Why Romeo Hates Juliet (34 page)

When the threesome had reached the patio area, Juliet called everyone to her side, saying that she had an announcement to make. As Sara, Faith, Brad and Tommy all approached, she turned to Romeo and smiled. “Honey, I wanted all of our friends to be here when I gave you my other little surprise. I know you’re still suffering from amnesia and you don’t remember any of our life together before the accident, so I thought that this Saturday, which is only a couple of days away, we’d renew our wedding vows with a real minister and a real ceremony, right here on the beach.

Surprise!”

~ ~ ~

Romeo literally stopped breathing as he stood frozen, staring flabbergasted at Juliet. S
he knew!
She knew that he’d been faking the entire amnesia thing and now, the jig was up for him. Why else would she offer to ‘renew’ their wedding vows? Never in a trillion light years would she go through with a ceremony like that unless it was to stick it to him. He could see it all in her face, as she stood before him with a phony smile pasted on her lips and an angry dare shining through her narrowing eyes. She was challenging him to tell everyone the truth of what he’d been doing to her.

As the movie star remained speechless, Juliet continued to goad him. “Don’t you want to marry me again Romeo?” He continued to stare at her but remained mum. She pushed him again, “Say something…”

Romeo began to sweat. This was the worst possible thing that could have happened and he didn’t know what to do to get out of it. What could he say that would have her forgive him? He was stumped and in that moment, with everyone staring at him, all he could think to do was to agree to her plans so that he could sneak some time away from everyone to think about his next move. “I’d love to marry you again, sweet peach,” he affirmed, giving her his best action hero movie smile.

Juliet threw him a fierce glare before covering it up with a phony smile. “You’ve made me so happy, darling.” She leaned forward to give him a speedy kiss but her lips barely touched his. She then turned to Nick, who was standing awkwardly beside Faith’s husband. “I’d like you to give me away, Zack. Will you do that for me?”

“Umm - I - I - umm…” the soap actor stalled, not exactly certain of all the undercurrents going on, but all eyes were on him now and he was forced to agree. “Of course, I’d be honored.” What was going on, he wondered? He’d thought Juliet was going to be his and now she was going to marry Romeo instead?

Coming forward, Juliet gave him a sweet kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Zack; that means a lot to me,” she whispered. As she backed away, she noticed Romeo scowling again and she was elated. Yes, even though he now knew that
she knew
about his fake amnesia scam, he was still showing signs of jealousy where Nick was concerned. Good! That would just heap more pressure on the bum. She spun around and faced the two girls. “Well, ladies, I guess the wedding’s on,” she burbled, like any excited bride would.

On command and sticking to the script, Sara and Faith squealed like teenagers as they crowded around Juliet and started to drag her towards the beach house. “This will be so much fun to plan,” Sara babbled happily.

“And don’t worry, hon, Brad and I will cater everything,” Faith interjected.

As the women disappeared into the house, Romeo pulled Tommy off to the side out of earshot of Brad and Nick. “She knows, man, and I’m busted! Fuck!” he snarled at Tommy.

Tommy nodded. “No shit! Do you really love her, Romeo?”

“More than I thought possible.”

“Then you know what you’ve got to do.”

Romeo nodded. “Get down on both knees and beg her for forgiveness?”

“That’s it.”

“Do you think she’ll give me another chance?”

“Having gotten to know Juliet these past few weeks, I’d say - no fucking way in hell! But you have to try if she means that much to you.” Romeo nodded again. “I want her, Tommy, like I’ve never wanted anything in my life, and I’m not giving her up without a fight.” Tommy patted his friend on the back. “Go to it, then,” and watched as Romeo marched to the sliding doors leading into the house, on his quest to find his Juliet. He smirked to himself. Brave as he was, Romeo was going into a turkey shoot and he’d be handed his own giblets back to him on a platter. No doubt about it - Thanksgiving had arrived early this year and his friend’s goose was cooked.

~ ~ ~

Romeo entered the beach house looking for her, wanting to explain things and to tell her how sorry he was. Could she ever forgive him, he’d ask her? Yes, he had been a total jerk about everything, but that was before he knew he loved her. He loved her now. Could they please start over?

That was exactly what he was going to say.

When he found the main floor empty, he took the stairs two at a time to the second floor where he heard voices coming from Juliet’s bedroom.

Stopping just outside her open doorway, he was just about to go in when he heard all three women burst out laughing. Something about the laughter stopped him dead in his tracks and his instincts told him to, quietly and secretly, inch closer to hear what they were saying.

