“My folks and I moved to Birmingham when I was real young, so I only saw him on occasion, but every visit he looked worse and worse. Anyway, that kinda treatment lasted right until he came to college, but their claws are still firmly in. He can’t break free. It’s been a tough life for him, and if he don’t marry friggin’ Shelly Blair, well…” She trailed off, eyes shining.

Gathering her composure, she held my hand, pleading with me. “You, Molly Shakespeare, are a big ol’ fork in their road. You going to dinner, I guarantee, is not a get-to-know-you. If I’m right, it’s a chance to get you gone from his life… permanently. They’re bad, bad people. Don’t go, promise me. Don’t put Rome through it. He needs you more than I think you realise.”

I swallowed in foreboding. Flashes of his father’s hard strike against Romeo’s face danced across my mind, and Ally’s words of warning circled in my head. They’re not good people.

But I put them aside. If Rome’s parents could just understand we wanted to be together, his life would be that much easier. I had to try, for him.

I sucked it up. “They won’t scare me off.”

Cass slapped my back supportively. “Atta girl! Stick it to the f**kin’ rich bastards!”

Ally regarded me seriously, ignoring Cass. “I sure hope that’s true, ‘cause it’ll kill Rome to lose you, girl.”

“He won’t lose me, he means too much to me.”

Ally’s lip wobbled. “Molly, please… don’t go. I’m actually begging you now.”

“No! I have to go, have to try… for him. So they can finally let all the Shelly shit go and just let us be together. It’s like a dark cloud constantly over our heads, waiting for them to strike. I know Romeo thinks about it constantly—it has to friggin’ end!” I shouted.

She nodded passively, opening her closet, and began rooting through her mass of designer clothes. “Well, if you insist on going through with this cluster f**k of a dinner, we’d better make sure you dress right at least. We wanna give them as little ammunition against you as possible.”

17

Romeo had yet to speak. He’d been scarily silent the entire journey to his parents’ place. I shifted over the seat, draping my leg over his and laid my head on his shoulder, staring up at his sombre face. He gave me a troubled smile and dropped a kiss on my hair, gripping tightly to my exposed thigh.

Ally and the girls had helped me get ready, and I was wearing a black three-quarter sleeve, tight Valentino dress that stopped just below my knees, black stiletto heels, my hair flowing loose in dark curls fixed up at the sides by ornate grips, and diamond studs in my ears. Romeo wore black slacks and a button-down white shirt. I’d never seen him so formal and he looked about as uncomfortable as I felt.

“I want you to listen to me, okay?” he announced emphatically.

I nodded and gave him my full attention.

“They will probably pick on anythin’ they can tonight, viciously. Whatever they say, don’t let it get to you. I’ll protect you. If you need to leave at any time, for whatever reason, we go—no ifs or buts. But promise me you won’t let them hurt you.” His voice held a note of desperation and his eyes were clouded with some unknown, indescribable emotion.

“I promise.”

“Then why do I have a feelin’ that I’m about to lose you?”

I couldn’t take his sorrowful look. “Pull over.”

Romeo didn’t hesitate and the wheels crunched on gravel as we pulled to an abrupt stop at the side of the road. I moved to straddle his lap, combing back his shaggy blond hair with my fingers. “You will not lose me.”

He didn’t look convinced. “I can’t, Mol. You mean so much to me. Do you know that? Do you realise how I feel about you? How much I need you? Because I do. I know I don’t say much about my feelin’s, but… but… I… I…”

“Shh… you don’t need to do this.” Love hit me like a meteorite crashing to the surface of the earth and I had to bite my lip to stop from falling apart in his arms. His eyes dropped and a stifling sadness washed over the cabin of the truck.

“Romeo, you’ve given me a reason to be happy. I haven’t been okay for such a long time. You’ve brought me back to life. Do you know that?”

“They’re not good people, baby. I know you don’t believe me, but there is no way tonight is about anythin’ other than assertin’ their power over me. It’s always about that.” His head fell to my chest. “They’re never gonna let me go, never gonna just let me be happy with you. They’ll do somethin’; they always do somethin’ to ruin my life.” His body jerked and he tried to scoot me off his knee. “We’re goin’ home. We’re not doin’ this shit.”

I braced my hands on his shoulders and pressed down with all my strength. “Yes, we are.”

Romeo’s arms locked around my waist and we just stayed still, gathering, calming, and soothing our frantic nerves. Eventually, he lifted his weary head, his stony, cocky façade almost successfully hiding the little boy lost that was simmering under the surface.

Almost.

I sloped forward, kissing him sweetly, and I basked in the scent that was all him. With a final hug, I shuffled back to my seat, and sighing, Romeo turned on the ignition. We pulled back onto the quiet country road and I laughed without humour.

“What?” he asked stiffly.

“I’m the naïve Juliet Capulet, risking it all to have dinner with the Montagues.”

He rolled his eyes. “Juliet wasn’t f**kin’ foolish enough to risk that. They just ran away and got married instead—good plan. But my version of Juliet decides that meetin’ her mortal enemy will help our cause. We’ll soon see if that’s true, but I want it noted right now that I think this a f**kin’ stupid idea.”

I hated seeing him so apprehensive.

He cleared his throat. “One thing’s definitely the same though.”

“And what’s that?”

“That I feel for you what Montague felt for Juliet.” He intertwined his fingers with mine. “I’d give it all up for you too.”

I laid my head back on his shoulder, watching through the windscreen as the tired sun dropped low in the sky. I took a deep breath and smiled to myself. Nothing his parents could say or do would drive me away.