What You Remind Me Of, chapter 10
Melody's POV
"Do you love my daddy," Jake asked me with a slight smile on his face. Billie's kids were amazing. A lot like their dad. Billie had a photo shoot, which he dreaded, tonight, and it was the boy's weekend, so I picked them up. We were on our way home, when Jake's voice came from the backseat.
"Well, J.J., I do love your dad."
"Good, because he loves you."
"How do you know?"
"Because, him and mommy and uncle Mike, and uncle Tre, and a BUNCH of other people have been talking a lot about-"
"Talkin' 'bout goin on vacation," Joey said, cutting him off. Joey turned around from the passenger's seat of my Escalade, a Christmas present that Billie didn't have to buy, and looked at him.
"Ok, thanks for letting me know." My phone started to ring. It was Billie.
Billie's POV
"... Yeah, that's sounds cool. Just whatever the boys want. No, I don't care about the movie. No, and I don't want any candy, mother. Ha, ha, Mel. No, I'll get my candy later on tonight. You know it babe. Ok. Hey, I love you. Bye."
"Ah, was that the almost soon to be Mrs. Armstrong," Adi asked. Mike, Tre, Adi, Betsy, Mel's mom, Paul, Mel's oldest brother, John, her older brother, Robert, Mel's dad, and I were sitting at Adi's kitchen table, working on the surprise attack.
"Yeah, she has the boys at Blockbuster, renting a movie."
"And, what did you tell her? That you were out picking up her family at the airport, then going back here to plan the surprise engagement party," Mike asked.
"No, I told her we had a photo shoot."
Robert laughed, "What a great husband you're gonna be Billie. Already lying to her."
"He WAS a bad husband," Adi said, squeezing my knee under the table. I looked at her and smiled. She was beautiful, and one day, she would find someone else. Someone like Mike. That's what I was hoping for anyways. We would treat her like she should be treated.
"Well, let's just hope he gets a chance to try again," John said looking at her coffee cup.
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean," Betsy said, looking at her youngest son.
John let out a sigh before saying, "Never mind. Forget I said anything."
"Ann, come on, what are you talking about," I said as my eyes watched Tre, who had been fairly quiet through the night, get up to answer his phone
Well, mom, Billie, all I'm saying is, and Billie, you know as well as anyone here, that when things get serious or when things get hard, Mel runs away. She runs away from things. Look at Travis."
"Come on guys," Mike said, "she's not going to run away. She's crazy about you, Billie."
"Actually," Tre said, walking back into the room, "Melody isn't going to run. Anywhere."
I was getting annoyed. Everyone thinks they know all this shit about us, but Mel and I, we're the only ones who really know. But I was thankful for Tre and Mike and Betsy. "How do you know," I asked Tre.
"She told me so. When you and her first got back together. You remember that day you brought her to the studio? Well, while you were in the booth with Mike, working on 'Idiot', I asked her about it. You know, running away, and she said that she was going to stay put this time. And, since I love her so much, in her defense, and no offence to you Billie, you're the one who ran away. So just get off her case. Billie, your son just called me."
"Why?"
"It was Joey. And, Jake almost let it slip. But if Mel asks you about a vacation, just go along with it."
"Thanks. Hey, man can I talk to you? In the living room?"
I pulled Tre out of the front door, taking him outside. "You ok man?"
Tre sighed. "You know Bill, I am. I was just... I didn't feel so hot today."
"You know, Tre, I love you. Not like LOVE you love you, but I love you."
"I know Billie," he said laughing, "I love you, man. But, instead of asking her at your party, why don't you... "
Melody's POV
I let my fingers trace the outline of his lips. I let them move lower, tracing the line of his hard stomach, a line that comes from working out, and all the touring. I let my hands move through his hair. He is so beautiful, even with the slight lines on his face. The ones that I know I helped create. I watch his chest move up and down, up and down. He sleeps peacefully, only giving a twitch here and a sigh there. What is he dreaming, I wonder. I can hear the kids moving around in the living room and kitchen. "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? SPONGEBOB SQUARE PANTS!" the TV sings. I take in this moment, because, I know that in a few more, it will be gone. Billie will wake up, lay with me for a while, talk about last night, and how amazing the sex was, get up, put on his boxers, speak to his kids, take a shower, and the day will begin. We'll drop the kids off at their mom's, and get ready to get on a plane. I never thought that I would find myself at this moment in time. But, I'm thankful that I do.
