Getting Closer

Chapter Seven - Juliet

One, two, three...

God I really hope they don't answer.

Four, five, six, seven...

Their cars are here, of course they're home.

Eight, nine, ten, eleven...

Maybe I should get out of here. What if they don't want to see me?

...Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen...

I know they don't want to see me.

...Twenty. I sigh in relief. My time limit to stupidly stand outside has officially passed. If anything, I assume Michael told his parents to put me on the blacklist of visitors since my stint the other day. If only I could just strangle Michael to get him out of my life, maybe that's the easier option than to grovel at his parents to see if they can call off the engagement. In this world, scandals including two almost twenty year olds splitting an engagement calls for other rumors to flair as well - which is a big no-no to where my parents are concerned.

"Juliet?" I quickly turn around to see Michael's mother in the large doorway. Every time I see her, I'm reminded by how regal she always looks. Effortlessly stunning, she always radiates a higher class. "I'm surprised you're here. What can I do for you?" Even her words are like birds singing.

I step closer to her and the looming archway of their mansion. "Hello, Mrs. West." I pause for the gasps of a non-existent live studio audience. "I've come to explain myself the other day at brunch to you and Mr. West." I pause again, more for her than for dramatic effect. "If you'll welcome me to do so." She stares at me but not in a way where you feel threatened but slightly judged.

"You're always welcome," she says as she gestures for me to come in. As I do so, their wealth screams at me that always lessened my parents' accomplishments. The West family always were better than everyone else in the county. "You can wait in the sunroom, I'll get Gabriel." I know the layout of their house like the back of my hand. I've spent so much time here and Michael and I have certainly made use of every room. Heading to the sunroom on the south end of their insanely large house, I try not to focus on the white walls, the white carpeting, the white couches. Everything in its right place, glittering in the sunlight. Passing countless photos of their prized son, I fight back a scowl as I was at a couple of these photoshoots, Michael insisting that I be included in some of them. I cringe at the memory.

When I reach the sunroom, I wait patiently for Michael's parents. I don't sit down just quite yet as I still remember Michael telling me that his father hates that. Hearing them approach, I reel in my terror. Although his parents have always been nice to me, I could always feel them judge me whenever my back was turned or at family dinners when I'd say something to their distaste. When they arrive like the royalty that they are, I give them a thin smile. Michael's father hugs me, "Juliet! What a surprise!"

After they sit, I wait for permission to sit as well. With a wave of a hand from Michael's father, I sit across from them. "I'm sorry to show up unannounced," I say.

Michael's mother smiles. "I told you, you are always welcome."

I nod absently. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything."

"You weren't, darling," his father says. "Now, Annie tells me you wanted to speak to us about the other day's brunch."

"Yes, Mr. West. I'd like to apologize for abruptly leaving and I'd like to give my explanation."

Mrs. West says quickly, "Michael told us you felt ill from the Bloody Mary you had."

That bastard. I clear my throat. "Well, to be honest with you both, that isn't quite true." As I tell them the truth of that day, the truth that I no longer love Michael, the truth of how Michael has emotionally and physically hurt me, I can't determine what their thoughts are on all of this. When I'm done, it feels like a weight has been lifted. "I truly apologize to the both of you," I say quietly. "I've been holding this in for too long."

Mr. West stares at me like he does with a client. "I see," he says softly. "I'm sorry for not noticing how upset you were sooner, Juliet."

My eyes sting with the threat of tears. Their reaction is already ten times better than my parents' reaction. "For what it's worth, I did very much love Michael. I did want to get married, I really did. We just grew into people that I don't like very much, myself included." I wipe at my eyes, cursing myself for messing up my makeup already.

As Mrs. West rises to give me her husband's handkerchief, Mr. West says, "Last we heard from Michael, he said you two would be talking your problems through. Does he know about your feelings?"

I nod as I wipe my eyes. "He's known that I've been unhappy for a while, Mr. West." Just as Mrs. West sits down again, I note their worried looks at one another. "I'm sorry to spring this onto the both of you," I add quickly. "You've both been so kind to me over the years and I'm ashamed at how rude I've been to you both and-"

"Juliet," Mrs. West says calmly. "We'll take your word for it. We just appreciate the honesty."

Nodding again, I quietly take off my engagement ring that was originally Mrs. West's ring anyways and put it onto their glass coffee table. "If it's alright by the both of you, if you see Michael, can you please tell him that I genuinely want to see him happy and that if we stayed together, he'd only grow to resent me? And can you tell him to keep his distance from me for a while? I just don't think I can face him again."

"Of course, sweetie," Mrs. West kindly says to me. 

As we wrap up and Mrs. West escorts me to the front door, she pulls me in for a hug. "You are still always welcome here, Juliet." Hugging her back, I head out into the early September air and wonder how this will bite me in the ass somehow. Everything around here comes at a price and that seemed a little too easy to deal with.

But whatever that cost will be it'll be worth it. Because for the first time in my life, I feel free without shackles locked onto my wrists and ankles.

And I couldn't be happier.