The hospital hallway was quieter now, the usual buzz of activity gone as the staff took the opportunity to rest whilst their patients slept peacefully in their beds. Justin emerged from Alex's room, his heart still racing with excitement. He couldn't wipe the grin off his face, his thoughts consumed by Neave—the way she'd felt in his arms, so small and fragile. The joy of her arrival was overwhelming. He glanced to the end of the hallway, where he spotted Juliet standing near the entrance, her back to him. She was looking out the window, her arms folded across her chest, her posture slightly stiff. Justin's smile widened, eager to share the joy of the moment. He strode quickly towards her, his footsteps light, almost skipping with excitement.
"Hey, Jules!" He called, his tone full of energy. Juliet turned at the sound of his voice, her face softening as she caught sight of him.
"You won't believe it! The baby, Neave, is... she's perfect, Jules. She's so tiny, so sweet, you won't even believe it until you see her…"
Juliet's eyes flickered with what looked like relief, whilst letting out a soft breath. She gave him a small, almost imperceptible smile, but it didn't reach her eyes the way it usually did.
"I'm glad to hear she's okay," Juliet said, her voice gentle, but there was an edge to it—a quiet sadness hidden behind the gentleness. "I've been so worried about Alex and the baby. I'm sorry I couldn't go in to see them, but I didn't think it'd be a good idea for me to go near them this soon after the birth... But I'm just glad they're both alright."
Justin's heart gentled, his excitement tempered by the concern he heard in her voice. He could see the relief in her eyes, but there was something else behind it—something he couldn't quite place. The way her shoulders were still tense, and the way she wasn't meeting his gaze fully made his stomach twist in uncertainty.
"Yeah, she's perfect," Justin said, his smile still lingering as he took a step closer to her. "You're going to love her."
Juliet nodded slowly, but her gaze drifted back to the window the silence stretched between them, heavy and thick.
"Jules," Justin began tentatively, "Are you alright?"
Her expression was unreadable and distant, a quiet mask of composure that made Justin feel uneasy. "I'm fine," she replied, though there was a faint tremor in her voice, betraying her calm demeanor.
Justin frowned, his worry growing, "you don't seem fine. Juliet, what's wrong?"
Juliet shifted her weight, her gaze drifting down the hallway before meeting his eyes again. She exhaled a deep breath, her lips pressing together in a thin line.
"I... I've been thinking," she began, her words slow, as though she was choosing them carefully. "And I think it's time we talked. About us."
Justin's heart skipped a beat. The words hit him like a punch, his chest tightening. He swallowed hard, trying to steady himself. "Talk about us?" He echoed, his voice higher than he intended. He stepped closer, his nerves on edge. "Jules, what do you mean? Is everything okay between us?"
Juliet's eyes mellowed, and she shook her head slightly, "I don't think we want the same things anymore, Justin," she said quietly. The words hung in the air, final and heavy. "I don't think I can give you the future you want."
Justin's breath caught in his throat, the world around him blurring for a moment. He blinked, struggling to make sense of her words. "What do you mean?" He asked, his voice hoarse now. "You can't give me the future I want? Jules, what are you talking about?"
Juliet took a slow breath, her gaze dropping to the floor before lifting to meet his again. "All of this today," she started, her voice quiet. "It just made me realise that Alex and Mason got extremely lucky, but this would never happen for us. And you deserve someone who can give you everything you want, someone who's sure about the future. And I don't know if I'm that person anymore..."
Justin's chest tightened painfully, and he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. Confusion, hurt, disbelief—all tangled together. This was the last thing he had expected to hear. "You don't mean that," he said, "you don't really want to end things, do you? I thought... I thought we were good."
Juliet's eyes softened further, but the sadness in them only deepened. "I never wanted to hurt you, Justin," she whispered. "But I think this is the right thing, for both of us. I want you to have a family, a future, everything you deserve. But I can't give that to you. Not the way you need."
Justin felt something crack inside him, the ache of her words spreading through him like a cold wave. "Jules…" He started, but she was already shaking her head, her own emotions evident despite her composure.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly, "but I think this is the end."
