Why Romeo Hates Juliet (46 page)

Romeo walked into the beach house and threw his keys on the end table by the door as he always did when he came home.

“Juliet, I’m home,” he called.

He was just about to bend down to take off his boots when he saw two suitcases, a computer laptop case and Juliet’s sweater thrown over them, all positioned at the entrance leading into the living room. He straightened up and his eyebrows drew together in a frown as his heart began racing. What was going on?

Quickly moving into the living room, he came face-to-face with Juliet, who was standing by the couch obviously waiting for him. Her face was somber and she was nervously twisting the wedding ring on her left hand.

“Has something happened to Sara?” he quickly asked, deep concern etched in his voice.

“No,” she replied, “she’s fine.”

Romeo took a step back at the seriousness he saw in her eyes. She wasn’t moving a muscle except for twisting that ring round and round her finger, and her gaze never left his. She didn’t come forward to kiss him hello, she didn’t smile at him and she looked cold. Romeo’s heart immediately increased its tempo and leapt into his throat with fear. “Are those your bags out there?” he asked softly, almost afraid to hear her answer.

Juliet stoically lifted her nose and her eyes flashed with determination. “Yes. I’m leaving,” she stated flatly.

Her words hit Romeo with full force and he stood there blank, shocked and suddenly shaken to the very core of his being. “Leaving? What are you talking about?”

“I’m sorry, Romeo but this isn’t going to work. I’m going home to Vancouver tonight.” He watched in amazement as Juliet pulled her wedding ring off and gently put it down on the coffee table. Complete shock registered on Romeo’s countenance and he ran his hands in frustration through his hair. “What? Why?” was all he could utter, as he stared at her in disbelief.

Juliet remained silent. “Say something,” he suddenly shouted, “Don’t just stare at me with that frozen face.” When she still said nothing, he rushed forward in a sudden panic and grabbed her arms. “Did I do something wrong or say something or…”

“No.”

“Then what, dammit? Tell me what’s going on here,” he yelled in desperation.

Juliet pulled out of his embrace and took a couple of steps back. “There’s somebody else,” she barely whispered.

“What?” Astonishment caused his eyes to grow wide. “What are you talking about?” He suddenly saw tears starting to fall down Juliet’s cheeks.

“Talk to me!” he shouted at her at full decibel, and saw her flinch at his harsh tone.

“There’s somebody else, okay?” she shouted at him in the same tone he had just used on her.

“Who? Who is it?”

“It’s somebody I was seeing last year, we were engaged and we called it off.”

Romeo’s mouth dropped open as if someone had punched him in the gut. “Engaged? I don’t believe you. You never said anything about this before.”

“We haven’t told each other all of our stories, have we?”

“I think you should have mentioned an engagement,” he said sarcastically.

“Maybe I should have, but…” Juliet’s voice trailed away as her resolve began to waver at the deep hurt she saw playing across Romeo’s face.

“But what? Answer me, damn you!”

At the sound of the anger behind his words, Juliet flinched again, but her determination to go through with her plan suddenly returned. “I thought it was over - but it’s not,” she said, her tone cold and emotionless. She watched as his mouth twisted in a knowing smirk.

“So… have you been seeing this asshole behind my back the whole time we’ve been married? Is he here on the island?”

“No. He called a few days ago and wants to try again.”

“Really? Does he know you’re another man’s wife now?”

Juliet took a deep breath and wiped some of the residual wetness from her cheeks. “Our marriage isn’t valid, Romeo. We never applied for the proper license. I just found out. I’m sorry, but we’re not married.” She delivered the news with no emotion, as if she was talking about the weather.

For the second time that night, Romeo was rendered completely speechless and he could only stare wordlessly at her in total shock. Suddenly, he rushed forward towards her again and desperately put his hands on either side of her face. “Where’s my Juliet?” he pleaded, “Where is she?

Where’s the woman I love and who loves me?” His anguish was etched in every word.

Juliet allowed her own hand to come up to his face and she gently caressed his cheek for a second before she dropped it to her side again. “I love you, Romeo, but I love him more. I want to try again with him.”

His hands let go of her face as if he’d been burned by fire and he took a step away from her, disgusted by her presence. He was breathing hard as if he’d just run a marathon and his eyes zeroed in on her. “Who is he? What’s his name? I want to know.” Juliet shook her head. “That’s not important.”

