Juliet vaguely remembered Adrienne's attempts to rouse her, but her sleepy protests earned her a day off from classes. It was nearly ten in the morning by the time she got up. She looked about at the underclothes strewn across the bed and on the floor, evidence of their night of passion, and smiled. 'That was one wild night,' she thought, amazed that it had actually happened.
In the shower, Juliet began to replay the night. As the memory of it returned, she felt a rush of exhilaration. Last night she'd taken a risk. She reached for something that she truly wanted, and yet, was also afraid of having.
Even as her bare feet pattered toward Adrienne's room, she questioned the wisdom of her actions. But she'd gone through with it, and as she had hoped, her fears were unfounded. From their first kiss, to the last snuggle, it was perfect in every way. Adrienne had been her champion, all night. And while she'd been too tired to return the favor, she knew that her friend understood. And so, they had slept together, their naked bodies close and warm.
Yet, as Juliet dressed for her day, she began to feel uneasy. Her chest felt tight and her breathing, labored. She then realized she was experiencing the onset of a panic attack. She hadn't had one for a few years now, and knew from experience that she just needed to stay calm and remind herself that she was safe.
But why have one now? It made no sense. She needed to talk to someone, and decided to call her brother at work.
"Hey, Thomas."
"Jules!" came her brother's happy reply.
She took a few deep breaths. "Sorry to bother you at work, but do you have a minute to talk?"
"Sure, sis. Hey, I am so sorry I haven't called you. When Dad told me what happened, I couldn't believe it. But he says you're doing okay now. Are you?"
"Yeah, I'm doing much better. But I think I'm having a panic attack."
"Do you need to go to the hospital?" her brother asked, now concerned.
"No, I just need to talk to someone. If that's okay? It helps ground me."
"Of course, it is. Jules, I don't know what to say, other than I want to kill the son of a bitch who spiked your drink. Are you sure you don't need to see a doctor? You're probably going through some sort of post trauma."
"Yeah, maybe. But I'd like to try and ride it out."
"Alright, but if it gets worse, you tell me."
"I will." Just hearing her brother's voice helped center Juliet's energy and she began to feel calmer. "Thomas, if it hadn't been for Adrienne, it could have been much worse. She came and got me out of there."
"Yeah, Dad told me that she took a punch too. That's one tough friend you've got there. So now you're staying with her, right? How's that working out? You like it?"
"Um, yeah. Though, things between us have become a little complicated."
"Complicated? How?"
"Well, last night, I slept with her. We had sex."
"Whoa, Jules! Well, good for you!"
Juliet was taken aback by his positive reaction. "You think? I know she and I are friends and all, but I'm not sure it is the right thing to do. Maybe, it's too soon, or I'm just mixed up, you know...like I was with Jenny..."
"Stop that, sis. You're not mixed up. That's Mom talking. From what I could tell, you really like her. And why not? She's great. You know, I did suspect something might be going on between you two."
"You did?" This was new information.
"Well, it seemed pretty obvious to me. Every time you looked her way, or talked about her, your face would light up, and you'd get this dreamy look in your eyes..."
"Yeah, okay, Sherlock." She always found his attempts at eloquence amusing.
"I mean it, Jules. I know I've teased you a lot in the past, and that wasn't right of me. However, as your older brother it is my job to torment you. But you do seem to have a thing for this cellist. She likes you, right?"
"Well, she didn't kick me out of her bed," Juliet joked.
Thomas let loose with a belly laugh. "Always a good sign. Well, for what it's worth, I think she's pretty special. Attractive, talented, loyal, smart. She's got it going, sis. And there's definitely a spark between the two of you."
Juliet breathed a sigh of relief. Her brother's words had calmed her. "Thanks, that means a lot to me. I guess I just needed some affirmation. This morning, I started to feel all panicky, and I'm not sure why. I mean, I like Adrienne, she IS special. But for some reason, I felt like I was doing something wrong. And it's NOT wrong! I KNOW that!"
"No, it's not. Jules, give yourself a break. This is all new for you. At least, you don't have someone looking over your shoulder every second of every day. Cut loose, live a little. Shack up with your girlfriend."
Juliet laughed, while holding back her sniffles. "Do you think Dad will be okay with it?"
"Dad? Yeah. I know he comes across like he's not that invested, but he is totally in your corner. When you ended up in that hospital, he sounded gutted. I'm sort of surprised, and yet not surprised that he called it quits with Mom. They've definitely not been getting along. And I know he was livid with the way she pushed Randall on you. We could have lost you, Jules."
"Yeah. Well, Dad sure has been supportive of this move." Juliet now knew that she not only had Thomas's support, but her father's as well. And that meant everything to her.
"Hey, I've got a meeting to get to. But if you start to feel off again, you call me, okay?"
"Okay. Adrienne should be home soon."
"Good. Give her a hug for me. Listen, you and her have my total support. I mean that. So, take her to a movie, and buy her something nice," he advised.
"I'll do that," Jules laughed. "Thanks for the consultation, doc. By the way, how's Molly?"