I froze. For a full minute I couldn’t do anything but gawk at a confused Samara.
“Are you okay?”
“Uh,” I snapped out of my daze. “What did you say?”
“I said that a woman is waiting in the living room. She’s asking for you and she looks like you. It’s unbelievable. I thought you were just messing around but you two really are different people.”
“I-I’ll be right there.” My voice came out shaky. I was expecting Juliet to return but nothing had prepared me for this moment.
I knew I should immediately find Heather because if Juliet was here then that meant Heather must’ve known that she was coming. Why didn’t she warn me before?
But my feet seemed to have a mind of their own as they approached the stairs. I couldn’t deny that part of me which wanted to see the woman I had been pretending to be for so many months.
I could see the back of her head. She was a redhead but I knew she was a natural brunette and she had just dyed her hair and chopped it shoulder length to avoid been recognized.
She was sitting on the couch, her back to me. I was about to do something, probably run away but was interrupted when Ethan strolled into view. I cursed under my breath. He was supposed to be at work but was apparently running late because we woke up late.
He noticed her and changed direction, striding towards her. He stopped in front of her and I saw her tilt her head up to look at him.
“You cut and colored your hair? When did you do that?” He didn’t give her time to say anything. “It looks good.”
He looked around and then a disaster happened. He bent down and kissed her on the lips.
My hands shot to my face in reflex to cover the view. It barely lasted a second and then Juliet’s voice was echoing in the room.
“What the fuck.” She pushed him back and before he could react, she landed a slap on his face.
Ethan stood there stunned, sporting a red cheek. I hissed in reaction as if I was the one who got slapped. I felt bad for him.
“Ethan! What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“I-Juliet?”
“Yes, I’m Juliet. Your number one enemy, if you’ve forgotten.”
“What’re you doing here?” That was a question I didn’t expect him to ask. More like, ‘Why did you just slap me when we’re dating and have already kissed a hundred times?’
“As if I need a reason to be in my own house. And I must be asking this. What are you doing in? my? house? Heck, where is that girl who’s pretending to be me?”
Before he could answer, I was pulled away by someone who turned out to be Heather.
“Heather, she’s here. Why didn’t you tell me before?” I couldn’t help but come across as accusing.
“I had no idea. She just texted me saying that she was outside the gate and was entering. She didn’t tell me she was planning to return. She must’ve figured out that I was involved and thought I’ll protect you and help you escape.”
“What should we do? Should we go and talk to her?”
“No,” she said sharply. “You and Olivia need to leave. I’ll handle things here.”
“Will that be okay? She wants to meet me.”
“Just do what I tell you.” She led me to my room. “It’s a good thing you packed up your things. I’ll get Olivia and then you can leave through the back door. There’s a small back gate as well. Leave from there. I called a cab as soon as I got her message so it must be here by now. Go home.”
This was all too abrupt. I didn’t have time to process it all. All I could think of was that one person who had become so important to me. “But what about Ethan?”
“By this time I’m sure he knows everything. He might be coming to find you. You need to leave before that happens. Once I’ve got the situation under control, I’ll give him your address. Don’t try to approach him before that.”
I didn’t like this at all. I was going to have to leave before I had the chance to talk to him, possibly for the last time. It was hard.
Heather left to fetch Olivia from her room. I blindly walked to my room and picked up my bag of belongings. At least I had our pictures on our various dates transferred on my old phone.
I couldn’t leave just like that. I didn’t have a lot of time so I tore a page from a book and began writing.
Ethan,
You’re? probably? very? mad? at? me.? You? must? be? feeling? very? confused? and? betrayed.? You? might? be? thinking? who? I? really? am.
I’m? Julie? James.? I? wanted? to? tell? you? from? the? moment? I? started? liking? you.? I? know? I? can’t? offer? any? excuses? so? I’ll? just? say? that? it? wasn’t? always my? choice? which? dictated? whether? I? should? tell? you? or? not.
I? want? you? to? know? that? we? were? real.? I? was? real.? I? realized? that? even? under? a? fake? name,? I? was? my? true? self.? I? was? myself.? And? I? love? you.
And? if? you? still? love? me,? come? and? find? me? because? I’ll? miss? you? from? the? moment? I? step? out? of? this? mansion.
Love,
Julie? James.
P. S.? I? promise? my? handwriting? isn’t? this? bad.? It’s? just? that? I’m? in? a? hurry? and? Heather? is? forcing? me? leave? as? soon? as? possible.
I neatly folded the paper into a square and put it in my first drawer which had our badly attempted origami paper folding. He’d find this letter if he misses me even a little bit.
Just then Heather poked her head in. “Come on. If there’s anything remaining, I’ll send it to you later. Ethan and Juliet are still talking but it’s not going to go on forever. I’ve told Samara to distract both of them with food.”
“I’m coming. And I’m borrowing these shoes.” I was trying not to cry but I knew I was close.
I pulled the bag over my shoulder and followed Heather out. Olivia gave me a sad look. I knew she was happy that we were finally getting out of here, she just felt bad for me.
Heather led us out the rear gate but before we parted ways I turned to her. “I’ll call you when we get in the cab. Please answer and keep if it on you. I want to hear whatever you’re going to be talking about.”
“Okay.” Heather said simply. “Now you need to hurry. Here. You don’t have to return it. Consider it as consolation money for keeping you from your part time job.” She thrust a fat white envelope in my hands which I knew was money. I was going to pay her back – my consolation money for using all the luxuries in the time I was here and for messing things up.
We waved a small goodbye to her and reluctantly walked down the road where a cab was waiting in the distance.
As soon as we got in and Olivia recited the address to the driver and the cab pulled away from the curb, pulling me away from Ethan and sending a wave of misery over me.
I took out my phone and dialed Heather’s number. She immediately picked up. There was silence for a bit, then a couple of hurried footsteps.
“Heather!” Juliet’s voice startled me although I should’ve expected it.
Heather panted a little. “Juliet, hi. What a pleasant surprise!”
“Where is she?” Her tone held no malice but mere curiosity but I’d be lying if I said it still didn’t scare me.