“Not important?” he gawked at her with incredulity. “He’s taking you away from me and you say it’s not important?” He turned away from her.

“This isn’t happening; it’s just not happening,” he mumbled half to himself. He turned back and the torment he was feeling shone in his eyes. “If we’re not married, then we’ll get the right licenses this time and get married again. Don’t go. We can work this out. I love you, Juliet,” he pleaded.

Juliet suddenly felt sick at what she was doing to him and she almost balked and told him the truth. But then she remembered her father and the little girl she’d been all those years ago pleading with him to stay. But he hadn’t stayed. He’d chosen the other woman and his new family, and Juliet’s whole world had imploded. No, she wouldn’t be the other woman in some other child’s life, she just wouldn’t. Her resolve to leave Romeo returned and she made her heart hard again.

“I have to go to him.”

The astonishment and confusion that had been stamped across Romeo’s face was replaced by anger and the corner of his mouth twisted with harshness. “That first night together, when we were on that damn beach…” he shouted, as he pointed to the ocean clearly visible through the living room windows, “… you said you’d never hurt me. You promised! Well, so much for your promises.”

“Romeo, I’m sorry…” she began, but he interrupted her again.

“Save your apologies for your other lover.” Suddenly, the enormity of what was happening hit him and Romeo’s eyes misted over. “My God,” he yelled, “After everything we said to each other and everything we did together, and all the times we made love…you’re just throwing it all away and for what? Did you ever love me, Juliet? Or was it all a lie?”

Juliet lowered her eyes in shame and moved to the coffee table where she picked up a sheet of paper. “My cab will be here in a half hour to take me to the airport,” she said matter-of-factly, conveniently ignoring his question. She held the note out to him. “This is the phone number for Sara’s in-laws who own this beach house. If you have any problems with this place, you can call them. And you can stay here as long as you need to. I’ve already cleared it with my sister.”

Romeo refused to take the paper being held out to him. Instead, he just stood there gawking at her as if she had just sprouted horns on the sides of her head. He couldn’t believe that this was the same woman he’d held in his arms every night for the past month, the woman he’d dreamed about, the woman he had kissed and made love to, the woman he’d shared laughter with and bared his soul to. And here she was standing before him and coldly acting as if he was some stranger she wouldn’t even say hello to. A rage suddenly filled his being.

“Everything was a lie, wasn’t it, Juliet?” When she didn’t answer him, he went wild inside and his gaze traveled the length of her in disgust. “He’s welcome to you. I hope you’ll both be very happy together.”

On seeing the pain reflected in his eyes, Juliet’s resolve finally broke completely and she softly mumbled, “I’m sorry, Romeo. I didn’t want this to happen, but…” She was just about to tell him the truth about Carrie Ann and the baby when he interrupted her.

“Save it!” he shouted. Venom shot through his countenance as he stared at her hard. “Fuck you, Juliet; fuck you!” he yelled at her before turning and storming out.

“Romeo…” Juliet called after him, but he was too quick. He’d already slammed the front door shut behind him. Seconds later, she heard his truck engine come to life and he squealed the Escalade down the driveway and away from the house.

Feeling sick to her stomach at what she’d just done, Juliet collapsed into a chair. Maybe it was just as well that she hadn’t told him the truth after all. She needed to follow through with her plan and leave PEI tonight.

In a few days to a week’s time, Carrie Ann would give him the baby news and all thoughts of Juliet would then be overshadowed by his child. He may not know it now, but one day, he would come to realize that what had happened between them - their breakup - was in the best interests of everyone concerned.

Now all Juliet had to do was to force her legs to move, get herself to the airport and get on that plane to Vancouver. Her taxi would be here soon and then it would be all over. Internally, she decided to make herself go numb again and not think about anything until she was back safely in her apartment in British Columbia. Then she would process everything that she’d just done... and let herself cry over him.

~ ~ ~

Juliet dropped her suitcases and looked around her empty, lifeless apartment. She had no recol ection of how she’d gotten home, her entire flight had been a blur.

After Romeo had stormed out, she’d impatiently waited for her taxi, hoping beyond hope that it would arrive quickly in case he would come back and find her still there. She didn’t think she could get through another scene like that. But luckily her cab had arrived within 15 minutes and she’d quickly found herself at the airport in no time flat.

