“I know!” Because Darcy got it. She couldn’t blame Emerson for looking like she was going to drop to the floor, because every time she thought about their interaction, she felt that way, too.
And she did think about it.
A lot.
Daily.
Multiple times a day.
Why did Juliet do it? Just to antagonize her? To get some dirt on her? Would she go so far as to invite Darcy to kiss her? Had it been some sort of fucked up test? Had Darcy passed? Had she failed?
And, most of all, she hated that every single time she replayed it in her mind, she felt hot all over. Her blood pulsed through her veins faster, her stomach swooped low.
It shouldn’t be arousing to her. Because, frankly, it was terrifying. Juliet having this knowledge was DEFCON 1. She’d already barely been able to sleep, before, and now it was even worse.
She had her phone alerts turned right back on, making sure she knew every time Juliet surfaced in the media. So far, Juliethadn’t said anything about her at all. Not about her sexuality, not about their duet. Silence.
And amid this anxiety? Darcy was turned on.
Fucked up. Beyond fucked up.
“Why?” Emerson finally asked, when she seemed to regain function.
“I have no idea,” she admitted, falling heavily back into her chair, dropping her head back. “I just keep waiting for her to say something or do something, and…”
She exhaled shakily, not even sure how to finish the thought.
Darcy didn’t really know what the future held, when it came to her sexuality. Maybe at some point, she would want to come out. But she knew for damn sure she wanted it on her terms, not Juliet’s.
Emerson was silent for a few seconds, before she nodded in thought. “But she hasn’t said anything yet. And it’s been a week.”
“Right.” The wariness settled through Darcy’s very bones. “Maybe she’s lying in wait, though. Juliet isn’t stupid. Maybe this is leverage. Maybe –oh!”
She jerked upright as the thought hit her, and she felt like a total idiot for not seeing it sooner.
“The duet,” she said, simply, in explanation.
Emerson lifted her eyebrows, silently asking her for more.
“Shereallywants to be on Shelby’s album. Even more than I did.” It had been fascinating to see that facet of Juliet, the part that honestly yearned for something. “But Copper Canyon was pretty firm that she couldn’t do it if we weren’t dueting. So, she’s going to wait until everything is tied up with the album, to make sure there’s no backlash.”
It was the only explanation she could think of that was even moderately logical.
Emerson’s eyes were narrowed, like she wasn’t entirely convinced. “It just seems really far for her to go. The stripping inthe bathroom and stuff,” she elaborated as if Darcy didn’t realize that. “When all she needed was you coming out to her. Which you already had.”
She groaned again, painfully. “Yeah, she pushed it basically as far as humanly possible.”
It had felt real. Juliet’s heat, the unfazed movement of it all – it had felt very real. But how could she really decipher that?
Emerson’s lips were pursed to the side, deep in thought, before she asked, “So… what now?”
“What now is that I go to Shelby’s dinner party next week and figure out what Juliet’s deal is,” Darcy stated, rolling her shoulders back as if preparing to go to battle.
In a way, she was. Right?
“Darcy, Emerson, you can stop lazing on the lawn furniture now as if you’re mannequins on display. RJ and I have reached a deal,” Blythe informed them, her tone the embodiment of victory.
Emerson turned to look at Blythe, before returning her stare to Darcy. “Hey, if Juliet publicly outs you, you could probably sic Blythe on her. Retail Blythe is terrifying.”
