Page 16 of The B Side

And she did think that. None of this made her feel good, but… she wasn’t going to change who she was. She couldn’t. And she didn’t want to live in the closet forever. Even after the incident, she didn’t wish things were different. The only thing she wished was different was how everything was affecting Juliet.

Once upon a time, being closeted hadn’t really mattered much to her. When the thing she’d cared about more than anything in the world had been making it, getting her big break. When having a romantic relationship hadn’t been something she’d cared about.

Now, it was the most important thing to her. Well, right up there with music. Neck and neck, really.

But… Juliet and music had become intertwined. In her heart and in her mind, they’d fused together.

She thought about the events she’d gone to with Juliet over the last year and a half. How they’d always made sure to keep a few inches of space between them on the red carpet. How, when Darcy had won an award for Jukebox Calamity at the Country and Folk awards, she’d wanted to turn and kiss Juliet. She thought about the shows she’d performed at with Juliet during the Half-Truths tour, and how they’d sung together, and she’d get lost in that sensation… only to always have to pull herself out of it.

She couldn’t get lost in the music, staring adoringly at Juliet, while hundreds of thousands of people watched. And that was so fucking hard.

Kerrington’s gaze was gentle and understanding, as she dropped her hand to Darcy’s knee and rubbed comfortingly. “Let me buy you a celebratory drink.”

“I’m not going to say no.”

After all, Darcy didn’t even know if she’d be offered another recording contract; who was she to turn that drink down?

Chapter Four

Juliet had become very adept over the years at ignoring what was being shouted at her on the red carpet.

During her teenage years, she’d constructed a thick shell. One that wouldn’t take things so personally, one that let comments bounce off of her. That shell had been the first step to building her Juliet Jacobs image.

She supposed the thing that was throwing her the most since coming out was… she’d thought she’d known what was image and what was her. For the most part, she did.

And still, she’d had to use every ounce of that hard-fought inner fortitude to push through this lunch.

To affix a smile on her face – for charity – and act as though she didn’t hear the conversation flowing about her. About the fact that she was here with, gasp, Robbie.

It didn’t help one fucking bit that Thomas, her now-former manager, was sitting at a table across the room. No doubt fueling the gossip.

Juliet had been the one to fire him, but she’d already heard a whispered tale about his version of events. One that included, of course, him not being homophobic in the least, and that Juliet had gone nuclear at her stepfather, totally emotionally out of control.

Which meant, of course, that she was determined to be as in-control as possible today.

“Is it just me or has everyone stared at us at some point in the last hour?” Juliet asked Robbie, her lips barely moving through a gritted smile.

Robbie didn’t bother to pretend to be subtle as he looked around. “Ah… yeah, they have. Probably wishing they had such good, healthy relationships with their exes like we do.”

Juliet scoffed as she drank the rest of her mimosa in one big gulp. “Yes, I’m sure that’s it.”

“Look, the food part is over.” He gestured at the table, which had been cleared, and people were up and mingling. “We both donated money. We rubbed elbows with donors. Between the two of us, I think we got that children’s hospital a couple hundred thousand. We can head out.”

But Juliet shook her head, rolling her shoulders back. “No, not yet. I’m not going to let anyone think that their ridiculous chatter behind my back is bothering me.”

The thing was, it wasn’t necessarily the thing that bothered her. Juliet had been at the center of many speculations over the years; it was a hazard of the business.

The fact that it was about her sexuality, and about her relationship with Darcy – the thing she’d kept closest to her chest for so long, and the most precious thing in the world to her – was what got under her skin.

She’d thought about canceling her appearance here, especially because it was with Robbie at her side. But that was only going to add fuel to this raging fire.

However, all that would do was make it obvious Juliet cared.

And while she did care, she refused to look like she was running scared.

The last month had blown up far beyond her control, but she hadn’t done anything wrong. Even if some top-tier labels weren’t taking her calls, even if thousands of people wanted to paint her as an adulteress, even if people were throwing out her albums – Juliet hadn’t done anything wrong.

So, no. She wouldn’t run away.