Like a robot, she’d then made herself go through all of the automatic steps that needed to be done in order to get checked in and onto that plane. When they’d taken off, she hadn’t even looked out the window to see Prince Edward Island one last time, preferring instead to just close her eyes and think of nothing. Juliet knew that that was the only way she could hold onto her sanity.

And now here she was back in her own apartment in Vancouver. But as she looked over her furniture and her possessions, they felt alien to her as if they all belonged to someone else. She wasn’t the same person who used to live here over two months ago. She was different because she’d been changed by love. But now that love was gone and she’d have to pick up the pieces. How was she going to do that without him?

Juliet’s dead eyes reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. Turning it on, she quickly checked her messages and her heart leapt into her throat as she saw a whole slew of missed calls, all from Romeo’s number. With her hands shaking, she pressed the code for her voicemail and put the phone to her ear to listen to them.

The second she heard his voice, the agony of her loss finally hit her at hurricane force, shattering her resolve for good. Tears of torment started streaming unchecked down her cheeks. She loved him so much, so much. My God, what had she done?

His first call was angry, very angry and he was ordering her to call him back immediately because this wasn’t over by a long shot. In the second series of calls, his voice was still raging and he was demanding to know who this other man was. In the next sequence of phone messages, he was more subdued, asking her to call him, that they could work this out and that it didn’t have to be over. The last voicemail he left her was barely audible, but she heard him quietly whispering, “Call me, Juliet - please. I love you…” Devastated, Juliet shut her cell phone off and with heavy sobs coming from deep within her heart, she woodenly walked into her bedroom and lay down onto her bed, letting her hot, anguished tears spil unabated onto her pillow.

~ ~ ~

Sara and Rob were standing outside Juliet’s closed apartment door. Sara turned to her husband and frowned. “Should I do it?” Rob shrugged his shoulders. “We’ve knocked five times. Are you sure she’s in there?” Sara nodded. “I know my sister; she’s in there.”

“Okay, do it.”

Sara reached into her purse and pulled out a key. “I knew having this spare was a good idea,” she said, as she inserted it into the lock. She opened the door and entered. “Juliet?” she called out, but there was no answer.

Motioning for Rob to follow her, she walked to the bedroom and looked in. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she quickly saw Juliet lying on her stomach under the covers with her face jammed into a pillow.

“Go away, Sara,” Juliet muffled. She didn’t move a muscle, not even to turn to look at her sister. She just lay there, dead to the world.

Sara came forward and turned on the bedside lamp. She sighed as she took in her sister’s obvious depressed state. “Have you eaten anything since yesterday?”

“I don’t know,” she responded, the words swallowed up by the down feathers in her pillow.

“That’s a no.” Suddenly, all of the worry she was feeling for her sister came out in a torrent of angry words. “You’re going to make yourself sick if you act like this.”

“I don’t care,” Juliet intoned lifelessly. “Just go away; I want to be left alone.” Sara turned to Rob, who was standing by the open doorway, and gave him a slight shake of her head as if to say, ‘what do I do next?’ She felt hopeless. Between the two of them, Juliet had always been the strong one and she’d never seen her sister in such a defeated state before. She turned back to Juliet. “Why haven’t you been answering your phone?”

“The press are calling. They found out we’re not together anymore.”

“Is that the only reason?”

“He’s been calling.”

Sara sighed. “I figured. He’s been calling me too.”

Juliet immediately sprang out of her stupor and came upright out of the bed to stare at her sister. “What did you tell him?” she asked, her words infused with fear.

“Nothing. I haven’t taken any of his calls. He’s just leaving messages.” Sara took in Juliet’s swol en, red eyes and the sickly pall or washing across her cheeks. It was obvious her sister had been in this room crying since she’d come home last night. “He’s demanding to know who this other man is and he’s saying that he doesn’t believe that you’re in love with him. He wants to know what I know.” Panic flashed through Juliet. “Oh God, Sara, he can’t find out the truth, he can’t. What do I do?” Sara came to sit down on the bed beside her sister and gave her a hug. “He won’t find out, not from me anyway. Listen - why don’t all three of us go down the street to the Destiny Café and get something to eat? You’ll feel much better and we’ll discuss it there, okay?” Juliet nodded weakly and allowed her sister to tug her out of the bed.

