Chris
"Okay… Give me tonight to think about it. I'll call you in the morning," I said, clipped. I didn't even greet Sita or look back. Marcus followed my example. Juliet had less than a year and a half left and it wasn't how I ever thought we would spend that time.
Marcus closed the car door as he sat down next to me. We were silent for a few minutes, processing. I had the most to consider. Sita still didn't know everything—just enough… She looked gorgeous. I remembered why I had married her and how she was those first few months. It grieved me that lies had pulled us apart. The first message she sent me, reminding me of where we kissed for the first time, forced me to think about our marriage. The way she was with me at the table, open and honest, showed me she had changed. All be it a little menacing. Could I blame her? We were all fumbling in the dark, looking for a needle in a haystack.
I took out my burner phone and texted, leaning forward so the screens were covered.
Chris { Will Juliet accept this? If I do it? }
He didn't have to answer. We both shook our heads slowly. It was a stupid question.
Marcus { Why are you even considering it? }
Chris { Because we have to do something… Can we hide her for the next year and a half? Will we give up everything we created in France… Move to Canada? You go back to the compound? Or maybe we could all go back to the compound? }
Marcus gave me a look. My ideas and ramblings were not helping. I hit the steering wheel, swearing loudly. We had so much to deal with already. Sita, with all her threats, was the last thing we needed.
Chris { Why do we accept Juliet sleeping with all of us, but we can't do anything with anyone else }
Marcus { Do you want to? Are you still in love with Sita? Because that's Juliet's criteria… When she wants something, she will fight tooth and nail to get it. So, if you tell her this is what you want, Juliet will let you go. It will be a sacrifice, but you won't end up alone, Chris }
I was not expecting Marcus to take such an open-minded view on the subject… Sita seemed so genuine. It wouldn't be impossible for me to humor her and see what happened. I wasn't disgusted when she touched me.
Chris { I don't want Juliet to go to pieces over losing everything versus losing only me. She would not lose me either. Why do we not see it as cheating, and she does? Would she really not take me back. Even if she understood why I had to. It's three months; it's a long time for us to figure things out }
Marcus { It's not about the sex, Chris. It's because it's her. I don't know why Juliet hates her so much… but she does }
He was right; if it was anyone else, there might have been a chance.
Marcus { And your reason will be, you did it for her? Sacrificed for the greater good. Gave in to the blackmail. You said you were ready to give it all up for her… Why are you second-guessing what you know you should do? }
Chris { Because she will never speak to me again }
Marcus { All we can do is go on with deciding for her… You heard what Michael said. Treat her like a real teenager for the rest of her pregnancy… We need to baby her a little }
Chris { If we can trust him. How do we know Michael isn't trying to break up our family? }
Marcus stared out the front window for a long time. I let him be, knowing his brain was doing its magic. He sat back with his head against the seat. He had a weird habit of moving his head from right to left in slow motion. If he stopped, he would have a foolproof plan. I waited. A few minutes later, he did stop. Bobbed his head. We had a secret signal to let things go and to go on pretending.
"You know what… Juliet didn't ask me and Louis to force ourselves into her life, but you… she chose you. Maybe, just maybe, she could let it go… You never know… Should we ask her? If she will sell you for the sake of the family?" Marcus laughed. "To give you a pass to an open relationship for the next few months?" I was ticked off. He wasn't taking it seriously. "Juliet said she wasn't happy. The whole situation is a stuff up. She won't know until the baby is born. The baby will be safe. For the next few months… We can get away with you indulging Sita. When Juliet returns home… I can somehow ease her into the idea."
"Can we make Sita wait until the baby is born? Then, tell Juliet to make the decision. We can all sit down and talk about signing the papers and the repercussions. Finally, making her decide with us."
"Sita is a little ignorant nevertheless a narcissist… This was planned to the last t. It gives you no choice… You didn't tell me Sita was so beautiful."
I closed my fist around the phone, crushing it to pieces. I wanted to kill Sita, not sleep with her, and I wanted Juliet to do it. Qadir pushing us into a corner made it worse.
