Last Violent Call

by Chloe Gong

REALLY, ROMA?! THIS IS THE LAST AND FINAL TIME ANYONE DOES THIS, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?! GET YOUR WIFE ON THE LINE, I HAVE SOME WORDS FOR HER, TOO—that

If he didn’t love Juliette so much, he would really spend every waking moment in fear of what went on in that mind of hers.

These days, though he didn’t need to resort to being a menace anymore, he still liked rolling onto her side of the bed when she was ignoring him for a book and receiving the honor of being smacked away with her pillow.

“It’s Juliette Montagova.” She lifted her hand and waved her fingers, flashing her gold wedding ring while she continued onward and exited the living room. “I’m a married woman. Roma, come help me get the knives, would you?” In that moment, as Roma pushed off the wall and followed her obediently, he fell in love all over again.

“What were you shushing me for?” Roma whispered after a few seconds. “You were the one talking.” “I like telling you to shut up,” Juliette replied. “Do you?” “Absolutely.” Entirely straight-faced, she added, “It gets me all hot and bothered.”

“Are you… braiding my hair?” “Yes,” Roma answered plainly. “I’m forcing you to hold still. It also keeps getting in your eyes.”

“You won’t ever lose me,” he repeated, sounding so serious even with the jest in their actions. “And I love you, to have and to hold as my unlawfully wedded wife, until the universe itself goes poof.”

“I have an internal compass that centers on you instead of true north.”

“What have we said,” he chided, “about throwing objects at me?” “That I should keep doing it!”