Inside the bedroom, both Sara and Faith were helping Juliet pack up her things so that she could move back to Sara’s beach house. Juliet had vowed that there was no way she was going to remain living here with that bastard and she was determined to see her plan through while staying next door instead.

Juliet was folding some t-shirts into the open suitcase on the bed. “Faith, do you have the fake minister lined up yet?” she asked her friend, who was stuffing her toiletries from the top of the dresser into a duffle bag.

Faith nodded. “Yeah. I asked Brad to help and he’s getting some guy he plays golf with to play the part.” Juliet laughed. “Perfect. A phony minister to preside over a phony wedding which Mr. Movie Star will think is real.”

“Do you think he’ll suspect?”

“No, as long as we all keep our mouths shut and play our parts. For all he knows, this is a game of chicken with a real ceremony at the end of it all. Let’s see who breaks first, but it won’t be me, especially when we have the whole thing rigged in my favor,” she pronounced smugly.

Sara giggled as she pulled several pairs of pants from the closet. “That slimebal is going to learn a hard lesson - that lies have consequences, especially if he thinks he can play you, Juliet.”

“Did you see the look on his face when I asked him if he wanted to marry me? He looked practically catatonic. I thought we were going to need Nana’s smelling salts to revive the worm.”

Sara grinned as she folded her sister’s pants into the suitcase. “But do you think he’ll say he’s sorry before the wedding or will he really go through with it to see how far you’re going to take it?”

Juliet gave her a sly smirk. “My best guess? That son-of-a-bitch doesn’t have the balls to go through with this wedding.”

“Oh, I don’t know Juliet, he might surprise you. After all, he had the balls to come up with this amnesia scheme and play you, didn’t he?”

“Oh, come on, Sara. We’re talking marriage here and he’s a boy, not a man. He doesn’t have the internal fortitude to stand up before a minister, hoping that I’m going to be the one to break first and put a stop to things. But I doubt it’ll get that far. I’m sure he’ll crack before then and come clean with me. And that’s when I’ll tell him what I really think of him.” Sara cocked a curious eyebrow at her sister. “Which is?”

Icy contempt flashed in Juliet’s eyes and her voice hardened. “That I hate him; that I hate Romeo Boyd and that when this is all over, I never want to see him again for as long as I live.”

Outside the bedroom door, Romeo had heard everything. So he was a boy, not a man, was he? And he didn’t have the balls to see this all the way to the end, did he? And this was all a game of chicken to teach him a lesson, was it? And they were going to set up a phony wedding with a phony preacher, but have him believe it was all real? They certainly were enjoying laughing at him, thinking him a big fool.

At every hurtful word, snide crack and scheming ploy he’d just heard, his anger had gone up a notch. And now as he moved away from the door to go back downstairs, he was raging furious. So that’s what she really thought of him, was it? She wasn’t even going to give him a chance to explain, and if he had, she was going to throw it all back in his face and tell him that she hated him anyway. Isn’t that what she had just said? That she hated him and never wanted to see him again?

When Romeo had heard those words coming out of Juliet’s mouth, his heart had cracked. He had fall en in love with her, but the feelings were obviously not reciprocated. She didn’t love him and from what she’d just said, she never would. It had all been an illusion, a fairytale, a dream and now reality had set in. Sure, in a way, he deserved everything they were planning, considering his fake amnesia scheme, but to hear her say those things - that she hated him and never wanted to see him again - had broken his heart. But heartbreak mixed in with anger was a lethal combination.

Okay, Juliet, he thought to himself, you want to play this to the bitter end? Then the bitter end is what you’re going to get! Romeo put on a brave smile as he rejoined the barbeque party outside.

* * *

Meanwhile, back upstairs inside the bedroom, after snapping her suitcases shut, Juliet let out a long sigh and plopped herself down on the bed.

She glanced around the now empty room, devoid of all of her personal belongings and tears sprang to her eyes. Was it only last night that she’d slept here, on this bed, in his arms, feeling safe and protected and hopeful for a future together? She grabbed a tissue from her bedside table and blotted at her wet eyes.

On seeing Juliet softly crying to herself, both Sara and Faith exchanged looks of concern between them before rushing to sit down on either side of her. They quickly put their arms around her, trying to comfort her as best they could.

“Juliet, it’ll get better, I promise,” Faith whispered.

Juliet nodded, “I know - it’s just that I really loved him and I thought that maybe, in some small way, he loved me too. But he didn’t and it was all a lie and I should’ve known better. I’m such an idiot!”

