Speeding straight from class and dangerously hungover, Juliet barely made it to the shop on time. Nearly dropping her folder, Juliet quickened her pace towards the front desk. Her eyes scanned the unfamiliar faces, nervous to meet the other employees. She'd barely even had time to get dressed today; she'd just thrown on a sweater and jeans, tying her hair up into a ponytail. Nearly out of breath, Juliet waited at the front desk for some sort of direction. She looked up when she heard the clanking of footsteps coming down the spiral staircase. Then, a man stepped out from the base of the stairs. He had dark hair, almost like Roman's, but seemed to be a few years older, maybe twenty-five. A dark stubble grew across his face, framing his sharp cheekbones. The man's full-sleeve tattoos covered his muscular arms, while he leaned over the front desk, his friendly hazel eyes looking at her.
The man leaned over the stand and stuck out his hand.
"Luca Moretti," the man said, shaking Juliet's hand.
"Juleit Hart," Juliet replied, smiling warmly.
"Well, Juliet," Luca said, stepping around from behind the desk. "Welcome to my shop."
Juliet cocked a brow, sitting back in her hip.
"You're the owner?" She asked.
Luca nodded, pointing behind him up to the loft.
"I'm here twenty-four-seven."
The glass door on the far wall slowly opened, while the voices of laughter echoed out to the main room. A man and a woman emerged, stopping when they saw Juliet.
"Who is this?" The man asked, pushing his dirty-blonde hair from his forehead.
"This is Juliet Hart," Luca said, placing his arm on her shoulder. "She'll be sketching for us."
The man excitedly turned to Juliet.
"Juliet," he said with a friendly voice. "Mason Clark." He shook her hand.
The woman, however, remained in the shadows, staring daggers at Juliet. The woman was nothing short of intimidating, with jet-black hair and a menacing glance. She had a slender build, with a thin face and tattoos covering her arms and fingers. One of her eyebrows had been pierced with a small silver ring, outlining her crystal-blue eyes.
"That ray of sunshine," Luca said, his eyes glancing over to the woman. "Is Rhea Santos."
Rhea didn't move from her spot. She only nodded over to Juliet, keeping herself at a distance.
"Roman Hayes should be around here somewhere," Luca rubbed his chin, searching around the room.
"I already met him," Juliet said.
Rhea's head shot up, eyes wide. She stared at Juliet while Mason and Luca exchanged looks.
"No- I mean," Juliet fumbled with her words. "He interviewed me."
Mason let out a sigh of relief.
"I was gonna say," he laughed. "One coworker is enough."
The conversation was interrupted when the bell rang loudly, and a force burst through the door. Clutching his motorcycle helmet in one hand and keeping the other wrapped around the door handle, Roman Hayes stepped inside. His hair had gotten tangled from a mixture of the wind and his helmet, making it fray at the ends near the nape of his neck. He rubbed his dark eyes, walking past the rows of desks and chairs. Still having yet to acknowledge anyone, Roman silently set his things onto his desk, pulling out his equipment for the day. He noticed the group was staring at him, and cocked a brow.
"What?"
Luca scoffed and walked over to his desk.
"You've already met Juliet, I see," Luca said.
Suddenly, Roman's face fell. His eyes flickered to Juliet, intense and cold.
"When you interviewed me," Juliet cut in.
Roman let out a sigh of relief before relaxing back into his chair and stretching his arms above his head. Juliet's eyes couldn't help but shoot to his toned stomach that peeked from the hem of his shirt when he lifted his arms. Before he could notice, Juliet quickly averted her eyes back to the group.
"Let me show you to your desk, Juliet," Luca pointed to a nearby desk.
Juliet swallowed before hesitantly trailing to her desk, which happened to be directly behind Roman's. Roman rolled his eyes when he saw her sit behind him. He had switched his helmet for a black vintage cap that he wore backwards, his dark hair peeking up from underneath the hat.
Keeping his strong back to her, Juliet could finally get a good enough view of the tattoos that decorated Roman's arms beneath the sleeves of his black muscle tee. Most of his tattoos were petite and scattered across his arms. However, a snake designed in black ink slithered around his right arm. His biceps were scattered with small crescents, bats, and Roman numerals.
Juliet studied his tattoos, trying to see if she could find any sort of inspiration in them. A tap on her shoulder pulled her from her trance. Mason leaned against her desk.
