Page 99 of His Juliet

I froze on the toilet when I realized I didn’t have any pads or tampons with me. I’d run out at the end of my last period and had been waiting for my next paycheck to buy more.

I cleaned myself up the best I could, got a fresh pair of underwear, and layered about half a roll of toilet paper in them. My period was always heavy the first few days, so this wouldn’t hold me for long.

I stared at my phone, trying to figure out what to do. I didn’t want to interrupt Romeo. What did I expect him to do—leave work to bring me period products? Sienna lived in the other apartment on this floor. She had seemed nice when I briefly met her in the bookstore. She might have supplies I could borrow, but I didn’t have her number, meaning I’d have to leave the apartment to see if she was home.

I clutched my phone as if it could offer me some sort of moral support as I walked to the door. This wasn’t a big deal. I just had to walk into the hallway and knock on the other door. It was fewer steps than walking to the bagel shop.

But the bagel shop is safe.

The hallway is unsafe.

Romeo’s apartment felt safe because it belonged toRomeo. Itsmelledlike him,feltlike him, and my mind and body had decided that anything Romeo meant safety. But especially with everything that had happened the past few days, my body was very sure that nothing else was safe. As I stood by the front door, my hand resting on the doorknob, the familiar sensation of panic rose in my chest. My armpits pricked with sweat, dizziness washed over me, and my chest grew tight.

“Come on. Just open the door and walk into the hallway. It’s not that hard to do.” My words to myself were angry, but they didn’t make a difference. My ragged breaths filled the air, and I sank down to the floor.

Time became distorted, racing and crawling by at the same time as I remained frozen on the floor.Do something, Juliet. Get up. Go down the hall. Text Romeo. Just something.But I couldn’t manage it, trapped in my fractured mind and body.

* * *

Ringing joltedme back to reality. I was lying on the floor with no memory of how I got there. My limbs felt stiff and cold as I slowly stretched out my arm to reach for the phone in front of me.

Romeo’s name flashed on the screen, and I answered it without thinking.

“Hi.”

There was a beat of silence and then?—

“What’s wrong?”

I squeezed my eyes shut. How did he read me so easily?

“Juliet. What is wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me, angel.”

“It’s not worth bothering you with. I know you’re busy.”

“I’m never too busy for you.” I could tell he was working hard to soften his voice. “Did you hurt yourself?”

My heart broke at the question, and his lack of trust in me. I understood it, but it still made me ache.

“No, I promise. You’re going to think I’m stupid.”

“I won’t.”

I let out a slow breath. “I started my period.” I choked on a sob as tears appeared from nowhere and poured down my cheeks. I hated how fragile my hormones made me feel.

“Oh, sweetheart. What do you need?”

“I don’t have any supplies with me, and I thought maybe Sienna would have some. I was going to knock on her door, but I had a panic attack.” I sniffled pitifully, still too wrung out to push myself up to a seated position.

“I’m on my way back. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Romeo, no. You have?—”

“If the next words out of your mouth aremore important things to do, I’m going to stop you right there.”

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