You're My Angel, chapter 9
Adriana got home from work early Tuesday morning to find Billie already asleep. She could hear his shallow, steady breathing as she made her way to his bathroom. She changed into a shirt that was next to his sink before crawling under the blankets with him.
"It's about time you got home," he said as he slipped his arms around her waist. "Did you have to work late or something?"
"No," she said before glancing at the clock beside the bed. "It's only two-fifteen...same time I always get home, sweetie."
"Oh," he replied sleepily.
He didn't say anything else so she figured he had either lost interest in the conversation or had fallen back asleep. Just as she was nodding off, she heard him start talking again.
"You really should quit that job, baby..." he said casually.
"What?" she asked. "Why?"
"Because I miss you when you're not here at night," he said as he turned to lie on his stomach. "And besides that, I can take care of you."
"I know you can take care of me," she told him. "But I don't need you to."
"You don't need me to?" he asked sounding a little offended.
"Billie, I don't mean it like that..." she sighed. "I worked my ass off to go to college so I could take care of myself...and I don't just want to quit when it took so much time and work to get where I am now."
"Well I didn't ask you to quit..." he paused. "Okay maybe I did, but why don't you consider just working part time so you're not gone all the fucking time."
"Oh, you're one to talk..." she shot back. "You're gone a lot and you're about to go back on tour for a few months," she paused. "Why would I want to work part time? Ugh...never mind...can we just talk about this later when I'm not tired and in a bad mood, please?"
"Sure..." he sighed. "Goodnight, I love you."
"Night," she said as she turned away from him. "I love you, too."
She tried to fall asleep, but her effort was in vain and she knew that it was going to be a long, restless night. There had been many of those in the past when she had stayed up thinking about Billie, but this time it was different...she actually had everything that she thought she had always wanted.
They had never argued much when they were growing up, but it felt like they had been bickering over everything the last few days. Most of the time before it seemed like Billie was the only one on her side...he hardly ever got on her nerves either, but right then that was exactly what he was doing.
He had known, for the most part, everything that she wanted to do with her life. He knew how hard she had worked to get what she had and she couldn't understand why he was trying to get her to do something different...it wasn't like him to do that sort of thing.
She thought he might be trying to push her away even though he was trying to get her to spend more time with him. Maybe after all the hell that they had both been through, he realized that it wasn't what he wanted...that was exactly what Jamie had done to him.
She finally fell asleep as the sun was starting to come up. She lightly slept for a couple of hours before waking up. Billie wasn't in bed anymore when she woke up and she didn't find him in the apartment either.
She went across the hall to her own apartment and she was utterly shocked that Tré was awake that early.
"What the hell are you doing up?" she asked. "It's still morning, you know..."
"Ha ha...very funny," he said sarcastically. "You don't pay attention to me...I feel like you don't even know me anymore," he said pretending to sob.
"Whatever...I don't have to time for your drama," she said rolling her eyes. "Come on...we're going back to bed because I only had two hours of sleep..."
"Really? What were you two doing?" he laughed. "Never mind...I don't want to fucking know."
"He was sleeping...I was thinking," she informed him. "By the way, do you happen to know where he went off to so early?"
"Him and Mike went guitar shopping," he said sounding offended. "I don't play guitar so I wasn't allowed to go."
"You're such a dork," she said as she got back in bed.
"What's wrong?" he asked trying to sound sympathetic.
"Life..." she sighed. "Just when it starts looking up it all comes crashing down in your face."
"Yeah...that sucks," he said. "Anyway, are you still going to your mom's house later today? If you are, I want you to take me with you so I'm not lonely."
"Well thank you for dismissing everything that is troubling me so quickly," she said sarcastically. "But yes, I am...I guess I will take you with me so you can keep me company on the way there."
--
"Hey mom," Adriana said as she entered the kitchen where her mother, Erin, was washing dishes.
"Hey sweetie," she replied as she turned off the faucet. "Hello Tré...how are you?"