Sara hugged her sister more forcefully, hoping beyond hope that she could just say the right thing and magically take the sadness away. “Juliet, let’s forget all this and just fly home tonight, away from him. Things will feel better in Vancouver, you’ll see.” But stubborn to the last, Juliet shook her head. “No! He’s going to pay for what he put me through.” She dried her eyes and with stoic determination, stood up out of both of their embraces. “And then I’ll go home,” she declared, her resolve now firmly back in place.

~ ~ ~

Juliet, Sara and Faith reappeared out back, each carrying one of Juliet’s suitcases. Tommy, Nick and Brad were all sitting at the patio table eating their barbequed steaks, the children were still playing on the beach and Romeo was standing off to the side by himself, with his hands stuffed inside his pockets, staring at the ocean tide coming in.

He turned to the spectacle of the girls walking out with the luggage and frowned. “Juliet, where are you going?” he questioned, as he came to stand in front of her.

“To Sara’s house until the wedding; it’s only proper, don’t you think?”

She was challenging him and he knew it, but he wasn’t biting. He pretended to be oblivious to all of the undercurrents swirling around them.

“So, you’re saying that the next time we’ll be together, in this house, is on our wedding night?” Her eyes dared him as she put her suitcase down. “I guess. Why? Is there something you need to tell me before then?”

“Only this…” he answered, before suddenly yanking her into his arms and bending her over backwards. He then swooped his angry, hard lips onto hers, capturing her in a diabolically rough kiss. Now that his sling was off and his shoulder was better, he used the returning strength in his arm to hold her firmly into his body.

Juliet was taken by surprise and she mistakenly opened her mouth to protest the rough treatment. But as she did that, his tongue immediately plunged into her, taking what he wanted. Before she could push him away, he’d released her.

He took a step back from her and threw her a sly smirk. “That’s to tide me over until then. Was there something you wanted to say to me?” he softly challenged.

Juliet wiped the scent of him off of her mouth with the back of her hand. So the jerk was prepared to play this all the way to the end, was he? He wasn’t going to come clean about how he’d been scamming her and he wasn’t going to apologize either. He was going to force her to break instead. Well, that wasn’t going to happen. She’d see icebergs in hell first!

She put on a phony smile for his benefit. “Only that I can’t wait for Saturday, sweetie. You will show up? You’re not going to get cold feet, are you?”

“Why would my feet get cold when they’re already in the fire?” he chuckled right back at her.

A scalding fury erupted inside Juliet as she watched him laughing at her. It was obvious he was making fun. She turned towards Nick and gave him a dazzling smile. “Zack, would you help us carry these suitcases back to Sara’s, please?”

“Of course,” Nick immediately offered, as he stood up from the table and came forward. He lifted Juliet’s case from the patio, then grabbed the one Sara was holding and the duffle bag from Faith, and awkwardly began to trudge through the sand towards the other house.

As Juliet began following the phony doctor, she caught a glimpse of Romeo frowning deeply at Nick. “Okay, Romeo Boyd,” she mumbled to herself, “Game on.”

~ ~ ~

Friday was a beehive of activity at both houses. Faith had taken charge of arranging the entire wedding and she’d been doing an incredible job, considering the nuptials would happen the next day. Juliet had been grateful for her friend’s help and had instructed her to charge everything to Romeo Boyd’s account, and include a big tip for herself and Brad in the bargain.

The three girls had also decided that the ceremony would take place on the beach behind Romeo’s house. Decorated tables had been set up on the patio area where a simple BBQ, catered by Faith and Brad’s store, would provide the reception food afterwards. Of course, Juliet didn’t think it would get that far because she was positive that Romeo wouldn’t have the courage to make it through the entire ceremony, which she was certain he still believed was real. No - he’d definitely crack before then and call a halt to everything, she was sure of it.

Juliet and Sara had spent the day at the nearest mall shopping for a wedding dress. Wanting to spend as little as possible, Juliet had picked out a shiny, satiny white sheath of a dress that reached her ankles. It was on sale for $39.99 and even that was too much money to spend to marry that scumbag, she’d informed Sara.

She had also bought two wedding bands, one for herself and one for him, after having found out Romeo’s ring size from Tommy. She made sure that they were the absolute cheapest ones that she could find, thinly gold-plated and plain, and both on sale for $20 each.

Sara had laughed when the sisters had examined the bands when they’d stopped for coffee at the food fair. “They look like they came out of a bubble gum machine,” she giggled.

“I’m hoping it’ll turn his finger green, if things get that far,” Juliet cracked, as she sipped her latte.

“Do you think they will?”

“No way. He won’t have the guts to actually take this charade to the point where he’s putting that crappy ring on my finger. Bet on it.” When the girls returned home from their shopping spree, they noticed that there were twice as many paparazzi stationed up the road near the highway as there had been earlier in the day.

