Plain Sight

chapter thirty-two

Juliette

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Every bone, every muscle, every nerve in my body explodes. I cannot feel my legs. And I can't breathe for a moment. It feels like my heart stopped.

This cannot be.

He cannot be here.

No. No no no no. No this can't be real.

I am looking into the eyes of my father, the only man in the room who knows who I am. Who knows what I've done.

What am I gonna do? I can't exactly just go up and talk to him without Tom being suspicious about it. I already know my father has planned something. Something just as evil and vile as he is, knowing him, the only way this night could end is messy.

I remember Tom is next to me, and I am holding onto him. But my body is tense, how could this be happening? This could ruin everything.

I feel his hand on my lower back, guiding me to keep walking.

My heart physically cannot handle this right now, it's beating too fast as the heat in my skin rises.

I expect my father to scream at me. To pull out a gun and shoot me right then and there, or shoot Tom. I see it in his eyes, the anger, the utter hatred. But he does the opposite of that.

Tom and I walk directly past him, and he doesn't say a word. He doesn't pull out a gun. Hell, he even smiled so slightly at me.

My heart is skipping too many beats I fear it might just stop as we're walking, My grip on Tom's arm tightens and I don't even notice.

How is he here? Tom and my father are rivals, he has no business here. Something is going on, this is a setup. It has to be, there's just so mother explanation.

"You guys took forever out there," Mia says, snapping me back into this reality. Tom and I made it to the group.

This still doesn't feel real. I haven't seen my father since the day I walked out, the day I became homeless literally.

"Juliette was just so nervous, weren't you?" Tom says as he looks at me. With that tiny little smirk.

"Mhm." I fake a smile, I don't want to seem like I'm hiding something when I most certainly am.

I have to talk to him. I need to find out why he is here. Why didn't he do anything when he saw me?

I look at Tom, he knows something here is wrong. I know he already knows.

"Juliette, do you wanna come with me to get a drink?" Mia asks me, clearly fright in her eyes. She knows too, she saw him the same way I did.

I nod and she takes my hand and guides me away.

"Holy fucking shit Juliette. Lucian is here." Her voice trembles. She looks at me with so much fear in her eyes, she's terrified for me.

"I know. Mia, what the fuck do I do? What if he tells Tom? What is he fucking hurts him?" I stress.

"Hey hey listen to me, he's not gonna do anything. In a room full of this many people, he wouldn't dare to risk his reputation like that. He thinks he's playing this smart, but you'll play it smarter. Okay? Can you do that Juliette?" She puts her hands on my shoulders.

"Yeah. Yes, I can do that. I just have to talk to him, how is he even here? He and Tom despise each other. This doesn't make any sense."

All I need to do is play this right, and the night will go smoothly until I get to speak with my father.