The finality of it hit him like a blow.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The silence was suffocating, pressing down on them both. Justin stood frozen, his mind spinning, trying to understand what had just happened. The future he had imagined with her, the life they had planned—it all seemed to slip through his fingers in an instant.
"Where has this come from?" Justin's voice cracked as he finally found his words. His heart was pounding, his mind spinning, struggling to understand. "One minute everything seems fine, and now you're telling me this? I don't... I don't get it."
Juliet glanced away for a moment, her gaze falling to the floor as if collecting her thoughts. The silence stretched again, thick and unbearable. When she finally spoke again, her voice was quieter, almost fragile. "I've been thinking about it for a while now." She admitted, "I love you Justin, I really do. But you've got this whole future in front of you, and I don't think I can be a part of it. I just can't give you what you want. And that's the hardest part of all this. I know it sounds selfish, but I've been trying to make myself believe that we could keep going, that we could make it work somehow. But deep down, I know I can't be what you need. And it's not fair to either of us for me to keep pretending I can, and today has just confirmed that for me..."
Her words felt like a punch to his gut, and he staggered a little, as if the ground beneath him had shifted. He had always known Juliet was thoughtful, introspective even, but he had never imagined she would feel like this.
He gulped as he tried to catch his breath, "But I don't want anyone else. I want you," Justin said, his voice coming out rougher than he intended. "We've been through so much together. I thought we were—" He stopped, the words dying in his throat. "I thought we were good..."
Juliet's expression softened, but there was an undeniable sorrow in her eyes. "I know you do," she whispered, shaking her head slowly. "And I want to give you everything you want. But I don't think I can be the person who does that." She paused, taking a deep breath, then continued. "Justin, I'm 2,195 years old. I've done everything, seen everything and I'm never going to age… You have your whole life ahead of you, you have so much to do and see. You can have a family of your own, you can grow old with… someone else…"
Justin wanted to argue, to fight for them, but the finality in her voice left him speechless. He could feel it in his chest, the weight of her words. She was resolute. There was no going back.
"Juliet," Justin said, his voice hoarse now. "Please, don't do this..."
"I'm sorry, Justin. I wish things were different, but I can't keep holding on to something that I know isn't going to work. I'm sorry…"
Juliet gave him one last, sad glance, then turned away, walking slowly down the hallway. Justin's heart ached with every step she took, the emptiness inside him growing with each passing moment. He wanted to stop her, to make her change her mind, but the words wouldn't come. He stood frozen, watching her disappear around the corner, the echo of her footsteps fading into the silence of the hallway.
As Juliet's figure disappeared around the corner, Justin stood frozen, the burden of the conversation felt suffocating. He was still trying to process it, to make sense of what had just happened when the sound of footsteps broke through the fog in his mind. He turned, and there was Max and their father, emerging from Alex's room. Max was talking excitedly, his voice carrying a lightness that felt jarring in the heavy air. He caught sight of Justin, and his face lit up as he came to a sudden stop.
"Hey, Justin! Everything okay?" he asked, glancing at his brother curiously, sensing something was a little off.
Justin nodded stiffly, forcing a smile, "Yeah. Just... a little tired, I guess." He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to shake off the lingering feelings of loss.
Jerry didn't miss the tension in Justin's posture. He stepped forward with a concerned look, his voice delicate. "Everything alright, son?"
Justin opened his mouth to respond, but the words caught in his throat. He wasn't sure he could explain what had just happened, not without feeling like he might completely unravel. Instead, he gave a tight nod. "Yeah, just... been a long day."
Noticing his son's distant expression, Jerry gave him a knowing look. But instead of probing further, he just placed a hand on Justin's shoulder. "It's been a big day for all of us, son. But whatever it is, you know you can talk about it when you're ready. Right?"
Justin forced a smile, though it felt fragile. "I'll be fine," Justin muttered, though it didn't sound convincing. "I just think I need to take a walk. Get some air…"
Jerry nodded, "Alright, son. If you need anything, you know where to find me."
