Juliet
Autumn’s infectious laughter fills the room, mingling with the faint scent of wine and the soft glow of the city lights filtering through the window. “Hey, a girl can dream, right?” she chuckles, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “But seriously, Juliet, you deserve to feel sexy and confident. And if Eros is the one making you feel that way, then why not embrace it?”
I let out a heavy sigh, sinking into the plush cushions of Autumn’s sofa as I ponder her words. “I guess,” I murmur, my voice tinged with uncertainty. “But it’s not just about the clothes or the attention. It’s… complicated.”
Autumn’s gaze softens, her expression one of genuine concern. “I get it, Jules,” she says softly, reaching out to squeeze my hand. “But you can’t keep hiding behind Stephan’s shadow forever. You deserve to be with someone who makes you feel alive, who respects you and treats you like the queen you are.”
A pang of guilt shoots through me at Autumn’s words, a stark reminder of the stark contrast between my relationship with Stephan and the fleeting moments of warmth and affection I’ve shared with Eros. “I know,” I admit reluctantly, my voice barely above a whisper. “But what about Stephan? What about the life we’ve built together?”
Autumn’s eyes soften with understanding, her voice gentle as she reaches out to brush a stray strand of hair from my face. “Juliet, sweetheart, I know you love him,” she says softly. “But love isn’t supposed to hurt. It’s not supposed to make you feel small and insignificant. You deserve so much more than that.”
Tears prickle at the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill over as Autumn’s words wash over me like a wave of clarity. “I’m just so scared, Autumn,” I whisper, my voice trembling with emotion. “Scared of what will happen if I leave him, scared of what will happen if I stay.”
Autumn wraps her arms around me, pulling me close in a comforting embrace. “I know, Jules,” she murmurs, her voice a soothing presence in the darkness. “But whatever you decide, just know that I’ll be here for you. No matter what.”
Tears brimmed in my eyes as I sniffled, using the back of my hand to wipe away a stray tear. “Thank you, Autumn,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Autumn smiled, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. “You don’t have to figure it all out tonight,” she reassured me. “Just take it one step at a time. We’ll get through this together.”
We sat in silence for a moment, the gravity of our conversation hanging over us like a dense fog. Eventually, Autumn broke the silence, her voice hesitant.
“Hey, Jules,” she began, her tone cautious. “Can I ask you something and you promise not to get mad, or punch me, or have a mental breakdown about it?”
I nodded, curiosity flickering in my eyes and a light chuckle leaving my lips. “Of course, Autumn. What’s on your mind?”
Autumn paused, as if weighing her words carefully. Finally, she took a deep breath and spoke. “What about Eros?” she asked softly.
My breath caught in my throat, my heart skipping a beat at the mention of his name. “What about him?” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me.
Autumn met my gaze, her eyes searching. “I saw the way your eyes lit up when you talked about him when I picked you up earlier, even with all the hurt that covered you.” she said gently. “Is he worth it, even a little bit, to figure out what the fuck is going on?”
The warmth of Autumn’s hand in mine offered a fleeting sense of comfort, but inside, my emotions were in turmoil. “I-I don’t think it’s like that, Autumn,” I stammered, trying to convince myself as much as her. “Eros and I just met. We barely know each other. There really isn’t anything to figure out.”
Autumn arched an eyebrow, a playful glint in her eye. “Come on, Juliet,” she teased, her tone gentle but knowing.
I shifted uncomfortably, feeling a flush creeping up my neck. “But what if it’s all just a facade?” I mumbled, the doubt gnawing at me. “What if he’s just trying to manipulate me?”
Autumn’s expression softened, her voice gentle as she responded. “I get it, Jules. Trust me, I do,” she said, squeezing my hand reassuringly. “But sometimes, you have to take a chance on love, even if it’s scary.”
Torn between my head and my heart, I struggled to find clarity amidst the chaos of my emotions. “I don’t want to hurt anyone,” I confessed, the weight of my words heavy on my chest.
“I know, sweetie,” Autumn murmured, her voice a soothing balm to my troubled mind. “But sometimes, following your heart means taking risks. And I’ll be here every step of the way, no matter what you decide.”
“Okay,” I finally whispered, the word feeling foreign on my lips. “Let’s go back to the hotel.”
A relieved smile spread across Autumn’s face, her eyes alight with excitement. “That’s my girl,” she exclaimed, pulling me into a tight hug. “We’ll figure this out together, I promise.”
As we made our way back to the hotel, I couldn’t shake the gnawing sense of unease that settled in the pit of my stomach. What would Eros say when he saw me again? Would he be angry? Hurt? Or would he simply dismiss me as just another pawn in his game?
The lobby of the hotel felt eerily quiet as we stepped inside, the tension thick in the air. I could feel the weight of Eros’s presence looming over me, his absence palpable yet somehow suffocating. Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and followed Autumn towards the front desk.
“Eros isn’t at the front desk,” Autumn murmured, her brow furrowing in confusion. “Maybe he’s in his office?”
I nodded numbly, my heart pounding in my chest as we made our way towards the elevator to go up to his penthouse. With each passing second, the knot of anxiety in my stomach tightened, threatening to choke me. But as the elevator doors slid open, and his apartment came into focus, my body went oddly warm. The smell of him invaded my nose cinnamon and pine. So fucking weird but the smell of it warmed my chest and brought me stability in my steps.
Autumn shot me an encouraging smile as we stepped out of the elevator, her presence a comforting anchor in the sea of uncertainty. Together, we approached Eros’s office door, my hand trembling slightly as I reached out to knock.
