Plain Sight

chapter twenty-seven

Juliette
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"Remember we're leaving tonight back home, only today we have to get through." Tom says to me as we get into the car.

He convinced me to come to these stupid meetings today. The only reason I'm coming is because Bill nicely asked me to come.

I'm not here for Tom, I'm here for Bill.

Tom doesn't deserve anything to make his ego even bigger than it already is.

"I can't wait to just go back home," I say sighing and looking out of the window.

"Trust me, me too. Then we have to worry about the charity ball next. We can just never catch a break." Tom says.

Oh right, the charity ball. I've been nervous about that. I don't know who's invited and I think it would be weird for me to just ask for the guest list out of nowhere.

I don't know what I'm gonna wear and the closer we get to the ball I stress even more about it. I and Vivian and Mia talked about going shopping together to try to find something, we were gonna go before we left for this trip, but Mia was busy so we couldn't go.

"How many meetings today?" I ask Tom.

"I think only 6."

Only?

Jesus Christ this is gonna be such a long fucking day.

—

The meetings were mostly just boring, we only have one left then we can leave. I didn't say much other than introducing myself formally. After what happened yesterday, people only wanted to see the girl who supposedly yelled at other mafia businessmen.

So to keep that image up, I thought it would be better to formally introduce myself rather than one of the other boys speaking for me.

We've been driving all over this place to all kinds of different buildings to meet different people.

"Last one right?" I ask Tom and we get back into the car, coming back from a meeting.

"Yes, for the third time Juliette." He laughs.

"Sorry, I don't know how you guys can do this for a living! I'm already exhausted." I say and sink into my seat.

He laughs.

In those meetings, Tom has his guard up. He doesn't smile, doesn't laugh, and quite frankly doesn't show any emotion at all. I see now why he has that reputation of a cruel heartless human that my dad gave him when he first told me about the deal.

But when Tom and I are alone, everything is different. His smile comes out and it's enough to light up the world. His laugh sounds like a heavenly sound to my ears, and his voice has enough power to completely destroy me entirely.

He smiles at me and it feels like I'm weak.

He just looks at me, and his eyes feel like they're burning through me yet making me feel so alive all at once.

This Tom is the one who's so different from the rest. He's not cruel or heartless. He's gentle, passionate, and has the power to make me feel so much even just being near him.

When I first started this deal, I don't think I could have ever imagined where I'd be at now. I feel like my life is finally starting to have a purpose.

There that thought again at the back of my head creeping back up to the front, my father. My name. My lies.

How dangerous. To finally feel like I have something that's worth losing. and it's Tom Kaulitz.