Page 30 of The B Side

The grin that stole over Darcy’s lips was breathtaking.

At least, until Juliet continued her line of questioning:

“Do you want to have kids?”

Darcy’s eyes widened, and she didn’t have to think, this time, before she answered, “Uh, no.” She breathed out a quiet laugh, shaking her head. “Nope. I want to be a fun aunt. Take Blythe’s kids out, treat them to ridiculously cool experiences, buy them toys that give my sister a headache, and then I want to return them home to their parents at the end of the day.”

Relief filtered through her. “Thank god. I feel the same.”

“What if I’d said yes?”

“Well. We have the money for nannies and a lot of hands-on help. So, I’d have considered it.” And that was the reality for Juliet, even if it wasn’t for most people. If Darcy had really wanted to have a child, Juliet might have been able to get on board. “But the reality is, I love our life. I want to keep going on tour with you. I want to make music with you at three in the morning. I want to have mind-blowing sex with you until early afternoon.”

Darcy breathed out a tremulous breath, and Juliet definitely hadn’t expected any of those tears that glittered in her eyes.

Concerned, she stepped in closer, lifting her hand to Darcy’s jaw. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“Whew. God. I’m okay,” Darcy assured her, but didn’t back away from her touch. “I – in the last couple of weeks, I’ve been really concerned that things between you and me… that if nothing with the labels panned out, or things got too intense, that you wouldn’t want…”

“I literally told you that you were forbidden from breaking up with me. What in the world makes you think I have any intention of not being with you?” Juliet didn’t mean to sound so abrasive or make it sound like she thought Darcy was crazy. But she also kind of couldn’t help it; if Darcy thought she was ever going to leave her, she was a little crazy.

And that was fine, because Juliet had her moments, too.

“Baby, coming out was for multiple reasons. It was because I could. Because it was the perfect opportunity to rub it in Harrison’s face. But also because of you. Of us.” She held Darcy’s gaze with hers, refusing to let her look away. “If you and I weren’t together, I wouldn’t have come out literally immediately after my contract was over. Because it is such a big deal. And there has been a fallout. And it has sucked in a lot of ways. But I know that you didn’t want to stay closeted.”

Darcy’s eyebrows furrowed as she opened her mouth, and Juliet pressed her thumb over the supple swell of her lips. Giving her a knowing look.

Darcy never pressured her. She never even voiced those thoughts to Juliet. But Juliet knew Darcy, inside and out. She knew how much Darcy didn’t want to live a double life, but she did with Juliet because… because she loved her that much.

“I know you didn’t need us to come out right away; that’s not what I’m saying. What I am saying is – I think about you. Your wants and needs.” She searched Darcy’s eyes with her own, her heart flip-flopping in her chest at the fucking love in Darcy’s eyes. And she really hoped Darcy already knew everything she was saying. “It’s not just about you, either. I don’t want to hide you – hide us – away from the world. I want to dance with you today at Blythe’s wedding. I don’t want to see another picture of you and some stupid fucking man that you’ve talked to two times, and the conspiracy theories about how you two are dating.”

The words dripped from her tongue in utter disgust.

Breaking up with Robbie really had been the best thing she could have done. Because she now knew without a doubt that she couldn’t have emotionally handled Darcy being in a fake relationship to the public eye.

There had been so many photos and headlines and so much damn gossip about the two of them over the last year and a half.

Ironically, very little about the two of them as a couple. Sure, on some forums and to a handful of sapphic women who made comments on social media. But they were always seen as conspiracy theories; there’d been nothing that ever gained traction. Deliberately so.

Whenever either of them had been seen with a man? That always went viral. Hetero-normativity struck again.

And, legally speaking, it had been far better for Juliet that no rumors had been going around.

But dear fucking lord, did she want to tear the eyes out of every man that people believed was with Darcy. Especially the handful of men that hit on her to make it all come full circle.

“You’re mine, Darcy Kincaid. I don’t want anyone else. And I can’t imagine coming out for or with anyone else.”

Theoretically, there were other women that were out there. There were other queer women in the industry. Juliet had slept with a fair share of them.

None of them were Darcy. None of them got her in every way. Understood who she was, even when she wouldn’t – or couldn’t – say it aloud. None of them made her laugh, earned her respect and adoration, or gave her honest-to-god butterflies. None of them carried books around the house and left them all over; none of them pushed Juliet to be a better, more creative, well-read version of herself.

None of them loved her the way Darcy did, and she couldn’t see herself loving anyone the way she loved Darcy, either.

Simple as that.

No matter everything else that was crashing down around them, what they had together was worth it. And that was what she was going to focus on.

“Do you want to come to the Grammys with me?” She asked, searching Darcy’s stare. “That’s my final question.”