58. Meltdown

Chris

“Okay… Give me tonight to think about it. I’ll call you in the morning. I didn’t even greet Sita. Look back. I just left. Marcus following. Juliet had less than a year and a half left. It was not how I ever thought we would spend that time.

His car door closed behind him, and we just sat for a few minutes. We took out the burners and started talking. Leaning forward so that the screens were covered.

Chris {Will Juliet accept this? If I do it?}

He didn’t have to answer. We both shook our heads slowly. That was a stupid question.

Marcus {Why are you even considering this?}

Chris {Do you want to do it…? Will we be able to hide her for the next year and a half? Will we all give up everything we created in France… Will she go live at Samuel? You go back to the compound? Or… we’ll all go back to the compound?}

I hit the steering wheel. Swearing loudly.

Chris {Why do we accept Juliet sleeping with all of us? But we can’t do anything with anyone else.}

Marcus {Do you want to? Are you still in love with Sita? Because that is Juliet’s criteria… If she wants it… If you tell her this is what you want. She will let you go.}

I wasn’t expecting this from him.

Chris {I just don’t want her to go to pieces over losing everything VS losing only me. Why do we not see it as cheating, and she does? Would she really not take me back. Even if she understood why I had to.}

Marcus {It’s not about the fact that you will sleep with another woman. It’s because it’s her. I don’t know why she hates her so much… But Juliet does.}

He was right. If it was anyone else.

Marcus {Look she’s going to fall to pieces anyway. Whether it’s losing you. Sleeping with Sita to save all of us… Juliet won’t care about that… We talked about this… Juliet would rather die than do something that wasn’t what she wanted… or even worse while being blackmailed. You said you were ready to give it all up for her… Why are you second-guessing what you know you should do?}

Chris {Because she will never speak to me again.}

Marcus {All we can do is go on with deciding for her… You heard what Michael said that day. Treat her like a real teenager for the rest of her pregnancy… We need to baby her a little.}

Chris {If we can trust him. How do we know he didn’t say all that to break up this... family?}

Marcus stared out the front window for a long time. I let him be. Knowing his brain was doing its magic. He sat back with his head against the seat. He had a weird habit of letting his head go from the right to left in slow motion. If he stopped, he would have a full-proof plan. I waited. A few minutes later, he did stop. Bobbed his head. We had a secret signal of letting things go and just to keep on pretending. He gave me the hand sign and then kept texting.

Marcus {You know what… she didn’t ask to have me and Louis force ourselves into her life. But you… she chose you. Maybe just maybe she will… just let it go… You never know.}

Marcus {Should we ask her? If she will sell you for the sake of the family? To give us a pass to an open relationship for the next few months?}

Chris {She’s not really happy with the situation anyway. We heard that morning that she thinks this was all a stuff up.}

Marcus {Juliet won’t even know until the baby is born. The baby will be safe. For the next few months… We can get away with you going and her being safe. When she comes back… I can somehow ease her into the idea.}

Sick of typing, I asked… “Do you think we can make Sita wait until the baby is born? Then tell Juliet to make the decision. We can all sit down and talk about signing the papers and the repercussions. Finally, making her decide with us.”

“Sita is a little ignorant but a narcissist… This was planned to the last t. It gives you no choice… You didn’t tell me Sita was so beautiful.”

The phone smashed in my hands. “I want to kill her. Not sleep with her. I want Juliet to do it.”

“I’m not against raising the baby with you… How will you… You know… If you hate her so much… If you don’t go, we will make it work.” Then Marcus smashes his too. We chucked them in the back of the car and drove off.

***

Juliet

Canada

I woke up early one morning. In my bed in Uncle Sam’s house. I felt the space beside me, hoping Louis would be there. He said he would bring me… Nothing. He wasn’t, and I sighed. He meant he would drop me while I was sleeping… Guess he wasn’t staying.

It was just Micheal and me. Guess he didn’t mind that either.

It was dark like the first day I woke up there. I knew exactly where to go to let light into the room. The view was still the same, and I opened a window. Cold air rushed in and blew over me, howling. It was sometime during the day but cloudy. Scanning the room and then the nightstand for my phone, I couldn’t find it.