***
Juliet: Canada
I woke up in my bed in Uncle Sam's house. How did I know I was there? The smell. Uncle Sam's whole house had a distinct homely odor. It put you at ease, and you kinda knew you were safe. I felt the space beside me, hoping Louis would be there. I wanted to spend more time with him and share stories about things that happened to us there. He said he would bring me; he didn't. The bed beside me was empty. I sighed. He meant he would drop me off while I was sleeping… guessed he wasn't staying. It would be Michael and me; I assumed he didn't mind that, either. It was pitch black in the room like the first day I woke up there after we left the compound. I knew exactly where to go to let light into the room. The view was still the same, and I opened a window. Cold air rushed in. I stood staring out into the distance, letting the chill set in my bones. The wind howled as it swept through the trees. It was sometime during the day. The cloud-covered sky made it impossible to know. It was how Canada made me feel; time would stand still there. I scanned the room and the nightstand for my phone. It wasn't there. "Wonder whose idea was it…." I swore loudly, gripping the window pane. I wanted to get angry. I wanted to throw something. They were treating me like a child. Took my f—ing phone! Ticked off, I played with the ring on my left hand. It didn't help me or make me feel better. Every time, I wanted to yank off the chains, and now I had a ring to toss into the bushes like Chris. How could any one person make you so mad you wanted to rip your hair out… Louis and my time together wasn't a dream, yet it was over too quickly. I hate space!
I walked over to the TV and pointed the remote towards it, hoping I would at least have some privileges. I sat down and watched for a bit, trying to wake up, flipping through the news channels, checking to see when Sita would release her hell on us. There was a sound behind me, and the familiar tattooed arm pushed the door open with a tray in the other. He quickly glanced up to see where I wanted it. It was hot chocolate. Michael sat down, and he seemed happy. I regarded him for a long time. Michael had an energy about him. He always seemed busy. He had picked up his own mug, fidgeting.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Warden made it. He is out of his coma and back at his post."
I smiled, "That's wonderful news," I was relieved.
"Not only that. I have your ass for two and a half months, all to myself. So, forgive me if I'm going to have this stupid grin on my face." His words cut away all the hurt I felt. The isolation. Being tossed aside. I chuckled, shaking my head and looking back at the TV.
"Anything interesting?" he asked.
"Nothing… Would you tell me if I ask about Sita and her threats?"
He sipped his drink and leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees and holding the cup in both hands, "I really don't know." I sighed, believing him. Looked like I wasn't going to know for the next few months. He got up and took the remote out of my hand. He put the TV off. He leaned over me, placed both hands on either side of my head, and whispered into my ear, "We've got better things to do… While you're here, no worry is going to consume you… I don't mean to hurry this along, but I got a simple plan... to stick to."
I leaned back slightly, looking into his eyes, "You still want me like this? It's not like you can claim what you want. Don't you want to wait till you can make it a proper IOU?" I gestured to my midsection. "Anyway… I thought back then, was 'a lapse in concentration?'" I air quote his own words to him.
"Yeah… back then… You forgiven me yet?"
"Only mistakes are meant to be forgiven… Was it a mistake?" Michael groaned; however, he looked deep into my eyes and shook his head. "I could've said no. You gave me the opportunity."
"Still… I asked."
"Like you're asking now?"
He rested his forehead on mine, "Yes, even like this… I… want you." He couldn't look at me, "I don't think you've ever looked better." He lifted off the couch and said, "You have some meat on your bones and… all that," he gestured to my chest. I chuckled as he picked up my feet and swiveled me on the couch, forcing me to lie down. Michael's eyes slowly roamed over every inch of me, watching me. I stretched out my arms high above my head; I added my legs, pointing my toes, releasing a suuuuper low sexual moan. "Oh, honey... Do you know what you're doing? Nothing is covering you with only those…" he struggled, "Tiny shorts and a tank top… exposing your belly. When your arms… stretch above your head… like that," he still struggled to speak. His eyes finally met mine.
I scoffed at him—again. He smiled. "I'm not posturing. I'm inviting."
An audible groan escaped his parted lips. He bent down to pick me up but stopped mid-way, straightening his back again. Before he could even open his mouth— "Michael!"
"Yeah."
"Don't be a coward… Let's stick to the plan, honey. No worries."
It was all I needed to say. He knew how I felt, and I didn't want to talk about it.
Standing, he picked me up and carried me back to bed. My head was on his chest, arms around his neck like he always did on the farm. It was only six months of friendship, but it did mean something. He put me down and lay beside me. I turned so we could face each other. I ran my hands over his hair and took out the braid in the nape of his neck. His hair fell over his shoulders, "You're a beautiful man, Michael." The strands were soft between my fingers.
"Juliet! That mouth of yours… it's going to get you in trouble."
I chuckled... "My mouth… is going to do something, but getting in trouble isn't one of them."
He gave a short, nervous laugh. I pointed my finger at the tip of the leaf-shaped tattoo below his ear and traced all of the ink on his neck. I've wanted to take a good look and study each one, curious to see what he chose to cover up his entire body with—and if it did go… uhm… everywhere. He closed his eyes. It seemed like he wanted to say something. His eyes opened, and I leaned in to kiss him. He turned away, "Not like this."
"Fair enough, but then you're not allowed to talk either."
