Screams emanated from the television, the pulsing blue light in the darkness providing a much-needed distraction. Sienna shoveled a handful of microwave popcorn into her mouth while Declan sat on the chair across from her, scrolling on his phone.
“This is dumb.” He kept looking up at the screen intermittently.
“Come on, this is a modern classic. The first of its kind to do the whole ‘found footage’ thing,” Sienna said. The iconic scene of one of the campers with her face in the camera, nose running and all, was playing. “It’s actually terrifying.”
“Oh, please,” he said, though he didn’t look away.
A high-pitched witch cackle came from behind them and caused the two of them to scream. Sienna spilled popcorn all over her lap and Declan threw his phone to the ground.
“Wow, you guys are easy,” Juliet said. She was laughing so hard Sienna could see tears in the corners of her eyes.
“What the hell, Mom?” Declan yelled. “You could have broken my phone!”
“Oh, this isn’t scary, this is for babies,” Juliet mocked him.
“Whatever. It’s only because it’s dark in here and you surprised me.” He gave her an epic eye roll.
Sienna smiled at their interaction. They had a great relationship, and she was glad Declan had such a good support system. “Take a seat, we’re getting to all the good parts now,” Sienna said. She patted the couch next to her, trying to make it seem like everything was normal.
She sensed Juliet’s hesitation, but Juliet sat next to her anyway. She removed her hairpin and let her hair fall over her shoulders. She looked good either way, but Sienna loved it when she wore her hair down. Not that it mattered.
“Give me some.” Juliet took her own handful of popcorn. “We should take a field trip to Maryland to see if we can find the Blair Witch ourselves.”
“You guys can go. I’m not wasting my time in the woods looking for some made-up witch.” Declan scoffed.
Juliet looked at Sienna with wide eyes. Sienna caught her drift and covered her mouth.
“What?” Declan asked, seeming the slightest bit uneasy.
“Legend has it that if you say out loud that she doesn’t exist, she comes and proves it to you. While you sleep. Why did you have to say that?” Juliet asked. Sienna had to give her kudos for how genuinely shaken she sounded.
“That’s bull…crap.”
Sienna uncovered her mouth slowly. “Didn’t you ever hear about that girl in Delaware? She told her friends it was all a myth and that the Blair Witch could bite her ass. The next day, she was found floating facedown in a pond behind her house. And she never went near that pond because she was deathly afraid of water. It was ruled an accident, but everybody really knows what happened that night.”
“Stop trying to scare me, it’s not going to—”
“Behind you!” Juliet screamed.
Declan leapt out of his chair so fast he knocked it over. Sienna was laughing as hard as Juliet was, and at one point, Juliet put her hand on Sienna’s knee. Sienna looked at it but didn’t acknowledge it. She didn’t want her to pull it away.
“You guys are dicks!” Declan yelled, fixing the chair.
“Language!”
“You deserved it! Go ahead and watch your stupid movie. I’m going upstairs to play Smell of Death,” Declan said. He stomped away, but Sienna could see the hint of a smile on his lips.
“Keep the light on,” Juliet called after him. She smiled again and took a drink of her soda. “It’s always fun to scare the shit out of your kid. He’s done it enough times to me that I feel sort of vindicated right now.”
“Not sure we’ll win any parenting awards, but you’re right, that was good,” Sienna agreed. Their eyes met for a second before they both looked away.
They finished the movie in relative silence, providing commentary here and there. When it was over, Juliet stood and stretched. She was still in her uniform.
“I’m gonna call it a night,” Juliet said, bringing the empty popcorn bowl and soda cans into the kitchen. “It’s been a very long day.”
“Agreed,” Sienna said. She followed Juliet up the stairs, taking a left toward her own room while Juliet went into the guest room. “Good night.”
“Night.”
Sienna changed into a silk nightshirt and turned off all the lights. She went through her nightly skin care routine, tried to read the book that she’d had lying on her nightstand for the last month, scrolled through her phone for a few minutes, and then decided that it was useless. Her brain was too full, moving from one subject to another and always back to the one person she shouldn’t be thinking of. She stared up at the ceiling for a few minutes and then threw the covers off angrily.
She sat in the oversized chair near her vanity, still in the dark. Her nightshirt was tucked under her knees, her toes curling and uncurling in response to her indecision. She wasn’t sure if she should just burst into Juliet’s room and tell her that they needed to talk, or if it would just be awkward and tense for the foreseeable future. The door to Juliet’s room was made of both iron and cardboard. Too much, not enough.
It turned out that she didn’t need to make that decision. Sienna heard her door snick softly open. She watched as Juliet tiptoed into the room a few feet, presumably assumed that Sienna was sleeping, and attempted to slink back out.
“I’m here.” Sienna broke the silence. She didn’t bother to whisper. Declan slept like the dead.
Juliet jumped. “Jesus, Sienna. Why are you sitting in the dark?”
“Why are you in here?” Sienna asked, ignoring her question.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“Neither could I.”
