Chapter 2
Juliet had no idea how long she had been sitting underneath the old tree, completely lost in the depth of her own mind, trying to come with a plan to somehow fix the shards of her life that were scattered all over the place. The sun had set a while ago and the moon was shrouding the courtyard in foggy, white light. The sun had taken all the warmth and glow away, all that was left were cool breezes, blowing through the tree’s branches and making them creak in a ghostly way.
As a blow of wind brushed through her hair, Juliet shivered and hugged herself tightly to keep herself warm. She squinted her eyes at the moon. When had the night fallen over the courtyard? She must have been completely dissociated from reality to not have noticed the sun setting. All of a sudden, the nightly cold crept up on her from underneath and above her, it stung on her left and on her right, and for the friction of a moment, felt like a lingering ghost, waiting to pull her in completely. Juliet quickly shook the thought away and sighed, tightening the grip on herself.
“Goodness, what are you doing outside at this ungodly hour? Do you want to catch your own death or what?”
Startled by the familiar voice, Juliet turned around to see April coming at her with quick steps, already taking off her coat. She came to a halt in front of the stonewall where Juliet must have been sitting for several hours, and carefully draped the coat over the younger girl’s shoulders. Juliet tried to protest but April gave her a look that made it clear she was not going to accept any sort of protest. Juliet gave April a soft smile and muttered out a small “thank you”, pulling the coat tighter around herself. It was heavy enough to feel like a warm embrace and a faint scent of spring and roses lingered all over it, delicate and grounding at the same time. Juliet took a few deep breaths to clear her mind from the foggy haze overcoming her, and shifted her focus towards April, who was still standing in front of her, a worried look on her face.
“Dear, we should get you inside to warm you up again.” April held out a hand and Juliet took it, pulling herself away from the stonewall and all the chaos in her mind.
“Alright, alright maybe you have a point.” She smiled at April and gestured for her to lead the way. April was still holding onto Juliet’s hand and gently pulled her along, back into the corridor of the old villa.
April led her through the dimly lit corridor, the warmth of her touch acting as a steady comfort, keeping Juliet’s mind from racing off into a hazy delirium again.
“April, I’m fine,” her voice soft and small, not daring to disturb the calm and quiet of the night. “You don’t need to worry about me,” Juliet let go of April’s hand, immediately missing the warmth and comfort of her touch, and put her hands on her hips.
April looked down at her and raised a questioning eyebrow. “As far as I’m concerned, I just saved you from freezing to death. Far less dramatic than drinking that poison for Romeo, if you ask me,” she grinned at Juliet, her piercing blue eyes twinkling mischievously.
“I am delighted to hear that you are so concerned about the way I go to my grave, dear April,” Juliet returned the grin and hit April’s arm playfully.
April tucked a loose strand of red hair behind her ear and crossed her arms in front of her, eyeing Juliet curiously. “How about we go out for a little drink. One last night of freedom before you’re a married woman,” she winked at her and waited for the girl to respond to her suggestion.
Juliet tilted her head, thinking the idea through and weighing up her options. April had no idea that she had no intention of marrying Frankie, but she also did not have a proper plan on how to get out of the whole wedding idea, no matter with whom. Letting April in on her inner conflict was also not a possibility she considered, for she had promised herself to stop making everything about herself. Juliet let out a small sigh and decided that it would be the perfect opportunity to finally spend some quality time alone with April and to show her support for a change. She smiled at the idea. The problems could wait until the next day, it wasn’t like they were going anywhere.
The brunette girl took a dedicated step forward and hooked her arm into April’s. She smiled up at the redhead “Let’s get the party started, shall we?” She had to stifle a yawn and added “But maybe make it a short party.”
April laughed at her friend kindly and patted her on the shoulder. “One small drink never hurt nobody and trust me; you’ll be sleeping peacefully like a baby after that.”
The two took off, giggling at the thought of having a true girls’ night just for themselves, no men, or problems in sight.
