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She brought her bottom lip between her teeth.
“Lux, what you said last night… I want to tell you that I?—”
I covered her mouth with mine, stopping her words.It was a quick kiss before I was pulling back.
“Tell me when you come back.”
It was a selfish request.One that would save me from likely breaking down in front of her and Bella.
I didn’t know what would be worse.Her leaving without telling me she loved me or telling me she loved me but still choosing to leave anyway.
She hesitated and nodded just as Bella bounced into the kitchen.
“Juliette, can I have twin fishtails today?”
Juliette looked down at her as she came in, forcing a smile.
“Of course you can't, sweetheart.”
I sat down, folding Juliette’s resignation and hiding it in my pocket.And then I watched them, knowing this might be the last breakfast we had together.
* * *
“Why are you here?”Bella asked from the backseat.
She glared at me slightly through the rearview mirror, already coming to a conclusion that was probably not too far from the truth.
“Can't I pick you up after school and take you to your favorite diner?”I asked.
But she still looked at me suspiciously.
“Where is Juliette?”
I took a deep breath as I pulled away from the school.I really didn’t want to have this conversation.
“Did you fire her or something?”
“I did not.”I looked back in the rearview mirror and she was pouting.“But she's going to be taking a break for a while.”
“How long?”
I paused.I didn't want to lie to her, but I also didn't want to tell her, or admit to myself, that there was a possibility that she might never come back.
“However long she needs,” I replied.“Until then, I will be working from home again.”
There was a silence before she demanded, “Take me home.I want to see her.”
“Are you sure you don't want to get some pie?—”
“No,” she growled.“I don't want anystupidpie.”
I stayed silent the rest of the way, unable to tell her that when she opened the door, Juliette would not be there waiting for her.
As soon as I parked, she unbuckled herself, jumped out of the car, and stormed into the house.
I followed her, quickly catching sight of her as she went to the kitchen and then looked at the backyard before disappearing into the hallway that connected our rooms.
She was there for quite some time before I heard the shuffle of her feet.