What You Remind Me Of, chapter 4
Billie's POV
And in walks a couple, around fifty-ish. They sit down at a table across from me. The woman looks at me, and smiles. I smile back, just before getting up to go to the counter to get a refill. I take a seat on one of the stools that sit at the counter, and look at the wood counter top. H+K 4EVER. Huh, I thought to myself, two people who thought that they would spend the rest of their lives together. I wonder how that turned out. Just then, I hear the bell on the door ding for a second time.
Melody's POV
I opened the door to the café. I expected about half a BILLION things, other than this. Sitting at the bar... or counter... or whatever, it doesn't really matter, there he was. Sitting there, looking up from his coffee. Looking up from his coffee, at me. Looking at me.
Billie's POV
Holly shit. Mel. I wanted so badly to run over and touch her, just to make sure that she was real. But I couldn't. I couldn't talk, move, hell, I couldn't even blink, much less breathe. "Melody," I said in a voice that didn't even belong to me.
"Bill... Billie." I stood up, not knowing what I was going to do once I had reached her. But I walked over to her, non-the less.
Melody's POV
OH DEAR GOD, Billie WAS WALKING OVER TO ME. Should I hug-he threw his arms around me. And I put mine around him. And, I'm not sure how long we stood there, but al I am sure of, is that for the first time, in fifteen years, I was content. Fifteen years between us, and we're inches apart.
... Twenty minutes later...
"... And, I just couldn't say 'YES! Travis, there's nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you," I finished telling Billie all about my life. I looked at my watch. Wow, twenty freakin minutes. What an awesome life, I thought flatly to myself.
"Do you have to be somewhere," Billie asked looking broken hearted at the thought of us parting.
"No, just... . DO YOU?"
"Nah, nowhere important."
"So, Mr. Armstrong, tell me about yourself."
"Well, about fifteen years ago, this beautiful girl, maybe you know her, Melody is her name, well, and she broke my heart. And it took me about three lifetimes to get over that, and I'm almost half way there," he smiled. "But now, I'm a rich, famous, and I might add, still sexy, rock star. I'm married, I have two little boys... well, Joey's ten, and Jake's six, so, I'm not sure how little they are, but... yeah. That's about it."
"Well, I'm sure Melody regrets her decision very, very much. But... I did see you on TV a while back, so, I'm not doubting the rich, famous part... but the sexy... "
"You thought so fifteen years ago." I had to smile at that. He was right. He still is just as beautiful as he was then. Only, time had aged him, and me as well. We looked into each other's eyes. "Mel, what happened to us? What we had was real wasn't it?"
"Yes, it was real, and it was... I got scared Billie. I had doubts... I had reservations. I was thinking about the things that could go wrong. What if New York turned out to be something totally different than what you thought? I knew you would need somewhere to come back to... I thought you would come back for me... I" Breathe Mel, I thought to myself. Just breathe.
"But, in the end they turned out ok, Mel. Things went the way I thoug- the way I knew they would. By the time I was sure I could take care of you, it was too late to come back. I knew that you would just say 'no' again. I only wanted... I just... I met Adi, I made myself fall for her, and pretty soon, the feelings just came naturally. We got married. And I knew that it was too late." I just looked at him. Too late. Was it too late now, I wondered? SHUT UP MEL, I thought to myself, he's married, has kids, HE'S HAPPY! And that's all you ever wanted. Right?
"Billie," he looked at me with such intensity as I said he name.
"Yeah?"
"Are you... Billie... are you happy? I mean, ya know, the way things turned out for us?"
"I'm not gonna lie and say that I don't wish things could have wet differently for us, but, I have two amazing boys, and a wife that most men would kill for. I just wish I could have all of this... and... "
And in walks a couple, around fifty-ish. They sit down at a table across from me. The woman looks at me, and smiles. I smile back, just before getting up to go to the counter to get a refill. I take a seat on one of the stools that sit at the counter, and look at the wood counter top. H+K 4EVER. Huh, I thought to myself, two people who thought that they would spend the rest of their lives together. I wonder how that turned out. Just then, I hear the bell on the door ding for a second time.
Melody's POV
I opened the door to the café. I expected about half a BILLION things, other than this. Sitting at the bar... or counter... or whatever, it doesn't really matter, there he was. Sitting there, looking up from his coffee. Looking up from his coffee, at me. Looking at me.
Billie's POV
Holly shit. Mel. I wanted so badly to run over and touch her, just to make sure that she was real. But I couldn't. I couldn't talk, move, hell, I couldn't even blink, much less breathe. "Melody," I said in a voice that didn't even belong to me.
"Bill... Billie." I stood up, not knowing what I was going to do once I had reached her. But I walked over to her, non-the less.
Melody's POV
OH DEAR GOD, Billie WAS WALKING OVER TO ME. Should I hug-he threw his arms around me. And I put mine around him. And, I'm not sure how long we stood there, but al I am sure of, is that for the first time, in fifteen years, I was content. Fifteen years between us, and we're inches apart.
... Twenty minutes later...
"... And, I just couldn't say 'YES! Travis, there's nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you," I finished telling Billie all about my life. I looked at my watch. Wow, twenty freakin minutes. What an awesome life, I thought flatly to myself.
"Do you have to be somewhere," Billie asked looking broken hearted at the thought of us parting.
"No, just... . DO YOU?"
"Nah, nowhere important."
"So, Mr. Armstrong, tell me about yourself."
"Well, about fifteen years ago, this beautiful girl, maybe you know her, Melody is her name, well, and she broke my heart. And it took me about three lifetimes to get over that, and I'm almost half way there," he smiled. "But now, I'm a rich, famous, and I might add, still sexy, rock star. I'm married, I have two little boys... well, Joey's ten, and Jake's six, so, I'm not sure how little they are, but... yeah. That's about it."
"Well, I'm sure Melody regrets her decision very, very much. But... I did see you on TV a while back, so, I'm not doubting the rich, famous part... but the sexy... "
"You thought so fifteen years ago." I had to smile at that. He was right. He still is just as beautiful as he was then. Only, time had aged him, and me as well. We looked into each other's eyes. "Mel, what happened to us? What we had was real wasn't it?"
"Yes, it was real, and it was... I got scared Billie. I had doubts... I had reservations. I was thinking about the things that could go wrong. What if New York turned out to be something totally different than what you thought? I knew you would need somewhere to come back to... I thought you would come back for me... I" Breathe Mel, I thought to myself. Just breathe.
"But, in the end they turned out ok, Mel. Things went the way I thoug- the way I knew they would. By the time I was sure I could take care of you, it was too late to come back. I knew that you would just say 'no' again. I only wanted... I just... I met Adi, I made myself fall for her, and pretty soon, the feelings just came naturally. We got married. And I knew that it was too late." I just looked at him. Too late. Was it too late now, I wondered? SHUT UP MEL, I thought to myself, he's married, has kids, HE'S HAPPY! And that's all you ever wanted. Right?
"Billie," he looked at me with such intensity as I said he name.
"Yeah?"
"Are you... Billie... are you happy? I mean, ya know, the way things turned out for us?"
"I'm not gonna lie and say that I don't wish things could have wet differently for us, but, I have two amazing boys, and a wife that most men would kill for. I just wish I could have all of this... and... "