Billie's POV
"Wow, your ass looks really sexy in that dress," I tell Mel, as she walks out of the bathroom and back into the bed room, where I'm sitting on her bed, in her parents house. After my party, we flew out to Georgia, to spend some time with her family. We're getting ready for church, and she's about to get the shock of her life.
"Well, I hope you pray for forgiveness today."
"We'll see, babe."
"Melody," Betsy says as we pull up to the church, "Can you help me get a few things ready, downstairs? Jenny Miller is going to get married at the church today, and her mother asked if I would bake the cake and such. So, will you help me carry it in?"
"Yeah, sure mom," she says, before looking at me, "Be right back." I smile at her, and look over at her dad.
"Mel," he says before turning around to walk inside, "White looks good on you."
"Thanks daddy, but Paul suggested the dress. I thought it might be a little short, but he and Billie both said it was fine."
Melody's POV
"Wow mom, this looks amazing," I said as I looked at the fellowship room - basement of the church. "I hope this is what my wedding looks like."
"Yes, well, maybe it will, dear."
As we made our way back into the front of the church, my dad was waiting at the front doors. He said he needed to talk to me, and mom slipped inside. "Yeah dad?"
"Umm, I just want you to know, that I am so proud of you. Billie's a good man. I love him."
"Thanks daddy," I said, pulling him in for a hug, "Me too. And, I love you."
"I love you, pumpkin." He slipped my arm through his and opened the door. As I looked inside, I saw Billie standing upfront. In a tux. With the preacher. And a bridal party. The whole inside of the church was decorated for a wedding, and all of our closest friends were there. Even Adi, Joey, and Jake. My dad guided me up to Billie, and that's when it all started to click. I put my hand over my mouth and tears started to run down my face.
"Melody, can I ask you something?" Billie was looking at me, with the biggest smile on his face. I nodded my head. "Will you marry me?"
"Billie." I didn't know what to say. "I don't know what to say."
"SAY YES," everyone shouted.
I looked at him and whispered "Yeah... Yes."
"Do you love my daddy," Jake asked me with a slight smile on his face. Billie's kids were amazing. A lot like their dad. Billie had a photo shoot, which he dreaded, tonight, and it was the boy's weekend, so I picked them up. We were on our way home, when Jake's voice came from the backseat.
"Well, J.J., I do love your dad."
"Good, because he loves you."
"How do you know?"
"Because, him and mommy and uncle Mike, and uncle Tre, and a BUNCH of other people have been talking a lot about-"
"Talkin' 'bout goin on vacation," Joey said, cutting him off. Joey turned around from the passenger's seat of my Escalade, a Christmas present that Billie didn't have to buy, and looked at him.
"Ok, thanks for letting me know." My phone started to ring. It was Billie.
Billie's POV
"... Yeah, that's sounds cool. Just whatever the boys want. No, I don't care about the movie. No, and I don't want any candy, mother. Ha, ha, Mel. No, I'll get my candy later on tonight. You know it babe. Ok. Hey, I love you. Bye."
"Ah, was that the almost soon to be Mrs. Armstrong," Adi asked. Mike, Tre, Adi, Betsy, Mel's mom, Paul, Mel's oldest brother, John, her older brother, Robert, Mel's dad, and I were sitting at Adi's kitchen table, working on the surprise attack.
"Yeah, she has the boys at Blockbuster, renting a movie."
"And, what did you tell her? That you were out picking up her family at the airport, then going back here to plan the surprise engagement party," Mike asked.
"No, I told her we had a photo shoot."
Robert laughed, "What a great husband you're gonna be Billie. Already lying to her."
"He WAS a bad husband," Adi said, squeezing my knee under the table. I looked at her and smiled. She was beautiful, and one day, she would find someone else. Someone like Mike. That's what I was hoping for anyways. We would treat her like she should be treated.
"Well, let's just hope he gets a chance to try again," John said looking at her coffee cup.
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean," Betsy said, looking at her youngest son.
John let out a sigh before saying, "Never mind. Forget I said anything."