"Great," Tré replied enthusiastically. "Is Ashley here? I'm gonna kick her ass at that one Nintendo game this time..."
"She's upstairs in her room...and please don't use the f-word while you're in there," Erin called out as he disappeared up the stairs.
"So..." Adriana started. "You're not gonna believe this, but me and Billie are finally dating."
"Really? How's that going" she asked.
"It's a little frustrating," she sighed. "He's really been getting on my nerves...and what's really bad is he's not doing on purpose."
"So what are you thinking about it?" Erin asks as Tré and Ashley come down the stairs.
"Look who I found..." Tré said loudly as he dragged Ashley into the kitchen interrupting their conversation. "She's all moody and shit," he laughs.
"I don't know what to do about this thing with Billie, though..." Adriana said ignoring her clearly hung-over sister who had joined them.
"Me either, but I think your sister is on drugs..." Erin said quietly.
"I'm sure she is...I was at her age," she laughed. "But that was Billie's fault."
"Your father always liked him...he would be really happy that you two are together," she sighed loudly before sitting down at the table. "Don't give up and don't let him slip away...your father and I had a rocky start and then we were happily married for 22 years, okay?"
"Okay," Adriana said as she walked over to the staircase. "Tré, we need to go...I have to go home and change so I can be at work at four."
--
"What's wrong?" Tré asked after several long minutes of dead silence in the car. "You seem out of it or something."
"I'm fine," she lied. "It's just...nothing."
"You can tell me," he said. "It's Billie, isn't it?"
She nodded. "I just thought it would be different...he seems really distant like this isn't what he wanted it to be like either," she said with a disappointed tone.
"Figures," he muttered.
"What?" she asked not sure what he was getting at. "Why do you say that?"
"It's just like Billie to go and fuck up the good things that he has going for himself when there are other people that would fucking kill to have what he does," he said rudely without looking at her.
"Uh...okay," she said still confused about what he was trying to say.
"I've watched you hurt for so long and you have no idea what that fucking feels like for me..." he paused. "He has the best thing in the whole fucking world and he doesn't even appreciate it."
"Okay...you're seriously starting to make my brain hurt," she said out of frustration. "Just tell me in plain English what the hell you mean."
"In high school, Billie used to make up stuff about you so other guys would leave you alone..." he started. "He told that guy Daniel that was asked you to prom that you had mono and that's why he cancelled... see, you thought Billie was the greatest guy ever when he said he would take you instead, but he was just being a selfish prick."
Neither of them said anything.
"High school drama doesn't go away..." he sighed. "You don't know how he really was or is, for that matter...he hasn't changed and he never will."
"I knew that Billie did that because he told me," she said as tears started running down her cheeks. "He apologized and said that he didn't want me to go with anyone but him...he knew it was selfish, but being there with him made that night a million times better than anyone else could have..."
"Why did you say that? You're supposed to be his friend...and you're supposed to be mine," she said wiping away her smudged mascara. "You're trying to hurt me and I don't understand why..."
"He has hurt you so many times before...and I was the one who was there for you," he started.
"When has he ever hurt me?" she asked cutting him off. "He has always been there for me, he didn't fucking know what else to do and he had to move on...I should have been doing the same, but I held on for just a little longer than I thought I could and I wouldn't change that for anything."
"You're acting like he is everything," he shot back. "How does it feel to have everything? You're still fucking miserable...aren't you?"
"He is everything to me," she said as she started crying again. "Why are you doing this, Tré?"
"Because it fucking breaks my heart into a thousand pieces when I look at you and know that Billie isn't going to be the one to make you happy," he said as they pulled into the parking lot.
"I thought you were better than that, Tré..." she sighed. "Get the hell out of my car."
"I'm sorry...I shouldn't have said anything that I did," he said apologetically.
"Do not fucking apologize to me," she yelled. "Stick to your fucking accusations because you've said too much and saying sorry isn't going to cut it now..."