“Wonder whose idea was that….” I swore loudly, gripping the window pane. I wanted to get angry. I wanted to throw something. They were treating me like a child. Ticked off, I played with the ring on my left hand. It didn’t help me or make me feel better. Louis and my time together wasn’t a dream. But it was over so quickly. I’ve no watch on, and I don’t have the time. I walk over to the tv and point the remote towards it. Sitting down, I watched a little bid, trying to wake up. Flipping through the news channels, checking to see when Sita would release her hell on us.

There was a sound behind me, and the familiar tattooed arm pushed the door open with a tray in the other. He quickly glanced up to see where I wanted it. It was hot chocolate.

He sat down, and he seemed happy. I regarded him for a long time. Michael had an energy about him. He always seemed busy. He had picked up his own mug.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Warden made it. He is out of his coma.”

I smiled. “That’s wonderful news.” I was relieved.

“But not only that. I have your ass for two and a half months all to myself. So, forgive me if I’m going to have this stupid grin on my face.”

His words cut away all the hurt I felt. The isolation. Being tossed aside. I chuckled, shaking my head looking back at the tv.

“Anything interesting?” He asked.

“Nothing… I supposed you won’t tell me if I asked about Sita and her threats.”

He sipped his drink and sat up, putting his elbows on his knees holding the cup in both hands. “I really don’t know.” I sighed, believing him. Looked like I wasn’t going to know for the next few months.

He got up took the remote out of my hand. He put the tv off. He leaned over to me and whispered into my ear.

“We’ve got better things to do… While you’re here, no worry is going to consume you… I don’t mean to hurry this along, but I got a simple plan...to stick to.”

I move away slightly, looking into his eyes. “You still want me like this? It’s not like you can claim what you want. Don’t you want to wait till you can make it a proper IOU?”

I gestured to my midsection.

“Anyway… I thought back then it was “a lapse in concentration?”” I air quote his own words to him.

“Yeah… back then… You forgiven me yet?”

“That wasn’t actually you’re fault. I could’ve said no. Had the opportunity.”

“Yeah, it was… But no. I don’t think you’ve ever looked better. You have some meat on your bones and… all that.” He gestures to my chest.

He picked up my feet and swiveled me on the couch, forcing me to lie down. Watching me. I stretch out my arms high above my head. I added my legs, pointing my toes. I release a suuuuper low sexual moan.

“Oh honey... Do you know what you’re doing? Nothing is covering you with just those boy shorts. Only a tank top… exposing your belly… when your hands…stretch above your head… like that.” Struggling to speak, his eyes roamed over me.

I scoffed at him... Again. He smiled. “I’m not posturing. I’m inviting.”

An audible groan escaped his parted lips. He wanted to bend down to pick me up, and he stopped. Straightening his back again. Before he could even open his mouth…

“Michael.”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t be a coward… Let’s stick to the plan, honey. No worries.”

It was all I needed to say. He knew how I felt, and I didn’t want to talk about it.

Standing, he picked me up and carried me back to bed. My head was on his chest, arms around his neck. Like he always did on the farm. It was only six months of friendship, but it did mean something. He put me down and laid beside me. I turned so we could face each other. I run my hands over his hair and take out the braid in the nape of his neck. His hair fell over his shoulders. “You’re a beautiful man Michael.”

“Juliet! That mouth of yours… it going to get you in trouble.”

I chuckled... “My mouth… is going to do something, but getting in trouble isn’t one of them.” He gave a short nervous laugh.

I started to trace the tattoos that began in a leaf shape a little below his ear. He closed his eyes. It seemed like he wanted to say something again. His eyes opened, and I wanted to lean in to kiss him, but he turned away.

“Not like this.”

“Fair enough. But then your not allowed to talk either.”

He closed his eyes again. His collar stopped me from going any further, and I tugged at it. He turned on his back, getting rid of his white short-sleeved shirt. Eyes still closed with that stupid smile on his mouth. Putting one arm behind his head as I go on tracing every line down his chest. Biting at his nipple rings. Michael’s reactions betrayed how he really felt about me. I wondered when he would come clean.

