Be My Juliet [on hold]

Chapter 22

*Dan’s POV*

“We need to congratulate her in person.  Now.” I smile, running over to pull on my shoes.  “We could pick up a pizza or something, and I don’t even know but we need to go.” I start rambling, excitement filling me up with each new breath.  I look over to Phil, waving for him to hurry up.

“What if we invited her over tomorrow and had a proper party?” he muses.  “With cake and balloons and stuff.”

“Good idea.  We’ll get balloons on the way.” I laugh.  “Cake, too.”

“You just miss her already.” Phil smirks at me, knowing exactly why I want to see her.  I feel like part of myself is missing without Penelope by my side.  I want her to be with me every second of every day, so I can make her laugh, protect her, and love her with every fiber of my being.    I feel my cheeks go a bit red as I grab both Phil’s coat as well as my own.

“Don’t act like you don’t want to see Jess again.” I counter, turning to see him blush.  “I saw the way you were looking at her.  Are we going now?” He nods, so I throw him his jacket and we head out the door.  We walk past a flower shop, so I buy a bouquet of roses for her while Phil goes across the street and gets balloons- I wasn’t joking when I said we would.  As we get closer to the girl’s flat, we pass by a pizza place that I remember Penelope mentioning, so we get a large pie before heading up. 

Phil rings the doorbell, and a few seconds pass before we hear muffled footsteps coming towards the door.  Jess swings open the door, and a smile quickly spreads across her face as she ushers us inside.  “Penelope!” she yells, taking the pizza from Phil and placing it on their breakfast bar.  She turns her head, and grins widely as she skips over to us.  We trap her in a giant group hug, squeezing her tightly. 

“Surprise!  Congratulations love,” Phil says.  “You really deserve it.”

“I expect to go to the premier.” I laugh, my grip tightening as Phil’s arms drop.

“All of you are going; are you kidding?” she smiles.

“They’ve brought food.” Jess states, lifting up the lid to the pizza box and smelling the warm pie.

“I see that,” Penelope replies, trying to escape my grasp to join her.  I kiss the top of her head, releasing her slightly.  I let my hand slip into hers, and she intertwines our fingers as she pulls me towards the kitchen.  “What kind?”

“Just plain.  Is that alright?” Phil asks.

“Of course it is.” Pen smiles, opening the cabinet in front of her and going onto her tip toes to reach for the plates sitting on the top shelf.  I laugh at her, then wrap my arms around her waist and gently lift her off the ground.  She grabs four, and then places them on the counter.  Everyone takes one as well as a slice before sitting down around the table.

“This is from Mario’s isn’t it…?” Jess grins, taking another bite.

“Only the best.” Phil says, smiling at her.  We eat in silence, eventually finishing off the entire pie. 

“Do you guys want to stay?” Pen asks.  “We have movies, television, music, video games…”

“We’d love to.” I kiss her, missing the feeling of my lips pressed against hers.  “Right Phil?”

“Yes!  What would you guys like to do?” he asks.

“Well I was going to go get cake from a bakery up the road…” Jess tells us, smiling.  “Want to come with me Phil?”

“Yes!  Do you want to leave now?”

“Sure.”  They throw on their shoes and jackets before hastily escaping into the cold night air.