"Fine...if it's already too fucking late for apologies then I'll go ahead and say what else is on my mind," he said with a cruel tone before getting back in the car and shutting the door.
"It's about time you got home," he said as he slipped his arms around her waist. "Did you have to work late or something?"
"No," she said before glancing at the clock beside the bed. "It's only two-fifteen...same time I always get home, sweetie."
"Oh," he replied sleepily.
He didn't say anything else so she figured he had either lost interest in the conversation or had fallen back asleep. Just as she was nodding off, she heard him start talking again.
"You really should quit that job, baby..." he said casually.
"What?" she asked. "Why?"
"Because I miss you when you're not here at night," he said as he turned to lie on his stomach. "And besides that, I can take care of you."
"I know you can take care of me," she told him. "But I don't need you to."
"You don't need me to?" he asked sounding a little offended.
"Billie, I don't mean it like that..." she sighed. "I worked my ass off to go to college so I could take care of myself...and I don't just want to quit when it took so much time and work to get where I am now."
"Well I didn't ask you to quit..." he paused. "Okay maybe I did, but why don't you consider just working part time so you're not gone all the fucking time."
"Oh, you're one to talk..." she shot back. "You're gone a lot and you're about to go back on tour for a few months," she paused. "Why would I want to work part time? Ugh...never mind...can we just talk about this later when I'm not tired and in a bad mood, please?"
"Sure..." he sighed. "Goodnight, I love you."
"Night," she said as she turned away from him. "I love you, too."
She tried to fall asleep, but her effort was in vain and she knew that it was going to be a long, restless night. There had been many of those in the past when she had stayed up thinking about Billie, but this time it was different...she actually had everything that she thought she had always wanted.
They had never argued much when they were growing up, but it felt like they had been bickering over everything the last few days. Most of the time before it seemed like Billie was the only one on her side...he hardly ever got on her nerves either, but right then that was exactly what he was doing.
He had known, for the most part, everything that she wanted to do with her life. He knew how hard she had worked to get what she had and she couldn't understand why he was trying to get her to do something different...it wasn't like him to do that sort of thing.
She thought he might be trying to push her away even though he was trying to get her to spend more time with him. Maybe after all the hell that they had both been through, he realized that it wasn't what he wanted...that was exactly what Jamie had done to him.
She finally fell asleep as the sun was starting to come up. She lightly slept for a couple of hours before waking up. Billie wasn't in bed anymore when she woke up and she didn't find him in the apartment either.
She went across the hall to her own apartment and she was utterly shocked that Tré was awake that early.
"What the hell are you doing up?" she asked. "It's still morning, you know..."
"Ha ha...very funny," he said sarcastically. "You don't pay attention to me...I feel like you don't even know me anymore," he said pretending to sob.
"Whatever...I don't have to time for your drama," she said rolling her eyes. "Come on...we're going back to bed because I only had two hours of sleep..."
"Really? What were you two doing?" he laughed. "Never mind...I don't want to fucking know."
"He was sleeping...I was thinking," she informed him. "By the way, do you happen to know where he went off to so early?"
"Him and Mike went guitar shopping," he said sounding offended. "I don't play guitar so I wasn't allowed to go."
"You're such a dork," she said as she got back in bed.
"What's wrong?" he asked trying to sound sympathetic.
"Life..." she sighed. "Just when it starts looking up it all comes crashing down in your face."
"Yeah...that sucks," he said. "Anyway, are you still going to your mom's house later today? If you are, I want you to take me with you so I'm not lonely."
"Well thank you for dismissing everything that is troubling me so quickly," she said sarcastically. "But yes, I am...I guess I will take you with me so you can keep me company on the way there."
--
"Hey mom," Adriana said as she entered the kitchen where her mother, Erin, was washing dishes.
"Hey sweetie," she replied as she turned off the faucet. "Hello Tré...how are you?"
"Great," Tré replied enthusiastically. "Is Ashley here? I'm gonna kick her ass at that one Nintendo game this time..."
