Nothing Can My Love Erase

Let Us Share the Words of Love

Billie pressed the stop button in the bus multiple times and rushed down from the upper deck. She had nearly missed her stop because she had been so lost in her thoughts. She was on her way home from work but her thoughts were focussed on Brian. He had called her at work earlier and wanted to know if she had time to meet up that evening. It was a Thursday, and in the two months since New Year's Eve, in the two months they had been together, she had been out with her colleagues most of the Thursday evenings. However, that Thursday she made an exception because Brian sounded.. worried somehow.

The bus came to an abrupt stop at the side of the road and opened the doors for Billie to step out on the damp streets of London. It had rained earlier, but now it had stopped luckily. From the bus stop it were only three streets Billie had to cross to get to her flat which didn't take too long. Brian probably was already there. She had given him a key the day after he had asked her to be his girlfriend, because frankly it was much more practical since that way he could come and go as he liked and didn't need to stand out in the cold rain if she wasn't there.

Billie quickly unlocked the front door and hurried up the flights of stairs before she opened the door to her flat. It was unlocked, so Brian was definitely there. "Brian, dear?" She could hear shuffling of feet coming from the living room and soon his tall figure appeared at the end of the hallway.

"I'm so glad you could come."

She took off her shoes and jacket and walked towards him, wrapping her arms around him tightly as soon as she reached him. He hugged her back and kissed the top softly before she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him tenderly. He soon broke the kiss and looked at her intently.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "You don't look okay. What couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

He gulped and took her hand, leading her into her living room.

"Brian, you're worrying me. What's going on?"

He made her sit down on the couch before he sat next to her. "I have to tell you something."

Billie looked at him closely. "Seriously, you're not helping with the worrying. What do you have to tell me?"

He wasn't meeting her eyes and worrying Billie just more. Her mind was racing. What was going on? Did he do something he shouldn't have done?

"Y'know how I'm working on my PhD?"

Billie nodded. "Of course..," she said sceptically.

"Well.. I got this incredible offer to do research."

"Really? Well that's great, isn't it? Why aren't you happier about that, you've been looking for an opportunity for so long." She could hear him sigh heavily.

"It's for three months.. in Tenerife. I'd be gone for three months."

"Oh...," was all Billie said. She hadn't expected that.

"Yeah..," Brian added and sighed again. "I know."

What was she supposed to say to that? Of course she was happy for him, why wouldn't she be? It sounded like an incredible opportunity for him. But of course he would be gone for three months. She knew she didn't have the money for a flight to visit him, and she also knew he didn't have the money for something like that either. Three entire months without her boyfriend, without her best friend.

"Say something.. please. This has been driving me mad the entire day since I found out. I don't know what to do. I really want to go but I hate the thought of leaving you here for three months. I hate having to leave you for the weekend if we have a gig around the country and you can't come and now I'd have to leave you for three months."

Billie reached for his hand and intertwined their fingers. "I know.. but think about it. This sounds like a once in a lifetime opportunity, who knows when you might get an offer like that again."

He nodded. "I know.. but I don't want to lose you because I know I'd never find a girlfriend as wonderful as you again."

She smiled a little and pulled him closer. "You're not going to lose me. I want what's best for you. Believe me, I don't want to be apart from you that long either, but.. I think we can do that." Billie was surprised by her own words. Of course she wanted to surport him, but she still didn't really want him to go. Yet here she was telling him to do exacly that.

"Y-You think so?"

Billie gulped and decided to go through with it. "Yeah. We managed while I lived in Scotland, we can do this too."

Brian took both of her hands in his and looked at her with a hopeful expression. "Are you sure? Will you be fine?"

She nodded timidly. "I'm sure. I'll be fine. I still have your friends and my friends, I won't be completely alone."

Brian surprised her by hugging her tightly. "You are amazing.."

She hugged him back and rested her head against his chest. "Thank you.. I'm still going to miss you so much though. When do you have to leave?"

Sighing, he pulled her closer. "Sunday in two weeks."

"Oh.." That was much sooner than she had expected. But she had told him to go and she wanted to support him because she wanted him to be successful.

"We'll be fine." He mumbled into her ear and kissed the top of her head softly.

"We will be fine."

"Do you know why"

She looked at him curiously.

"B-Because I love you, Billie."

She froze for a moment before she looked up at him with a smile. "You love me? Like.. girlfriend love? Not just friend love?"

He nodded and allowed a small smile to form on his face. "Yeah.. girlfriend love"

She smiled wider and kissed him tenderly. "I love you too, Brian."

His smile grew wider. "You do?"

She nodded eagerly and kissed him again. "I do.. I love you so much. You're right. We will be fine because I love you and you love me."

He nodded and hugged her tightly. "Exactly.. and I will be back after three months. We can do three months after what we've been through already."

Billie lay back on the couch and pulled him with her, snuggling close to him. "And until you go, I want to spend as much time with you as possible."

Very slowly he let his hands wander up under the back of her shirt. "I like that plan.. I like spending time with you very much."

She chuckled softly and let her hands explore his body as well. "I bet you do," she told him before she pressed her lips against his and kissed him deeply. "I like that too.."