all over the area, your place won’t have electricity, and like I said, the roads are a mess. Half of