"She's upstairs in her room...and please don't use the f-word while you're in there," Erin called out as he disappeared up the stairs.
"So..." Adriana started. "You're not gonna believe this, but me and Billie are finally dating."
"Really? How's that going" she asked.
"It's a little frustrating," she sighed. "He's really been getting on my nerves...and what's really bad is he's not doing on purpose."
"So what are you thinking about it?" Erin asks as Tré and Ashley come down the stairs.
"Look who I found..." Tré said loudly as he dragged Ashley into the kitchen interrupting their conversation. "She's all moody and shit," he laughs.
"I don't know what to do about this thing with Billie, though..." Adriana said ignoring her clearly hung-over sister who had joined them.
"Me either, but I think your sister is on drugs..." Erin said quietly.
"I'm sure she is...I was at her age," she laughed. "But that was Billie's fault."
"Your father always liked him...he would be really happy that you two are together," she sighed loudly before sitting down at the table. "Don't give up and don't let him slip away...your father and I had a rocky start and then we were happily married for 22 years, okay?"
"Okay," Adriana said as she walked over to the staircase. "Tré, we need to go...I have to go home and change so I can be at work at four."
--
"What's wrong?" Tré asked after several long minutes of dead silence in the car. "You seem out of it or something."
"I'm fine," she lied. "It's just...nothing."
"You can tell me," he said. "It's Billie, isn't it?"
She nodded. "I just thought it would be different...he seems really distant like this isn't what he wanted it to be like either," she said with a disappointed tone.
"Figures," he muttered.
"What?" she asked not sure what he was getting at. "Why do you say that?"
"It's just like Billie to go and fuck up the good things that he has going for himself when there are other people that would fucking kill to have what he does," he said rudely without looking at her.
"Uh...okay," she said still confused about what he was trying to say.
"I've watched you hurt for so long and you have no idea what that fucking feels like for me..." he paused. "He has the best thing in the whole fucking world and he doesn't even appreciate it."
"Okay...you're seriously starting to make my brain hurt," she said out of frustration. "Just tell me in plain English what the hell you mean."
"In high school, Billie used to make up stuff about you so other guys would leave you alone..." he started. "He told that guy Daniel that was asked you to prom that you had mono and that's why he cancelled... see, you thought Billie was the greatest guy ever when he said he would take you instead, but he was just being a selfish prick."
Neither of them said anything.
"High school drama doesn't go away..." he sighed. "You don't know how he really was or is, for that matter...he hasn't changed and he never will."
"I knew that Billie did that because he told me," she said as tears started running down her cheeks. "He apologized and said that he didn't want me to go with anyone but him...he knew it was selfish, but being there with him made that night a million times better than anyone else could have..."
"Why did you say that? You're supposed to be his friend...and you're supposed to be mine," she said wiping away her smudged mascara. "You're trying to hurt me and I don't understand why..."
"He has hurt you so many times before...and I was the one who was there for you," he started.
"When has he ever hurt me?" she asked cutting him off. "He has always been there for me, he didn't fucking know what else to do and he had to move on...I should have been doing the same, but I held on for just a little longer than I thought I could and I wouldn't change that for anything."
"You're acting like he is everything," he shot back. "How does it feel to have everything? You're still fucking miserable...aren't you?"
"He is everything to me," she said as she started crying again. "Why are you doing this, Tré?"
"Because it fucking breaks my heart into a thousand pieces when I look at you and know that Billie isn't going to be the one to make you happy," he said as they pulled into the parking lot.
"I thought you were better than that, Tré..." she sighed. "Get the hell out of my car."
"I'm sorry...I shouldn't have said anything that I did," he said apologetically.
"Do not fucking apologize to me," she yelled. "Stick to your fucking accusations because you've said too much and saying sorry isn't going to cut it now..."
"Fine...if it's already too fucking late for apologies then I'll go ahead and say what else is on my mind," he said with a cruel tone before getting back in the car and shutting the door.