Justin gave a faint nod before turning away. "Thanks, Dad. I know." He didn't look back as he walked down the hallway, leaving his father and brother in silence.
Juliet stepped out of the hospital, her footsteps quick and purposeful, though her heart felt like it was being dragged behind her, torn in two. The cool night air hit her face, but it did not deter her from the feeling of the suffocating ache settled in her chest. She tried to push the thoughts of Justin out of her mind, but it was impossible. The image of his face as she'd spoken those final words to him would haunt her.
He didn't know the truth about why she'd said those things, and she couldn't bear to tell him, not now. It would be too much for anyone, let alone someone who had just started to dream of a future that could never be. As Juliet walked briskly, her mind wandered back to that night, and being there with Alex tonight had caused Juliet to feel the sharp, undeniable reality of her situation sink in.
A vampire's body could not carry life the way a humans could. It wasn't just the physical impossibility of bearing children—it was the curse. All vampires have the opportunity to be able to conceive one child. But unfortunately for Juliet, this gift came sooner than she would have wanted it to, and now after the birth, her powers had shut down her ability to carry another child. Despite this, her child- a beautiful little girl, had been a gift. Even though this meant that her body, so frozen in time, could never again carry a child. And there was no way she could bear the thought of telling Justin. He deserved more than that. He deserved a family—a future filled with children, growing old together.
Juliet came to a halt as she stood in the hospital entry way, she'd never been able to tell Justin the truth. How could she? How could she expect him to understand something so devastating, so final?
It wasn't fair to him—to ask him to live a life without children, without the normalcy and growth that he could easily have with another. The way his eyes twinkled when he'd talked about the future, about his dream of raising a family, had made her decision feel even more crushing. She closed her eyes, taking a slow, steadying breath. She could never offer Justin the future he dreamed of. She had to let go, even though it tore her apart.
"Juliet," a voice called softly from behind her.
Her heart lurched at the sound of the voice—familiar, warm. She heard footsteps approaching, slow and steady, the sound unmistakable. Her breath hitched in her throat as she turned to see Justin standing there, a few feet away, his eyes shadowed with hurt. She wished she could take back every word she'd said, every lie she'd told to push him away.
"Juliet… Why are you doing this?"
She opened her mouth to explain, to give in and tell him everything, but the words wouldn't come. She couldn't bear the thought of breaking his heart any further with the truth that would destroy him.
"I'm sorry," Juliet finally whispered, her voice shaky, barely above a breath. She felt a tug at her heart as she spoke.
Justin stood still for a moment, his brow furrowing in confusion. He stepped closer again, his tone more insistent now. "Juliet, I'm not asking for a perfect future. I won't ask for anything you can't or don't want to give me. I just want you—just you." He reached for her, his hand brushing against her arm gently. "I care about you. I care about us. I never wanted anything more than to be with you, Juliet."
Her vision blurred with the sting of unshed tears, she couldn't let him sacrifice everything for her.
"You're enough. I just want to be with you Juliet."
The words hit her like a tidal wave, threatening to sweep her under. She wanted so badly to give in, to pull him into her arms and tell him she was wrong, that they could still make this work. But reality slammed into her once more. She couldn't keep him. She couldn't let him give up his dreams for the impossible. "I'm sorry," Juliet said again, the words too small, too empty for the pain she felt. "I'm so sorry."
Justin's expression dulled for a brief moment, the pain in his eyes clear, but there was no anger, no resentment. Just a deep, quiet sadness. He nodded slowly, his jaw tight, but his eyes never left hers. For a long moment, there was nothing but the quiet between them.
"If this is what you want," Justin murmured, "then I'll respect it. I'll respect you."
Juliet closed her eyes, tears finally slipping down her cheeks as the reality of their parting hit her fully. She had made the hardest decision of her life, and though it felt like her heart was being ripped apart, she knew it was the right one—for him.
Justin took one last look at her, his face a mixture of sadness and acceptance, before turning away. His footsteps echoed up the hallway back into the hospital, and Juliet's heart shattered with each one.
