The Neighbor

XXIII

"Just be careful, we will see her when you three get home." Juliet's mother said rolling her eyes, "I swear that girl can't do anything without spending thirty minutes on her hair."

"See you soon!" Delilah waved as Juliets parents walked out the front door and turned to get their car. "If you two hadn't spent so much time in the bathroom we could have been on the road."

Ignoring her daughters playful remark the blonde twirled her neck around and looked up at the bright fluorescent lights. She didn't want to go home and deal with her life. She knew how difficult and drug out it was going to be.

Glancing at her watch Scarlet sighed and bit her lip. Juliet had been in the restroom for a while and it started to worry her.

Wincing as she put her stuff down on the chair the blonde woman turned her head and furrowed her eyebrows seeing a water bottle slowly roll back and forth by the vending machines.

Crossing her arms and looking over at her daughter who bounced her leg and blew a bubble with her gum she squinted her eyes, "Where is Cole?"

"I think he wanted a water before he took off."

Taking a few seconds to process Scarlet started walking over to the corner slowly, "Juliet?"

Not hearing a response she sped up and started running until she made it to where the bathrooms were. Knocking on the door she heard a thump come from inside so she grabbed the doorknob hoping it was unlocked. "Juliet?"

Putting her phone down Delilah looked behind her to see hear her mother's voice faintly.

"Juliet!?"

Furrowing her brows she forgot about all the luggage and ran over. "Mom what's wrong?" Trying to calm her down Delilah looked down seeing the water bottle hit her Sandals.

"Juliet open the door!" Delilah joined trying the door knob herself.

Pushing her out of the way Scarlet clenched her jaw and backed up, staring at the door as if it was the reason for the next war she threw her long leg up and busted through the poorly made wood.

Her eyes growing wide and her face heating up with anger she looked at Juliet's body limp on the ground. "What the fuck did you do?"

Pushing past her mom Delilah bent down and listened to the brunettes short breathes. Feeling her body she started laying her down flat. "Call the ambulance." seeing no one respond she repeated herself with a raised voice. "Someone call an ambulance!"

Moving from the corner Cole tried slipping out but was met with his wife's fist hitting his nose upwards causing his nose to shatter.

Yelling out in pain he gasped feeling her hands wrap around his neck. "I didn't do anything." He spat out grabbing her arms and pushing her back.

His words didn't even hit Scarlet, all she heard was her heart beating so hard that her hands grasped onto his messy hair and pushed him into the vending machines glass frame.

Slamming his face into the razored glass not once, not twice, but three times.

Then he fell to the floor with the crystals falling with him slowly. Dressing his bloody face with sparkles.

By then people were running over and security separated the two.

There was yelling and cursing, but luckily Delilah stayed calm and talked to a police woman while she held Juliet's head in place. She kept her still while slowly brushing her hair back as of to tell her it was all ok now. "She had a blow to the back of her head, she probably has a concussion. And there's blood around her hands and back of head."

Standing frozen Scarlet let the policeman handcuff her as she watched her daughter talk to paramedics who rushed in and pushed everyone else out of the way.

Glancing over at her husband who was still fighting she gulped seeing his bloody face come into contact with the cement floor as they forced him into submission. Handcuffing him tightly and securely.

"Ma'am can you tell me what happened?"

Letting her blue eyes find the woman police officer who looked mean and worn Scarlet tried figuring out the words that came out of her mouth as she heard the paramedics count loudly before lifting Juliet onto a gurney.

"Ma'am I need to know what happened. You have a bloody nose. Do you need a paramedic to take a look at you?"

"Juliet..." the older woman whispered. Watching some men roll her out of the lobby.

"Ma'am."

"She's my mother," Delilah ran over and started talking to police officer leaving Scarlet unaware that the handcuffs fell off of her wrist.

finally feeling she was free she rubbed here now sore wrist and broken finger "Where is she?" The blonde whispered looking around frantically. Stepping over her soon to be ex husband's moaning body Scarlet looked around the lobby forgetting she had been rolled out only a moment ago.

"Mom, she's at the hospital let's get our stuff and go." Delilah answered grabbing her arm and leading her away from the scene.

Looking back as she was led to the car Scarlet studied the bloody man on the floor. "Delilah what happened?"

"I don't know mom but it doesn't look good." The younger girl explained.

Taking the bags her daughter handed to her she grasped Juliet's purse tightly in her hands as they walked outside to meet the misty weather. "Is she ok?"

"Yes she's ok mom, but we need to get there so you can hold her and tell her that yourself ok?" Delilah answered putting the car into drive and speeding out of the parking lot. Not caring that a whole squad of cops followed behind.

Nodding the blonde hugged the purse close to her chest and let the blood from her nose and lips drip onto her golden watch.

*unedited.*