Unspoken Goals

Scared to Trust You

Continuation

Juliette burst through the door into the cool night air, the music from the party fading behind her. Her breath hitched in her throat as she scanned the yard, her heart racing, adrenaline still pulsing through her veins. It took a few frantic moments before she spotted Abigail down the sidewalk, walking briskly away, her silhouette retreating under the glow of the streetlights.

Without thinking, Juliette took off, her shoes slapping against the pavement, the night air cool against her flushed skin. "Abigail!" she called out, her voice cracking with urgency.

Abigail came to an abrupt stop, her back still turned, every inch of her radiating a tension that Juliette could feel even from a distance. For a beat, she stood frozen, refusing to turn around. But when she finally did, her eyes were glassy, brimming with tears that hadn't yet fallen, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, as if holding herself together. "What do you want, Jules?" Her voice was raw, trembling with emotion she couldn't quite keep under control.

The rawness of her voice hit Juliette harder than expected, but instead of easing into it, Juliette's frustration flared. "What the hell is your problem?" The words slipped out before she could stop them, harsher than she meant, but all the unresolved tension between them clawed its way to the surface.

Abigail's gaze hardened, though the tears in her eyes remained, glistening under the streetlights. "My problem?" Her voice cracked, every word laced with pain. "You've been all over that girl the entire night, and you have the nerve to come out here and ask me what my problem is?" Her words hit like punches, each one aimed at Juliette's heart, exposing the deep wound beneath her anger.

Juliette's breath caught in her throat, momentarily stunned. "Wait—you're mad about Hazel?" she managed, her voice quieter now, confusion creeping in. She took a step closer, trying to make sense of it, the pieces not yet fitting together in her mind.

Abigail let out a bitter, hollow laugh. "I'm honestly shocked you even remembered her name," she said, her sarcasm sharp as a blade. "Do you want a gold star for that or...?"

The words struck hard, twisting something deep in Juliette's chest. Her throat tightened, the sting of Abigail's jab cutting deeper than she'd anticipated. "That was uncalled for, Abigail," she said quietly, not bothering to hide the hurt laced in her voice. The usual bravado, the teasing armor, all of it fell away in that moment. "I'm not going to stand here and let you shame me. So either you tell me what's really going on, or I'm going back inside."

Abigail's eyes flickered, a brief glimpse of something raw flashing behind them, but her defenses stayed up, brittle but still standing. "Please, be my guest," she spat, though her voice wavered, cracking around the edges. "Go back to your girl of the night."

Juliette sighed, the frustration bubbling up as she shook her head in disbelief. "Real classy, Abigail," she muttered, her voice tinged with disappointment. She turned on her heel, ready to walk away, but she barely made it a few steps before Abigail's voice broke through the night, softer now, laced with vulnerability that stopped Juliette in her tracks.

"You really think I enjoyed watching someone else all over you, Jules?" The question lingered in the air, heavy and fragile, as if the truth had finally slipped past her walls.

Juliette turned slowly, her eyes meeting Abigail's with a weight that neither of them could escape. Guilt surged through her, but instead of softening her, it only ignited the frustration that had been simmering all night. "It's unfair for you to be angry at me for being with Hazel when you walked in with Ethan," Juliette snapped, her voice tight and strained, the words laced with all the tension she couldn't keep buried.