“Except with it comes tosomeonewho got under her skin, yes,” Juliet interjected.
At this point, Darcy loved that. She loved that she’d gotten to Juliet and had flustered her even when she was supposed to be in public-image mode.
“And, look, I don’t know if my visits to the hospital can count asentirelykind or unselfish,” Juliet whispered, thoughtfully.
She was already shaking her head in disagreement, because… no. “I’m very intrigued as to your reasoning on that.”
Juliet snuggled down into the bed, moving onto her side to face Darcy. She mirrored her, tugging the blanket up around their shoulders.
“My mom used to bring me to the San Antonio Children’s Hospital. A long time ago. Pre-Harrison,” Juliet explained, curling one of her arms under her head, placing the other delicately on the mattress between them. “Once or twice a month, we would go and volunteer, and we would put on littleconcerts. I mean, I was just a kid then, too, and I wasn’t famous or anything.”
She shrugged.
Darcy reached out, lightly tracing her fingertips over the back of Juliet’s hand. “Yeah, who cares if you volunteer at the children’s hospital if you aren’t famous. Boooo.”
A smile flashed over Juliet’s face, even as she scoffed. But she didn’t pull her hand away from Darcy’s touch.
“When we started going, she talked to me a lot about how it was good for us to spend our time and energy there. Maybe we didn’t have a lot, but there were people who were dealing with far worse than we did.”
“That’s great. Really… aware.” Her movements stilled briefly, unable to totally contain her surprise.
It simply didn’t align with what she’d imagined about Juliet’s mom, after hearing everything about Harrison.
Juliet obviously was able to read her, her tone wry, “Yes, I know.” She paused, her bottom lip poking out in a small pout. “It’s… she was different, then. I don’t know. I don’t really know her very well, anymore.”
Juliet roughly cleared her throat, waving her hand as if needing to make sure they continued the conversation along. “Anyway. When she and Harrison were married and we went to go to do one of our regular visits, Harrison put his foot down.”
Thatmade Darcy freeze completely, pushing herself up higher onto her elbow to stare down at Juliet. “I’m sorry. Hewhat? Why would he stop you from volunteering at thechildren’s hospital?”
Was he aliteralmonster?
“Because it was a ‘waste of time.’” Juliet used air quotes, shaking her head as disgust laced through her tone, before she unceremoniously dropped her hand back down. “When I say that Harrison controlled every minute of my schedule, I meanit. Going to the hospital was an hours long endeavor. And those were hours that I could be spending working. After all, he was paying for all of these instructors and tutors. What was the point if I was taking all of this time off?”
Anger boiled up inside of her like battery acid, making her throat taste bitter. But she bit back her choice commentary, because she knew that Juliet was already thinking it, herself. And she didn’t want to possibly interrupt Juliet again, didn’t want her to stop.
Juliet did, however, slide her hand back toward Darcy, lifting her eyebrows. Silently inviting – no, telling – Darcy to continue her ministrations.
Darcy was happy to do so, feeling herself shiver slightly as she drew her fingertips over the skin and tendon and bone on the back of Juliet’s very talented hands.
“So, when I moved to L.A., when I finally wasn’t living on Harrison’s time, I started going to volunteer again. I mean, I obviously believe that it’s the right thing to do. If we could all give a little bit of our time and money to people who need it, when we have a lot to give, imagine…” She cut herself off on a sharp breath. “I don’t need to get on my high horse.”
“I’d love to hear you on your high horse,” she encouraged, utterly riveted.
This – this wasexactlythe side of Juliet she was talking about. The part of her that was very much real and not public image, but was so fuckinggood.
“Some other time. When it’s not after two in the morning and you have another show tomorrow.” She aimed a firm stare Darcy’s way. “The whole point of my telling you this is… sometimes when I’m going there, I’m mentally giving Harrison the middle finger. I feel good about spending my time there because it’s the right thing to do.But, also, it makes me feela different kind of good knowing how much he’d hate what a ‘waste’ it is.”
Darcy bit at her bottom lip, tracing her eyes over Juliet’s face. A feeling that was equal parts warmth and heat pumped through her veins. “On a scale of one to ten, how fucked up is it that I find all of that – both the sweet, good thing and the fuck-you-Harrison thing –reallyattractive?”
“Ten,” Juliet answered without hesitation. “Weirdo.”
But there was a smile on her lips, caught somewhere between teasing and gentle.
“I guess I’m a weirdo, then,” she accepted. “Because I don’t think it makes you any less of a good person.”
In fact, it only made her like Juliet even more.
Even if Juliet didn’t believe it about herself, Darcy had a very clear picture of who Real Juliet was. Complicated and messy and sometimes snappy and had some very sharp edges. But also incredibly loyal and thoughtful and kind. Flawed, in the best – most perfect and honest – ways.
