Juliet's P.O.V.
It's not that I had any problem with the music currently playing. Hell, I didn't even mind how loud it was. It was the fact that it was distracting the two teenage boys from their homework that I had a problem with. But for as long as I've been a mother, I've always tried to be the "cool" mom. I loved to play the role of good cop especially because it usually meant Kendall and I got to think of some sort of punishment, and I always ended up being liked more. Kendall didn't mind. Because there were certain things that made me so mad about my son, that Kendall could handle and got to be liked more. It was an even balance. But the music, coming from the dining room, was loud enough for me to hear in my office, tucked away behind the stairs, and at the front of the house. That was too loud. And it was almost 7 at night so they would have to quiet down eventually. It would probably be best if they did it before Kendall came home. I wasn't sure when that was, but I grabbed my glass of white wine and walked out of my office, dragging my feet in my fuzzy slippers, the whole way.
I couldn't help but smirk seeing the two boys sitting at the dining room table, not doing homework, or anything really. Robbie was sitting back in his chair, sipping from a soda, while Max was leaning forward, grinning wide, telling a story I couldn't hear. I frowned at them as I walked into the kitchen, getting their attention. Enough to turn the music down anyway. "How's homework coming boys?" I took a small sip of my wine and set it by the stove glaring at the bright green numbers. 6:42. Kendall has been gone since lunch, and I've only heard from him once.
"We're actually pretty hungry mom. What's for dinner?" I turned back to my son and his best friend I treated like my son and shrugged leaning against the island, towards them. "Can we order in? Kind of craving Mexican." Robbie burst into a fit of laughter making me give them a stupid look, as Max stood up, blushing and walked out to me. "I can go pick some food up with Robbie." I sighed out looking over to Robbie who was still smiling, looking down at his phone and nodded slowly.
"Sure. Let me get my wallet." Max nodded, and I squeezed his arm as I walked past him out to the living room. Just as I grabbed my purse on the table by the front door, it pushed open hard. I jumped hearing a thunder clap from over head and watched my husband, who was soaking wet from the rain, stumble in, holding a huge box in his arms. He walked it right to the coffee table and I shut the door fast, ignoring the huge mess Kendall was making. "Jesus babe. Why are you so wet?"
"It's raining." I gave him a dirty look as the two teenage boys laughed along with Kendall who shook off his black coat walking back to me. He smirked as he leaned down and kissed my lips, hanging his coat. I pushed back quick and looked down at his wet clothes. "Someone's piece of shit car is blocking me from getting in my garage." I smirked looking over to Robbie who was slipping his sneakers on, smiling big at Kendall. "Where you two going?"
"Get dinner. Where gonna pick up some Mexican food. What you want?"
"Just a burrito. Here." Kendall quickly pulled his wallet out and handed Max a few bills, which Max quickly pocketed. "Be careful and don't doddle."
"What does doddle mean?" We all turned to Robbie who pulled his hood up over his head and I smirked grabbing Kendall's hand as he pushed his shoes off his feet.
"It means act like a jackass and take your time." Robbie nodded slowly and looked over to Max. Max was pulling on a black rain coat over his black sweater, and I could tell he was struggling with his side. Just because his stiches were out didn't mean he was healed suddenly.
"You need help man?" Robbie started to reach out, but Max quickly pulled his arms through the sleeves and breathed out hard through his nose shaking his head. "So, what will you have momma?" I grinned big to Robbie and felt Kendall squeeze my hand.
"I will take a couple street tacos. Extra hot sauce." Robbie nodded and pulled his car keys out of his pocket wiggling them. "Please be careful. It's really nasty out there." They both nodded walking to the door fast, walking out even faster. As soon as the door shut I turned my attention to the box on the table and felt the usual hinge of pain course through me, knowing Kendall had a new case. Except this new case was about our best friend. "How's Logan?" Kendal sighed out, squeezing my hand one more time before letting go and walking to the stairs.
"How come you never told me about Shawn?" I turned my head a little watching him walk up the stairs, already taking his shirt off and crossed my arms over my chest. "You know who I'm talking about Jules. The guy who grabbed your arm in Costco." I rolled my eyes walking up the stairs, again ignoring the trail of water Kendall was leaving behind. "James said you told him about it, because of how this guy was looking at Logan. But seemed to forget to tell me."
