Brutal Love

Chapter 52/Epilogue

10 years later

"Honey, I'm home." I called, dropping my bags as soon as I stepped in the all too familiar house. It only took a second before footsteps came thundering down the stairs and that all too familiar face appeared. It only took another second before he was lifting me in his arms and twirling me around the foyer.

"Winnie the Pooh, I missed you so much!" He said putting me down and kissing me all over my face.

"I missed you too Papa Cool." He stopped kissing me. "I really should visit more than a couple times a year."

"You should, kid. You really should."

"That's why I'm staying until the New Year!" His smile grew and he picked me up again.

"That's like 3 weeks! That's amazing! Oh I can't wait to get the guys over here! We have to catch up! Oh my god this is amazing!"

The guys. I haven't seen them in forever. Not since I went to university when I was 19. I came every Christmas but I always made sure that I only saw him. Not even Billie. Especially not Billie. After I told him I was tired about lying to Tre before they started recording the trilogy in 2012, he said he understood but I knew he took it harder than I did. We didn't really talk after that and we weren't that close.

After Tre and I put my stuff in my old room, he called the guys and told them he had a surprise for them and they should come as quick as they could. It only took a couple of minutes before Billie's car pulled in the driveway.

"Tre, what is it?" Mike questioned as he and Billie burst through the front door. "What's up? Tre?"

"Yeah, Tre. We came over -" I stepped out from behind the wall and stopped Billie's question short.

"Winnie! It's so good to see you." Mike came and gave me a hug. "It's been a year too long."

"Yeah Mike, I'm sorry about that." I said. I saw Mike last year on Christmas. He was at Tre's when I showed up. There was nothing I could do to prevent it. I pulled out of the hug and smiled weakly at Billie. "Hey Beej."

"Hey kid." He said, returning my weak smile with the same one. He held out his arms and I ran into them. "It's missed you."

"It's missed you too. And I know you're happy to see me, but down boy." I giggled as he noogied me.

"Oh, grow up, kid." He joked. I pulled out of the hug and turned to the guys.

"You guys get the coffee, I'll go to the bathroom and then when I come back, we'll catch up."

"I have to go too, I'll take the main and you get Tre's."

"No fair, the main is cleaner. You'll have to beat me there if you want it." And I ran upstairs, hearing him come after me, and the laughter from the guys. Just like old times. I made it to the bathroom first and closed the door behind me. I leaned against it and sighed. Then I staggered back as it opened.

"Woah there. 26 and still clumsy as ever." He chuckled and pushed me in before stepping in after me and closing the door. "Can we talk?"

"I knew you'd say that."

"Isn't that why you came in here? Don't you remember? This as like our spot. That and the bedroom that is." He smiled and winked.

"I never told you how sorry I was. I didn't mean to hurt you, but I didn't want to hurt Tre either. I was only 16, I didn't know what to do." His expression changed from joking to sad in a matter of seconds as I talked.

"Let's not bring up old things. I told you I was fine with it anyways."

"I knew you were lying. I still know you're lying now. You weren't fine with it and you'll never be. I broke your heart. And for that, I'm sorry beyond belief."

"You're right." He pushed passed me and sat on the covered toilet. "I just...I didn't want you to feel bad. I didn't want to break your heart by showing you how broken you made me." There was a moment of silence before he looked at me and smiled. "You know, Amy was about you. That whole trilogy is one third songs about you."

I smiled and knelt in front of him. "I know. Brutal Love was always my favourite though." I kissed his knee and then looked up at him. "I never broke my promise though."

"And what promise was that?" He looked down at me.

"Well, there's two. First, I never got together with Joey."

"And for that I'm relieved. What's the second?"

"This." I reached in my shirt and pulled out the Mickey Mouse necklace he gave me for my 16th birthday. "I may have broken my promise to never leave you, but I didn't give it back. I haven't taken it off." I knew I was about to cry. "You were my first love, Beej. I gave myself to you. It broke my heart to leave you. I didn't want to. My reason wasn't even that good. I loved you more than Tre. I regret everything I said and did and which I could turn back time. Love is brutal, just like your song. And I'm really sorry. I don't expect you to -"

He didn't let me finish and he kissed me hard, bruising my lips. "I thought I told you never to apologize for things." Tears were starting to fill his eyes. I pulled away and put it in his hand as I got up.

"Billie, I'm sorry." And I ran out of the bathroom. I ran right down the stairs and out the front door. I ran down the driveway and to the only place I could think of. The park.

*Billie's POV*

She ran out of the bathroom in tears, after she put something in my hand. Something cold. I opened my hand and her necklace was in it. What? She just said she didn't break her promise after all these years. Why did she break it all of a sudden? I'm not waiting around for another 10 years to find out.  I stuffed it in my pocket, got up and ran after her.

I ran down the stairs and passed a really confused Mike and Tre. I told them not to worry about it and that I could handle it.  I ran right out the door and down the driveway. When I was in the street I stopped. My heart was beating a mile a minute. Where did she go? The park.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me to the park. She was sitting at the bottom of the slide. I knelt in front of her and put my arms around her. She pushed away with her left hand.

"I can't. Billie, I can't. Not again." She cried.

"Why? What happened? Why did you break your promise after all these years of not?" I questioned, holding on to her hand and rubbing it with my thumb. Then my thumb grazed over something cold. A ring?