Contritely, he closed his eyes again. His collar stopped me from going further, and I tugged at it. He turned on his back, getting rid of his white short-sleeved shirt. His eyes were still closed with that stupid smile on his mouth. He put one arm behind his head as I traced every line down his chest, biting at his nipple rings. Michael's reactions betrayed how he really felt about me. I wondered when he would come clean.
After Michael fell asleep, I left the house. I walked into town and beyond… entered the woods, and followed the path until I was so tired I had to go home. On my way back, I checked the barn to see if there were any people in there, although I always had a tinge of remorse every time I had to pick up a tarp. The humans were bound and gagged, fearing for their lives.
Punching in the code on the lock made the doors spring open. I was glad they had not changed anything. It had been years, and yet everything was precisely the same, nostalgic, and reminded me of where I came from. How far I had already come. I made my way to the back, where Sam and his staff hid the cages. It would have a lock. It wasn't magnetic, and I searched around for the key. They hid it close by, so it wasn't long before I found it.
The guy in there was young, buff, and not homeless. His eyes were alert to my every move. It was strange. Regardless, I unlocked the chain and opened the creaky gate. I manifested my teeth first. Slowly, my nose pulled up, and my eyes turned black. It made the guy freak out like everybody did, and he struggled onto his knees and head-butted me. He rammed me with his shoulder. I had not checked if his feet were tied to his hands behind his back. I realized my mistake when the pain shot through my skull, "Frack!" I fell over backward. He shuffled past me on his knees, his hands and feet still tied.
Groaning, I turned on my side. I couldn't keep my manifestation. The guy was panicking. His eyes were full of fear, glancing at me and scanning the barn's contents. "Not cool, dude. I'm pregnant… If it's your time… It's your time, man." Being with Michael made me sound like a biker… I shook my head… It was freezing in the barn. "My baby needs foo," I tried to get up, struggling to catch my breath. A white haze covered my eyes as I went in and out. Not normal. I tried to stay present, standing on my knees in the dirt, "Oh, man. Not now!"
Bracing for the searing pain, I checked the guy moving his hand backward and forwards, "Are you getting out of those bondages? I actually know how you feel." The wind was howling eerily through the gaps in the wooden panes of the wall. The steel equipment clanged every time a gust sent a convulsive shiver through my whole body. My favorite music flowed through me as I swayed, thinking of Caleb, who was kicking me something fierce that day. He was strong and capable. I didn't care what anybody else said; his name was Caleb. A few moments later, Mr. Young Guy made his way over to me, strutting with purpose with a long pipe in his hands.
***
Michael
Darkness surrounded me. I had slept through the morning. It was hard catching up on rest. Once your body knew it was on holiday, a person's system shut down. I had asked Samuel to put off my sleep cycle with her. I sat up in bed, tossing the duvet off me, "Juliet? You here?" No response. Getting up, I felt for my pants but couldn't see a damn thing. Falling over half the furniture, I made my way to the wall, "Why are there no bedside lamps in this room?" The light blinded me for a second. I walked all the way back to the bed to find my pants. Pulling them up, I grabbed my socks and shirt Juliet had thrown across the room. She had me almost crazy earlier, taking her sweet time with me. I shook myself, feeling my body respond, "Get a grip, Michael." I pushed the door open and yelled throughout the house. "She wouldn't leave. It's freezing out," I muttered.
I'd been in the kitchen, the study, and every nook she loved to read. The lounge where she likes to watch TV in front of the fireplace. The house was dead… She wasn't there. Checking my watch and seeing the time, I went into another gear. The front door creaked as I pulled open the two big doors. Wind burst through, making me step back, "S—." There was a massive storm coming. I grabbed my coat, seeing Juliet's wasn't on the hook. Why didn't I check earlier? I scanned the area for clues, feeling water droplets on my face running down the road. The barn loomed in front of me. "S—! S—! I didn't have a weapon or anything besides the switchblade knife I kept in my jacket pocket. The door was open, and if she was inside, we were going to have a long chat about locking up behind you and a buddy system. I heard scuffling noises. The hair on my arm stood straight as they turned to groans and moans. Someone was in pain… My boot opened the door slowly, and I darted my head in and out of the small space, taking in the scene as fast as possible. I closed my eyes for a second, breathing in and out, thanking the universe it wasn't her who was hurt.
Juliet's eyes were white and not the standard black. Her mouth was twice the size, filled with pointy shark-like teeth. As a person, Juliet had an… ample mouth with full lips; there, she looked like a demon from Rodrigo's playbook. The guy was grunting because he was still alive. She had ripped him open, eating him from the inside out… Man, this was the part of my job I didn't like. Disturbing her would make her turn on me.