They crossed the street together, their shoes clicking against the pavement as they approached the door of the bar. April opened it, and the warmth from inside hit them like a wave. The low hum of a jazz melody played in the background, and the scent of aged wood, whiskey, and something faintly smoky filled the air. Juliet stepped inside first, with April right on her heels and holding onto her hand, to not get lost in the crowd of bawling people, who were either having a heated discussion over politics or just celebrating the evening exuberantly.
The space was small and dimly lit. There were booths lined up along the walls that seemed to be old and worn out but still functional enough to have a private conversation.
“Why don’t you go and pick a table for us, I’ll be right back with something to drink,” April gave Juliet an encouraging look and strode off over to the bar.
Juliet looked around, unsure where to go. She eyed a small table in the corner, right beside a window that overlooked the nightly Parisian streets. Perfect. Just as she had sat down at the small table, she could see April coming towards her, two drinks in her hands. She smirked at the picture of the redhead concentrating on balancing the glasses and not spilling anything.
Earlier that day she had seemed to be wretched and even distraught, but now there was no hint of sadness to be found, she just looked like April. Carefree, happy, and excited to have a drink. Juliet could not help herself but to chuckle at the thought. There was never a boring or dry evening if April was around.
“Maybe quit staring and help me, would you?” April gave her a disapproving look as she stood next to the table.
“Oh sure, my bad,” Juliet could feel the redness rushing into her cheeks and quickly stood to take her drink from April’s hand.
When they had both settled in and managed to safely put their drinks on the table, Juliet leaned back in her seat and let out a defeated sigh. She could feel the tension in her body melting away and felt more at ease with every passing minute. April looked at her from across the table, taking a large sip of her cocktail, eyeing her over the rim of her glass.
“So are you excited for the wedding,” she asked her friend curiously.
Juliet took her glass from the table and downed half of it in one gulp, earning herself an amused smirk from April.
“I thought this was supposed to be my last fun night. No men, remember? So can we please talk about something else?” She had absolutely no desire to think about all her boy troubles right now and was relieved when April smiled and nodded.
“You’re right, my bad. Let’s just have a fun night, one to remember,” she winked at Juliet and held up her glass to undermine her statement.
“You could, however,” Juliet felt a sudden rush of boldness, probably due to the amount of alcohol she had consumed, overcome her, and decided to go with it. “You could tell me about yourself, you know.”
April gave her an amused glance. “I don’t think that would be very entertaining for you, dear.”
Juliet raised a hand and took another big sip of her drink before she spoke again.
“Listen April, you are always there for me, you listen to all my problems, help me sort out my chaos and everything. You know everything about me that there is to know, please just let me get to know you better for once.”
For a minute April did not answer, she sipped her drink and contemplated how to respond to her friend’s sudden request. When she put her glass down, her expression had hardened slightly.
“I thought this was supposed to be a fun night. No serious talking, remember?” She raised an eyebrow at Juliet, who pouted at her and gave her the best puppy dog eyes she could manage to do. Having already finished almost the whole glass of alcohol, it came out as a ridiculous grimace and April could not resist a laugh escaping her lips.
“If you insist. Chances are, you’re probably not even gonna remember this tomorrow so why not.”
As if to confirm her statement, Juliet emptied the rest of her drink and sank back into her seat happily.
“My point exactly,” April smirked.
“So, what exactly do you want to know?” She crossed her arms and leaned back, waiting for Juliet to come up with a question.
“Maybe you could,” Juliet paused to think her question through. Her mind was already clouded, and she had trouble thinking clearly. She mentally scolded herself for emptying that drink so quickly, it definitely did not make this any easier. “Tell me about what makes you happy,” she blurted out and stared at April, awaiting an answer.
“What?” April looked taken aback by the brunette’s question. What kind of question was that? How was she supposed to answer that? Nobody had ever asked her that question before, at least not that she could remember. She thought about the question for a while. What made her happy? Being at home alone, waiting for William to come back was definitely not on the list. There he was again, William. Did he make her happy? April thought about that for a long time before concluding that the time her husband truly made her happy, had been long gone.
