This Is Where I Want To Be

32. Meeting The In-Laws

Chris

It took me three days to get over what happened that Sunday night. To decompress and face the world. I went home for the first time. Francis and Jack were following me everywhere. Had a lot of opinions to give... about everything.

Opening the front door made me gag. The smell of the moldy carpet. The house needed to be cleaned. My car needed fixing. The door was still on the garage floor. I sighed when I saw it. There was only one way of doing it. I put it in the trunk and would have to find a mechanic to fix it. "We know a guy, Chris. We'll take your car. You stay here and clean the carpet." I agreed and spent the rest of the day ripping it all up and putting it all in the dumpster. I contacted a real estate agent and put the house up for sale. The only thing left to do was pack a bag, get everything I wanted out of the house, close the front door, locking away Sita forever.

I sat on the curb, waiting for Jack and Francis to come and pick me up. I was going to move in with Nicholas. For the foreseeable future, anyway. We dropped the house keys at the real-estate office. I sent the message I was dreading. I realized for the hundredth time that I still didn't have Juliet's number.

Me {I put the house up for sale.

Took all I wanted today. The rest is yours and the money for the house. If anything is left, we can split it down the middle.

Let me know if you have any footage of Friday. I still don't remember anything.

Thank you for signing the papers.}

I didn't get a reply immediately. Sita was a werewolf. We were married for three years, and still, she didn't want to talk to me. When it finally came through. Her tone and manner made me thankful that it was all done.

Sita {I didn't really have a choice.

You left me no choice.

I didn't save the footage anywhere else.

It was just the one laptop.}

I sent Sita the contact information of the real estate agent and told her that my keys were with him and that I wouldn't be back. Jack finally pitched up, and we left. "Do you have Juliet's phone number?"

There was a silence between the two brothers.

"What's going on?"

"She said... that if you asked, we should say that... "if you wanted her number, you could ask her yourself. And personally, Chris... seeing as you haven't asked and after the letter. We all think you should leave it alone and go on with your life."

Did everybody know about the freaking letter... How embarrassing.

Juliet was still upset... Although out of the blue, she said she loved me... It seemed she wouldn't throw herself at my feet ... Even after Sita left. Juliet haunts me when I'm married and then when I'm not. She doesn't want me anymore. Did I push her too far? Probably. "Go to her house. It's... that street right there." Jack turned and stopped in front of their garages. I got out and went to the door, ringing the bell. Liam opened it. If I still remember his name correctly.

"Chris. Hi." He didn't hesitate to open and invite me in. He led me down the two stairs that separated their sitting room from the rest of the house. It was to the left of the front door. It felt oddly strange to be in Juliet's house. In front of her parents. I sat down, a little frustrated, running my hands through my hair. Juliet's mother came out of the hall and stepped down towards us. She came to me, pulled me out of my chair, and hugged me. It wasn't what I was expecting. But I would take it.

"Thank you for saving Juliet. She would have died if you didn't help her. Twice now, you had stepped up, Chris... And we don't know how to say thank you."