And All the Electric Stars Are Shining

Chapter Five: In Between

Mike rested his back against the front door for a few moments, shutting his eyes tight, holding onto the last tendrils of Billie’s scent in the air before sighing and getting up, walking into the kitchen.

Coffee, that’s exactly what he needs. He pours the dark liquid into his cup, opting for it to stay black and strong. He watches the steam rise, the aroma enticing as he brings it up for a sip. About a half hour goes by, no call from Billie and no disturbance from the outside world until he hears obnoxiously loud rapping on his door.

He stays in his spot in the kitchen, eyes darting from the window to the door for a moment, wondering who it could be before sighing and making his way to the door, opening it to reveal the very angry, very tense Brittney glaring at him viciously.

“Hey, Brittney…” Mike fades off not knowing exactly what to say at this moment.

He doesn’t need to as Brittney’s glare simply intensifies as she pushes her way past him and inside his house.

“I’m getting my stuff,” she stated coldly, practically stalking upstairs and forcefully opening his bedroom door to retrieve various items of clothing she’d left at his house over the years. Tossing them just as violently into the large bag she slung over her shoulder.

Mike shuts his eyes for a brief moment before taking another sip of coffee and making his way slowly upstairs, leaning awkwardly in the doorway, blue eyes never leaving the simply fuming blondes form. He knew this wouldn’t be easy.

The former couple says nothing for the next forty-five minutes as Brittney darts around Mike’s house, picking up everything that was hers. She takes a deep breath, slinging the now crammed bag over her shoulder, turning to shoot daggers at Mike.

“So, how long were you fucking him?”

“Wh-What?” Mike was pretty sure his voice squeaked. If he hadn’t finished his coffee twenty minutes ago he would have had something to spit.

“You weren’t cheating on me? Yeah, right.”

“I didn’t, Brittney. Honest,” Mike intruded. “That’s the reason I broke up with you.”

“Oh, wow, that makes me feel so much better. You broke up with me to fuck a guy! No matter how fucking girly he looks or acts…”

It was Mike’s turn to glare at her. “Yes, as a matter of fact I did leave you for a guy, because I actually love him.”

“So you never really loved me at all, right Michael? I was just some little decoy because you were too chicken shit to tell him yourself? This is worse than cheating, Mike. This is fucking using.”

Mike felt a small tinge of guilt. He did at one point in time have feelings for her, but he knew he had to hold back those kinds of thoughts if he was ever going to make anything final. “Maybe so but I’m not going to fucking regret it just because your fucking feelings are hurt. And don’t stand there and pretend you were in love with me beyond all comprehensive belief because I know you weren’t exactly in love with me either.”

“What, are you calling me, a gold-digger now, Mike?” she added with an eye roll. “Oh please, if I was I’d be with someone better than you and your little pathetic excuse for a restaurant franchise. And are you honestly going to say I’m just as bad as you are? Jesus, how long have you planned this out? The entire time we were together?”

“No, I’m saying you’re not completely innocent either and I’ve wanted to tell him for twenty-five years. When we started going out, I resolved trying to get with him, turns out that didn’t work.”

Brittney groaned and glared at him, feeling so angry she was amazed her insides weren’t literally on fire. “Fuck you, Mike!” she screamed, storming towards the door, wrenching it open. “No, go fuck your little boy toy, Billie. He’s probably bottom anyway.”

Mike glared back and followed her to the door. “What the fuck do you want from me, Brittney? Want me to say I’m sorry? Trying to break me down? Get revenge? What? Enlighten me, because I’m in the dark right now.”

Brittney shook her head, eyes lighting up with what could almost be described as vengeful glee. “You won’t be in the dark for long. When Adrienne tears a whole in his little head you can have Billie and no one will disturb you.”

Mike’s eyes widened. “Y-You told Adrienne?”

“You may not have cheated but Billie sure as hell did,” she laughed and slammed the door leaving Mike dumbfounded in the doorway. He groaned before making his way back to the living room and grabbing his keys. If she really told Adrienne then Billie needs him now.

***

The black sedan pulled into the driveway. Billie sighed, rubbing and pulling at his hands in a nervous attempt to calm down. He never truly lied to anyone before, or at least about something this serious. This one little lie could destroy everything he’d worked so hard to get. He knew it had to be done and he also knew it wouldn’t be easy.

He loves Mike more than anything, but he loves Adrienne too.

How could he not love her? She’s the most amazing woman Billie had ever met and most likely ever will meet. She’s smart and gorgeous and funny and sweet and caring and strong and everything he wanted to be. She was one of the only people that managed to break down that shell he put around himself for years.

He took a final deep, steadying breath before killing the engine and walking up the pathway to their villa. He fumbled for his keys with shaky hands before locating them and unlocking the door.

He spotted her mop of dark, dreadlocked hair and he felt his stomach do a flip. Could he really do this?

“Morning, Adie,” he shut the door and smiled a smile he hoped wasn’t too fake.

Her dark hair whipped around and his shaken, jade eyes met her infuriated, brown ones.

“You. You fucking asshole,” she said in a darkly calm tone.

Billie barely realized his body backing up towards the door. The woman may be seven inches shorter than him but now she was about twenty feet tall. Billie had always been intimidated by her and now he was downright frightened.

“W-What?”

