AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Makes sense.” Juliette gritted her teeth as she tried to move her toe. It certainly felt like it was broken, but she wasn’t certified in first aid, so she would trust Liv’s judgment.
“Come on, let’s get you inside. You need to elevate this.”
Juliette felt her face burning as Liv got her to her feet and pulled one of Juliette’s arms over her shoulder. “I’m fine – I can manage.”
“Let me help you.”
“You can put her on the couch.” Kane was there too, witnessing her humiliation. Laura fluttered anxiously as Liv towed Juliette into the house.
“Do you need painkillers?” Laura asked.
“Um… yes please.”
Laura rushed off into one of the bathrooms and came back with a first aid kit. She rummaged around until she came up with some Tylenol. Juliette swallowed it gratefully and let Liv help her onto the couch.
Liv’s hand was on her lower leg again. “Are you cold?” she asked, her voice silky and smooth, her accent indefinable.
Juliette wasn’t cold at all. In fact, she felt quite hot, but everywhere Liv touched her, goosebumps were rising on her skin. How the hell was she supposed to explain that to Liv, though, when she couldn’t even explain it to herself?
“I’m fine. Just sore.”
“Here, put it up on these cushions.”
Juliette did as she was told, lying back and allowing Liv to position the ice pack on her swollen, bruised toe. As she leaned over, her cleavage was exposed in her low shirt. Juliette’s mouth went dry.
What the hell was wrong with her? She was straight, for fuck’s sake! Why would she even care about another woman’s cleavage?
Fortunately, her toe chose that moment to give a particularly painful throb, distracting her from the issue.
Liv cut up a compression bandage to size and carefully wrapped up Juliette’s toe. “Thank you,” Juliette mumbled. “I’m sure I’ll be fine to help again in a few minutes.”
“Absolutely not.” Kane came over with a glass of water. “You’ll stay right there until the swelling goes down. The three of us can handle things.”
Juliette felt awful that her blunder meant that she wouldn’t be able to help. It hardly made a good impression, lying here on the couch while her new stepfather and stepsister did all the work.
“I suppose we should get back to it.” Liv glanced at Juliette again. “You keep that ice pack on for twenty minutes, then off for twenty, then on for another twenty.”
Juliette glanced at her watch. “Alright. Thank you, Liv.”
“Anytime.”
Juliette gave her mother a meaningful look, who hurried forward, taking the wrapped package out of her bag. “Liv, I, uh, I got this for you. I just wanted you to know that I support you.”
Juliette could tell that Laura was trying hard not to add a qualifier to that statement. Thankfully, Laura won that battle and handed over the flat.
Liv’s face lit up as she unfolded the flag. “Laura – thank you! You don’t know how much this means to me.”
She pulled Laura into a tight hug.
“I love you, Liv.” Laura sounded more sincere this time around. “I want you to be happy, with whoever makes you happy.”
It was left unsaid that Juliette’s mom would be a lot more comfortable should it be a man making Liv happy. Juliette was sure that Liv and Kane could sense the cut-off statements and careful wording, but neither of them called her out on it. She was trying, and that’s what counted. Juliette was glad that Liv at least seemed willing to be patient with Laura’s journey.
For the next several hours, Juliette lay guiltily on the couch, trying her best not to stare at Liv. She failed miserably, and the more she looked, the harder it became to look away. She was sure that Liv caught her watching, but Liv seemed to be watching her right back.
At least Liv had good reason. She was into women. Juliette wondered momentarily if Liv was attracted to her. She found the idea strangely alluring. She told herself it was just because it was a compliment, even if the attraction wasn’t returned.
And it definitely wasn’t returned.
