Page 36 of The B Side

Darcy smiled so wide, her cheeks hurt. “You fucking did it.”

Their eyes locked, and she knew Juliet was going to do it even before she moved. And then, she did. She leaned in and pressed her lips to Darcy’s, and fireworks exploded through her entire being.

They’d come out with a kiss, but it felt like this one cemented it all.

Darcy was on her feet as Juliet climbed onto the stage; no way could she contain herself and force herself to sit, now. Not happening. Not when she already had tears in her eyes. Residual from earlier tonight, they were right there, waiting.

Juliet accepted the statuette.

She thanked her producers, but notably not Copper Canyon – and that was Darcy’s fucking woman. God, she loved a power move from Juliet more than just about anything. She thanked her fans. She thanked her mom, but didn’t lump in Harrison, as she’d done in speeches past.

Then she went quiet, hesitating. “And…”

Juliet looked in her direction. Right at her.

“To Darcy.”

Darcy’s heart stopped.

“This album was everything because of you. I–” Juliet paused, and Darcy swore she could see her hands gripping the statuette so tightly her knuckles turned white, even from this distance. “I,” she repeated, her voice shaking. “Am everything that I am, now, standing here tonight, because of you.”

Yes, they had come out.

Yes, they had walked the red carpet together tonight.

Yes, they had just kissed when Juliet had won.

But this, to Darcy, was everything.

The room was applauding, the music was playing. And Darcy didn’t hear any of it.

She only saw Juliet. Only her.

You, she mouthed back to Juliet. And she knew Juliet would understand what she was saying.

That Juliet was everything she was because of herself. It was all her. Not Darcy. Not the album. Not the award.

Just, Juliet.

She was standing there holding a Grammy because she’d worked for it, because she’d earned it, because she was brilliant and stubborn and impossibly talented and had somehow managed to love Darcy through all of it.

Juliet smiled and simultaneously rolled her eyes up on that stage, so Darcy knew she understood.

As she watched Juliet make her way off the stage, stopping to quickly chat or shake someone’s hand, Darcy could only stare.

Juliet was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She always had been; she’d been doing it long before Darcy had come into her life.

But so was Darcy, and Juliet had come swooping into her life, working in the background to take care of her anyway. Without Darcy knowing, without expecting or demanding anything in return.

Juliet had stated it so simply to her:

If I told you that there was something eating away at me, something that was breaking me down inside, and you realized you had a way to fix it, are you telling me you wouldn’t?

Juliet was absolutely correct; Darcy would fix it for her if she could. And she was going to.

r/Jarcy

February 4