Dreams Can Come True

37.Guilt

POV Elise

I stared at the black screen of my phone, a sense of helplessness washing over me as I realized my battery was dead. A sigh of frustration escaped my lips. Simone was on the phone, and it was clear she was talking to Tom, as I heard his name mentioned a few times. My heart pounded in my throat as I tried to listen to what she was saying.
Suddenly, I heard Simone say, "She's here, don't worry." The seriousness in her voice slowly registered with me, and my heart began to race faster. The realization that Bill and Tom were worried caused a knot to form in my stomach.
While Simone was on the phone, I focused my attention on the clock on the wall. The hands pointed to the late hours of the evening, and a wave of anxiety washed over me. It was much later than I had realized. A silent wave of shame engulfed me as I realized how late it actually was. The twins had already come home and had no idea where I was. A curse escaped my lips. This was the second time I had made them so worried, and I was angry at myself. My hands trembled slightly as I clutched my phone tightly. Tears welled up in my eyes as I struggled with a wave of guilt.
Simone hung up her phone and looked at me seriously. Her gaze was reassuring, but the weight of her words hit me. "Tom just called," she said. "They don't know where you are, and Bill is extremely worried."
The mention of Bill's name pained my heart, knowing how worried he must be. A sob escaped my throat as I apologized to Simone, my voice broken with guilt. "I'm so sorry," I whispered, my emotions overwhelming. "I never wanted anyone to worry like this."
Simone took my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "It's going to be okay, dear," she said calmly. "My sons just tend to worry quickly, but they care a lot about you."
I took a sip of my tea as I shared the story of the chaos that ensued when the boys discovered I wasn't in my hotel room in Madrid and was unreachable, Simone couldn't help but laugh. Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she reminded me that this was typical of her sons. A sigh of relief escaped me as I felt the tension of the moment slowly begin to dissipate.
But my worry still nagged at me, and I decided to be open about my struggles with finding balance in my relationship with Bill. "It's all still new to me," I confessed, "to consider someone else." I explained how I had gotten used to being alone, to my own rhythm and routines, and that adjusting to sharing my life with someone else was a challenge I was still exploring.
Simone frowned slightly at my revelation, her eyebrows furrowing in thought. "But you've been together for a while, haven't you?" she asked, genuinely curious. I nodded slowly, realizing that Bill and Elise had been in a relationship longer than I had been with him. It shouldn't be noticeable that I'm not that Elise with whom Bill has had a relationship for over a year.
I tried to gather myself and explained, "Yes, but we used to always be together on tour, so that was different." Just then, I heard the front door open and felt relieved that I was rescued from this uncomfortable situation.

Bill burst into the room with a mixture of concern and relief on his face. His arms wrapped tightly around me, and I could feel from his embrace how tense he was. The gentle tremble of his body, the strength of his embrace - it spoke volumes about his feelings at that moment. "Sorry," I whispered, my voice almost broken with guilt.
Simone interrupted the intimate moment between us by saying, "Bill, you don't have to panic every time Elise is unreachable. She's a grown woman with her own life."
I squeezed Bill's hand, feeling his support and reassurance, before he responded to his mother. "She already scared us to death in Madrid," he said, his voice a mix of concern and slight reproach. "And she's a young beautiful woman of 18, alone in Berlin."
Simone nodded understandingly. "Yes, Elise just told us the story of Madrid," she replied, giving me an encouraging look.
I focused on Bill, my heart softening with his presence. "I'll make sure to send a message next time I go out," I promised him, my voice determined and sincere.
Bill looked me deep in the eyes and said, "That means a lot to me." His words filled me with warmth and comfort, and I felt grateful for his understanding and love.

Bill smiled reassuringly and brushed a strand of hair from my face. "Come on, I'll take you home," he said, his voice warm and full of love. But before we could leave, I heard Simone's voice stopping us.
"Oh, but we were just about to look at a photo album from when we went to Disneyland Paris," she said excitedly, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. Bill rolled his eyes playfully, his smile wide and mischievous. I glanced at Simone, who also quickly looked at the clock and realized it was late.
"Maybe we can do that next time?" I suggested, grabbing my coat from the rack. Simone nodded in agreement, but seemed slightly disappointed. "Oh yes," she exclaimed suddenly, her eyes widening in surprise, "I'm starting to feel tired too."
We said goodbye to Simone, thanked her for her understanding and reassuring words. As we walked out the door, I felt the reassuring grip of Bill's hand in mine. The cool evening air embraced us as we walked down the street, ready to go home where everything would fall back into place.