Rummaging through my pockets, I felt for the familiar alien tech I carried. It was for that specific day. I placed the black tube in my palm and pressed my thumb down. It sprung into action and opened like a roller door, spreading quickly into a flat sheet. The golden color was beautiful, and I chose it for her. I waited until she changed position. Slowly, I made my way inside, ready for her lightning reflexes. She didn't hear me, too engrossed in her meal. The weather outside was helping. The wind made the barn a choir of distorted noises. Cautiously, I approached her, putting my hand with the hard steel over her mouth. It sucked onto her face and covered her jaw. It masked all around her head, locking at the back, tucking away her hair.
Juliet stood up, hands at her side. She was utterly docile. "Finish what you started. Don't leave him like that."
She grabbed the knife out of my hand and pushed it against his temple. She pressed the button to eject the blade into his skull. I cringed and shook my shoulders as the sounds ran down my spine. "Now, come back to me, honey..." Her eyes slowly changed color, and before she felt the claustrophobic sensation it evoked, I pressed my fingerprint on the back of the mouthpiece. The alien tech folded up into a little tube again. I saw her lips change into their original human shape, and then she smiled at me, "Hi."
I laughed nervously, "Yeah! Hi!" I pointed down to the ground, "You did that."
Juliet sniffed a few times and manifested into her regular vampire face. She fell next to him and sucked his neck until the blood dripped down her chin; I could only find a rag and handed it to her, "This is new… A little primal."
"Thanx. Idiot wanted to kick Caleb… I was already changing... waiting for the pain. It never came."
I smiled, happy the worst was over, "Do you remember anything while you were out?" I waited in anticipation.
"No. I never do," I sighed, "Where did you get him?"
"Local brothel a little out of town. He keeps cheating on his wife. I don't like it."
"Cool, Michael! I didn't peg you for… the faithful husband kind."
"Ha Ha…! How… do you feel about one of your husbands sleeping with someone else?"
"I don't know. What do you think?"
"Hmm… that's not really how a harem works, is it? No man would allow it. Why should you?"
"No, I suppose not… I don't think Louis ever will, even if I take fifty husbands... Marcus… well, Marcus has someone on the side, I'm sure of it… Maybe a secret wife back at the compound."
I snorted, "His hand, maybe," I mumbled low so she couldn't hear.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing… What about Chris?"
She burst out a short laugh, "He didn't cheat on Sita for three years. Why would he cheat on me? What's with the questions."
I was fishing… but I couldn't tell her Chris would probably sleep with Sita in those next three days and return to America with her. "I wanted to know if I should tell you how many girls I've slept with. In the last few years."
"You're a good liar… Not like the rest of them."
I frowned; she didn't know everything going on, did she? We busied ourselves with tape, tarp, and cleaning. "I thought you loved Chris the most. Isn't he…? Your soulmate," I asked as I tossed the body onto the back of a truck.
Juliet walked over to me, pushed her hands underneath my jacket, and pulled me closer, "I thought you knew me better than I know myself?" A smile played around her mouth.
"So, you still don't believe in soulmates."
"Bingo. I still believe in unconditional love, though. And If Chris sleeps with someone else, he's already decided to leave... Because if he does, he's probably in love."
"And me? You just using my body?" I asked mockingly.
"We haven't even kissed."
"I'm asking if you feel like you're cheating?"
She huffed, "You saw Louis and me talking all those months ago. He gets to decide, and… he left me here. I kinda think he knows… And he is the only one who matters."
I hugged her closer; she stopped me, pushing a little away from me. Two hands ran from behind me with index fingers teasing the hem of my pants. They followed the v of my stomach down into my pants and cupped me and touched me, "I just ate… I feel good… It's my turn," her voice was low and pleading.
I kissed her on top of her head, "Yeah, IOU," I joked. Juliet reached for my hand and interlaced our fingers. "Can you at least brush your teeth first?" I said as we closed the barn door.
She loved that. Tried to kiss me. I dodged, and she kept jumping at me, trying to reach my lips, pulling me closer as I thwarted her assaults. She stood on her tiptoes, sticking out her tongue, licking at my face. I had to run away from her into the wind and rain, "Come on… You not going to join the cannibal team?" she yelled.
"No!"
"Fine! I'll have to take a shower then." I stopped dead in my tracks. She passed me to open the doors to the house. Doe-eyed, I stared at her. She came back for me laughing, pulling me through the door and up the stairs. It felt weird as we took the stairs. It felt unreal. I was the happiest guy when she said she would come to the farm. I had no idea her response to me would be so natural. That we would fall into a rhythm, I didn't understand. I was going to give her what she wanted. I wouldn't discuss anything or bring up stuff she couldn't handle. I was going to bond with her. Hold her. Sleep with her in my arms. Sit on the couch. Make her happy because I did know her best. And in the end, when it came down to loving her unconditionally, no one loved her like I did.