That’s the way it is, she thought. April was convinced that very marriage looked like this after some time, that the initial spark could never truly last.
“Ehm hello? I’m still waiting!” Juliet waved her hands in front of her friend’s face. “Don’t ignore me!”
April blinked a few times, to help herself to get back into reality. “Sorry, I was just thinking.”
Juliet smirked triumphantly. “So, it was a good question then!” She clapped her hands, “I knew it!”
April could feel a hint of annoyance in her look and quickly wiped it away. The girl was obviously tipsy, no need to make a fuss out of it.
“Dear,” she used the softest voice she could and took Juliet’s hand in hers, an attempt to stop the girl from wobbling all over her place and calming her down. “How about I get you a glass of water?”
“No need! I’m doing just fine, in fact I can go and get it myself, see-“ Juliet said determinedly and stood up, her hands gripping onto the table for support, and took a few steps towards the bar, when the walls around her suddenly began to spin and her legs gave up on her.
“Hey, easy!” April quickly grabbed her by the waist, preventing her from falling flat on her face. “Maybe you should listen to me for once and let me handle this,” she chuckled and softly pulled Juliet onto the bench where she had been sitting and walked over to the bar to get a glass of water.
When she returned, Juliet thankfully took the water from her and looked at her anxiously.
“I’m sorry, I once again managed to make everything about myself. That was not my intention, trust me.”
“It’s alright dear, you’re just not used to the amount of alcohol you had,” she chuckled, “and in such a short amount of time, too.”
Juliet could feel her cheeks flushing once again and buried her face in her hands. “This is certainly not how I imagined this night, I’m sorry,” she dared to look up at April through her hands, only to find her giggling like a little girl. Immediately, she straightened her back and shot her a questioning stare.
“Are you making fun of me?” She tried her best to look insulted, but her face betrayed her, and a small grin creeped onto her lips.
April halted her giggling and laid a hand on Juliet’s shoulder. “No dear, I’m sorry,” she gave Juliet her warmest smile and squeezed her shoulder lightly. “It’s just that I’m really glad we’re here together. I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt this warm and happy,” she paused for a second, “maybe that answers your question?”
Did it answer her question? It was good enough for Juliet, at least for tonight. She remembered the words May had said to her and felt the urge to ask April another question.
“How did you know you loved your husband? You said you had one, so clearly you know about that kind of stuff.”
April sighed and put an arm around Juliet.
“You see, it’s not that easy and even if it seems to be, it does not necessarily mean it stays like that forever.”
Juliet shivered at the touch, but not out of discomfort but from a sudden wave of warmth that rushed over her. She looked up at April, shocked and blurted out: “So, you don’t feel warm when you’re with him?”
April laughed, “Those days are long gone, my dear. Now it’s just the way it is supposed to be, I have nothing to complain about if I’m being honest.”
Shaking her head, Juliet took April’s hand and played with her fingers, absentmindedly.
“You shouldn’t say that you know. That’s not what it is supposed to feel like.”
April raised an eyebrow at her. “Then tell me, what is it supposed to feel like, little miss expert?”
Juliet rolled her eyes but replied nonetheless: “You should feel content with your partner, look forward to seeing them and not wanting to let them go,” she paused for a second and blushed before continuing: “You should feel warm and safe with them-“
April interrupted her: “Well, do you feel all these things with Frankie?”, she asked, and Juliet could see in her eyes that she knew. There was no use lying to April, she had always seen right through her.
“You know,” April started to softly speak again, trying her best to sound as kind and comforting as she could, “You don’t have to marry Frankie, if that’s not what you want.”
Juliet, still holding April’s hand, found a sudden interest in examining it very thoroughly, not wanting to respond to that.
When April softly pulled her hand away, she tried to protest, but it was no use.
