This Is Where I Want To Be

31. Preparing for France

Juliet

After the longest drive, Louis and I finally turned into our street. So much for going off-grid and doing things on my own. Even if it was only two days, it changed my whole life. He drove past and stopped his car in his garage. "Come in. Let's see if the guy is still alive. You have to eat. So, that you can hold properly till we're settled in France. We should last for at least a week and a half." I was sucking on my bottom lip, spacing out into nothing.

"Juliet..."

"Hmm?"

"You that tired."

I nodded and got out. Stumbled inside and went to Louis's room. The room I had arranged and cleared up. Packed out all his clothes and put pictures on his dresser. I walked past all that... Opened his duvet and got in, closing my eyes. "Juliet, you're in my bed... I can't promise I won't take advantage of you."

I chuckled. "As long as I'm thinking of you, go ahead. I might not be able to do anything."

"You're not thinking of anything right now."

I chuckled again. "Get in with me and sleep. Aren't you tired?" He closed the curtains as the sun was coming up, shining into the room. He took his jeans off and his shirt and got in behind me. I was gone before he put his arm around me.

***

I woke up, and the sun still shone through the bottom of the curtains. I figured we slept for a few hours.... Louis snored beside me. "So much for taking advantage."

I got up, desperate for the loo. Not having a phone sucked. Louis destroyed his phone... for me... Stupid Louis. We would have to go shopping. I wondered how much money Louis had gathered in Europe in the last two hundred years. There was still so much I didn't know about him. Flushing, I got up and went to the next room. The door was locked, and I found the key. The guy tied up on the floor seemed like an ex-army something, with one leg missing, and his face was all burned. I hated killing people like that. Something felt off about it, but we would have to.

I felt sorry for the guy, who had laid there for a whole day and a half, all bound up. He reeked from the mess in his pants. I covered my mouth and pinched my nose. It was just all sorts of wrong. Not clever, Louis. Not nice. Can people not die with dignity around you? I wished we could tap people and steal blood from the hospital, but we couldn't. At least we should let them die with a lot of pain meds and drug them... for Charlene, or she might never accept me.

"How would I have known your ex-lover was going to kidnap me and you were going away for two nights on your own." He said behind me, putting his arms around me.

I scoffed. "One night. You can hardly call that a gap year backpacking Europe." I ran my fingers through his hair. His chin rested on my shoulder.

"I won't take ex-pats again. I have a boatload of money you can spend as much as you like, and we need to get dressed to buy phones. I will clean this up. Go home, talk to your mom and dad, and come and finish when he is presentable. I don't want to worry about you again for some time."

"I'm not even your wife, and you treat me like a nuisance already... I want to start fending for myself... What if something happens again?" I turned towards him.

He paused, thinking. His hands were on my waist. "Fine, I will teach you everything from A-Z when we're in France. But we will talk about that smart mouth of yours later... I'm not Stupid... Now, I can't stand this smell anymore."

I left to go next door. I rang the bell at my own house. My dad came towards the door. "Coming, hold on." I rang twice more just for effect. "For heaven's sake, who would ring like that." He pulled the door open in a huff.