The door swung open before I had the chance to make contact, revealing Eros standing on the other side, his expression a mix of relief and concern. “Juliet, thank God you’re okay, holy fuck I’ve spent all day looking for you. I checked your room and everything but the bag of clothes was gone, and I checked the cameras and I saw that you left and I called your work and they said that you and Autumn were taking a personal day. Which they only told me after I said that I was your fiance, and I was just so worried you were gone.” he breathed, his voice hoarse with emotion as he walks towards me picking up my hands and bringing them to his face. “You need to wear gloves love, your hands are so cold.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could utter a word, Autumn stepped forward and pulling me away from him, her gaze steely as she addressed Eros. “She’s okay, but she’s not alone,” she declared, her tone firm. “And she won’t be going anywhere without me.” Eros eyes snapped to Autumn with anger and confusion
“What do you mean, Juliet what’s going on?” he asked, his voice tinged with apprehension.
“Eros,” I began, my voice wavering slightly as I struggled to find the right words. “There’s something I need to tell you. Something important.” I pull my eyes away from him and comprehend the state of the room. Papers were scattered across the floor, a lamp broken, neatly placed into his garbage bin beside the desk, and the smell of alcohol throughout the room. “Did you get into a fight in this room? Did someone break in?” I ask pointing at the mess on the floor.
“No, I got a little emotional and I broke shit because it made me feel better. Tomorrow I’m going to feel like shit, because that,” He points at the broken pieces of porcelain in the garbage bin “Was my favourite fucking lamp. Anyways, what do you need to tell me.”
“Lance, your brother? I know him as Stephan, and he is my fiance.” I keep my eyes fixed on his looking for his reaction, and he doesn’t disappoint. His face is a contorted twist of rage, confusion, and hurt.
“Lance? Your fiance?” Eros’s voice was low, barely more than a growl, as he struggled to process the bombshell I had just dropped. His fists clenched at his sides, his muscles coiled like a tightly wound spring, ready to snap at any moment.
Anger flashed in his eyes, a fiery inferno threatening to consume us both. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me this before?” he demanded, his voice laced with a venomous edge. “Do you have any idea what kind of danger you’re in? What kind of mess you’ve dragged me into?”
I flinched at the force of his words, the weight of his anger crashing down on me like a tidal wave. “I… I didn’t know,” I stammered, my voice trembling with fear and uncertainty. “I didn’t know Stephan was Lance until he showed up and started yelling in the foyer. I’m just as confused as you are, Eros. Maybe more confused actually.”
He looks at me with a clusterfuck going on behind his eyes. He looks too stunned to speak
“Wait,” I interjected, desperation creeping into my voice. “Earlier, when Lance mentioned a ‘drug runner’… what did he mean by that? Is there something you’re not telling me, Eros?” A callous chuckle leaving his lips.
“You can’t possibly be this naive Juliet? A drug runner is exactly what is states, A person who runs, the drugs. Acting stupid won’t get any information from me, that you can go running back to Stephan over.” His voice sounded miles away and frozen. The slight warmth he had a minute ago, already dead and cold. That wasn’t the Eros looking at me right now.
“I don’t know what your intention was, or what plan you and Lance came up with when you showed up here. But you can run back to him and tell him I’m not falling for it.” Eros spits out as he turns around and walks towards his desk. “I must say, you’re quite the temptress. He almost got me with you. You are obvious proof that I underestimate my brother, and he won’t stop until he has everything. You really had me thinking I could care.” He spins around with his cellphone in hand. His eyes flick from me to behind me, and not even a moment later I hear a muffled squeak from beside me and turn my head to see Autumn being detained by Elliot.
“So tell me, before I call Lance to come and retrieve his failed mission. What was your intentions here? Were you trying to seduce me? Was it a quick death? Or did you come here to make me fall in love with you so you could chip away at me until I was nothing.” Fear ignited my body when he mentions calling Lance, and tears begin to floor my eyes. If he calls Lance, hes sending me away to my death.
“Neither.” I voice comes out shakey barely louder than a whisper. “I wasn’t sent here by Lance, I was running from him.” I hold myself firm and hold Eros eyes.
“Bullshit. I know my brother, if you were his, he wouldn’t have let you go anywhere unaccounted for. Stop fucking lying to me Juliet.”
“I’m not lying to you Eros, you’re not listening to me!” I raise my voice at him “If you call him and let me leave with him, your signing off on my death. You’d be quite literally sending me to the beating of my lifetime. I’m not lying to you Eros. I’m pleading with you to actually listen to me hear.” The tears that threaten to flow over my lids burning my eyes in shear determination to fall. “I saw that you cared about me Eros. I saw that you felt something. If I was right, please don’t call Lance. If any part of you cares about me or my well being, you’ll deal with me as you see fit with whatever you believe rather than sending me back to him.”
Eros stalks up to me, so close to me that my skin lights on fire. Fuck he scares the shit out of me, but there isn’t anything I want to do more than put my hand on his chest and tell him that I’m not the enemy he thinks I am.
Eros leans forward so his mouth is beside me ear as I stare at the wall in front of me. “You’re a fool Juliet. If I had it my way, I’d kill you for lying to me, again and again. Gruesomely, just for making me think that I could feel something for someone. I’d torture you just because you’ve been stuck in my head and an obvious emotional weakness of mine. I’d wipe you off the face of this planet, just so no one could use you against me. So sending you to your death, while far-fetched, wouldn’t be below me, sweetheart.” His voice was venomous as he turned and clicked his phone screen.
“Hello, Lance. I believe I have something that belongs to you. If you want it returned alive, you’ll get your ass down to my warehouse. You have until 11, before I kill the girl.”
ns 15.158.61.18da2