Juliet closed the door behind her and stumbled in the dark until she was sitting on the edge of Sienna’s bed. Even in the dark Sienna could tell she was hesitant and uncomfortable.
“Are you angry?” Sienna’s voice was softer now.
Juliet chuckled bitterly. “Not for any rational reason, Sienna. I just don’t want to sweep this whole thing under the rug and be weird around each other anymore. We can acknowledge it, get past it, and move on. We don’t need that kiss to define what we are to each other. Or maybe we do. I don’t know.”
“We’re treading dangerous waters.” Sienna tucked her knees under her chin, suddenly feeling chilled.
“I know. But I feel like if I don’t tread, I’ll drown. We’ve been dismissing whatever this thing is between us for a while now.”
“Okay.” Sienna took in a monumental breath. “I’ve known this for some time, but what happened in the basement confirmed it for me. I’m attracted to you.” That was putting it mildly.
“Same.”
Sienna rolled her eyes in the darkness. “Good. So, we’ve admitted that we have an attraction toward each other. Does that clear anything up?”
“You know it doesn’t.”
“I do know that. Then maybe we shouldn’t have to drag it out of each other. Just tell me,” Sienna said, though her heart was pounding out of her chest. She was petrified to hear what Juliet had to say; she was even more afraid that she’d never hear it.
“This is hard for me, Sienna. I think, maybe, I mean, I’m pretty sure anyway, that this…is more than an attraction. I like you.”
Sienna swallowed. “Okay?”
“Yeah.” Juliet fidgeted on the bed. Sienna heard her foot smack against its wooden leg. “So, I think it’s been a long time coming. Since that day we drove Dec to summer camp, there was like this little spark, and it wasn’t huge or anything, but it was there, and it never went out. And then we went out for coffee and I saw you around a couple times, and it grew a little bit more each time I saw you, but I ignored it. And then we started working together, and it just kind of ballooned into this bonfire I can’t control anymore. So…yeah.”
Sienna could feel the vulnerability exuding off Juliet, which only made her want her more. Everything Juliet said stabbed her in the heart with an ice pick. She wanted to cry but pushed it down as far as it would go.
“I feel that way too, Juliet,” Sienna said. She could barely elevate her voice above a whisper. “I’m trying to be rational about this, in any way that I can. I know a fair amount about the human psyche, and infatuations are common. Especially when the object of that infatuation is off-limits.”
Juliet stood. She paced back and forth. “It’s not an infatuation. I’m not interested in you because you’re ‘off-limits.’”
“How do you know?”
“I just know. This isn’t my first rodeo, though it probably seems like it.”
Sienna didn’t want to push. This was the most open they’d ever been with each other, so forcing Juliet to admit something she didn’t believe certainly wouldn’t help the communication.
“What about Will?” Sienna asked.
“I love Will. I’ll always love him, he’s a good friend and a good father and we’ve been through a lot over the years. He would hate me if he knew how I felt. Same question goes for you, what about Will?”
Sienna sighed. “I don’t want to hurt him. That has never been my goal. But we’re not getting back together. I’ll always care about him and he’ll always be important to me, in one way or another. But I’ve let this linger for much too long. I’ve been ready to move on with my life for years at this point, but I was so determined not to hurt anyone or blow up a ‘perfect’ life that I just sat idly by and watched the days and nights pass in front of me. I can’t do that anymore. I won’t.”
“And I am one hundred percent not saying you should. But you’re not legally divorced yet. Wouldn’t that be cheating? Technically?” Juliet sat back down on the edge of the bed and crossed her legs at the ankles.
“I don’t know. I don’t know the protocol for that kind of thing. It doesn’t feel like cheating because it’s been over for such a long time. Will would probably feel otherwise. Our hearing is set for December thirteenth and at that point it will be over. I’ll be Sienna Carter again, and I don’t really know who she is. But I have an idea what she wants.” Sienna bit her bottom lip. It was vague, but not really. Juliet wasn’t naive.
“Which brings me to my second point. When you and Will are finally divorced, aren’t you going to want to go out into the world and see what’s out there? Date around, do new things, be Sienna Carter, single woman, for a while? I’m not saying that if you and I…I don’t know, but I’m not saying that it’s instant commitment or anything, but I’ve been single for a while and I don’t want…that. I know I’m being evasive, and I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be.” Juliet’s leg was shaking as though she was leaning on a nerve.
“I understand where you’re coming from,” Sienna said. “But I’m not interested in being a serial dater. It’s not my thing and it never has been. Remember, I was in my thirties when I met Will, so it’s not like I have wild oats to sow.”
She heard Juliet swallow hard. “Sienna. What if this is…fleeting? We have this Romeo and Juliet thing going on, and I won’t deny it, I’ve thought about how this could possibly work and what effect it would have on our lives. But you have to understand my hesitation in blowing up everything I’ve worked so hard for, for a maybe.”
Sienna flinched. Juliet was right, but that didn’t make the sting any less biting. “Well, that hurt. But I do understand what you mean.”
