Justice For Juniper novel Chapter 31

Justice For Juniper

Cat Cafe – Part I

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Three days later she was sitting in a cat café she’d never been to and laughing her head off at the antics of the kittens around her.

Juniper came alone and was calling this her homework from

therapy. This was far easier than the letter thing. She was really struggling to find the answers to the questions she’d written the first day at home.

Instead, she’d taken on the challenge of going somewhere alone and she knew exactly what she would want to do but couldn’t if she was still with him. Kyst was allergic to cats. Something like this would make him run screaming back for the car. She sat at a table, with the biggest cappuccino in her hand, a big tabby laying on her lap and two kittens under the table playing with her shoelaces. She would be covered in cat hair, knowing if Kyst approached her, he’d be squinty–eyed, red blotchy skin and hives. It made her happy to be here enjoying something she’d never allowed herself in the past because of him.

Phineas insisted she bring a driver with her, one who would be able to help her if Kyst somehow found her. He allegedly was calling Beni’s phone and the switchboard at work constantly trying to get in touch with her. Her mother blocked him and his parents after his mother called and said Juniper owed it to Kyst to talk. Her mother had gone nuclear on Lois‘ ass, blocked and deleted her from every platform and then took Juniper’s phone and did the same.

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Cat Cafe – Part I

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She looked at her purse and pulled out her phone and opened the notes section. Perhaps here in this space, where she knew Kyst would be irritated with her for coming to such a place knowing it could make him ill, she could figure out the last homework assignment.

What important things was she afraid to tell Kyst and why?

When she left the therapist’s office she’d considered this assignment dumb because she felt she really did tell him everything. Now, however, she was remembering little things she didn’t tell him because she was avoiding the disappointment he would portray.

Juniper typed out in her notes, “I didn’t tell Kyst I passed up a promotion.”

She stared at the words and let her fingers trail through the long–haired tabby’s fur on her lap. Why? She frowned as she considered, she’d not even told him she’d been approached, offered the position and declined it. In her head, since she didn’t want it, it didn’t matter but why didn’t she talk to him about it?

Because he would have pushed you into it.

The thought slammed into her and her fingers stilled as the kitten in her lap purred loudly.

Kyst would note the pay increase and questioning her sanity.

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Cat Cafe – Part I

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The job was to become the supervisor of the admin support department for all of Perez Co. It would have been an extra twenty thousand a year, but it came with pressure, dealing with thirty staff members under her and having to directly interact with upper management. She liked the bubble of security she lived within the HR department. She liked being Maxine’s assistant and she liked the challenges it brought to the table without overwhelming her. She didn’t want to take the other job because she was content where she was and didn’t feel ready for anything more while the rest of her life was feeling messy.

This thought made her heart race. When did she start thinking of her life as messy? When Kyst first brought up beginning to build their family and they started going to appointment after appointment. Kyst was bringing home book after book he wanted them to read together. None of it was out of the ordinary for Kyst. He was a take charge man. Yet, as she sat there with the feeling, she realized how much it bugged her when he took charge of her.

Everything they did was run by him. Everywhere they went for vacations and holidays, always somewhere he decided because he knew her best and knew what she liked. He would choose restaurants because he knew she was going to love a specific dish they served. He’d peruse menus, resorts, grocery aisles even, all picking things out for her because he knew her best.

Yet, in all the years they were together, she never questioned it. He brought her coffee, tea, juices, all at times he thought she would want them, but he never actually asked her what she

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Cat Cafe – Part I

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wanted. In all of it, she decided he was being considerate and sweet because he knew her so well but now her mind was

drifting to their last anniversary.

He’d booked them at a very fancy restaurant because one of the law partners was going on about their pan seared scallops. He knew his Juni would love the seafood prepared the way the partner described it. He’d planned it all out for them. However, at the time, she mentioned a newer restaurant in their community she’d wanted to try, and he laughed and said there was no way she would like it there because they played the music way too loud and she wouldn’t be able to hear herself think. He’d made the executive decision on their date nht.

A few weeks later he’d brought her to the noisy restaurant and he’d been right. It was too loud, obnoxious and she couldn’t enjoy her meal because the bass was thumping in her chest. He’d not said I told you so, but she’d felt it for days after.

It was why she didn’t tell him about the job.

He would have pointed out all the ways she would succeed in the position, how much their lives with the extra income could improve and she would somehow find herself second guessing her decision to stay where she was. She would have been talked into taking the job. She probably would have done well at it, but it wasn’t what she wanted. She didn’t tell him, because she didn’t want to do it and she knew he’d have convinced her to try.

She was staring at her phone, and it rang in her hand, and it

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