"I didn't forget. I just chose not to." Kendall stopped at the top of the stairs and looked down at me as I continued to climb them. I got up to him and walked past heading straight for the bedroom. "With everything going on in our lives, I just thought some creepy asshole who grabbed me should be the least of our worries."
"But it was a big enough worry you told someone behind my back." I again rolled my eyes and went straight to my walk-in closet turning on the light overhead. I set my hands on my hips and cringed at the pile of laundry in the wicker basket at the end of my closet. "I know that our past has led you to believe I'm some loose cannon who will kill a guy for just looking at you but…" I laughed out loud throwing a pair of sweats I missed, in the hamper and bent picking it up. "But…I'm still a cop. It is literally my job to protect and serve pretty lady. And who knows. If I had known about it, maybe Logan wouldn't have been hurt." I stopped turning, to walk out of my closet, hearing him, in his own closet. My chest started to hurt as my head started to get clouded by the idea that I was the reason Logan was hurt. "We don't know if it's him for sure, but before Los and I left the hospital I asked to see this Shawn guy and was told he hadn't been to work in three days. But they let me see his locker, which was a dead end. However," Kendall appeared in the doorway of my closet, nude expect for a pair of black boxers on. He frowned leaning against the doorframe and scratched his stubble on his chin. "What's wrong?"
"It's my fault Logan got hurt?" Kendall stood up fast and rushed to me, putting my hamper on the ground, and holding my face.
"No baby. We don't even know if it was him. He's just a suspect." I looked down to his still sort of wet chest and grabbed his sides. "It is not your fault. I just want to know when someone creeps you out. I want to know when some asshole grabs you and makes you uncomfortable." I nodded quick feeling my throat swelling up, telling me I was going to start crying, but not knowing sure why I would start crying. "Whoever did this to Logan knew him. This was a personal attack. And a guy who has interned there for a week and a half is not doing anything for a personal reason." I nodded again and closed my eyes fast, to stop the tears from falling. "James called me before I left work. He got Logan home safe, with pain killers. He's going to be fine. And hopefully when he wakes up he'll be able to remember more of what happened." I pushed into him fast, not caring he was still slightly wet and hugged him tight, putting my head under his chin. "I didn't mean to upset you."
"It's alright. I should have told you about Shawn. But at the time it didn't seem all that important." I felt Kendall nod over me and I opened my eyes breathing in deep.
"So, you know why Max wanted to go to that Mexican place right?" I pushed away a little and turned my head slightly as Kendall smiled and pushed hair back off my face. "Carlos's daughter started working there."
"Jenna got a job?" He nodded and locked his hands behind my back pulling me back into him. "She's only 14." He frowned kissing my forehead before letting me go and picking up my hamper.
"Babe she's 17. And a grade younger than Max. And from what Carlos has told me, causing quite the problems with the boys at school. As he so very awkwardly put it, she developed over summer break." I squealed with happiness making Kendall shake his head as he grabbed his wet clothes of the floor of his closet. "Max sure does have a thing for my best friend's daughters." I gave him a dirty look as I went into our bathroom and quickly grabbed our towels hanging on the wall by the shower. I gently tossed them in the hamper by Kendall as he slipped on a pair of sweats, and a plain grey shirt.
"Jenna is a sweet girl. And so smart. I remember Samantha telling me she wants to be an engineer. I think she'd be an improvement over his last girlfriend." I casually checked my hair in the mirror of our bathroom hearing him chuckle.
"His last girlfriend was James and Logan's daughter."
"Who…" I turned out to him, setting my hip on the counter, crossing my arms over my chest, glaring at him as he tried to balance on one foot, while pulling a sock on.
"Who what?" I rolled my eyes at him for the third time tonight and grabbed the laundry basket, walking to our bedroom door. "You ever going to let what she did go?"
"Nope!" He laughed again as I walked down the hall to the top of the stairs. Just as I stepped down the first one, I could feel really cold air rushing into the house, and the sound of the rain seemed louder. I could hear Kendall coming up behind me as I took a few more steps further down. When I saw the front door wide open, I opened my mouth and felt the basket slipping from my hand. "Kendall?" My voice came out shaky and scared Just as Kendall walked around me. I watched as he hurried down the steps and quietly closed the front door. I carefully set the basket on the stair beside me and took one step down. He raised his left hand, without looking at me and silently told me to stay. I froze in my spot watching him glance around our seemingly quiet house. He walked quickly out of my sights and I felt panicked. I crouched down slowly and looked through the banister seeing his back, only to watch it disappear into the dining room. I waited, not so patiently to hear any sound, or voice. But there was nothing. I contemplated going down to my office to get my cell but remained seated. It was no longer than 2 minutes when Kendall appeared at the bottom of the steps shaking his head.
