"I love you Adrienne." "I love you too, Mike...", chapter 3
A month had passed since Billie and Adie's 12th anniversary.
Every year it was a pain for Mike, every year it was another year without her, every time he saw her, he knew she knew, but it seemed both of them couldn't tell each other how they really felt.
And now, Mike, at 34 years of age, couldn't stand it anymore, he couldn't keep everything inside. He remembered a night, almost 13 years before...
FLASH BACK - MIKE'S P.O.V.
I bought a ring for her. Even if she was my best friend's girlfriend. I loved her so much. Words just can't describe the way I felt about her. But yet, that ring had been in my pocket for two months and I didn't get the courage to ask her.
It was a Wednesday morning, the day I went to her house.
We were lying on the bed, cuddled up and facing each other. There was total silence, broken by our, "I love you's.
I was stroking softly her cheek, and then I said, out of nowhere, in a matter-of-fact tone, "I broke up with Anastascia".
She looked at me, kind of shocked "Oh Mike, why? She was so kind to you."
"Babe, I love you more, I want to be with you. Leave Billie, and stay with me."
She kissed me and hugged me. I pulled away and stood up.
"I need to tell you something," I reached for my jacket.
My hand was inside the pocket already, when I turned around and asked her.
"Adrienne, do you really love me?"
She stood up, getting nearer, "Of course honey, I'll always love you... "
"More than Billie?"
"I... was thinking, in the past few days, about this. I love both of you quite the same way... but... I'm his girlfriend, I don't want to break up with me, to be honest, because... I think it'll hurt him too much...
"What do you mean 'quite the same way'?"
"Well... to tell you the truth, Mike, in this last period I've started loving you more... but this is not helping at all and..." She froze mid sentence, staring at the small blue box I took out my pocket. Tears formed in her eyes.
"Mike... W-what's that?"
"This?" I asked, half smiling, half hoping, "It's a... "
Right then, we heard the front door open and moments later, Billie was shouting, "Honey where are you?"
Adrienne looked at the door, then at me, not knowing what to do. The only place where I could hide was the huge wardrobe. She pushed me in there, shouting to Billie, "I'm upstairs!"
I quickly put the box in her hands.
"Keep this, it's yours, but hide it, now."
I heard her hiding it, and then Billie walking in.
I took a step to my left, so I could see them.
"Billie what are you doing here?"
"I missed you."
I saw him pulling her into a passionate kiss.
I was burning inside; I was jealous and a bit envious. When he pulled away, she asked,
"So, what's up?"
He started talking.
"Please sweetheart, I have to ask you not to interrupt me ok? This is hard for me to ask."
"Well... Ok, but... "
"Perfect."
He turned around, and locked the door.
What the fuck? I asked myself.
He moved closer to her, and grabbed her hands.
"I know this isn't the right moment, nor the right place, nor the right atmosphere, but if I don't ask you this now, I'll never tell you... "
Every year it was a pain for Mike, every year it was another year without her, every time he saw her, he knew she knew, but it seemed both of them couldn't tell each other how they really felt.
And now, Mike, at 34 years of age, couldn't stand it anymore, he couldn't keep everything inside. He remembered a night, almost 13 years before...
FLASH BACK - MIKE'S P.O.V.
I bought a ring for her. Even if she was my best friend's girlfriend. I loved her so much. Words just can't describe the way I felt about her. But yet, that ring had been in my pocket for two months and I didn't get the courage to ask her.
It was a Wednesday morning, the day I went to her house.
We were lying on the bed, cuddled up and facing each other. There was total silence, broken by our, "I love you's.
I was stroking softly her cheek, and then I said, out of nowhere, in a matter-of-fact tone, "I broke up with Anastascia".
She looked at me, kind of shocked "Oh Mike, why? She was so kind to you."
"Babe, I love you more, I want to be with you. Leave Billie, and stay with me."
She kissed me and hugged me. I pulled away and stood up.
"I need to tell you something," I reached for my jacket.
My hand was inside the pocket already, when I turned around and asked her.
"Adrienne, do you really love me?"
She stood up, getting nearer, "Of course honey, I'll always love you... "
"More than Billie?"
"I... was thinking, in the past few days, about this. I love both of you quite the same way... but... I'm his girlfriend, I don't want to break up with me, to be honest, because... I think it'll hurt him too much...
"What do you mean 'quite the same way'?"
"Well... to tell you the truth, Mike, in this last period I've started loving you more... but this is not helping at all and..." She froze mid sentence, staring at the small blue box I took out my pocket. Tears formed in her eyes.
"Mike... W-what's that?"
"This?" I asked, half smiling, half hoping, "It's a... "
Right then, we heard the front door open and moments later, Billie was shouting, "Honey where are you?"
Adrienne looked at the door, then at me, not knowing what to do. The only place where I could hide was the huge wardrobe. She pushed me in there, shouting to Billie, "I'm upstairs!"
I quickly put the box in her hands.
"Keep this, it's yours, but hide it, now."
I heard her hiding it, and then Billie walking in.
I took a step to my left, so I could see them.
"Billie what are you doing here?"
"I missed you."
I saw him pulling her into a passionate kiss.
I was burning inside; I was jealous and a bit envious. When he pulled away, she asked,
"So, what's up?"
He started talking.
"Please sweetheart, I have to ask you not to interrupt me ok? This is hard for me to ask."
"Well... Ok, but... "
"Perfect."
He turned around, and locked the door.
What the fuck? I asked myself.
He moved closer to her, and grabbed her hands.
"I know this isn't the right moment, nor the right place, nor the right atmosphere, but if I don't ask you this now, I'll never tell you... "