She wanted to call out to him, to beg him to come back, but she knew better. There was no going back now. And as he walked out of sight, Juliet was left standing alone, knowing she had just let go of the one thing she would never be able to get back.
Alex sat in the quiet hospital room, her eyes fixed on Neave, who was peacefully asleep in her bassinet. The tiny baby's chest rose and fell with each breath, a soft rhythm that seemed to fill the space with a kind of serenity. Harper sat beside her, their gazes both trained on the newborn.
"Harps, can I tell you something?" Alex's voice was tentative, barely above a whisper.
Harper turned toward her, concern flashing across her face. "Anything Alex. What's going on?"
Alex hesitated, her fingers lightly brushing the baby's cheek as she struggled to find the right words. "I don't know... it's Juliet."
"Juliet?" Harper's tone was laced with surprise. "What about her?"
Alex exhaled, "She told me something earlier. She said I wasn't supposed to tell Justin, but… I don't think I can keep this from him. I wouldn't want someone to hide something like this from me."
Harper leaned in, her curiosity piquing, "What did she tell you?"
Alex looked down at Neave, her chest tightening with the weight of the revelation. "Juliet had a baby."
Harper froze, her eyes widening in disbelief and she blinked rapidly, not quite processing what Alex had just said. "She… had a baby?" Panic crept into her voice as realization hit.
Alex nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "She had to give the baby up for adoption. And she has no idea what happened to her."
Harper opened her mouth, her thoughts racing, but Alex cut her off.
"Do you think I should tell Justin? Or at least try and get Juliet to tell him?"
Harper paused, the complexity of the situation settling in. "I don't know," she said slowly, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "It might be kinder to keep it from him."
Alex shook her head, frustration edging into her voice. "Harper, Justin has dreamed about being a dad since we were kids. And vampires—well, they can only conceive once. That means... he'll never have children with Juliet. This could destroy him if he finds out this way. What should I do?" She turned to Harper, her eyes pleading for guidance.
Harper's face went blank as she tried to process the depth of the situation. "It's like Sophie's choice," she muttered, almost to herself.
Alex frowned, confused. "Who's Sophie?"
Harper raised an eyebrow, caught off guard by Alex's lack of recognition. But seeing the genuine confusion in her eyes, she sighed. "Never mind, it's a reference to a difficult decision… Forget it."
Alex shook her head, trying to shake off the distraction. "Anyway, I don't even know if I should be involved in all of this right now, especially with a new baby. I just want to focus on Neave." She glanced down at her daughter, her expression softening. "I might tell my Mom and let her decide what to do. She'll know what's best for Justin, but I can't carry this burden right now."
Harper, still lost in thought, looked at her cautiously. "Your mom? Is that really a good idea?" Her tone was careful, almost uncertain.
Alex shrugged, looking exhausted. "Well, she'd know how to handle it. I'm not sure I can, not with everything else going on... What would you do?"
Harper hesitated, the weight of Alex's question settling between them. "Me? If I found out something like this?"
Before Alex could answer, the door creaked open, and Mason stepped inside, holding a can of soda in his hand. His eyes immediately found Alex, and a grin spread across his face. "Hey, I've got the pop you wanted," he said, holding the can out to her with a playful smile.
Alex couldn't help but laugh, momentarily lifting the tension. "Pop? It's soda, Mason! How long have you lived in the States, and you're still calling it 'pop'?"
Mason wrapped his arm around her shoulders, laughing as he pulled her close. "No, no. Soda is that fizzy water with no taste." He pointed to the can "This is pop."
Alex rolled her eyes, still chuckling. "Harper, tell him he's wrong!"
Harper shot them both a sharp glare, her anger barely contained. "You two are hopeless," she muttered, her voice laced with irritation. The smile on her face was tight, forced, and Alex, oblivious to the tension, didn't notice her annoyance simmering just beneath the surface. Then Harper's eyes flicked to Mason, and her gaze hardened, but she said nothing. The weight of her unspoken thoughts pressed heavily between both her and Mason.
