I Left My Heart in San Diego

Billie and Tre arrived about fifteen minutes later. When I heard them enter the house, I watched the large archway from the kitchen into the living room to see which one of them would get here first.

No doubt it was Billie. He saw me, and strode over to me, pulling me into a bear hug. He squeezed me tight like he would never let me go. I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed him back, trying to convey an apology in a gesture. Eventually, Billie released me. He pulled the footstool over from the chair next to the couch and sat down across from me, holding my hand. "Why did you run like that, Izzie?" he asked quietly.

I sighed, squeezing his hand. "I needed to get away."

"Away from what?"

"You," I said, taking my hand away from Billie's.

Billie looked taken aback. "Me?" he asked.

"Yes, you. You were acting like a savage animal, Billie, I couldn't stand to be near you."

"So you decided, instead of just running upstairs and locking yourself in my bedroom or something, to run out the front door. Into the snow. Without a jacket. In the middle of January," Billie said.

"Yes! Can we just get back to your house?" I asked impatiently.

Billie checked the nearest clock. "Yeah, let's go. I told everyone we wouldn't be long," he said, standing up and then helping me up.

As I stood up, I noticed Tre standing in the archway, a blood-soaked piece of cotton visible out the left side of his nose. "We brought your jacket for you," he said, handing it out to me.

"Thanks," I said, taking it. "Are you okay?"

Tre nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I've had worse things happen to me."

I smiled. "Okay. Come on, boys, we have a problem to work out," I said, shoving my arms through the sleeves of my jacket.

The drive back to Billie's house was painfully silent. Everyone was afraid to speak, afraid to say the wrong thing, afraid to break the silence and set someone off. When we pulled into the driveway, I leaned over Billie and locked the doors, one hand on his wrists to prevent him from stopping me or unlocking the doors and getting out. "What are you doing?" Billie asked, looking over at me.

I looked back at Billie, looked back at Tre, and looked back to Billie. "No one is leaving this car until we have this little problem solved, alright? If anyone tries to leave before it is, I'll punch you. Got it?" I asked.

Billie took a deep breath, obviously not wanting to do this. "Alright."

"Tre?" I asked, looking back at him.

He looked down at the floor and back up at me before answering. "Fine."

"Good. Now, I will let you each have a turn at saying whatever it is you want to say. Billie, since you were so eager to leave the car, you can speak first," I said, motioning to Billie. He undid his seat belt and turned around to face Tre. I placed a hand on his arm. "But you can't hurt him. You've done enough damage already," I said.

Billie sighed. "Tre, I've never really given a shit about what you've done, or whom you've dated, or whom you've fucked, but I know you know not to fuck with any of us. And by us, I mean Mike and I. And when I walk into my living room and see one of my best friends who's practically my family kissing my girlfriend, shit happens. What the fuck happened that you were kissing my girlfriend?"

Tre took a deep breath before answering. "Billie, I've always been a little concerned about the girls you've fucked, some of them weren't the brightest bulb in the tanning bed, but when I met Arizona, and you said that she had just moved in down the street, I knew from the way you spoke her fucking name that she wasn't just another girl. And, honestly, I was so fucking jealous that you had gotten to her first, that you were the first person that she met, that you had pretty much solidified her as your girlfriend. And I just wanted to get a chance to at least see what it would be like to have just a few minutes alone with her. When I got that chance, I took it. I didn't think you would react so harshly, man."

I smiled. "See, Billie? You were just blowing it out of proportion," I said.

"Can I ask you something, Arizona?" Tre asked.

I turned to face him. "Yeah, sure."

"What did you think?"

I laughed. "I knew you end up asking me that question. Honestly, it was sweet. Gentle. It reminded me of the first time Billie kissed me, except I knew that I was kissing you." Tre smiled triumphantly. "Your lips were cold, but that's neither here nor there," I added, chuckling. Tre laughed, still smiling.

I looked over at Billie. He smiled at me. "I thought I would've been angry at that, but you mentioned me, so I'm okay with it. And didn't you say he asked first? Before you ran out the door?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay, good. You wouldn't do that on purpose, right?" Billie asked, vulnerability in his yellow-green eyes.

I smiled and kissed him lightly. "Of course not. I'm yours," I answered.

Billie grinned and kissed me back, a bit more passionately. I broke off, remembering Tre was in the back seat of a locked car. I jerked my head toward him, and Billie looked back at Tre. "Sorry," he muttered with a small smile.

Tre laughed. "Thanks for remembering."

"I didn't. Arizona did," he said, gesturing to me. Tre looked at me; I smiled.

"Can we get out of the car now?" Tre asked.

I laughed. "Yes. Billie?" I said, turning to face him.

"On it," he said, unlocking the doors.

We all exited, Billie locking his car behind him, and we entered the house, Billie and I hand-in-hand. Zie, Mike, and Mary Jane came running to the door. "Holy hell, what took you three so long?" Zie asked, Tre's arms wrapping around her waist.

"We were working out the problem," I answered, squeezing Billie's hand. He squeezed back, wrapping his arms around my waist, kissing the top of my head and rocking back and forth.

"I'm assuming that was successful," Mary Jane called from down the hallway. I was about to ask why she was all the way down there, but then she started running up the hallway, jumping onto Mike's back, giggling uncontrollably as she landed.

I laughed and Billie let me go. I looked up at him and he jerked his head to the side. I smiled, walking around to his back. I put my hands on his shoulders, and he positioned his arms like he was holding something heavy in them right by the sides of his chest. "Jump!" he said; I did so, his arms securing my legs and my arms locking around his neck. "Where to?" he asked.

"Let's go upstairs and get my stuff. My mom's probably gonna want me home soon," I replied.

"On it," Billie said, hoisting me up on his sides and carrying me up the stairs piggyback-style.