Something In Between: Sequel to On The Edge of Tomorrow

Chapter 32

Tim's voice echoed down the hallway as Billy and I approached the kitchen. He was clearly trying to convince Tess that sledding was a great idea.

"Tim, we'll probably end up in the lake. We don't know how thick the ice is," Tess chided.

"She's right, Tim," I offered as I slid onto one of the island stools. "It wasn't a cold fall. I'd steer clear of the lake. Otherwise, it'd be ice fishing shacks as far as the eye can see."

"Ugh, you're both so lame," Tim hunched over in defeat.

"Yeah, self-preservation is such a bummer." Billy poked Tim with his cane as he spoke.

"That's not what that's for," Mary and I scolded at the same time.

"Sorry," Billy mumbled, but it was clear by his eyes that he was not sorry, and Tim had many pokes in his future.

"Well, since everyone is lame, what are you all planning on doing today?" Tim weakly spoke, still deflated from his crushed sledding plan.

"Tea and puzzle for me," Mary's voice came in her pleasant sing-song.

"That sounds great," I agreed.

Mary's smile was infectious, and spending quiet moments with her seemed like a safe buffer for Billy and me.

"Boring," Tim's volume was offensively loud, and everyone shot him a look. "Sorry," but like Billy's half-assed apology, it was clear he wasn't that sorry.

"Why don't we go for a hike?" Tess offered. "Maybe we'll find a hill that doesn't end up on the lake."

Tim was unimpressed with the option and released a heavy sigh to prove it. "Yeah, okay. You want to come, Billy?"

Billy let out a laugh. "This is not an outdoor complexion. Besides, I want to spend some time with my girls." He placed a soft arm around Mary's shoulders.

Billy lasted all of ten minutes at the puzzle before he migrated to the piano and began to play softly in the background. Mary and I listened as we worked in silence. It was a peaceful moment that warmed my core.

"I prefer his playing when he's distracted; it's quieter." Mary's voice came in barely a whisper.

"He's best in the quiet moments," I agreed in an equal hush.

"Mmhmm, Billy's louder in the quiet moments."

Mary's words made my eyes flicker to Billy, but it was more than a fleeting glance. My eyes clung to him; his forearms twitched as his fingers danced across the keys; his hips slightly twisted as his feet worked the peddles below. But my gaze caught on his shoulders, hunched to a rounded slouch. I didn't even decide to rise; I just found my hand on his shoulder, pulling them back from his hunch. It startled me as much as him.

"You're slumping, Billy. It's not good for your back," I scolded.

"Sorry," he mumbled as he slid over on the bench. "Any requests?"

"Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl," I answered without hesitation. He raised an eyebrow at me. "It's stuck in my head," I defended.

"Yes, ma'am." He gave a slight nod accented by his dimples before he rolled into the old blues song.

The bravado of his stage presence never seeped into the room. Instead, he commanded the keys with his gentle control. At first, I couldn't tear my eyes from his fingers, the way they awkwardly skewed as he played. If the music hadn't been magical, I would have sworn he was doing it wrong. Still, I tugged my eyes to his face, partially shielded by a tendril of his falling hair. Now and then, he would jerk his head back to move it out of the way. Even more infrequent, his hazel eyes would glance up at me to gauge my expression. When he snatched it back down to the keys, an alluring blush would creep across his cheeks and greet his dimples.

I knew the song was coming to an end, but had no time to mourn it as he swung into Boom Boom with little effort. His stomping foot provided the accent of precision that rumbled up my legs to my core. His body eased to the action as he played. The music suited him, filling his presence with the life that nourished him. There was a slight leap to his core in rhythm to the beat, and his arms slacked to noodles. Still, his fingers played nimbly with awkward angles to them.

He leaned in closed as he played the song out.

"Twenty Flight Rock," I whispered.

"Mmhmm. You sure you're only twenty-one years old?" He teased as he continued to play.

"You sure you're twenty-six years old?" I poked my elbow into him.

"Nope." Billy teased me with the selection, leaning in close so his hair tickled me as he sang. I couldn't help but let out a giggle.

"My turn," Mary called from the table behind us, "Nobody Knows."

"Yes, ma'am," Billy called over his shoulder.

I smiled as his entire body slowed to Nobody Knows you When You Are Down and Out. He continued to tease me with his proximity. When he was done, he finally took his fingers off the keys. One of his hands slipped to my knee and squeezed it.

"Billy," I whispered, moving in dangerously close.

His warm forehead met mine as his breath flowed over my face. "Lily," washed over me. "We have to stop meeting like this."

"Mmhmm," I agreed, but I didn't pull away from the pull of his gravity.

"Remind me again," he murmured.

"I can't," fell from my lips with no thought. I couldn't remember anything other than the feel of Billy's lips on mine. The surge that erupted in me when his hands floated over my skin.

"We should..." he began, but didn't finish the thought.

"Yeah, we should," I agreed with the non-statement.

My hand slipped to his knee as we continued to follow the breadcrumbs with our steady gaze.

"Say no," I managed.

"No." His voice came low.