Sara frowned. “Can these people smell blood or what? You’d think they knew there was going to be a wedding here tomorrow with their favorite movie star in the starring role,” she commented, as she drove past them and onto their own private road which led to their beach house.

“They do know.”

“What?” Shocked, Sara’s eyes bugged out.

“I tipped off Gossip World and Holl ywood Tattletales, anonymously of course, that Romeo Boyd is getting married tomorrow on the beach behind his house on Prince Edward Island.”

“Why did you do that?”

“Because he would hate the publicity and it puts more pressure on him to come clean. Does he really want to go through with this sham in front of the whole world?”

Sara shook her head, amazed at how far her sister was willing to take this. “I hope you know what you’re doing sis and it doesn’t all backfire on you.”

“It won’t.”

Juliet got out of the car and as she walked to the back entrance of their beach house, she spotted Romeo and Tommy outside in their own backyard, inspecting all of the wedding preparations that had been set up. Romeo was wearing khaki pants with an open cotton white shirt Bill owing off of his chiseled chest in the ocean breeze. His hair was wild as always and his beard had gotten fuller this past month. Yes, Juliet had to admit it - the bastard looked good, but that didn’t make up for his evil heart, did it?

Dropping her parcels onto the nearest patio chair, she walked over to where they were standing. “hello, gentlemen,” she greeted them smugly.

Romeo had watched her walk up to them, mesmerized by every movement she made. She was so damn beautiful that he just couldn’t look away even if he wanted to. She was wearing a flowery sundress with gold sandals on her feet, her hair was loose and shiny and her face had a healthy glow that seemed to come from within. She looked amazing, and damn it, after everything she’d done to him and was still doing now, he still wanted her. He could already feel himself getting hard. But his anger kept everything in check as it schooled his treacherous body to stop responding to her.

“hello, Juliet. Been shopping today?” he asked casually.

“As a matter of fact, I bought my wedding dress. I can’t wait for you to see me in it, unless you change your mind about tomorrow?” she retorted.

“Now why would I do that when I’m so looking forward to it?” He threw her a cocky grin. “Maybe you’re the one who wants to change their mind?” Juliet glared at the defiance she saw shooting out of his gorgeous baby blue eyes. So he was waiting for her to crack first, was he? He was going to take their game of Russian Roulette as far as possible to force her to surrender before him? Well, that wasn’t going to happen! “So what do you think of the wedding decorations?” she asked, ignoring his question.

“Oh, they’re very nice. It’s amazing how quickly you’ve managed to put this together, but - when you set your mind to something, I guess there’s no stopping you, is there Juliet?”

His words held many layers of meaning and Juliet understood every one. “You’re the only one who can stop this, Romeo.”

“Not just me, you can too.” His eyes dared her to contradict him.

Her lips thinned with anger. “If you need to speak to me for any reason, you know where I’ll be.”

“Right back at you, dumpling; you know where I’ll be too. Otherwise, I’ll see you tomorrow at our wedding.” A glimmer of humor twitched on his lips.

“See you then - darling,” Juliet quipped sarcastically. She threw both he and Tommy a polite nod before turning to walk back to Sara’s beach house.

Instinctively, she could feel Romeo’s eyes boring into her back as he watched her leave, and that somehow made her madder. That worm was definitely going to go through with this, he had just said as much. Well, Mr. Boyd, let’s see how far you’ll really go tomorrow.

* * *

Romeo and Tommy watched Juliet walk away.

Tommy sighed. “You can still back out, you know. Just call it quits now.”

“Never! If she wants to play her stupid games, then I’m in. After everything she’s done to me this summer, Tommy, I’m not going to be on the receiving end of her shit anymore.” Romeo was still so mad at her for what he believed was her indifference to him and because of that, he refused to budge.

“But you still love her, don’t you?”

“Yeah, so what? That doesn’t mean I’m going to let her take me for a chump. Besides, the feelings aren’t mutual, so I guess I’d better get over it and move on, which is exactly what I intend to do when this sham of a wedding is over with. She can then go back to her cozy life in Vancouver, and you and I are heading back to ll.A. It’s time to party again.”

As Romeo stalked back into his own house, Tommy shook his head at the crazy mess his friend was in. Juliet had really done a number on him and it was obvious that he was hurting very badly. If there truly was no hope for them as a couple, then maybe it was best that Romeo did go back to Los Angeles as soon as possible and resume his old partying lifestyle. There were plenty of girls and booze in Holl ywood to make him forget her.

~ ~ ~