Yeah, there was her Juliet, with that sharp tone.
Only. Wait –
Darcy froze, Juliet’s words registering.
“I love you,” she breathed back, feeling totally electrified. She was braced, so utterlyreadyto hear Juliet say it, again. Say it for real.
“I love you, Darcy. In a way that should be really terrifying.”
“Should be?”
Juliet hummed in response, leaning up to press her mouth to Darcy’s. Her kiss was soft and searching, affirming, and warmth flooded Darcy’s entire body.
When Juliet leaned back, Darcy moved to follow her. Needing to kiss her again, just one more taste.
“Come to L.A.,” Juliet whispered against her lips. “Come back with me.”
Darcy froze where she was, her mouth still brushing against Juliet’s, as her words slammed into her. She leaned back, blinking widely at her. “Are you… asking me to move in with you? In L.A.?”
Juliet’s face flushed, and her mouth opened, then closed. Before she huffed out a breath, angling her jaw up. “Maybe I am. Maybe I’m just offering you a place to be while you figure things out.”
Darcy didn’t really care what they called it, she was already nodding. “I accept the offer either way.”
If she did want to get an apartment or something, she could. Sure. But the idea of being wrapped up with Juliet without either of them being on tour for a while sounded like a dream.
Juliet bit at her bottom lip. “Your sister and Emerson really do have awful timing. I’m annoyed at them in my own right.”
Curiosity flitted through her, her hands pausing where she was still toying with Juliet’s fingers. “Oh?”
“Mhmm.” Juliet hummed. “I had some big news to share with you, and this really overshadowed it.”
“Baby, you’re killing me here.”
Juliet’s smile was devastatingly sexy, the way her eyes gleamed with it. Like she knew exactly how much she was killing Darcy by keeping her waiting.
“I broke up with Robbie. Ended our arrangement, that is.”
It took a second for that to sink in. Darcy thought, at first, she misheard. But Juliet’s expression slipped into something serious, so earnest, as she waited for Darcy’s response.
Surprise, happiness, confusion – it all blended together.
Juliet adjusted the way their hands were entangled so she could squeeze Darcy’s, arching her a look. “Well? Thoughts?”
“I – Ireallyhope you know I wasn’t giving you some sort of ultimatum. Because I wasn’t,” she promised, squeezing Juliet’s hand in return. “I just… I wanted to be a part of the conversation.”
“I know. Ending my arrangement with Robbie wasn’t about you.” Juliet rolled her eyes. “Okay, wellit is, but not because I feel as though you forced my hand. The truth is that I did, at first, think maybe you could come around to Robbie. Because, to me, he really is like a security blanket.To me, having him at an event wouldn’t have to change the night you and I could have together.”
Darcyhmmed flatly in response. Because she knew that was how Juliet saw it. But she still felt that knee-jerkupsetinside.
“However,” Juliet locked onto her eyes, passion burning in her expression. “If the world thought you were in a relationship with someone else… if you perpetuated that belief, if you talked about a future with someone, if–” She cut herself off, her voice getting darker as her eyes narrowed. “It would drive me fucking insane.”
Juliet’s words were barely more than a growl, and Darcy shivered at the timbre.
“I don’t want to make you feel that way. And while we can’t have this publicly,” she stared, intently, at Darcy, “I want to have you in every other way. We can omit the whole truth without lying about the rest.”
“Half-truths,” Darcy murmured, rolling her lips. Working against the excitement that wanted to rush through her, thoughshe wanted to give right into it. She just had to be sure, “This is what you want, though?”
“It is. I…” Juliet’s next exhale was a little shaky, but her voice was firm, “I feel more secure withyouthan with anyone else. I don’t need Robbie to be part of my image, anymore.”