"Can I see?" He asked.
Juliet blinked.
"What?"
"Your drawings," Mason said. "Can I see them?"
"Oh," Juliet said, embarrassed. "Here," she handed him the folder.
Mason flipped open the pages, scanning the different sketches she'd spent years on. Intrigued, Mason kept flipping, examining every line and shadow she'd created.
"These are really good," Mason said without looking up from the papers.
Juliet wasn't used to showing off her work; she didn't know how to accept compliments like that. She only smiled warmly when Mason handed her the folder back.
Directly across from Juliet, Rhea sat, glaring right at her. Juliet swallowed, shrinking back into her seat. Still staring at Juliet, Rhea stood up, walking across the aisle. She stopped in front of Roman's desk and leaned down, placing her hand on his cheek. Pressing her lips against his, she kissed him lightly before sliding onto his lap. Roman kept one hand on her waist, holding her in place, and the other on his list of clients for the day. Juliet bit her cheek while she tried to focus on her work, trying not to get distracted by the excessive amount of PDA happening in front of her. She began to try to quiet her mind, hellbent on producing some sort of today. She started to press the pencil to the paper, letting her mind and creativity lead her hand. She would sometimes go on autopilot, letting her own imagination take the lead. She looked down after a few minutes of tracing, furrowing her brows.
Juliet had sketched out the outline of a raven, with a terrifyingly sharp beak and ruffled feathers. It was a dark drawing, one that was a clear projection of her current state. However, still infused with denial, Juliet only crumpled up the paper and tossed it in the trash, restarting. This time, she would try to focus harder. Once again, she let her hands take the reins, sketching for a few more minutes before checking her progress again. When she lifted her hand from the paper, her breath caught; another morbid drawing. A skull with smoke billowing out of its eyes had been drawn and shaded nearly to perfection. Juliet slumped over her shoulders, frustrated.
"That's dark," Luca said while he peered over her shoulder.
Juliet frantically snatched the sheet of paper from the desktop. Realizing she'd overreacted, she clutched the paper to her chest, embarrassed.
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I'm just not used to other people seeing my sketches."
Luca smiled and patted her back before walking to his office.
After hours of failed drawing attempts, Juliet was about ready to throw in the towel and call it a day. Her desk was littered with crumpled papers and eraser shavings. Resting her forehead on the table, she groaned, letting her brown waves fall over her shoulders. She checked the clock and realized she had to wrap up anyway, so she slid her papers into the drawer, slamming it shut. As she gathered her things, she overheard Mason and Roman talking in the background.
"So you'll be there, right, Roman?" Mason asked.
"Yeah," Roman sighed. "Technically, I am associated with Tau Delta, so I don't really have a choice."
Juliet's heart sank. Was he a Tau Delta? As in, Brandon's fraternity? If he was, then why hadn't she seen him before?
Juliet chewed her fingernails while she started towards the door. The bell rang again while she exited towards the parking lot, where the stars had been clouded by the excessive city lights.
Juliet placed her extra sheets of paper on top of her textbooks in the passenger's seat, before pulling away back towards her house. Her apartment was eerily quiet when she stepped inside the front door, ready to pass out on her bed. Tearing off her clothes, she lazily tossed them into her hamper before tying her hair into a bun and changing into an oversized shirt and sleep shorts.
Lying on her stomach, Juliet pushed her framing pieces out of her face and turned onto her back, holding her phone above her face. Squinting at the screen, she read the flood of text messages sent by Brandon. She skimmed past the slurs and insults; they were just words anyway. His silence was what scared her the most. Brandon had been explosive since high school. He'd constantly get ejected from football games or kicked out of parties for fighting. It was hard for Juliet to see the way people looked at her when she told them they were together. Every person she told wore the same sour expression and asked the same question:
"Why?"
Each time they asked the question, the harder it became to answer. It was almost starting to make her doubt her own feelings. Why did she love him? Juliet listed some of his qualities in her head. He wasn't nice to her, he didn't come from money, and she seemed to be the only person on earth who found him even mildly attractive. So, the question was, what benefit was she getting? These were common thoughts that ran through her brain, with or without anyone else's input. Juliet wondered if she only loved him out of the comfort he provided; they'd dated for so long, the idea of meeting someone new was scarier than her current relationship.
