Bad Desire: New Beginnings - Fast Forward

Chapter 36

Juliet had been at Erika's place for a few hours and they had spent all that time beginning the plans for the engagement party. It felt strange jumping straight into it when Juliet barely knew the girl but if her brother was happy, she wasn't going to argue it.

When Juliet had reached for her phone as they both took a break, Erika's eyes caught sight of what she was looking at.

"Is that your fiancé?! How come I haven't met him yet!" She asked as she leaned over Juliet's shoulder.

Pulling the phone down as Erika was already having a good look anyway, Juliet laughed.

"He's visiting his family. He's been gone for a few weeks." Juliet explained.

They didn't live around Brighton and due to not getting to see them all that much, he had wanted to pay them a visit. However, due to Juliet's own commitments here with the boys at school, she couldn't really leave with them.

It didn't matter all that much anyway though because she got a kind of vibe from him that he wasn't too keen with her going anyway. She didn't understand why, but he seemed to want to take this trip alone.

She had respected that either way because she knew it had been a while since he had seen them, so he had left a few weeks ago and she still wasn't sure when he was returning.

"Does that not put you on edge?" Erika asked and Juliet began shaking her head.

"That he's away? No."

"Well yeah that but also that." She then reached out and pointed her finger at a picture of him and some girl.

It hadn't been the only one and it had of course been noticed by Juliet, but she had tried to ignore it. That was difficult when Erika was here putting it under a spotlight.

"No, of course not. She's one of his old school friends. He goes back to see friends too, not just family."

"Sorry, I don't mean to like butt in or anything. I'm just way too picky over everything. I read into it too much. Maybe that's why I was single for so long."

Although Juliet was shaking it off like it was nothing, it was nice to have Erika open up and point out that she would feel uneasy about the situation. Most of her other friends would have shrugged it off due to their own self-confidence meaning they wouldn't feel threatened. However, Juliet instantly did and Erika got that.

"To be honest, I was a bit sceptical but I would never say anything to him. I know she's a friend from school." Juliet went onto say and Erika took a closer look at the photo.

"I mean, if it was anything more I doubt he would post it on social media. But, he's also not holding back and they're pretty close in all those photos." Erika began. "I would ask him about it if I were you. There's no harm in that."

Juliet knew Erika was right, there was no harm in asking but she was unsure. She didn't want to kick up an argument that would end up being pointless when she found out it was purely just innocent. But she also didn't want to sit back and not do anything about it just in case.

She did trust Dylan but he had also been quite distant with her since being away. She took it as he was just missing home and wanted to make the most of it but now she was starting to doubt that theory.

"I'll speak to him later." Juliet then agreed before shutting off her phone and hoping to change the topic of conversation.

"Good idea, it's best to clear the air. Now onto Jess, where is she?"

Jess was supposed to be helping with the engagement party but hadn't showed up. Juliet knew for a fact that Jess wasn't into the whole idea but she didn't have the heart to tell Erika that. Therefore, she had taken to the act of avoidance and been claiming she was desperately trying to find the time in between looking after the kids.

"She's visiting Sophie and meeting her daughter for the first time. She will help out, today just wasn't a good day for her." Juliet attempted to cover up the truth.

"I feel bad for not asking Sophie to help too; I know she must feel left out. I just think it would be weird you know? Because she's Elliot's ex and that."

Erika was so upfront and honest about her insecurities and she had been that way since she met Juliet. The whole conversation regarding Dylan had brought up the fact that Erika could be pretty intense when it came to trust and she had hinted at having a lack of it.

She had also been obvious in her unease with Sophie and due to whatever Amie had been saying about her too, had led to an already intense potential relationship there.

"No, don't worry about it; she wouldn't expect you to ask. You guys haven't even met yet." Juliet went onto reassure Erika and she knew for a fact that Sophie wouldn't have been in the slight bit interested and it had probably gone straight over her head. "She's got a lot going on anyway too."

"So you think she'll be cool with me and not think I'm trying to tear you apart from her? I'm not trying to be the new Sophie or anything."

Erika sounded genuinely worried and Juliet empathised with that. On the other side though, if Jess or Sophie were here they would have jumped at it as being fake. The two very different mind sets meant Juliet was bound to get on with this girl a lot better than anyone else clearly would.

"Honestly Erika, you have nothing to worry about. Sophie was well and truly over Elliot long before they even broke up. She cares about him as a friend but nothing else. She's happy that he's found someone." Juliet reassured once again and got a nod from Erika as she looked around the room.

The atmosphere had fallen slightly quiet and strange and Juliet didn't want it to drop from the previous excitement. Erika had been buzzing all morning about this engagement and Juliet hoped for it to remain that way.

The engagement may have seemed quick but those in Brighton had learned that if you didn't move quickly, what you had could be dragged from behind your back.

Nothing was ever safe and secure for this large group of friends and it seemed that with every bit of happiness came something cruel to break it down.

Elliot had been struggling for so long after the whole Sophie and Aaron situation yet he had finally found a girl whom he thought was worth proposing to. Therefore, Juliet was going to ensure her brother got to hold onto this happy bubble for as long as possible and if that meant making Erika feel as welcome as possible, Juliet would do it.

However, while all of that was happening, in the back of her mind she couldn't help but replay the thoughts of Dylan and that girl. She had originally just glanced over the photos and pretended that she wasn't all that bothered by them but Erika had made her see it differently.

It was strange how closely they had been sat together and it was strange that Dylan had been so distant since he had been away.

Juliet wasn't trying to out him as a cheat but she was worried that maybe he would possibly do such an awful thing. She trusted him but he came across as such a different person when he was back home that she was beginning to wonder if she did truly know him at all.

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