Bad Desire: New Beginnings - Fast Forward

Chapter 13

"Is that Elliot's ex-girlfriend?" Alissa asked as she sat down beside Juliet.

It was the day of Juliet's baby shower and she had decided to gather a few close friends alongside family to join in. It was all women and she wanted it to be a small gathering to celebrate. However, now everything had not gone quite how she would have expected it.

"Yeah, Abbie..." She trailed off, following her mum's line of vision. "Now Matt's girlfriend."

The look on her mum's face was already one of distaste. Juliet's mum knew that Matt and his girlfriend were staying here and didn't agree with it one bit. However, now it was just becoming even stranger. She had never liked Abbie much anyway when she had been dating Elliot so this was making it even more uncomfortable.

"She asked if she could come. I felt bad saying no." Juliet stressed when she picked up on her mum's expression.

"Why did she ask? Are you two close?"

Her mum asked the question yet couldn't help but find the whole thing bizarre. It wasn't often you would be best friends with you ex-husband's new girlfriend unless you really did put the effort in to try.

"No... she just said she'd never been to one before and with them staying at the house, I felt bad for kicking her out for the day."

"You kicked Matt and Dylan out didn't you?" Alissa looked back at Juliet with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah but that's different. Just be nice, please?"

"Maybe I'll go and have a chat with her." Juliet's mum then teased as she got up from the seat and began making her way over.

The last conversation Alissa had probably experienced with her was when Elliot had brought Abbie back for dinner once. It hadn't gone down well at all and Elliot had accepted from that moment that his mum was never going to like her.

Leaving her mum to go ahead with it, knowing as awkward as it would be for Abbie, she could do with the company, Juliet went to get the door.

All of her few expected guests had arrived except a few and pulling open the door, Jess was stood there holding a present.

"Congrats!! ...again." She laughed, passing it over.

"Thank you, Jess." Juliet smiled back at her before taking it from her hands and embracing her into a hug.

"Sorry I'm late. Jack and Aaron are in charge of looking after the kids and things were already mayhem before I left."

"Oh God. How are you so trusting of them together?" Juliet laughed in response, causing Jess to shrug her shoulders.

Jack had invited Aaron over himself to help him out with the kids for the day because he felt like he needed the company. He had all his memories back regarding the children but he was still a bit uneasy. He was worried that something would happen and cause him to lose them all over again or that his PTSD would jump in and cause him other problems. Therefore, having his best friend there to help him entertain just filled him with an extra sense of surety.

"Am I the last here?" Jess then went onto ask before getting a nod from Juliet.

"Yeah... unless Sophie has changed her mind."

Juliet's comment was made with obvious disappointment and question in her voice making Jess feel extremely awkward.

Sophie had obviously been invited but she had apologised and said she wasn't able to make it. The real reason behind her not being here was due to everything she was currently going through with the pregnancy. She just desperately wanted to go back to London and get away from everyone here.