“Don’t you dare play clueless with me. Mike?” she made her way towards him, arms folded across her chest and eyes cutting through Billie’s panicked frame like daggers.

“I…You…I haven’t been. I mean, j-just the once…just last night. I-I’m sorry.” No, you aren’t.

“Oh, just last night? Am I just supposed to stand here and be okay with it, Billie? How fucking long have you had this planned out, huh? How long did it take you to decide to throw away twelve years of marriage? Please, if I was never anything to you just tell me and we can be on our own fucking way.”

Billie never felt so sick of himself in his life. He’d do anything to just make that look come off of her face, to just hold her and make her laugh and smile. How could he hurt her like this? How could he hurt anyone, let alone Adrienne like this?

“Adie, you d-do mean something to me. Shit, I…” Don’t start lying now. “ I liked Mike since we were younger and I gave up on him liking me back and then…then I met you. I-I wasn’t thinking clearly last night and…” Yes you were you fucking liar. “…he was upset about Britt…” No, he wasn’t. He was perfectly fine about her it was you he was upset about. “…and it just k-kinda happened.”

“So just because it was with fucking Mike means what you did was justified? I wasn’t fucking aware about that when we shared our vows. ‘I promise to love you in sickness and in health, till death do us part unless I decide one day to go fuck my best friend, then you’re screwed’. Sounds a little more accurate, huh?”

Billie shut his eyes in an attempt to fight back tears, he bit his lip tightly. “Adie, I-I’m sorry. I didn‘t mean to…” Yes, you did, goddamn it just say it. “I…” he glanced down, his breath coming out more shaky than ever.

“Sorry doesn’t make what you did right, Billie Joe! What the hell did you expect would happen? You thought you could just come home and act like everything was fine and then I’d maybe take the bomb being dropped a bit better later? Fuck that, Billie. You just threw away twelve years of marriage, twelve years of my fucking life making me think I actually had something with you. I should have just fucking stayed in Minnesota, but no, I came here for you, for fucking you and you just betrayed me!”

Billie bit his lip so tight he could taste copper. He felt as if the entire room was shaking. He was such a horrible person. How could he do this to her? He’s so horrible, he doesn’t deserve her.

“I know it doesn’t, but I am sorry…and I c-can’t take back what I did. I’m s-sorry. I’m so f-fucking sorry,” his voice started to crack.

“I don’t even want to fucking hear it anymore, Billie Joe. And after the divorce papers are signed I never want to speak to you again.”

That hurt Billie more than anything. Adrienne hated him. He knew she would, deep down, but having her actually say that made it so much worse.

“O-Okay…” Was all Billie could manage to stutter out in his shaken tone.

Adrienne turned away from the man she’d loved for most of her life, the man she thought she’d be with forever. She shut her chocolate eyes tight, holding back tears that were just begging to resurface.

Her life was over. She had lost him, she actually lost Billie Joe. What was she going to do? Was she going to have to give up Adeline? Would she have to move back to Minnesota? She sighed, pushing back those thoughts and managing to keep a still menacing tone.

“I packed up all of your shit. It’s by the fireplace,” she stated in a dark tone, wanting nothing more than to wish this wasn’t happening, wish this was some horrible nightmare she could wake up from and the man she couldn’t stand to look at anymore would be breathing softly on her neck.

Billie bit his lip again, glancing from the assorted boxes by the fireplace to Adie’s back before nodding sheepishly, still feeling beyond shit for what he had done, walking towards the fireplace and glancing over the boxes contents, not really caring if it had all his worldly possessions or not, just hoping it contained something, anything that can make that burning in his gut go away. One important item was missing.

“Um...A-Adie. Where’s Blue?”

The tense woman remained silent for a moment, barely registering that he had said anything before walking over to the sofa and producing the tattered, blue guitar her husband, former husband cherished so much. She glanced at him, almost hollow expression on her face.

“I should smash it into fucking pieces…” Like my heart, she thought for a moment before pushing the thoughts back even further.

Billie’s eyes widened in fear. “Adie, please. I-I’ll leave, okay? Just…just please don’t break it.”

“I said I should, just like you should have only been with me last night,” she glared at the broken man before stepping forward and thrusting the guitar at him with such force it would constitute a throw.

Billie caught the guitar, holding it weakly in his grasp, glancing into her eyes before back at his feet. “I-I know. I-I didn’t know that would happen and I’m s-sorry,” he clutched the hem of his shirt so tight his knuckles started to turn white. “I know I sh-shouldn’t have.”

“I told you, sorry means nothing to me. You threw away the life you had with me, the one I thought we’d have forever. You fucking…Billie,” Adrienne sighed. “Just leave, Billie. Don’t come back.”

Billie bit his lip tightly, most of his bottom lip gnawed away by now. He nodded weakly, gathering his boxes, Blue draped across his shoulders as he took a final look around the living room of his former house. He opened the door, pausing for a moment before turning back to the stolid woman.

“I-I loved you, Adie. I just…” he sighed, feeling so exhausted with himself. “I just wanted you to know that.”

The small man held back tears, salty, green eyes lingering on her now shaking form before turning away and closing the door. He collapsed in the driveway, tossing boxes down carelessly as he shook in tears.

This was it. He was alone. Alone and homeless and weak and scared as hell. He finally got what he wanted and this is how he had to pay.