Love lasts not only in life but in death, chapter 5
Jem still stood there, staring at the woman who was stood with her husband a few minutes earlier.
"Billie Joe get your ass in here now!" Jem shouting, not moving eye contact with the woman.
"Hey what's wrong?" He replied jogging into the room.
"Who the hell is this and why is she in our house?"
"She is Adrienne Nesser and Mr Armstrong hired me to look after your children." The short woman answered.
Jem took her gaze away from her and moved it to Billie Joe. A tear ran from her eye. She broke free from his gaze and ran through to the door and outside. She headed for her car. She slammed shut the door but before she had time to lock it, Billie had grabbed the handle and opened the passenger door.
"Why Billie why? Do you think I can't cope or something is that it?"
"I'm sorry. I should have said something. I know we promised to tell each other everything but I thought, well I was worried about you and you've not been coping so I thought you would like some help, that's all."
"Not... been... coping. Fuck Billie. We buried our son last week. Not been coping, of course I would like some help. Emotionally and mentally but not in the care of our children."
"I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, please, I'll tell her we don't need her anymore."
"No, you've hired her now. She may as well stay but for 1 week that's it. 1 week then she's gone. I just want to be normal and raise our children our own way, not anyone else's."
Billie walked back to the house leaving Jem to calm down before going back. He made Adrienne a drink and was giving it to her when Jem came in. She sat at the counter, looking at her husband. He was acting strangely around Adrienne. It was the same way he used to act around her when they first started going out.
"I'm sorry to hear about you loss." Jem heard her say to Billie Joe.
"Thank you." He replied. He then walked over to Jem and hugged her.
"We need to talk" Jem whispered in his ear.
When Billie broke away from her, he looked at her concerned. Adrienne had gone to play with the kids and get to know them when Jem stopped at the door.
When she went back to the kitchen, Jem found Mike and dragged him outside.
"Where did he find her?"
Mike looked at Jem trying to shrug it off, slyly.
"Come on Mike, I know you know."
"Jem there's nothing to worry about. Our producer found her."
"But why's she dressed like a slapper then if she is meant to be looking after children."
He shrugged.
"Oh for fuck's sake I'll talk to him myself."
At 9pm when all the children were in bed and asleep, Jem went downstairs after going for a bath and found Adrienne still there but she was sat close to Billie Joe on the couch, a little too close for Jem's comfort. She carried on to the kitchen and got a drink. She went downstairs to the music room without making a noise, bottle of whiskey in hand and cranked up the CD player. Half the bottle was downed and then she went to put the bottle back in the cupboard. She found the remainder of her sleeping tablets and put them in her dressing gown pocket. She heard laughter coming from the living room and followed it, stumbling into the room and falling over the table by the door.
"Ow Shit!"
Billie jumped up and helped Jem to her feet. Jem giggled at the 5th attempt of getting her up.
"Jem what have you taken?" he asked worriedly.
She put her hand in her pocket and removed the empty bottle.
"Jem how many have you taken. Jem look at me, how many have you taken?" he asked whilst looking in her eyes but she just looked blankly back, no expression in them at all. He hoisted her up and sat her on the couch. He went to the kitchen to phone for an ambulance when he noticed the tablets scattered on the table next to a note - meet me upstairs 5mins. It didn't look like Jem's writing so he crumpled it up and threw it in the bin.
He went back to the room and both Jem and Adrienne had gone. He checked every room downstairs, growing increasingly nervous after each was found empty. He began to climb the stairs when he heard a scream. He knew that scream too well. Jem. He ran up the stairs and followed her voice. He kicked open the door and what he saw made his heart stop beating.
"Billie Joe get your ass in here now!" Jem shouting, not moving eye contact with the woman.
"Hey what's wrong?" He replied jogging into the room.
"Who the hell is this and why is she in our house?"
"She is Adrienne Nesser and Mr Armstrong hired me to look after your children." The short woman answered.
Jem took her gaze away from her and moved it to Billie Joe. A tear ran from her eye. She broke free from his gaze and ran through to the door and outside. She headed for her car. She slammed shut the door but before she had time to lock it, Billie had grabbed the handle and opened the passenger door.
"Why Billie why? Do you think I can't cope or something is that it?"
"I'm sorry. I should have said something. I know we promised to tell each other everything but I thought, well I was worried about you and you've not been coping so I thought you would like some help, that's all."
"Not... been... coping. Fuck Billie. We buried our son last week. Not been coping, of course I would like some help. Emotionally and mentally but not in the care of our children."
"I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, please, I'll tell her we don't need her anymore."
"No, you've hired her now. She may as well stay but for 1 week that's it. 1 week then she's gone. I just want to be normal and raise our children our own way, not anyone else's."
Billie walked back to the house leaving Jem to calm down before going back. He made Adrienne a drink and was giving it to her when Jem came in. She sat at the counter, looking at her husband. He was acting strangely around Adrienne. It was the same way he used to act around her when they first started going out.
"I'm sorry to hear about you loss." Jem heard her say to Billie Joe.
"Thank you." He replied. He then walked over to Jem and hugged her.
"We need to talk" Jem whispered in his ear.
When Billie broke away from her, he looked at her concerned. Adrienne had gone to play with the kids and get to know them when Jem stopped at the door.
When she went back to the kitchen, Jem found Mike and dragged him outside.
"Where did he find her?"
Mike looked at Jem trying to shrug it off, slyly.
"Come on Mike, I know you know."
"Jem there's nothing to worry about. Our producer found her."
"But why's she dressed like a slapper then if she is meant to be looking after children."
He shrugged.
"Oh for fuck's sake I'll talk to him myself."
At 9pm when all the children were in bed and asleep, Jem went downstairs after going for a bath and found Adrienne still there but she was sat close to Billie Joe on the couch, a little too close for Jem's comfort. She carried on to the kitchen and got a drink. She went downstairs to the music room without making a noise, bottle of whiskey in hand and cranked up the CD player. Half the bottle was downed and then she went to put the bottle back in the cupboard. She found the remainder of her sleeping tablets and put them in her dressing gown pocket. She heard laughter coming from the living room and followed it, stumbling into the room and falling over the table by the door.
"Ow Shit!"
Billie jumped up and helped Jem to her feet. Jem giggled at the 5th attempt of getting her up.
"Jem what have you taken?" he asked worriedly.
She put her hand in her pocket and removed the empty bottle.
"Jem how many have you taken. Jem look at me, how many have you taken?" he asked whilst looking in her eyes but she just looked blankly back, no expression in them at all. He hoisted her up and sat her on the couch. He went to the kitchen to phone for an ambulance when he noticed the tablets scattered on the table next to a note - meet me upstairs 5mins. It didn't look like Jem's writing so he crumpled it up and threw it in the bin.
He went back to the room and both Jem and Adrienne had gone. He checked every room downstairs, growing increasingly nervous after each was found empty. He began to climb the stairs when he heard a scream. He knew that scream too well. Jem. He ran up the stairs and followed her voice. He kicked open the door and what he saw made his heart stop beating.