“I’m serious, don’t make yourself unhappy. You’re still young, you’ll find someone you’ll want to marry.”
Juliet sighed, defeated, and finally looked up, where April’s worried eyes met her own. “I wasn’t planning on marrying Frankie anyway.”
“So, what’s the problem then?” April asked curiously.
“If I don’t marry Frankie, I have to find another guy, or else I’ll have to become a nun. You heard my parents.”
April squeezed her shoulder softly. “Dear, you certainly do not have to do this. It’s your life, you need to make it your own. Write your own story.”
“You know what? That’s exactly what I’m going to do, but-“ she stood from her seat and pulled April up with her. “You must promise me one thing. You’ll do something to make yourself happy, too.”
April gave Juliet a questioning look, but the brunette’s expression made it very clear that any form of protest would be useless, so she gave in and nodded.
“Yes, I promise.”
“Great. Now can we go? I’m kinda tired.”
“Well, it’s your own fault for drinking so much,” April winked at her but then took her by hand and guided her out onto the street.
—
The Parisian night air sent chills down Juliet’s spine, making her shiver. She pulled April’s coat, that was still hanging over her shoulders, tighter around herself and stepped further out into the night. The streetlights cast a warm glow on the pavement, guiding them their way through the dark. Not letting go of her hand, April led her along the street, determined to get home fast. Juliet had trouble keeping up with her long strides but tried her best, for she did not want to let go of the comfort of her touch. The two stumbled the short way across the street, not saying a word but simply enjoying one another’s company.
When they arrived at the villa, the cool night air seemed to have washed away all the troubles and problems that had been nagging and pulling at Juliet for the last couple of weeks. She could not help herself but to smile at the prospect of a whole new life, a life that would be hers and hers alone to live and write.
“What are you so happy about, did I miss something?” April looked at her, amused but unsure where the sudden joy came from.
“It’s just that I was thinking about the things you said,” Juliet smiled at her.
“You’ll have to elaborate on that, I said quite a few things if I’m not mistaken,” April smirked down at Juliet.
Juliet rolled her eyes: “You know exactly what I mean, I can’t wait to get rid of all these stupid boys for good.”
April could no longer suppress her laughter. “I see, I see. But now let’s get you to bed.” She gently pulled her along with her to her room. “Here we are, can I leave without you falling all over yourself?”
Pouting, Juliet put her hands on her hips. “Just so you know, I could have done that all by myself.”
“Sure, you could have. Have a good night and maybe another glass of water would also help,” she winked at Juliet and hugged her good night.
—
Mumbling something inaudible, Juliet slid through the door into her room, closed the door and leaned against it. The room was softly spinning in front of her. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, as she waited for the dizziness to go away, and revisited the past day in her memory. So much had happened that day, way too much to process in such a short amount of time. Juliet pulled the coat tighter around herself, clinging onto it for comfort and support. She inhaled the scent of roses and spring to ground herself, when she realized that she hadn’t given April her coat back. Oh well, she thought, it’s not like she’s going to miss it tonight. She smiled at the thought of the evening they had spent together. Everything always seemed to be so easy with her, she could be herself and did not have to live up to any expectations. April never expected anything of her, she would never do something that made her unhappy.
When she remembered how April had confided in her with some of her own thoughts, even if had only been surface level, she felt a warm and fuzzy feeling spreading throughout her entire body. Did she trust her too? It seemed like it.
The thought of April trusting her made her heart jump, never before had she experienced that kind of feeling. It was almost as if she were the sun, providing her with warmth that reached the coldest corners of her mind and pulled her out of the shadows when she needed it. She cringed at the thought and at how cheesy it sounded, but it was the right description for what she felt.
Defeated and tired she made her way into her bed and let herself sink into the soft covers. Just as she was about to fall asleep, the conversation with May appeared in her thoughts. What had they said about love again? Something about warmth and sun maybe, Juliet could not remember it properly. That’s a problem for tomorrow, she thought, and let a deep sleep pull her in.