Page 130 of His Juliet

Romeo

I’m so sorry but I’ll be out. I would much rather be talking with you. Actually, I just want to be wrapped around you

How are you doing? You can always sleep at Sofiya or Sienna’s if you get lonely

Juliet

I’m ok. But I’m going to be really good at Mario Kart at this rate

Romeo

You’ll crush all the opposition, including me

I’ve got to run. Love you, stellina

Juliet

Love you

* * *

The third nightRomeo was gone, I found myself sitting on the couch in the dark. The sun had set hours ago and the silence of the apartment was suffocating. I should have turned on some music, watched a TV show, read a book, donesomething. But I was frozen.

The apartment felt too big. The lamps cast looming shadows on the walls that played tricks with my mind.

I’d woken up alone and spent the day alone.

Just like yesterday and the day before.

Romeo’s just busy. He hasn’t forgotten you. He’s not tired of you.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the dark thoughts.

I stayed on the couch, staring at the front door for the entire night.

And when the morning sunlight streamed in through the windows and I still didn’t have a single text from Romeo, I could almost hear my heart break.

* * *

I slowly openedmy apartment door, bracing myself for an alarm to go off.

I was being ridiculous. No one had told me I couldn’t leave my apartment—in fact, Sofiya had invited me over multiple times—but I still felt like I would get in trouble.

Dante, the bodyguard posted in the hallway, lifted his chin. “You good, Juliet?”

I nodded and took a few tentative steps towards him. “Um, I thought I’d see if Sienna was home. If that’s okay?”

He furrowed his brow. “Of course.”

I bit my lip and knocked before I lost my nerve.

Romeo had been gone for four days.

Four long days alone in the apartment with only my dark thoughts to keep me company.

I missed working at the bookstore. It had given me a sense of purpose. All I’d done the past few days was wander around the apartment, try (and fail) to read, and imagine all the horrifying things Romeo was doing withLeona.

I wouldn’t have thought it possible that my world could shrink even smaller, that I could grow even more pathetic than I had been these past few years, but here I was.

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