Plain Sight

chapter thirty-five

Tom

-

Leaving Juliette alone, just letting her stay there knowing how much she was hurting just made me feel even worse.

But I had to leave. If I didn't she would know I was lying to protect her. And that I do in fact love and care about her. She's too smart, so that's why I had to leave her there.

I couldn't bring myself to just drive home, I just didn't want to be in that house. I drove around for about an hour. And of course, it's only Juliette that flooded my mind.

But on that drive home afterward, I've never felt such a feeling of just pure loneliness. It was too quiet, that passenger seat which belongs only to Juliette, was now empty.

I looked at it, and I could just see her sitting there. Her perfect self just sitting there looking out of the window while I drive.

God, I hate this so fucking much.

But now, I know she will be safe.

The only other people who knew about the whole thing with Juliette and her father were Bill, georg, and Gustav. They were all a part of it too.

I'm surprised georg didn't tell Vivian.

Vivian has no clue about any of it.

But fuck.

Juliette means so much to me, but now all I have to do is forget her. I have to forget it all, all that matters now is that she's safe. It's selfish of me to keep holding onto her, I have to let her go.

-

Walking into the house without Juliette beside me just felt wrong.

"Tom?" Bill asked from behind me as I started dragging myself up the stairs. I stop in my tracks, I stare at the ground for just a few moments, only then do I turn around to look at Bill.

But when I look at him, there's just this feeling in my gut that hit me all of a sudden. I feel what Bill is feeling at this moment.

He looks so hurt. Something here is just wrong. I walked into that front door and I felt it then.

"Bill, what's wrong?" I walk up to him, closing the distance between us. He looks at me, but he doesn't say anything. He opens his mouth like he's trying to say something to me, but then he shuts it like he can't bring himself to say it.

He tries to speak again, but his voice cracks.

Then finally, "Its.......... Tom, it's Gustav."

My heart skips a beat, hearing the pain in his voice and seeing it across his face, and the way he could barely say the words, I know something terrible has happened.

"Bill," I take a deep breath in. "Is Gustav okay?" I ask him and I just begin to feel that lump in my throat form.

Bill looks at the ground and I hear a quiet sob, he looks up at me again and it's like all of the emotion Bill is trying to suppress, just projected onto me. I feel it all at once.

It's so much that I almost have to take a step back.

He slowly begins to shake his head. The tears roll down his cheeks, "He...." Bill sobs, I pull him into me and hug him. He is weak right now, but he holds on to me so tightly. "He lost too much blood." He whispers in a soft, broken sob.

"He's gone?" I whisper, hoping to just hear him say that Gustav is okay. But deep down I know that would never happen.

I feel Bill nod his head on my shoulder. I shut my eyes slowly and tightly, this is my fault.