her head hidden in between her knees, Juliet’s next words were muffled. “You’re - you’re being so m-m-mean to me. I didn’t - do anything to you - on - on purpose.” Romeo remained silent.
Okay, Juliet thought to herself, the beast had risen and was now interested in the morsel of food she was trying to coax him with. Now if she could only get him to come closer and take the ‘poisoned’ morsel from her hand, she’d be free. She started to sniffle more.
“Don’t cry - please,” Romeo whispered again.
Inwardly, Juliet was elated. The beast was coming closer and about to take her bait. Soon she’d be out of this jam and back home, having that mint tea with Sara.
“You’re - you’re being a-a monster to me, so I can cr - cry if I want to,” she sobbed back, as she finally lifted her head from her knees and stared up at him. She saw that he was staring back at her, standing at the bars of his cell and grasping them for support, probably to help him with his sore back.
Romeo’s knees had practically buckled at the sight of her sweet, sad face when she’d lifted up her tear-filled eyes to him and he’d decided in that second, that he was going to do or say whatever he had to in order to save her. Every instinct in his body was screaming at him to do just that.
“Don’t cry. I’ll tell them the truth, I swear, I’ll tell them the truth,” he pleaded.
Juliet sniffled some more and then proceeded to wipe the real tears off of her cheeks with the back of her hand. God, where had they come from, really? This was all supposed to be pretend. She looked back at Romeo and saw that he was practically trying to come through those bars to get at her. Was he truly feeling sorry for her or was he pretending too? Maybe, at the last minute, he’d announce that he’d changed his mind about telling the police the truth and throw it all back in her face?
“But, you said - you said I hit you for real,” she gulped.
“Never mind what I said. What’s important is what I’m going to say now.” Romeo turned to the tall officer who had arrested him and was now sitting at a desk ten feet away. “Officer, Officer!” he called out. “I need to see you.” The officer stood up and came over. Romeo continued, “I’m dropping all charges against her.”
The officer took in the situation and saw the woman’s tears. He surmised that she had probably gotten to Romeo with a crying jag and the perp was now changing his tune because of it.
“You said she assaulted you. You’re saying now that you lied to us?” He wasn’t going to let him off that easily. After all, lying to the police was a serious offense, not to mention a waste of their time.
“I’m saying that I was mistaken. It all happened so fast and I can’t really be sure of anything.” The officer frowned, obviously not believing him and Romeo continued, “Look, I’m not pressing charges and without that, you don’t have a case against her. I want her released.” The officer looked from one to the other. He took in Romeo’s desperate pleading and Juliet’s rapt attention at their conversation and sighed.
The perp was right. If he wasn’t going to press charges, they had nothing on the woman and it would be a waste of time to book her and arrest her officially. She’d have to be released.
Juliet watched the officer walk to the front desk, grab a key from a wall rack and come back towards her cell. She briefly shut her eyes in relief, thanking her lucky stars that her ordeal was finally over. She wasn’t going to be charged with assault and battery, she wasn’t going to be booked and fingerprinted, and she wasn’t going to be strip-searched - thank God! The black fear lifted from her shoulders.
She heard an odd shuffling sound coming from the cell opposite hers and her eyes flew open, focusing on Romeo. He was still standing at the steel bars, holding on for dear life and his one good eye was impaling her with its steady gaze. What was
Okay, Juliet thought to herself, the beast had risen and was now interested in the morsel of food she was trying to coax him with. Now if she could only get him to come closer and take the ‘poisoned’ morsel from her hand, she’d be free. She started to sniffle more.
“Don’t cry - please,” Romeo whispered again.
Inwardly, Juliet was elated. The beast was coming closer and about to take her bait. Soon she’d be out of this jam and back home, having that mint tea with Sara.
“You’re - you’re being a-a monster to me, so I can cr - cry if I want to,” she sobbed back, as she finally lifted her head from her knees and stared up at him. She saw that he was staring back at her, standing at the bars of his cell and grasping them for support, probably to help him with his sore back.
Romeo’s knees had practically buckled at the sight of her sweet, sad face when she’d lifted up her tear-filled eyes to him and he’d decided in that second, that he was going to do or say whatever he had to in order to save her. Every instinct in his body was screaming at him to do just that.
“Don’t cry. I’ll tell them the truth, I swear, I’ll tell them the truth,” he pleaded.
Juliet sniffled some more and then proceeded to wipe the real tears off of her cheeks with the back of her hand. God, where had they come from, really? This was all supposed to be pretend. She looked back at Romeo and saw that he was practically trying to come through those bars to get at her. Was he truly feeling sorry for her or was he pretending too? Maybe, at the last minute, he’d announce that he’d changed his mind about telling the police the truth and throw it all back in her face?
“But, you said - you said I hit you for real,” she gulped.
“Never mind what I said. What’s important is what I’m going to say now.” Romeo turned to the tall officer who had arrested him and was now sitting at a desk ten feet away. “Officer, Officer!” he called out. “I need to see you.” The officer stood up and came over. Romeo continued, “I’m dropping all charges against her.”
The officer took in the situation and saw the woman’s tears. He surmised that she had probably gotten to Romeo with a crying jag and the perp was now changing his tune because of it.
“You said she assaulted you. You’re saying now that you lied to us?” He wasn’t going to let him off that easily. After all, lying to the police was a serious offense, not to mention a waste of their time.
“I’m saying that I was mistaken. It all happened so fast and I can’t really be sure of anything.” The officer frowned, obviously not believing him and Romeo continued, “Look, I’m not pressing charges and without that, you don’t have a case against her. I want her released.” The officer looked from one to the other. He took in Romeo’s desperate pleading and Juliet’s rapt attention at their conversation and sighed.
The perp was right. If he wasn’t going to press charges, they had nothing on the woman and it would be a waste of time to book her and arrest her officially. She’d have to be released.
Juliet watched the officer walk to the front desk, grab a key from a wall rack and come back towards her cell. She briefly shut her eyes in relief, thanking her lucky stars that her ordeal was finally over. She wasn’t going to be charged with assault and battery, she wasn’t going to be booked and fingerprinted, and she wasn’t going to be strip-searched - thank God! The black fear lifted from her shoulders.
She heard an odd shuffling sound coming from the cell opposite hers and her eyes flew open, focusing on Romeo. He was still standing at the steel bars, holding on for dear life and his one good eye was impaling her with its steady gaze. What was
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