Unspoken Goals

Karaoke

Next Day

Juliette woke up to the faint sound of giggling, pulling her from the fog of sleep. She blinked, adjusting to the morning light filtering through her curtains, and realized Abigail was still curled into her side, the warmth between them as natural as breathing. For a moment, she simply lay there, savoring the peace of it, feeling the subtle rise and fall of Abigail's breath against her shoulder.

The faint giggles by the doorway grew louder, and Juliette's gaze shifted to see Em and Sully standing there, stifling laughs as they exchanged mischievous glances. She narrowed her eyes at them, raising a finger to her lips with a playful glare. But their laughter was enough to stir Abigail, who blinked herself awake and let her gaze settle on their two friends.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Sully greeted with a wide grin. Abigail's eyes widened in sleepy recognition, and, in an instant, she jolted upright, putting a foot of space between herself and Juliette as if she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't.

The room shifted with the movement, a tension seeping in as Juliette's expression faltered. They'd cuddled like this countless times in front of their friends. And never before had Abigail seemed to mind, had never looked like she was...almost embarrassed.

Juliette couldn't help the flicker of hurt that passed over her face, but she smoothed it away quickly as Em, sensing the awkwardness, spoke up.

"Anyway," Em said, a soft smile breaking the silence. "We're heading to Joe's Diner for breakfast. Thought we'd see if you two wanted to join."

"Absolutely," Juliette replied, the enthusiasm in her voice real. Joe's had been their sanctuary since freshman year, a place that grounded them in the chaos of college life. Lately, they hadn't been there as much; they'd all fallen out of rhythm somehow, and Juliette felt a thrill at the idea of going back.

Em looked toward Abigail. "What about you, Abby?"

Abigail met her gaze, a soft smile tugging at her lips as she nodded. "Yeah... I'll come too."

"Perfect," Em replied, and with a final grin, she and Sully slipped from the room, closing the door softly behind them.

Juliette turned to Abigail with a smile, but it faded when she noticed the tension in Abigail's face, a distant unease clouding her gaze. Gently, Juliette reached over, her hand resting on Abigail's knee. "Hey... what's wrong?"

Abigail's voice came out sharper than usual, her tone unexpectedly accusatory. "Why didn't you lock the door last night?"

Juliette blinked, caught off guard by the question. "I... I wasn't really thinking about it," she replied, her tone softening but a hint of defensiveness creeping in. She tried to laugh it off, shrugging as she added, "It's not like it matters, right? It's not a big deal, Abs."

Abigail's expression tightened, her fingers threading through her hair as she drew her knees up, curling inward. "Not a big deal?" she murmured, a vulnerability surfacing. "They saw us... cuddling."

Juliette stared at her, searching her face. "Abs, they've seen us like that a hundred times before." Her voice softened, eyes warm with sincerity. "I don't understand why it matters now."

Abigail pulled her knees to her chest, hiding her face behind her hands, shoulders tense. Juliette's own defensiveness dissolved, seeing how deeply this seemed to affect her. She reached over, prying Abigail's hands away and holding them in her own. "Hey," she said gently, her voice low and calming, "Look at me, Abs."

Slowly, Abigail looked up, her eyes reflecting a storm of emotions. "I just... I don't want them to find out this way," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I want to tell them myself. When I'm ready."