Getting Closer

Chapter Thirty Two - Juliet

I want to be strong in front of the devil, but yet as I stare him in the eyes, all I want to do is cower and hide forever from this torture. I can't believe I used to love and hold this man close to my heart. Even if we did fall out of love with one another, I still can't fathom that he chose to hurt me like this. To make me feel so small, to make me so vulnerable that it's hard to breathe.

For the first time since I've known him, Michael actually looks disheveled, as if this whole ordeal wasn't his doing. Though Mr. and Mrs. West do not seem totally and utterly embarrassed about what their son did, I can just tell how furious Mr. West is by how much he's fidgeting.

Mr. West sits a little straighter and gets to the point, "Thank you for meeting with us. I truly appreciate that you have taken time out of your days so we can talk about what has transpired as of late."

I close my eyes shut. "What transpired?" I laugh. "Do you mean attacking me by using my nudes against me?"

Brooke wraps her arms around me and squeezes. At least it feels like someone is on my side for once.

I can hear Mr. West frown. "Juliet," he sighs. "I do not know how you must be feeling right now but let me offer my sincerest apologies."

Reopening my eyes, I turn to my parents to see that they avoid my gaze but turn their fury on Michael. Good, I think. Turning back to the Wests, I too look to the one I used to love. "What do you have to say?"

He stares at me and maybe for once I can hear the words, I'm sorry. Instead I get, "Was any of it real to you?"

"Michael," his mother warns him.

Blinking, I'm actually stunned by his words. "What?" I ask flabbergasted.

"You go around always acting like the victim but yet you're the one that's kissing other guys already like we were never a thing."

"Excuse me?" I ask, my voice rising.

"Don't act like you don't know what I mean," Michael spits at me.

When was there a time that he saw me kissing Max? We've only ever expressed intimacy in the safety of indoors, especially his house. The only time was just today and... Did Michael somehow see when I arrived home from Mall of America? Did he so happen to see us? That's the only explanation I can think of.

"And what if I was?!" I shout. "To share those photos to the entire internet without my consent was the solution to this?!"

"Juliet," my mother says calmly. "No need to raise your voice."

Ignoring her, tears start falling. "Not only did I not give you consent to share those photos, I was seventeen when I took them which I believe it to be child por-"

"Okay," Mr. West butts in. "My team has erased the photos from the web and will take legal action to anyone who may have them still or will share them again."

I shake my head. "And? The damage is already done. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people saw those photos. People view me differently and it's all because of your fucking son who can't get through his tiny mind that I don't love him anymore."

Michael's jaw locks. "So you get to parade around-"

"Does it fucking matter?!" I shriek. "I can see whomever I want to because it's my life, not yours. I am not an object for you to control and if I want to kiss other guys then who fucking cares?" I turn to Mr. West. "For the damage your family has done to me, you will continue to monitor if those photos are still out there in the world. And that is all I want from your family. After this, I am done." To Michael, "We are over. Do you understand? What I do in my private life is none of your concern. Please stop this idea that you'll win me back because it is simply not happening. Find a girl who'll love you and cherish you because that girl is not me."

I rise and Brooke follows my lead. Wiping my tear stained cheeks, I say to the entire room, "We're done here."

***

I almost lull asleep as this show that Max has on is terribly boring, but it's the only way he can focus on his homework. Max uses my head as a desk but I don't mind as I'm currently using him as a pillow. After several days of explaining myself to two different groups of people and for very different reasons, it's nice just to lie here and relax without having to worry about others. It's nice to have quiet for once.

Though the guys invited us to hang out at Charlie's once again, it was Max who declined their offer and suggested we have a night to just be ourselves. And I'm cherishing this time with him. He hated that I'm making him do his homework like a mother would, but he's still in school and he should care about graduating.

Max won't ever admit this, but he cares more than he lets on. All of the guys get consistently good grades, even Seth who complains the most out of all of them. Maybe it's their need to try to one up one another or a need to impress their parents that drives them to get good grades but I'm proud that they're the kind of guys to actually care about something other than slacking off.

About an hour later, Max closes his books and puts them off to the side on the couch. Poking my cheek, I turn my attention off the tv and to those golden eyes. Tilting his head, Max smiles. "Wanna fuck?"

I almost snort. "You're quite blunt, aren't you?"

His brows lift. "And you're just finding that out?"

Poking his nose, I laugh, "You're the one that's been hiding your feelings for me for a while now."

"Well, I've always been open on when I wanna fuck you. Do you or do you not disagree?"

Suppressing a smile, I say, "Oh. I'm quite aware. Should we open our text messages to one another as proof?" Even just thinking about those texts that we've sent over the past two months warms my blood.

Something in his eyes changes. Just as I'm about to ask him about it, Max asks, "Do you know how happy I've been because of you?"

I feel my cheeks warm. "Now I hope you're not just referring to all the times I've sucked your-"

"Jules," he sighs. "You know what I mean."

Finally sitting up, I say quietly with my back to him, "Yes. I know what you mean." I look over my shoulder to find him studying me. Just as our eyes connect, I say honestly, "I don't want to have sex tonight."

He shrugs. "Okay."

I lean back against him and have him wrap his arms around me. As I take in his warmth, I say into his chest, "At the end of Michael and I's relationship, we'd only ever fuck as if it would fix all our problems. We'd never go on dates anymore, we never really talked. We only fought and had sex." I look up at Max as I add, "I don't want to be in that kind of relationship again."

Max holds me a little bit tighter. "I'm not him."

"I know," I say softly.

Nuzzling into me, he whispers, "I'll go at your pace, babe. If you want slow or if you want fast, I'm in for the ride no matter what."

My heart aches at that. I look up and chuckle just to deflect the actual emotion that's running through my body, "Oh, now I wanna fuck you."

He laughs and kisses my cheek. "All part of my plan."