"The house is empty." I let out a sigh of relief as he climbed the stairs up to me and grabbed the laundry basket kissing my cheek softly. "The boys must not have shut it all the way and the wind blew it open." I nodded as he helped me stand, tucking the laundry basket under one arm, holding my hand with his other one. I clutched onto him as he walked us down stairs and to our laundry room, feeling like someone was going to jump out and scare us or kill us…or something. Because after all…if the wind was that strong, wouldn't we have heard the door slam as it smacked into the wall?
I was more than surprised to get help from Kendall with the laundry, and even cleaning up our living room. The living room sort of turned into a second room for Max since he was shot, and it was turning messy quick. After it was cleaned, Kendall started a fire and went to work looking at all his paperwork from the box on the coffee table. I grabbed my laptop and sat right by the fire, doing some work, answering emails from suppliers and customers. We sat in silence, only the fire, and storm outside making noise for a good 30 minutes. The silence was broken by my cell phone ringing loudly from my office, making me groan. I was irritated I forget to get it when I grabbed my laptop and work portfolio. And I was on my third glass of wine and wanted to just sit and relax but that clearly wasn't going to happen. As I got closer to my phone facing up on my desk, I frowned, and felt panicked seeing the cute picture of Max and me. I was kissing his cheek as he snapped the picture of us on Logan and James's boat over the summer. I loved that picture so much I made it his caller ID pic. But knowing he was out in the storm, and still recovering from being shot, nothing but fear raced through me. As I picked it up I hoped it was just that the restaurant was out of chicken and wanted to know what else I would have but knew it wouldn't be just that. "Max? Are you alright?"
"Mom…someone…your office is on fire!" I tensed up hearing sirens blaring in the background behind my sons, scared pained voice. "We were driving home and took the street by your office. It was already up in flames. Robbie called 911 but…but it's burning down mom."
"Where are you now?" I spun fast and sort of ran out to Kendall who was still into his work on the coffee table, beer bottle in hand.
"Were still here. I wanted to be here when the fire department showed up. I can't do anything to stop it mom."
"Baby it's alright. Just stay back okay and make sure no one goes to it, until the fire department gets there." I saw Kendall look up quick and stand up quicker as he saw me pulling my sneakers on my feet. "Dad and I will be there very soon." I hung up fast and felt a hard breath enter my body. "Max drove past my office." I pulled my coat on and watched him also slip on some shoes staring right at me. "My office is on fire." Kendall's mouth parted slightly as he forced his other foot into his shoe and I handed him his rain coat. "I can't drive. Too much wine." He only nodded grabbing my hand, and his keys and led me out the door.
I nervously chewed on my nail on my right thumb the whole way, feeling in complete shock. Kendall was trying to reassure me, but it wasn't helping. He had his free hand on my thigh and would rub and squeeze every so often, but it wasn't enough. I couldn't imagine how a fire could have started in a building where I hand make clothing and tried to remember when I left work. Max was still with me, and between him, myself and my two employees, Maria and Janice, we turned every sewing machine off, turned every TV off and made sure everything was off and closed. There really wasn't a lot in my office that could catch fire. Except the coffee pot and our irons. But again, I turned all of that off. Right? "Jesus Christ." I looked up fast lowering my hand from my mouth and felt the first couple of tears fall out of my eyes. Kendall stopped quick, seeing police tape already up, being blown hard in the wind. I pulled my seatbelt off fast and slid out of Kendall's truck fast. "Babe wait!" I slammed the door shut hard and ran under the tape, blinking away rain as I ran towards my building engulfed in flames. I heard a small sob leave my mouth as I slowed down seeing firefighters trying their hardest to stop the flames, but the wind was not helping. It didn't look like the rain was helping either which made the situation seem even more helpless. Just as I started to feel my body giving up, an arm wrapped tight around and me and held me up, as we watched my office burn.