In Her Wake

Chapter Four

Juliette stood at the entrance of the hospital, the cold air biting at her skin as she waited for Michael to bring the car around. Shelby had to take a shift at the diner, so Michael had stepped up to drive her home. The thought of going back to her house made her stomach churn, but she knew she had to get some things before she could stay at Shelby's.

She stood in an outfit the hospital offered: a slightly oversized crewneck, in a pale blue color, and a pair of gray joggers that were surprisingly comfortable and Shelby's Converse she'd stolen. She clung to the small bag they had brought with books and her phone in to keep her occupied while she was there.

Michael pulled up, the engine of his car a comforting hum amidst the chaos of her thoughts. He got out and helped her with her bag, his concern palpable in the way he glanced at her, trying to gauge her emotions without prying too much. She was as okay as she was going to get.

"Ready?" he asked, his voice gentle. Juliette nodded, though her heart felt like it was pounding against her ribcage. "Yeah, let's go."

The ride home was filled with a tense silence. Michael tried to make small talk, but Juliette's responses were clipped and distant. She appreciated his effort, but her mind was elsewhere, tangled in the anxiety of facing her home, even if just for a short while.

When they pulled into her driveway, Juliette's breath hitched. She saw Samantha was gone, a small mercy as she knew Samantha was likely at her Bible study. Letting out a deep sigh at that fact. It meant she had some time to gather her things without any confrontation. Not having to see that horrid woman.

Her dad wouldn't come home until the day after, which was also a plus. She didn't feel like hearing the pity in his voice and his pretending to care while continuing to let Samantha say things to her.

"Do you need me to come in with you?" Michael asked she hadn't realized she had been staring at her house for a whole minute. "No, that's not necessary... I uh- I got it. I'll just be a second." She puffed out her cheeks, finally opening the door.

"I'll wait here, but shout if you need me, okay," Michael said, offering her a reassuring smile. "Take your time."

Juliette nodded again, her throat too tight to speak. She got out of the car and walked to the front door, her steps heavy with dread. The house was eerily quiet as she let herself in. Every creak of the floorboards seemed amplified, echoing in the emptiness.

She could do this, don't be a pussy. It's not going to kill you... well. Whatever.

She made her way towards her room, her heart racing as she approached the bathroom. As she halted, the bathroom door handle hung slightly, and chunks near the lock were broken and strewn across the floor beneath it. She couldn't walk past it, but it was the only way to get to her room. The memory of that day flooded back unbidden, Samantha's venomous words echoing in her mind.

As Juliette made her way towards her room, the heavy silence of the house seemed to press in on her from all sides. Her steps faltered as she neared the bathroom, her mind unwillingly dragged back to that night. She tried to avoid looking at the bathroom, but she caught a glimpse in her peripheral, the bathroom mirror was still shattered, and the pill bottle still lying on the ground. The memory struck her with vivid clarity as if she were reliving it all over again.

She had been in her room, the door shut but not locked—Samantha never allowed locked doors—though truly it was an oversight in her own desperation. It was late, the house was quiet, and Juliette assumed Samantha had already gone to sleep. She sprawled across her bed as she stared at her ceiling, her thoughts drifting to Esme, to... forbidden fantasies she only indulged in the comfort of her own room. Ones she prayed after thinking because truly they had to be sins even in theory.