***

Juliet

After Michael fell asleep, I left. I walked into town and beyond… Until I couldn’t walk anymore and then went home to the farm. On my way back, I checked the barn to see if there were any people in there. I felt a tinge of regret every time I had to pick up a tarp. The people were bound and gagged, fearing for their lives.

Punching in the code on the lock made the doors spring open like they always did. I made my way to the back, where they hid the cages. It would have a lock. It won’t be magnetic, and I searched around for the key. They hid it close by, so it wasn’t long before I found it.

The guy in there was kind of young. Buff and not homeless. His eyes were alert to my every move. Unlocking the chain and then opening the front gate of the cage, I manifested my teeth, making the guy freak out like everybody did.

I didn’t check if his feet were tied to his hands behind his back. But he got up on his knees and head-butted me. Ramming me. I realized my mistake when the pain shot through my skull.

“Frack!” I fell over backward. He scooted past me on his knees and elbows, his hands and feet still tied. Groaning, I turned on my side. I couldn’t keep my manifestation. The guy was panicking. His eyes were full of fear glancing at me and running over the contents of the barn.

“Not cool, dude. I’m pregnant… If it’s your time… It’s your time, man.”

Being with Michael made me sound like a biker… I shook my head…

It was freezing in the barn. “My baby needs food.” I tried to get up but couldn’t catch my breath. A white haze covered my eyes as I went in and out. Trying to stay present, standing on my knees in the dirt.

“Oh, man. Not now!” Bracing for the searing pain, I checked the guy moving his hand backward and forwards. “Are you getting out of those bondages?”

The wind was howling eerily through the gaps in the wooden panes of the wall. There was steel equipment they left around for farming. The coldness was setting into my bones. My favorite music flowed through me as I swayed. Caleb was kicking me something fierce that day. He was strong and capable. I didn’t care what anybody else said. His name was Caleb. A few moments later, Mr. Young Guy made his way over to me.

***

Michael

Darkness surrounded me. I had slept through the morning. It was hard catching up on rest. Once your body knew it was on holiday, a person’s system kind of shut down. I had asked Samuel to put off my sleep cycle with her. I sat up in bed, tossing the duvet off me.

“Juliet? You here?”

No response. Getting up, I felt for my pants but couldn’t see a damn thing. Falling over half the furniture, I made my way to the wall.

“Why were there no bedside lamps in this room?” The light blinded me for a second. I walked all the way back to the bed to find my pants. Pulling them up, I grabbed my socks and shirt Juliet had thrown across the room. She had me almost crazy earlier. Taking her sweet time with me.

I shook myself feeling my body respond. “Get a grip, Michael.” I talked to myself. I pushed the door open and yelled throughout the house. “She wouldn’t leave. It’s freezing out.” I muttered.

I’d been in the kitchen… The study. Every nook she loved to read.

The lounge to watch tv in front of the fireplace. But the house was dead… She wasn’t there. Checking my watch and seeing the time, I went into another gear.

The front door creaked as I pulled open the two big doors. Wind burst through, making me step back. “S-.” There was a massive storm coming.

I grabbed my coat, seeing Juliets’s wasn’t on the hook. Why didn’t I check earlier? I scanned the area for clues, feeling droplets of water on my face running down the road. The barn loomed in front of me. “S-! S-! I didn’t have a weapon or anything besides the switchblade knife I kept in my jacket pocket.

The door was open, and if she was inside, we were going to have a long chat about locking up behind you and a buddy system. I heard noises.

The hair on my arm stood up straight as I heard grunting. Someone was in pain… My boot opened the door slowly, and I quickly darted my head in and out of the small space.

Taking in the scene as fast as I could, my head tilted up from relief. Thanking the universe, it wasn’t her grunting. I blew out the heavy breath, closing my eyes as I decided what to do.

Juliet's eyes were white. Not the standard black, and her mouth was twice the size. The guy was grunting because he was still alive. She had ripped him open, eating him… Man, that was the part of my job I didn’t like.

Disturbing her would make her turn on me. Rummaging through my pockets, I felt for the familiar alien tech I carried. It was for this specific day.

Placing the black tube in my palm, I pressed my thumb down. It opened up like a roller door moving quickly into a flat sheet. The golden color was beautiful, and I had chosen it for her personally.

