Page 19

It was hard. Many times I had no idea what I was doing, but I tried. For Bella. For my sister.

I could never give her up.

Even if I was completely fucking it up and Bella hated me, I wouldn’t throw out a child in need.

Juliette implied that she decided to leave, but it was probably her aunt pushing her out.

She would never have left her brother if she didn't have to; that much was obvious just from the look on her face when she talked about him.

“I’m sorry,” she said and let out an embarrassed chuckle. “I don’t know why I’m trauma-dumping on you.”

“It’s okay. I asked.”

I hadn’t realized how close we’d gotten. Or how quiet the world was when we were together, alone in this room.

I felt like she needed comfort. Needed something .

Needed me.

I wanted to make her forget everything that happened. I wanted to give her a life she deserved. A soft, abundant life where she didn't have to work so hard just to live.

This is more than just sex. This is about her. About us.

I am so fucked.

My fingers were itching to touch her skin. My hands had a mind of their own, slowly lifting, ready to grab her and pull her to me. Her eyes told me that she was feeling the change too.

They were wide and dilated, her mouth slightly open, giving me a preview of the pink tongue hiding there.

This was a bad idea. Both of us knew it. We needed to leave this room, but I couldn’t move.

“Lux…”

Fuck, my name on her lips was sinful. I needed to hear it again. Craved it.

"Juliette…”

Just as I was about to reach out to her, she jerked back, her hand flying to her pocket. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of the caller ID.

“I knew I was forgetting something! I need to pick up my brother from school today!”

The trance was broken. The room still felt stifling, but at least my head had cleared just enough for me to take a step away.

She looked up at me in a panic. “Will you be okay if I?—”

“Go,” I said with a forced smile. “I’ll take care of Bella’s pickup today.”

Even though I had multiple meetings, I would cancel them for her.

How could I tell her no? Especially after what she’d just told me. And after I saw how much love she had for her brother. There was no way.

“Is it a half day for Bella too?” she asked. “I totally forgot to check. If so, you need to leave now.”

I pulled out my phone and quickly found the school calendar.

“No, it’s a full day,” I said. “Don’t worry. You better get going. I’ll show you around the house some other time.”

She nodded and ran out of the room, leaving me alone to look at her things.

With a heavy heart, I put my phone in my pocket and started to open the boxes. I hoped Juliette would take it as the helping hand it was instead of an invasion of privacy. But honestly, maybe I was just a little curious about what was in the boxes.

Though the more I lingered in her room, the more I couldn't stop thinking about what she’d gone through.

How could her aunt do that to her? How could she take one look at Juliette, a child, and just throw her away like that?

Even worse, it didn’t seem like Juliette was holding a grudge. It was like it was just a normal, understandable thing not to want to take care of her.

I paused when I opened the first box and found a photo album.

I shouldn't look, but that didn’t stop me from pulling it out and flipping through the pages with little hesitation.

It was obviously put together by one of her parents. It had baby pictures of her when she was younger. An older boy was next to her in most of them, looking at the camera with a frown. But Juliette was oblivious to his displeasure and smiled at the camera like it was her job.

I flipped through a few. When her younger brother came into the picture, she clearly lit up. She was always holding him. Always hugging him.

She loved that little boy.

Unlike Bella, they weren’t alone after their parents’ death. They had each other.

But Juliette had been forced into a caretaker role. I could see it happening.

I flipped through the pages until I got to the back. During her high school years and even after, Juliette seemed to have picked up the responsibility of updating the family photo album.

The boy turned grumpier and more teenage-like in the photos, but Juliette was always smiling. Always happy.

“Damn…”

I brought out my phone, sending her a quick text.

Me

Why don’t we all have dinner tonight? You can bring him here or we can go out. Bella would love it.

I was actually not sure how Bella would feel about it. I was the one who wanted them close. Who wanted to see their dynamic in action.

I wasn’t a caretaker like her. I didn’t really believe I could help her, but part of me didn’t want her to do this alone. That maybe if I could help even just a little bit, it would be worth it.

My phone buzzed with her reply.

Juliette

Why don’t I just pick up Bella and bring her back and we can all eat?

My heart dropped into my stomach. I only had a few hours to prepare. But there was something else to consider.

I raced out to the front, catching Juliette starting the car.

“Wait a minute,” I said, motioning for her to step out of it. She turned to look at me with a raised brow, but I ducked back into the house and grabbed the key to my car.

“Your car’s shit—no offense—so it’s safer if you take mine.”

Her mouth was agape as she looked over the keys in my hand. Slowly, she came back up the steps, grabbing them from me. I didn’t miss the way her hand lingered against mine.

“As much as I’d like to fight you, you’re right,” she said, then a small smile pulled at her lips. “That’s very thoughtful of you, Lux.”

Warmth spread throughout my chest. Praising Juliette was one of life’s greatest pleasures, but being praised by her? It gave me a whole new sense of pride.

“Drive safe,” I told her and watched as she made her way to my car instead. I waited until she drove off, basking in the warmth of her words. Then pulled out my phone in a panic.

I quickly canceled all my plans and dialed Gina’s cell. She answered after two rings.

“Yes, Ms.—”

“You need to bring more food. We have guests tonight!”