Ring the Alarm
Chapter Eight
"Excuse me?"
"Don't make me ask you again Billie Joe."
"I understand what you said---I just don't understand why!"
"Who were you with today?"
Billie's heart was beating so fast that he wouldn't have been surprised if Adrienne could hear it. 'Just keep to truth as much as possible,' he chanted inwardly.
"Yeah---shit. I meant to call you about that. I was on my way round to meet with Mike and Tre, when I bumped into this Abigail. She's our new PR down at the studio. She had some gig information to give me---"
Billie trailed off, frantically studying Adrienne's face for any signs that she was buying the lies he was feeding her. Her expression was blank and so was his mind. He couldn't decide whether to keep digging the hole he had made for himself, or to sit and let Adrienne chew over what he had just said.
"Lies." She eventually muttered and looked away from him. "Mike told me that he hasn't heard anything from you for days. He came over here to see you to find out what was going on because you hadn't been in touch."
She stood from the couch and began to pace in front of him.
"And you said---YOU told me last night that you were messaging Mike and Tre to arrange to meet up with them!"
Her arms flailed lively about as she tossed him the accusation. Billie got to his feet too, then, and pinned her arms to her side and looked sternly into her eyes.
"Baby---Adrienne---I DID get in touch with them! You saw me messaging them! You saw me get replies!"
"Stop LYING to me Billie Joe. Stop taking me for an idiot! How could you have been messaging Mike when he said he hasn't heard anything from you?! You were messaging HER weren't you?! Just fucking tell the truth Billie!"
Billie really had to squeeze Adrienne's arms to keep them pinned to her sides. But her angry words were cutting him deep, he hated seeing her so wound up.
"Adrienne---I was messaging Mike and Tre. I know I definitely got a reply from Tre, but maybe I missed Mike's reply. Maybe that's why he was confused when he came over here; because he never got my message---"
"Were you talking to her too?"
Billie's breath hitched in his chest. How to answer that one?
"Not last night," was finally his reply.
Adrienne's eyes widened so they were as big as saucers. "So you do talk to her?" Her voice broke on the last word.
"Yes. She's a colleague Adrienne, I need to keep in contact with her because like I said, she's the one who organizes gigs and promos and all that kind of shit."
"Where did you meet her?"
"At the last party."
Adrienne scoffed. "So that's the real reason you were in late then; coz you were busy hooking up with her!"
Billie pushed Adrienne out of his grip with mild anger. "Don't be fucking stupid Adie! I was not hooking up with anyone! I'm married to you aren't I!"
"Does she know that?!"
"Of course she does! I have a strictly professional relationship with Abigail."
"So why didn't you mention her to me? You always tell me when someone new joins the fold. "
"Because we get so many new people in at the studio that I'm finding it hard to keep up at the minute! And anyway, it's not important!"
"It is fucking important if you're being a sly bastard and are messaging her behind my back and arranging to meet up and not telling me about it!"
"I never planned to meet up with today! I've told you, I bumped into her on my way to meet the guys!"
"And then what happened---?"
Billie took a deep breath to steady his nerves. "I was early to go and meet up with Mike and Tre---or just Tre if Mike is claiming that he didn't know we were meeting---so I agreed to go for a quick drink with her to discuss the gigs she had organized. Then one drink turned into two, two into the and then the shots came out and before you know it, I've got an angry voicemail from Mike telling me to get my ass home because I was in trouble!"
"Will you stop acting so nonchalantly Billie! You ARE in trouble! You've lied to me and gone behind my back!"
Anger boiled inside of him. He knew it had no right to because he HAD gone behind her back, but he hated being yelled at and being made to feel inferior.
"I'm not being like ANYTHING! You asked who Abigail was, so I told you. You asked where I've been, and I've told you. YOU'RE the one who's being difficult and not listening to anything I say! You're behaving like a stupid, possessive teenager!"
With that he left the room and flew upstairs. The slam of the bedroom door indicated to Adrienne that this particular conversation was over.
---
"Hey baby. I'm sorry I took off like that today. It wasn't you. I hope you know that xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
"Hi! God, it's soooooooo good 2 hear 4rm u! I've been soooooooo worried! I understand y u had 2 go, don't worry bout it J Is everything OK? xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
"Yeah I think I've managed to lead her off the trail. I told her that I bumped into you in town and we went for a drink. I'm going to kick Mike's ass though when I see him! He's such a shit stirrer sometimes! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
"Good excuse baby. Don't b 2 hard on Mike tho. He woz only looking out 4 a friend. We will just have 2 b more careful nxt time! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
"There's going to be a next time? I love the sound of that! This afternoon was perfect… xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
"Of course there's going 2 b a nxt time. I loved every minute of this afternoon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
"So did I gorgeous. But I'm going to have to leave it here. I can hear Adrienne coming to get ready for bed. Wish you were here. Speak to you soon sexy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
"I miss u already BJ. Wish I woz with u 2. Can't wait 2 c u again. Night gorgeous xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
---
As Adrienne entered the room, she saw Billie turn so he faced away from her. Silently climbing in beside him, she lay staring at the ceiling. Confused thoughts clouded her mind as she wondered whether or not she had been too hard on Billie earlier. Had she indeed overreacted? Was it wrong of her to accuse him the way that she had done? She turned her head and stared at his back. His breathing was steady, even, and even though she knew he wasn't asleep; she was afraid of speaking to or even touching him for fear or breaking his peaceful reverie.