I waited until she changed position. Slowly I made my way inside, ready for her lightning reflexes. She didn’t hear me. Slowly I approached her, putting my hand with the hard steel over her mouth. It sucked onto her face and closed her jaw. It masked all around her head, locking at the back over her hair.

Juliet stood up, hands at her side. She was utterly docile.

“Finish what you started. Don’t leave him like that.” She grabbed the knife out of my hand pushed it against his temple. She pressed the button to eject the blade into his skull. I cringed and shook my shoulders as the sounds ran down my spine.

“Now, come back to me, honey...” Her eyes started changing.

I pressed my fingerprint at the back of the mouthpiece before she could feel the claustrophobic sensation it would bring. The alien tech folded up into a little tube again. I saw her lips change into their original human shape, and then she smiled at me.

“Hi.”

I chortled nervously. “Yeah! Hi!”

I pointed down to the ground. “You did that.”

She manifested into her regular vampire face from the smell. Juliet fell next to him. She sucked his neck until the blood dripped down her chin.

“This is new. A little primal.”

I could only find a rag, and I handed it to her.

“Thanx. Idiot wanted to kick Caleb… I was already changing... Waiting for the pain, but it never came.”

I smiled, happy that the worst was over.

“Do you remember anything while you were out?” Waiting in anticipation.

“No. I never do.”

I sighed.

“Where did you get him?” She asked.

“Local brothel a little out of town. He keeps cheating on his wife. I don’t like that.”

“Cool, Michael! I didn’t peg you for… the faithful husband kind.”

“Ha Ha…! How… do you feel about one of your husbands sleeping with someone else?”

“I don’t know. What do you think?”

“That’s not really how a harem works. No man would allow it. Why should you?”

“No, I supposed not. But I don’t think Louis ever will even if I take fifty husbands... Marcus… Well, Marcus has someone on the side. I’m sure of it… Maybe a secret wife back at the compound.”

I snorted. “His hand maybe,” I mumbled low so she couldn’t hear.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing… What about Chris?”

She burst out a short laugh. “He didn’t cheat on Sita for three years. Why would he cheat on me? What’s with the questions.”

I was fishing… but I wasn’t going to tell her that Chris would probably sleep with Sita in the next three days and then go back to America with her.

“I wanted to know if I should tell you how many girls I’ve slept with. In the last few years.”

“You’re a good liar… Not like the rest of them.” I frowned at her. She didn’t know everything going on, did she? We busied ourselves with tape, tarp, and cleaning.

“I thought you loved Chris the most. Isn’t he…? Your soulmate.” Walking over to me, she pushed her hands underneath my jacket and pulled me closer.

“I thought you know me better than I know myself?” A smile played around her mouth.

“So, you still don’t believe in soulmates.”

“Bingo. I still believe in unconditional love, though. And If Chris sleeps with someone else, he decides if he leaves or not. Because if he does, he’s probably in love.”

“And me? You just using my body?” I asked mockingly.

“We haven’t even kissed.”

“I’m asking if you feel like your cheating?”

She huffed. “You saw Louis and me talking all those months ago. He gets to decide, and… he left me here. I kinda think he knows… And he is the only one that matters.”

I hugged her closer, but she pushed just a little away from me. Her hands ran from behind me with index fingers pushed into my pants. They followed the v of my stomach down into my pants. She cupped me. Touching me.

“I just ate… I feel good… It’s my turn.”

I kissed her on top of her head.

“Yeah. IOU.” I joked. We walked back to the house hand in hand. Fingers interlocked. “Can you just brush your teeth?”

She loved that…jumping at me. Trying to kiss me. I dodged her. She stood up on her tiptoes. Licking at my face, making me run away from her.

“Come on… You not going to join the cannibal team?”

“No!”

“Fine. I’ll just take a shower.” I stopped walking. Doe-eyed staring at her.

She came back for me laughing, pulling me up the stairs.

It felt weird. It felt unreal. I was the happiest guy when she said she would come to the farm. I had no idea that her response to me would be so natural. That we would fall into a rhythm that I didn’t understand.

I was going to give her what she wanted. I wasn’t going to talk about anything. I was going to bond with her. Hold her. Sleep with her in my arms. Sit on the couch. Make her happy, because I did know her best.