Juliet shot up from her bed when she heard Skyler yell from outside.
"Absolutely fucking not!"
Juliet jumped up from her bed, stumbling out the door. Juliet stopped dead in her tracks when she saw who was causing such commotion. Her throat tightened while she clung to the wooden panel of her bedroom doorframe.
Brandon was leaning against the shelves with his black hoodie pulled over his head, and his hands shoved in the pockets of his sweatpants. He reeked of weed and beer while his eyes bore into Skyler's.
Unfortunately for Brandon, Skyler wasn't intimidated by him in the least. Brandon had always taken it out on Juliet when her friends disapproved of him; it was a lose-lose battle.
Brandon's eyes flickered over to Juliet, who shrank back deeper into her bedroom. Unafraid, Skyler crossed in front of Juliet's doorway, blocking him from entering. Skyler's eyes darkened while she shielded Juliet with her body.
"I just want to talk to her," Brandon pleaded, his tone completely melting into a pathetic whimper.
Skyler shook her head, keeping herself strong. She straightened, slowly walking closer to Brandon, folding her arms in front of her chest.
"Get the fuck out." Skyler lowered her voice and pointed to the doorway.
Juliet peeked out from behind Skyler, desperately staring towards Brandon. Brandon's face was red with anger, and his fists were clutched at his sides while he glared between her and Skyler.
Skyler and Brandon spent a few moments in a tense glare, both silently waiting for the other to break. Finally, Juliet pushed between the two of them, standing in the middle.
"Brandon," Juliet said softly. "Let's talk outside."
Skyler stepped back, shocked. Her mouth dropped open while she silently searched for the words to say.
"Juliet, you can't-" She argued.
"-Just let me talk to him for a second," Juliet pleaded gently.
Skyler's face turned to something that Juliet would never forget: true disgust. She looked as though Juliet had done the most vile and disrespectful thing in the world. And to some, she is the head. She was choosing to side with the man who caused her so much pain she could hardly function.
The door slowly closed behind the couple as Juliet pressed her back against the hallway wall, leaning the back of her head up. Brandon paced in front of her, cracking his fingers together. He stopped, then looked over to Juliet.
"Jules, I-" he stopped when he saw the exhausted look on Juliet's face.
"I'm so sorry," he said, stepping closer to Juliet, rubbing her hands with his thumbs.
Brandon inched his hand towards Juliet's face, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek.
"Please forgive me."
Juliet could feel the shame tugging at her while her fingernails covered over the skin on her palms, ready to dig in. She bit down on her lip and looked up at him. Seeing his soft eyes pathetically staring down at her, begging for another chance, she let out a long sigh and dropped her head down.
"Okay," she said hoarsely.
Brandon squeezed her tightly, cupping her small, round face in his hands. He pressed his lips against her forehead and then looked down at her.
"I love you."
Juliet softly mouthed the words out, barely audible. Brandon would take what he could get from her and pulled her into his chest. Defeated and tired, Juliet let her body collapse into him while she dug her fingers into the material of his shirt. She was too drained to cry and too burned out to feel anger towards him anymore; she had no choice but to throw down her sword and move on.
Brandon gave her one last kiss before he started towards the stairwell.
"I'll see you tonight?" he asked.
Juliet nodded hesitantly before Brandon smiled back warmly and disappeared down the stairs. Once she was alone, Juliet dropped her head into her hands, struck down with defeat and humiliation. She held her breath when she walked back inside, faced with her displeased roommate.
"I hope to God one day you're going to gain some self-respect," Skyler hissed at Juliet, her voice low and angry.
Stunned, Juliet swallowed, fighting back tears. She wiped them from under her eyes while she silently closed her bedroom door, heading towards her bathroom. Peeling her clothes off and tossing them into her hamper, she tied a robe around her waist and sat herself on her windowsill, grabbing a pack of reds from her nightstand drawer. She pressed the cigarette to her lips, letting the flame from her lighter hover above it. Once it lit, Juliet felt a wave of relief wash over her while she inhaled the smoke. She trailed over to her closet and pulled a denim skirt off its hanger, along with a blank spaghetti-strap tank top. She curled the ends of her hair while smoke poured between her lips, holding her cigarette in her free hand. She clipped a golden heart necklace that Brandon had gotten her for their anniversary around her neck. Zipping her black ankle boots, Juliet crouched on the edge of her bed over her feet, her hair falling over her head and spreading across her floor.