But she knew he wouldn't make the first move.
Gingerly, she slid over to him and traced her hand down the contours of his back, moving onto her side so she could mold her body with his.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I shouldn't have kicked off like I did. My hormones are all over the place right now. You know that."
"You made me feel like shit Adrienne," he snapped.
Inhaling deeply to quieten the forthcoming sobs, she began kissing his between his shoulder blades. "I love you Billie. And I trust you. I'm sorry. But you know that if the tables were turned and it was me out with some random stranger, then you would have acted the same."
With a ferocity that she had never seen before, Billie suddenly flipped over and pushed her away from him. A squeal of fright escaped her lips as she protected her baby bump from Billie's towering, angry form.
"No. Adrienne. I would have NEVER behaved as immaturely as you did earlier! You made it seem like I can't have friends of the opposite sex! You had no right to get angry with me."
"I was only angry because Mike didn't explain things clearly. He only said that he knew that you would be with this Abigail because you two had gotten close at the party! And when he left, I had all these thoughts going round in my head that just kept building up and building up so when you came in, it all just exploded! But now that I know the full story, I know I was in the wrong."
"Damn right you're in the wrong! And the fact that you let yourself get all wound up over Abigail just shows that you have no trust in me whatsoever! As for Mike, he's just a shit stirrer! He's been so jealous of my friendship with Abigail since the party. He'll do anything to cause tension between us! And you took his bait in him making it sound like something more was going on! The pair of you make me sick."
With that, Billie bounced off the bed and grabbed his pillow. He headed for the closet and pulled out the spare blankets they kept in there and then left the room. Adrienne couldn't find the energy to ask him not to sleep on the couch. Her sobbing was draining her by the second. When Billie came back in the bedroom her heart fluttered hopefully, but then dropped again when she saw that he had only returned for his cell phone.
She didn't know why that particular action caused her sobs to cease. She didn't know why angry suspicion rather than hopeless desperation suddenly flowed through her body. She didn't know why Billie felt he couldn't leave his cell phone in the same room as her.
She did however, know that something, somewhere didn't add up. No matter how guilty she felt right now, she knew she had to push that feeling aside. She knew some investigating was needing to be done.
She knew that this time, she would have to find the strength to do it.
"Don't make me ask you again Billie Joe."
"I understand what you said---I just don't understand why!"
"Who were you with today?"
Billie's heart was beating so fast that he wouldn't have been surprised if Adrienne could hear it. 'Just keep to truth as much as possible,' he chanted inwardly.
"Yeah---shit. I meant to call you about that. I was on my way round to meet with Mike and Tre, when I bumped into this Abigail. She's our new PR down at the studio. She had some gig information to give me---"
Billie trailed off, frantically studying Adrienne's face for any signs that she was buying the lies he was feeding her. Her expression was blank and so was his mind. He couldn't decide whether to keep digging the hole he had made for himself, or to sit and let Adrienne chew over what he had just said.
"Lies." She eventually muttered and looked away from him. "Mike told me that he hasn't heard anything from you for days. He came over here to see you to find out what was going on because you hadn't been in touch."
She stood from the couch and began to pace in front of him.
"And you said---YOU told me last night that you were messaging Mike and Tre to arrange to meet up with them!"
Her arms flailed lively about as she tossed him the accusation. Billie got to his feet too, then, and pinned her arms to her side and looked sternly into her eyes.
"Baby---Adrienne---I DID get in touch with them! You saw me messaging them! You saw me get replies!"
"Stop LYING to me Billie Joe. Stop taking me for an idiot! How could you have been messaging Mike when he said he hasn't heard anything from you?! You were messaging HER weren't you?! Just fucking tell the truth Billie!"
Billie really had to squeeze Adrienne's arms to keep them pinned to her sides. But her angry words were cutting him deep, he hated seeing her so wound up.
"Adrienne---I was messaging Mike and Tre. I know I definitely got a reply from Tre, but maybe I missed Mike's reply. Maybe that's why he was confused when he came over here; because he never got my message---"
"Were you talking to her too?"
Billie's breath hitched in his chest. How to answer that one?
"Not last night," was finally his reply.
Adrienne's eyes widened so they were as big as saucers. "So you do talk to her?" Her voice broke on the last word.
"Yes. She's a colleague Adrienne, I need to keep in contact with her because like I said, she's the one who organizes gigs and promos and all that kind of shit."
"Where did you meet her?"
"At the last party."
Adrienne scoffed. "So that's the real reason you were in late then; coz you were busy hooking up with her!"
Billie pushed Adrienne out of his grip with mild anger. "Don't be fucking stupid Adie! I was not hooking up with anyone! I'm married to you aren't I!"
"Does she know that?!"