Mason quickly cast his eyes down at Neave, then shifted his eyes back up, "what've I missed?" He asked forcing a smile, "Little miss still not awake yet?"
Alex shook her head, her smile fading just a little as her thoughts returned to her previous conversation. "No. She's out for the count, we were just talking about Justin."
Mason's smile slipped, "Justin? What's wrong with Justin?"
Harper jumped in before Alex could speak. "Alex was just telling me something Juliet mentioned. She wasn't sure if Justin should know about it or not."
Mason's brow furrowed. "Sounds ominous..."
"Juliet had a baby." Alex told him, her voice barely a whisper. "And Justin doesn't know…"
The room went completely still, Mason's face immediately dropped, his playful demeanor gone as his expression rapidly hardened.
Harper's eyes narrowed, and she let out a quiet snarl, "Alex was just asking me what I would do if I found out something like this." She added, her tone now sharp. "You know, say for example if you had a baby Alex didn't know about. Would I tell her?"
Alex raised an eyebrow, letting out a small laugh. "Well, kinda I guess. But I wasn't going to ask that question exactly…" She said, her voice light and teasing. She waved a hand, dismissing the idea before rubbing her forehead, apprehension slowly inching into her voice. "But anyway, like I said, I'm going to talk to my Mom about it. Because I just need to focus on Neave right now."
Mason froze, his usual easygoing demeanor faltering as he shifted uncomfortably, "Yeah, you do that..." His voice was calm but carrying an undeniable weight as his eyes lingered on Neave before moving back to Alex.
The silence that followed was thick and laden, Alex met Mason's gaze, a furrow creasing her brow as she asked quietly, "Mason… what would you do if you found out something like this? If you found out someone you were in love with had a child and kept it from you? Wouldn't you want to know?"
Mason froze, his thoughts seemed to scatter as his face paled, his mind racing.
"I—" He stopped, unable to finish, and he swallowed hard, trying to steady his breath. "I don't know, Alex. I mean, I don't know if it's my place to say anything or—"
Harper's jaw clenched, her frustration palpable. She could feel the heat rising in her face, the urge to snap at him almost overwhelming. But she held back, she wanted to shout at Mason, tell him how much of a coward he was. But she held her ground. This wasn't the time. Alex didn't need to hear the truth—at least, not yet.
Mason glanced briefly at Alex, who was focused on Neave, adjusting the little blanket around her. "I'll, uh, be back," he muttered, his voice sounding far less certain than usual. "I need to check if my parents have got in touch with my grandparents yet, they still don't know about the baby."
As he reached the door, Harper's eyes followed him. She could feel the tension in the air shift, she wanted to say something—anything—to break the silence. But instead, Harper turned her focus back to Alex, watching her as she hummed softly to the sleeping baby, unaware of the storm swirling just under the surface.
Alex barely looked up, absorbed in the quiet lull of the room. "The nurse will be putting her in the nursery soon," she said, her voice calming. "But you'll be able to see her again later. I think I'm going to try and get some rest while she's out of the room."
Mason offered a faint, strained smile, "right. That's fine love, I won't be long." His eyes lingered on Neave before flicking back to the door as he stepped out of the room, hesitating before taking the first step.
The soft sound of the door clicking shut was the only thing that broke the silence that followed. Alex, oblivious, continued to dote on to Neave, not noticing the subtle change in the atmosphere. Everything in the room felt a little heavier now. Harper watched the door Mason had just exited through, a knot of unease tightening in her stomach. He hadn't just left the room. He'd fled. It was like there was something he couldn't face, something he was running from. The thought was fleeting, but it stuck with her, gnawing at her gut. Had Mason just confirmed something she hadn't wanted to believe?
The way Mason had reacted to Juliet's name. The tightness in his posture when the conversation turned to the secret. The way he'd disappeared from the room. It felt like the truth had just revealed itself, piece by piece...
Oh dear... What will Harper do now?...
I hope you're all still enjoying the story so far, please let me know what you all think!