"Ann, come on, what are you talking about," I said as my eyes watched Tre, who had been fairly quiet through the night, get up to answer his phone
Well, mom, Billie, all I'm saying is, and Billie, you know as well as anyone here, that when things get serious or when things get hard, Mel runs away. She runs away from things. Look at Travis."
"Come on guys," Mike said, "she's not going to run away. She's crazy about you, Billie."
"Actually," Tre said, walking back into the room, "Melody isn't going to run. Anywhere."
I was getting annoyed. Everyone thinks they know all this shit about us, but Mel and I, we're the only ones who really know. But I was thankful for Tre and Mike and Betsy. "How do you know," I asked Tre.
"She told me so. When you and her first got back together. You remember that day you brought her to the studio? Well, while you were in the booth with Mike, working on 'Idiot', I asked her about it. You know, running away, and she said that she was going to stay put this time. And, since I love her so much, in her defense, and no offence to you Billie, you're the one who ran away. So just get off her case. Billie, your son just called me."
"Why?"
"It was Joey. And, Jake almost let it slip. But if Mel asks you about a vacation, just go along with it."
"Thanks. Hey, man can I talk to you? In the living room?"
I pulled Tre out of the front door, taking him outside. "You ok man?"
Tre sighed. "You know Bill, I am. I was just... I didn't feel so hot today."
"You know, Tre, I love you. Not like LOVE you love you, but I love you."
"I know Billie," he said laughing, "I love you, man. But, instead of asking her at your party, why don't you... "
Melody's POV
I let my fingers trace the outline of his lips. I let them move lower, tracing the line of his hard stomach, a line that comes from working out, and all the touring. I let my hands move through his hair. He is so beautiful, even with the slight lines on his face. The ones that I know I helped create. I watch his chest move up and down, up and down. He sleeps peacefully, only giving a twitch here and a sigh there. What is he dreaming, I wonder. I can hear the kids moving around in the living room and kitchen. "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? SPONGEBOB SQUARE PANTS!" the TV sings. I take in this moment, because, I know that in a few more, it will be gone. Billie will wake up, lay with me for a while, talk about last night, and how amazing the sex was, get up, put on his boxers, speak to his kids, take a shower, and the day will begin. We'll drop the kids off at their mom's, and get ready to get on a plane. I never thought that I would find myself at this moment in time. But, I'm thankful that I do.
Billie's POV
"Wow, your ass looks really sexy in that dress," I tell Mel, as she walks out of the bathroom and back into the bed room, where I'm sitting on her bed, in her parents house. After my party, we flew out to Georgia, to spend some time with her family. We're getting ready for church, and she's about to get the shock of her life.
"Well, I hope you pray for forgiveness today."
"We'll see, babe."
"Melody," Betsy says as we pull up to the church, "Can you help me get a few things ready, downstairs? Jenny Miller is going to get married at the church today, and her mother asked if I would bake the cake and such. So, will you help me carry it in?"
"Yeah, sure mom," she says, before looking at me, "Be right back." I smile at her, and look over at her dad.
"Mel," he says before turning around to walk inside, "White looks good on you."
"Thanks daddy, but Paul suggested the dress. I thought it might be a little short, but he and Billie both said it was fine."
Melody's POV
"Wow mom, this looks amazing," I said as I looked at the fellowship room - basement of the church. "I hope this is what my wedding looks like."
"Yes, well, maybe it will, dear."
As we made our way back into the front of the church, my dad was waiting at the front doors. He said he needed to talk to me, and mom slipped inside. "Yeah dad?"
"Umm, I just want you to know, that I am so proud of you. Billie's a good man. I love him."
"Thanks daddy," I said, pulling him in for a hug, "Me too. And, I love you."
"I love you, pumpkin." He slipped my arm through his and opened the door. As I looked inside, I saw Billie standing upfront. In a tux. With the preacher. And a bridal party. The whole inside of the church was decorated for a wedding, and all of our closest friends were there. Even Adi, Joey, and Jake. My dad guided me up to Billie, and that's when it all started to click. I put my hand over my mouth and tears started to run down my face.
"Melody, can I ask you something?" Billie was looking at me, with the biggest smile on his face. I nodded my head. "Will you marry me?"
"Billie." I didn't know what to say. "I don't know what to say."
"SAY YES," everyone shouted.
I looked at him and whispered "Yeah... Yes."