Juliet sat up when she felt her phone vibrate next to her. She glanced over at her screen, reading the text:
"I'm here."- Brandon.
Juliet took another breath and took one last look in the mirror, smoothing out her tank and heading out her bedroom door. When she walked out, Skyler and Theo sat in the kitchen, glasses of red wine in their hands. Their eyes glanced over to Juliet, both holding the same disappointed expression. The pair didn't say a word; they only looked at her with sadness painted on their faces. Struck with guilt, Juliet pulled the door open and forced herself down the stairwell.
Brandon's gray Broncho was parked in front of her apartment when Juliet reached the street. She pulled the door open and hopped into the passenger's seat. Brandon smiled at her, his chestnut hair falling over the top of his head while he leaned down to kiss her. His green Celtics jersey had been paired with a pair of kaki shorts and tennis shoes, while he clutched the wheel in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other. His rap music blared from his speakers and bled into the city air while they sped towards the Tau Delta houses, a few blocks away.
Boston's campus was eerily silent on Friday nights, leaving only a few lamplights on to illuminate the walkways and paths. As they neared the house, the vibrating bass from inside became more audible the closer they got. Brandon pulled into the lot behind the house and parked the car. The pair sat silently for a moment in the car, neither looking at the other.
"I really am sorry, baby," Brandon's voice melted into a buttery tone.
Juliet looked at Brandon, taking notice of his genuine apology. She tried to force a smile and lightly kissed Brandon on the cheek.
"Let's just have a good night," she replied while she unbuckled her seatbelt and hopped out of the car.
Brandon and Juliet trailed down the back alleyways, riddled with the sounds of crickets and passing cars. Brandon pulled the back door to the house open and let Juliet walk inside first, before they both disappeared into the crowd of party-goers. Music blared through the speakers, and Juliet's boots stuck to the sticky floor while they found their way towards the ice chests that had been filled to the brim with cans.
Shoulder to shoulder with the crowd, Juliet forced her way towards a clearing, cluching Brandon's hand behind her. Finally, in a spot where she could breathe, Juliet leaned against the wall and sipped on her drink, keeping her fingers intertwined with Brandon's. A small group of boys approached Brandon, all excitedly slapping his shoulder and clinking their drinks against his. Drowning out their conversation, Juliet turned her head towards the sea of people, scanning to see if there was anyone she knew. Out of luck, Juliet tried to force out the awkwardness by downing the rest of her drink before reaching down for another. She cracked open the lid and pressed the carbonated seltzer to her lips, letting her mind slowly slip away into the party.
After her third drink, Brandon finally noticed her pace and knit his brows.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
Juliet blinked. "What?"
"Slow down," he ordered.
Juliet frowned; she hated it when he told her what to do.
"I'm going to the bathroom," She said abruptly, slipping away into the crowd.
Reaching the front porch, Juliet felt like she could finally breathe again. The night air filled her lungs while she pulled her bag of reds from the back pocket of her skirt. She leaned her forearms against the edge of the wooden railing, holding the cigarette between her fingers. Juliet froze when she saw a figure out of the corner of her eye, smoking over the railing a few feet away from her.
Smoke curled from Roman's lips as his strong arms leaned on the wood. His black cap was worn backwards over his dark hair, leaving a few curls peeking at the nape of his neck and sides of his head. Roman's leather bomber jacket reflected in the flames of his lighter, shining in the black colors. He wore a black shirt underneath, and a silver chain hung around his neck, covering a piece of black ink on the side of his neck.
Juliet prayed Roman wouldn't notice her; she just tried to keep her head down and remain unseen. Reaching into her back pocket for her lighter, Juliet sifted around the pocket until she realized it was gone. She froze, vacantly staring at her unlit cigarette. She heard Roman snicker from the distance, amused.
"Need a hand?" He asked, stepping into view, a lighter sitting in the palm of his hand.
Juliet swiped the lighter from his palm and flicked it on, lighting the end of her cigarette. She nodded in appreciation, handing it back over to him.
"Didn't take you for a frat guy," Juliet muttered.
Roman stood next to her, setting his hands on the railing.
"I'd consider myself more of an associate than a member," Roman huffed, blowing the smoke from his lips.
