Brutal Love

Chapter 18

*Tre's POV*

"Winnie! Where are you going?!" We heard Joey yelling and footsteps run across. Billie, Mike and I were in the kitchen so we ran out to see what was going on. Joey was standing in the foyer staring worriedly at the open door.

"Joseph, what's wrong?" Billie asked, walking up to his son.

"She ran out, I-I don't know why. She was in hysterics."

"What did you do?" I said angrily, rushing up to him. "I'll kill you if you hurt her in anyway."

"Tre, back the fuck off and let him speak." Billie said, pushing me back a step before I reached Joey. I started to go back but Mike grabbed my shoulders and kept me in place. For such a skinny guy, I forgot how strong he was.

"Joey, tell us what happened." He said, calmly.

"Well, after you left the game room I congratulated her and then she started to tear up. I gave her a hug and she started crying hard and ran out." Joey explained. "And I don't think they were tears of happiness."

"What exactly did you say to her?" I asked, a little calmer now.

"I said 'I knew you could do it, Winnie the Pooh'."

This time it was Billie's turn to flip out, not angrily but worriedly. "You idiot!" He pushed passed his son and out the open door.

"What did I do wrong?" Joey asked, defensively.

"Her dad called her Winnie the Pooh." I said, struggling to get out of Mike's grasp. "Mike, let go. I have to help her."

"Let Billie handle it. He's been through this." He answered. He was right. Billie had also lost his dad when he was 10 and from the stories Mike has told me, he took it pretty bad. If anyone could help her, it would be Billie.

*Billie's POV*

I ran out the open door and looked around, wondering where to start looking. I stopped at the end of the driveway and looked both ways. Then I heart the faint sound of sobbing. I turned around and faced Tre's car. I walked around to the passenger side and found her crying in the seat. I opened the door and pulled her into my arms.

"Shh...shh...it's ok. It's ok." I said, trying to calm her down.

"It's not ok! It'll never be ok!" She spat, trying to pull away. That only made me hug her tighter. "He's gone and he'll never come back! My Christopher Robin is gone! I didn't even get to say goodbye." She gave in and collapsed in my embrace, crying even harder.

"Hey, hey...shh...shh." I rubbed my hand on her back in circles. I didn't know what to say but I knew what to do. I started singing.

Summer has come and passed

The innocent can never last

Wake me up when September ends

Then she started singing, quietly but I could still here her.

Like my father's come to pass

Seven years has gone so fast

Wake me up when September ends

Then we were singing together and she got a little louder and unburied her face from my chest.

Here comes the rain again

Falling from the stars

Drenched in my pain again

Becoming who we are

"Thank you Billie." She said, hugging me tighter. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't be sorry. Don't you ever be sorry." I held her out and looked at her. "Don't you ever be sorry about any of this. You have absolutely nothing to be sorry about, understand?" She nodded. "Come here." I pulled her in my arms again. "I don't understand what you're going through exactly but I understand what it's like to lose someone you love. I'm here whenever you need someone. To talk or just a shoulder to cry on, I'm always here." I sat there hugging her in silence, listening to her sob slightly. She finally stopped when Tre came outside. She pulled out of the hug and wiped her eyes. I stood up and backed away, letting him kneel beside her and give her a hug.

"Hey, Papa Cool. Sorry if I worried." She said.

"Don't be, honey." He replied, pulling out of the hug. "Are you ok, though?"

"I'm going to be fine." She smiled.

"Ok, I'm going to get my stuff and then we can go home."

"Ok."

Tre gave her one last hug and then got up and walked back inside.

"Are you sure you're ok?" I asked, kneeling beside her again.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Thank you Beej."

Then she did something I never expected she would do. She kissed me.