"Of course she does! I have a strictly professional relationship with Abigail."
"So why didn't you mention her to me? You always tell me when someone new joins the fold. "
"Because we get so many new people in at the studio that I'm finding it hard to keep up at the minute! And anyway, it's not important!"
"It is fucking important if you're being a sly bastard and are messaging her behind my back and arranging to meet up and not telling me about it!"
"I never planned to meet up with today! I've told you, I bumped into her on my way to meet the guys!"
"And then what happened---?"
Billie took a deep breath to steady his nerves. "I was early to go and meet up with Mike and Tre---or just Tre if Mike is claiming that he didn't know we were meeting---so I agreed to go for a quick drink with her to discuss the gigs she had organized. Then one drink turned into two, two into the and then the shots came out and before you know it, I've got an angry voicemail from Mike telling me to get my ass home because I was in trouble!"
"Will you stop acting so nonchalantly Billie! You ARE in trouble! You've lied to me and gone behind my back!"
Anger boiled inside of him. He knew it had no right to because he HAD gone behind her back, but he hated being yelled at and being made to feel inferior.
"I'm not being like ANYTHING! You asked who Abigail was, so I told you. You asked where I've been, and I've told you. YOU'RE the one who's being difficult and not listening to anything I say! You're behaving like a stupid, possessive teenager!"
With that he left the room and flew upstairs. The slam of the bedroom door indicated to Adrienne that this particular conversation was over.
---
"Hey baby. I'm sorry I took off like that today. It wasn't you. I hope you know that xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
"Hi! God, it's soooooooo good 2 hear 4rm u! I've been soooooooo worried! I understand y u had 2 go, don't worry bout it J Is everything OK? xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
"Yeah I think I've managed to lead her off the trail. I told her that I bumped into you in town and we went for a drink. I'm going to kick Mike's ass though when I see him! He's such a shit stirrer sometimes! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
"Good excuse baby. Don't b 2 hard on Mike tho. He woz only looking out 4 a friend. We will just have 2 b more careful nxt time! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
"There's going to be a next time? I love the sound of that! This afternoon was perfect… xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
"Of course there's going 2 b a nxt time. I loved every minute of this afternoon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
"So did I gorgeous. But I'm going to have to leave it here. I can hear Adrienne coming to get ready for bed. Wish you were here. Speak to you soon sexy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
"I miss u already BJ. Wish I woz with u 2. Can't wait 2 c u again. Night gorgeous xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
---
As Adrienne entered the room, she saw Billie turn so he faced away from her. Silently climbing in beside him, she lay staring at the ceiling. Confused thoughts clouded her mind as she wondered whether or not she had been too hard on Billie earlier. Had she indeed overreacted? Was it wrong of her to accuse him the way that she had done? She turned her head and stared at his back. His breathing was steady, even, and even though she knew he wasn't asleep; she was afraid of speaking to or even touching him for fear or breaking his peaceful reverie.
But she knew he wouldn't make the first move.
Gingerly, she slid over to him and traced her hand down the contours of his back, moving onto her side so she could mold her body with his.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I shouldn't have kicked off like I did. My hormones are all over the place right now. You know that."
"You made me feel like shit Adrienne," he snapped.
Inhaling deeply to quieten the forthcoming sobs, she began kissing his between his shoulder blades. "I love you Billie. And I trust you. I'm sorry. But you know that if the tables were turned and it was me out with some random stranger, then you would have acted the same."
With a ferocity that she had never seen before, Billie suddenly flipped over and pushed her away from him. A squeal of fright escaped her lips as she protected her baby bump from Billie's towering, angry form.
"No. Adrienne. I would have NEVER behaved as immaturely as you did earlier! You made it seem like I can't have friends of the opposite sex! You had no right to get angry with me."
"I was only angry because Mike didn't explain things clearly. He only said that he knew that you would be with this Abigail because you two had gotten close at the party! And when he left, I had all these thoughts going round in my head that just kept building up and building up so when you came in, it all just exploded! But now that I know the full story, I know I was in the wrong."
"Damn right you're in the wrong! And the fact that you let yourself get all wound up over Abigail just shows that you have no trust in me whatsoever! As for Mike, he's just a shit stirrer! He's been so jealous of my friendship with Abigail since the party. He'll do anything to cause tension between us! And you took his bait in him making it sound like something more was going on! The pair of you make me sick."
With that, Billie bounced off the bed and grabbed his pillow. He headed for the closet and pulled out the spare blankets they kept in there and then left the room. Adrienne couldn't find the energy to ask him not to sleep on the couch. Her sobbing was draining her by the second. When Billie came back in the bedroom her heart fluttered hopefully, but then dropped again when she saw that he had only returned for his cell phone.
She didn't know why that particular action caused her sobs to cease. She didn't know why angry suspicion rather than hopeless desperation suddenly flowed through her body. She didn't know why Billie felt he couldn't leave his cell phone in the same room as her.
She did however, know that something, somewhere didn't add up. No matter how guilty she felt right now, she knew she had to push that feeling aside. She knew some investigating was needing to be done.
She knew that this time, she would have to find the strength to do it.