* * *

All three were sitting at a table on the café’s outdoor patio, enjoying the warm September sunshine and watching the passersby stream along the busy street. Juliet had eaten only one forkful of her pasta before putting her utensil down, claiming she wasn’t hungry and eliciting a deep frown of disapproval from Sara.

“Just eat a quarter of what’s on your plate. You have to put something in your stomach,” Sara admonished.

Juliet shook her bent head. “I can’t, not now,” she mumbled, before raising her panicked eyes back up to her sister’s concerned face. “He won’t stop calling me, Sara. What am I going to do?”

Sara put her own fork down and her voice grew soft. “It’s not too late to change your mind, you know. Take his next call and tell him you made a mistake, tell him everything - the truth this time. You can get through this together and maybe Carrie Ann will listen to reason.”

“I can’t do that and you know why. No, the best thing for everyone is if he stops calling and just forgets about me.”

“He won’t do that, not if he loves you the way I know he does.”

“He has to - I have to make him.” Juliet’s gaze was suddenly caught by something shiny reflecting from across the street and her eyes instinctively turned in that direction. She spotted a paparazzi with a camera focused on them. Her heart began beating wildly in her chest. “Oh my God, don’t look, but I think there’s someone over there with a camera taking pictures of us,” she whispered.

Rob’s eyes lifted and since the street was in his direct line of vision, he took a longer look. “I see him. He’s got a camera with a large lens and it’s trained on us.”

“You’re big news, sis. All the online tabloid sites are talking about your breakup. Your picture’s worth big money right now,” Sara confirmed, as she herself took a quick peek too.

Suddenly, Juliet had an idea. She desperately needed to stop Romeo from calling her and trying to dig for the truth - it was the only way - and like they always said, a picture was worth a thousand words. “Sara, I know how to make him stop, but I need to borrow your husband to do it.” Her sister looked from her husband to the photographer and knew exactly what Juliet was talking about. “Do it, do it now,” she agreed under her breath.

Juliet turned to Rob. “Rob, don’t ask questions; just put your arms around me and kiss me on the mouth like you really mean it.” Rob’s brows drew together in confusion, oblivious to what the sisters were concocting. “Kiss you? What for?”

“Just take me in your arms, kiss me on the lips and make it look good. You can keep your mouth closed. The camera won’t be able to pick up exactly what we are or aren’t doing - please, I’m begging you.”

“What? I can’t do that…”

Sara turned to him then and gritted her teeth. “If you ever want to have sex with me again, kiss my sister and kiss her now,” she hissed.

And before he had a chance to balk again, Juliet leaned into him across the table, and wrapped her arms around his neck, planting her lips on his and letting them rest there. Instinctively, Rob’s hands came around her back and the two locked into the embrace.

“Juliet, he’s going wild with the camera,” Sara whispered, as she kept spying on the paparazzi photographer stationed across the street.

Immediately, the cameraman had begun to take picture after picture of Romeo Boyd’s wife in the arms of another man. Frankly, he couldn’t care less who the mystery man was. All he cared about was what it looked like and how much money the photographs would bring in for him.

After a minute, Juliet released her hold on Rob and the two broke apart.

“Okay, it looks like he’s packing up and leaving,” Sara continued.

Juliet nodded. “Sure, he got his moneyshot and now wants to go sell it.” She apologetically looked up at Rob. “Thank you for doing that for me,” she mumbled.

Rob shook his head. “I still don’t get it.”

Sara rolled her eyes at him. “Those photographs are going to be sold to all the tabloids and Romeo will see them too. He doesn’t know you’re my husband. He’ll just see Juliet kissing some strange guy who he’ll assume is the new man in her life. He has to believe it now and maybe he’ll leave her alone.”

Rob breathed a deep sigh of confusion and he shook his head again. “You two are nuts, you know that?” The sisters looked at each other and smiled, the first real smile that either of them had shared since Juliet had decided to leave Romeo Boyd.

* * *

Juliet knew the moment the pictures of her kissing the new ‘mystery man’ in her life went viral on the internet because that was the moment
he
stopped calling.

~ ~ ~