Juliette initially hadn't been too keen on the thought that Leto had touched literally all of her shit that she had had at Esme's house, but when she looked at it under the idea that she then didn't have to pack a single thing, she was happy.
Because yes, most of her stuff still sat in her bedroom at her father's house, that was undeniable, but she had moved her most important things to Esme's and not having to move probably four boxes of shit was much appreciated... She also hadn't realized just how tense she'd been at the trailer since the first night that Ethan had been apprehended outside.
Like it literally felt like she was breathing full breaths for the first time in weeks, and she didn't quite know what to do with all the air, or with the newly empty brain space now that she knew for a fact that Ethan wasn't going to somehow appear at the foot of her bed like some fucked up sleep paralysis demon.
It felt like her brain had been shaken out, and what remained was just... A dull hum. At least when she was in the Walsh house, when she left the Walsh house had nothing to do with her, but when she was here? God, she was fucking calm.
Calmer still when Gianna and her father jointly agreed to let her skin for the day, like... Knowing that there was no way that she would have to see Ethan for at least one more day was like fucking crack. She felt alive, she felt... Well, she felt like herself again. Colors felt fucking brighter, she didn't think she was gonna die.
Would that probably all change tomorrow the second she had to see his fucking ass at school? Yes, but then, if she could hypothesize, it would likely calm right back down again once she was home. Meaning for at least part of the day, she would feel regulated.
Regulated... God, when was the last time before now that she'd even fucking felt regulated? It felt like this entire year had just been beating her over the head with a lead pipe, and now she was coming back into herself. She could feel her skin again without it buzzing, she could lay down without feeling short of breath... Truly, it was wonderful and if she didn't need to graduate, she'd consider just lying here forever and never going back. It'd be easier.
But that would never work, because if she didn't go back to school, she'd never actually be able to go to Syracuse and without going to Syracuse she doubted that she'd ever actually make it out of Hollingsworth, and she couldn't have that. She wanted better for herself.
And for her partners. They deserved better too. Better by a fucking mile.
They were both too good for this, and they were really taking it in stride... Granted, Esme was having to take the brunt of it at school and in the town, but Penny was, according to her texts, dealing with some shit from it at her school.
She wasn't sure how or why anyone at Fransted gave a flying fuck about some creep ass Hollingsworth kid, but he somehow had his claws into people enough for that... Fucker.
She heard the door creak open and sat up, her heart skipping for a moment before she remembered where she was. It could be anyone, it could Nova, it could be Frankie, it could be Emma, or...
It could be Esme.
Coming home early from work while looking so gorgeous that it actually hurt look at them... She'd missed feeling like that when she looked at them, it'd felt like all of her feelings were stuck behind a wall of pure panic for the past few weeks, and being able to feel this was heaven.
YOU ARE READING
Borrowed Time Part 2
Romance**THIS IS THE SECOND PART OF BORROWED TIME, PART ONE IS ALREADY ON MY PAGE!** Juliette Smith is aware that everything she does is on borrowed time. Her popularity, her relationship with her father, with her friends... all of it is on borrowed time...
