AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Juliette stuck her nose in the air and stalked out. Liv caught a look of satisfaction on Laura’s face before she threw a scornful look in Liv’s direction and followed her daughter out of the room.
Liv was rooted to the spot by shock. Juliette had shoved her. She’d called her disgusting, all in the name of keeping up a stupid lie.
Liv couldn’t believe it. She knew that Juliette didn’t want to come out, but she had never thought Juliette would treat her that way, regardless of the outcome.
Juliette was one of the kindest, most caring, brilliant people Liv knew… and Juliette had betrayed her.
She had been deluding herself before. Juliette was never going to come out. If she would rather treat Liv like a piece of shit than tell the truth, clearly the truth wasn’t that important to her… or Liv wasn’t. Either way, she and Juliette were over.
Liv didn’t go to the kitchen for dinner. She went to her room, pulled a pillow over her head and cried until there were no tears left.
8
Juliette
The guilt was eating her alive. Juliette couldn’t believe what she had done in a moment of panic. What the hell was wrong with her? How could she do that to Liv?
She didn’t know how else she could have gotten out of that situation, but there had to have been a better way. If Juliette were less of a shitty person, she would have found that way.
Her guilt intensified when Liv didn’t come down for dinner.
“Where’s Liv?” Kane glanced at Juliette. “Did she go out for dinner?”
“Um. No, she’s here.”
“Liv said she got hungry and ate earlier. She’s getting an early night.” The lie rolled smoothly off Laura’s tongue, and Kane didn’t question her. Juliette hated that she was just as good a liar as her mother was. What kind of skill was that to foster?
“She deserves a rest.”
She deserved everything, and Juliette couldn’t give it to her. Someone like Liv deserved better than to have to live in secret, and Juliette was selfish for trying to make Liv settle for her.
She picked at her food for about ten minutes before giving up and taking her plate away. “I’m also tired. I think I’ll get an early night. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Juliette.”
“Sleep well.”
Juliette went hesitantly to Liv’s room. As she stood outside the door, she heard the muffled sounds of crying. A wave of self-loathing nearly took her off her feet.
Juliette raised a hand and knocked on the door. There was no answer. She didn’t know if Liv had even heard her.
Coward that she was, Juliette decided to give Liv some space for tonight. No point in trying to talk to her when she was distraught. She would try again tomorrow.
The truth was, she couldn’t bear to see Liv’s distress, knowing that she was the cause of it and could do nothing to comfort her. But Juliette hid behind her excuse of waiting for Liv to be calmer before apologizing. It was a good one, and she could almost convince herself that was the reason she retreated to her bedroom. Almost.
Juliette barely slept that night, and when she did, her rest was disturbed by nightmares. She didn’t remember them fully when she woke, but she remembered Liv’s shattered, horrified face and the pain that flooded her lovely green eyes as Juliette screamed at her.
She went down to breakfast, and wasn’t entirely surprised to find that Liv wasn’t there.
“Is Liv out?”
“She went to work.” Kane frowned in disapproval.
“I thought she had decided to take some time off?” Not that Juliette should be surprised.
“Yes, she had. Funny how she changed her mind.” Kane gave Juliette a dark look, which sent shivers down her spine. Liv had been right. Kane knew. However, Laura wasn’t looking at Juliette any differently to how she usually did, which clearly meant Kane had kept his mouth shut.
Juliette only wished that yesterday, she’d had the balls to do the same. Instead, she’d screamed at Liv, betrayed her love and broken her heart.