"Didn't take you as the type to date a frat guy," he smirked, eyes flickering to her.
Juliet swallowed and averted her eyes towards the front yard.
"Honestly," she breathed. "I didn't either."
The air felt still for a moment while the two stood in the silence. Juliet felt her phone buzz in her back pocket and snapped back into reality, dropping her cigarette onto the ground and crushing it with the heel of her boot.
"Always a pleasure, Roman," Juliet muttered as she pulled the front door open.
Swallowed back into the sea of people, Juliet shouldered her way through the crowd, tripping over ankles and feet on the way. Fighting to regain her balance, Juliet squeezed into the kitchen, scanning the area for any sign of Brandon.
Juliet rubbed her shoulders while she looked around, slowly realizing she knew nobody there. She felt alone, like everyone was staring at her, silently judging her every move. She swallowed and hastily snatched two seltzers from a cooler, shoving one into her back pocket. When she cracked open a drink, Juliet leaned her back against the kitchen counter before she heard a familiar voice speak from behind her.
"Juliet Hayes?" Mason said, stepping out from the crowd.
Juliet nearly choked on her drink, eyes widening.
"Mason?"
Mason wore a crooked smile while he reached his arm around Juliet, gently hugging her. His dirty-blonde hair fell over his forehead while the sweat on his chest glinted beneath his white button-down.
"You haven't seen Roman anywhere, have you?" Mason asked.
Juliet shook her head.
"Last time I saw him, he was outside."
Mason licked his gums, shaking his head.
"Bastard probably found his kill of the night."
Juliet furrowed her brows, crossing her arms over her chest.
"You mean Rhea?"
Mason tossed his head back and laughed.
"Rhea?" he raised a brow, scoffing. "She wishes."
Juliet gave him a sour look while she sipped on her seltzer. The back screen door swung open, and Roman walked inside, followed by two blonde girls. The girls both rubbed their hands on his shoulder, laughing and whispering in his ear. Their fingers were wrapped around cigarettes, Juliet assumed he'd gifted them. However, Juliet tilted her head when she noticed how displeased he seemed. The two girls seemed to irritate him rather than entertain him.
Juliet's attention was grabbed back when she felt a pair of hands wrap around her waist. Brandon's cologne sifted through the air while he leaned his head down to her ear, whispering to her.
"Come back to my room with me in a little."
Juliet could feel chills run down her spine when his warm breath hit her neck. She shuddered, trying to calm herself. Looking back up at him, Juliet smiled and nodded, kissing his cheek. When Brandon disappeared back into the crowd to say goodbye to his friends, Juliet remained in the corner of the kitchen, surrounded by loud music and people she didn't know. She leaned on her hip, tapping her fingers rhythmically against the tile countertop, waiting for Brandon to return.
After about fifteen minutes, Juliet had finally given up; she looked like a fool standing alone anyway. She waded through the crowd towards the staircase, shoving her way up the steps to the second floor. A line trailed up the stairs towards the bathroom door, where people angrily banged on the door, desperate to get inside.
Desperate for some peace, Juliet walked down the hallway, dimly lit with fairy lights strung across the ceiling. The halls were lined with bedroom doors; some were open, some were barely cracked, and some had socks wrapped around the doorknob. She stopped when she finally reached Brandon's bedroom. She turned the doorknob open, separating herself from the blasting music and thick scent of smoke.
Brandon's bedroom had been decorated with his old football trophies and posters. A framed photo of him and Juliet as prom king and queen sat on his dresser. Juliet sat on the edge of his checkered comforter, leaning over her shins and unzipping her boots. She sat cross-legged on Brandon's bed, leaning her back against the wall.
Juliet patiently waited for Brandon's return, forcing herself to keep awake to feel him slip into bed beside her and hold her. As much as everyone disliked Brandon, they didn't know him the way she did. They didn't know how it felt for him to hold her while she cried and wipe the tears from under her eyes. That being said, he always seemed to be the source of the tears that she shed. She pinched her arms, fighting with all of her strength to stay awake long enough to tell him she loved him, long enough to really be able to have an intimate conversation with him outside of the party. Feeling her lids grow heavy, Juliet tried to shake herself alert, but failed. Slowly, Juliet drifted off into a deep sleep, wrapped in a heap of blankets.