“I’m sorry. I know you love Declan, and I know you don’t want to hurt Will any more than he’s already hurting. Would you be willing to jump into something with me, knowing the damage it would do?” Juliet asked.
Sienna paused. Juliet had a point. What if they decided to give it a try and found they were incompatible after all? Juliet’s life would be more difficult, for sure, and Sienna would probably lose Declan forever. “I don’t know.”
Juliet sighed. “Then I guess we’re left with that. We can both acknowledge that there’s something brewing between us, an attraction, a spark, whatever you want to call it. But we should probably let sleeping dogs lie. I want you to know this doesn’t mean that whatever I’m feeling will just disappear overnight. From the time we’ve spent together, Sienna, and the way you’ve treated my son over the years, I can’t express just how important you’ve become to me. I cherish our friendship, and I hope that never changes. I just don’t want you to think that you don’t mean something to me. Because that’s not the case. At all.”
Sienna nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I feel the same way, Juliet. You’ve become a welcome fixture in my life and I’m happy with the way things are between us. We’ll figure it out. And I do know that you’re right. About everything.”
Juliet stood. “I should probably go back to my room now. Big day tomorrow. Good night, Sienna.”
“Night, Juliet. Sleep well,” Sienna said.
Sienna walked past Juliet to climb into her side of the bed. She had so many feelings swirling through her that she felt almost dizzy. As she was about to pull down the comforter, she felt a hand grasp her wrist, sharply tugging her backward. She was about to ask what was wrong, but before she could form the words, she felt Juliet’s other hand clasp the back of her neck and pull her forward. Their lips collided in a fury, Juliet wasting no time in thrusting her tongue forward, running it along the length of Sienna’s lips. Sienna moaned, nipping at the tip of Juliet’s tongue with her teeth. Their entire conversation was erased in a millisecond, and all Sienna could think about was that she wanted more, she wanted all of her, and maybe it was time to pursue what would make her happy.
Juliet pushed Sienna down on the bed and straddled her. Sienna grabbed Juliet’s shirt in her fist, pulling her down firmly on top of her. She stifled a groan when she felt Juliet’s body mesh with her own, her focus obliterated by the heat of their touching skin. Juliet responded, holding both of Sienna’s wrists down at her side, while running her lips over Sienna’s earlobe, her jawline, and over the taut muscles of her neck. Sienna trembled with a sharp intake of breath. It had been so long, so, so, long since she’d felt this way. Whatever was coursing through her intensified, heightened to the point of no return. Part of her wanted to cry, part of her wanted to scream, and part of her wanted to just melt into Juliet, so close that there was no way to discern where she began or Juliet ended.
Juliet seemed to sense Sienna’s excitement, and thrust her hips forward, bringing the two of them even closer. She freed Sienna’s hands, which Sienna immediately wrapped around Juliet’s back, holding her as though her life depended on it. Juliet smiled into Sienna’s lips. The reservations Sienna had had just minutes before were suddenly nonexistent, and she was almost certain Juliet felt the same way. Juliet didn’t break contact, but she positioned herself so she could move her hand under Sienna’s top, resting on the top button. It was as though she was requesting permission, and without thought, Sienna arched her back to grant it to her.
“Sienna?” called a hushed voice. “Where’s Juliet?”
Juliet toppled off Sienna in a flash, nearly falling to the floor. Sienna sat up too fast, an abysmal mix of lightheadedness and sexual energy sending a wave of nausea through her. She cleared her throat in a panic.
Sienna flung the door open, frustration and longing threatening to break her. “What did you say?”
Will stood on the other side of the door, shirtless and tousled. “I couldn’t sleep, and Juliet isn’t in the guest room. Her car is still here, but I can’t find—” Will broke off, noticing Juliet in the background. “Everything okay?”
“Yes, everything is fine,” Sienna said, irrationally angry at him. She didn’t mean to snap, but at that moment her self-control was nonexistent.
“What are you doing in here?” Will asked.
Sienna saw Juliet’s face fall in the sliver of light the hallway nightlight provided.
“She needed an extra pillow.” Sienna didn’t have enough time to decide if that was believable or not. “Her neck was bothering her, so I wanted to give her something to keep her…elevated.” Not her best work, not by a long shot.
“Okay,” he said. He looked confused but accepted the explanation. Juliet grabbed one of the pillows from Sienna’s bed and patted it for effect. “Jules, I just figured you were still awake and might want to talk. I know it’s been a hell of a few days.”
Yawning, Juliet swept by Sienna dramatically. “I’m actually really beat, but we can catch up in the morning.” She rubbed the back of her neck. Sienna wasn’t sure if she was doing that to complement the story or if the stress of the moment had manifested itself into physical pain.
“Okay. Night, Sienna. Night, Jules.”
Sienna stood at her doorway and watched as Juliet let Will get a few paces ahead of her before turning back to her. Sienna wanted to grab her by the collar and pull her back into the bedroom. “Good night,” she whispered.
“Night,” Sienna whispered back. It was going to be a long, long, night.