A/N: Once again, see chapter one for the disclaimer. And also, thank you so much for all of your reviews! They make me so happy! :) For your hard work of reviewing the last chapter, you get this one sooner than planned! Please let me know if you have anything specific you'd like to see in the story, sometimes I run into a little creative brain fart XP

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Chapter 3

kateandharvey

She remembers thinking if she was labeling it as a story, she'd be torn between strong friendship and romance. The night was so magical, as if the sparkles were floating in the air. She felt like she was living in a perfume commercial; he was so relaxed, so...enchanting...

He walked in, stiffly clearing his throat as he always did when he was nervous, and she briefly caught sight of the rose he carried in his hand. He glanced around the restaurant, checking to make sure no one he knew was present. She had no idea what he was doing there. She sat at the table in the far corner, examining him as he gracefully walked towards her.

"O'Hara? What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." She winked. It was supposed to be a teasing wink, but it somehow came out flirtatiously and she knew it.

"You could." He conceded, not offering an answer. But she wasn't surprised. She knew him.

"I'm meeting someone." She hated the quick flash of hurt in his eyes. (She noticed, yes, but it was an odd night- something in the air no doubt.) She sounded like a child, trying to insist she was there to meet someone, trying to sound not so...lame.

"You are." It wasn't a statement, but not a full question. More a covered up surprise he wanted her to catch on to.

She nodded, "I am." She cleared her throat, "My friend... She set it up. She insists I put too much time into the job."

"You can never take too many slime balls off the street, O'Hara."

She smiled slightly, acknowledging his comment and continuing with her explanation. "It's silly, really. I'm wearing this absolutely hideous maroon thing," she gestured to the scarf around her neck, "And he's supposed to come with-"

"-A red rose." He finished.

Her eyes rose from the table to meet his. "Yes."

He cleared his throat, shifting slightly. "Your friend... Caroline?"

She nodded, "Yes."

He contemplated the situation. He examined all the evidence before making a plan of action. Finally, after a few seconds, he handed her the rose. "I guess this is yours, then."

She smiled and he smiled tightly in return, but it was a Carlton smile. One she only saw occasionally. She gestured to the seat across from her, "I guess that's yours, then."

And he sat down.

They chatted about work, and Shawn, and Vick. Juliet joked about how Shawn would surely know about their blind date by Monday while Lassiter told her adamantly there was no way he would ever find out because he was, without a doubt, not a psychic. Eventually, they talked about Shawn and Gus and their friendship.

She explained to him that even though they argue, and they're two different people, it's their history that keeps them together.

He said that history isn't a reason to stay in a relationship.

She elaborated, telling him it was a respect that was gained from the history, and the familiar territory that made it important. She confessed to him she doesn't have many friends she truly considers a real friend, and he laughed telling her she didn't make any sense but he understood what she was saying. She said every friend she'd ever had had left her.

He told her she had plenty of friends. And even if she didn't she'd easily make some as she wasn't completely intolerable. He winked at her after that.

She blushed.

He stared down at the table for a long hard few seconds, and she laid her hand on his arm. He looked up at her, placed his hand over hers on his arm, and told her, "You're my best friend, O'Hara."

Her heart swelled.

He drove her home that night, (she had walked the two blocks, the crazy woman) and while they stood outside her door, awkwardly trying to say goodnight, he leaned forward, and kissed her on the cheek. His fingers held hers as he did this and he gently told her, "I promise, I'll never leave you, Juliet." Her name rolled off his tongue and she wondered if it felt odd to him at all.

One look into her eyes, and a quick squeeze to her fingers, and he was gone.

She hurt, but she didn't know why.

She was sad, filled with a feeling of emptiness. But she didn't have anything to feel empty about.

She felt betrayed. But why?

The man loved his wife.

He was with his wife.

Ex-wife. Her heart reminded.

He was trying to work things out with his wife. Her brain jumped in.

She nearly confessed her love for him with his wife in the other room. In a towel. She cursed herself, she didn't want to remember the towel.

She was lost.

She'd always been lost.

But when you find your way, being lost again is a lot harder.

Because you had it, only for it to be taken.

You know what you're missing out on.

And Juliet O'Hara, was missing out on Carlton Lassiter.