No One Knows (Sequel to 16) (Completed)

Chapter 12: With Every Breath That I Am Worth

Billie's POV

She's not coming. 

That was the only thought that stabbed through my mind, as I sat, downing beer after beer and unwilling to focus my eyes on anything in particular. Mike had offered so many excuses for her, maybe her mom really wasn't doing well, maybe she had forgotten, maybe she had fallen asleep or something. Tré had come past every 20 minutes or so, and he answered my unspoken question every time, eyes full of sympathy. She wasn't here. 

She wasn't coming.

I could barely see an inch in front of me, I could feel the rawness breaking through, an ache in my chest that I couldn't breathe through. I felt a hand entwine with my mine, flash of a smile and blonde hair, pulling me to the side, by the stairs maybe, and all I could say was why didn't she come, why hadn't she come, why was she ignoring me, why did I feel like I was falling apart. The haze of a person simply smiled and shook her head. There was something so familiar in that smile that I couldn't place, but I saw her turn and then say something before taking my hand and leading me upstairs. Mike had tried to yell something at me, craning over the crowd, pointing behind him but that all disappeared as the door closed and I turned and felt a pair of lips press against mine. 

I blinked, unsure of what was happening until I felt her hand on my leg, easing up slowly and I felt like I was going to throw up and I pulled away. No no no no, I had garbled, waving my hands out in front of me, apologising, because you aren't her, because you aren't her, and then her head turned to the door and eyes narrowed in determination and her mouth was on mine again, hard and so cold, and the haze was broken as she broke away and I was suddenly aware of another presence. 

I looked to the door and there was Annabel. Eyes in mine. So still. 

"Annabel." I nearly choked out a sob as I stumbled towards her, some ridiculous joy pulsing through me, those savage parts of me soothing immediately. She took a step back, trembling, her eyes darting to the girl, then back to me. I saw the heartbreak on her beautiful face before she ran.

"No! Annabel wait! It's not...it's not...I wasn't..." I was lumbering after her, turning back only to see Britney, standing there in some sort of satisfaction and hatred. I wanted to scream at her, but I knew I couldn't. I had no right, and there was no time.

She pushed through the crowd swiftly, and I pushed through behind her, just out of reach, and she burst into the night air, pacing hard to her bike. 

"Annabel wait." My voice cracked in absolute pain, and she stopped, her chest rising and falling quickly, her back to me. 

I didn't know what to say, I could feel myself spilling over and I didn't know what to say and 

"What do you want from me Billie?" Her voice was soft and edged with sorrow. 

"Bells I-"

"No!" She turned to me then, her eyes fierce and her lips trembling. "What do you want from me? Why can't you tell me what I am to you? Am I just another girl, after all of it? Just another fucking stupid girl who got too close and got burnt. You're no picnic Billie Joe Armstrong, but goddamnit I care about you! You mean so much to me, you have no fucking clue. But I knew, fucking hell I knew what you're like, I knew more than anyone. I should have never, ever become your friend!" The tears came through, causing her last words to stick in her throat and her face to scrunch up in that way I knew so well and I reached out and she simply fell into my arms and something so perfectly calm finally throbbed through me that everything just fell around us.

"You're no picnic either Annabel Winters. I love you, you idiot."

I heard her choke out a dumbstruck laugh. "You love me?"

"I've loved you since you bummed a smoke off me on Chuck's roof on the last day of summer."

Her arms tightened around me and I felt her smile against my chest.

"I love you too Billie."

And we both just laughed, and our heads giddy and our hearts light for the first time in a long time, she peered up at me with those eyes that still left me so fucking breathless and I kissed her,  her soft lips sending tremors down my spine and her fingertips on my face sparking against my skin. I could almost feel the air around us warm, and I could almost smell summer, and for once my hammering heart seemed to still.

That night we went back to Tré's with a throng of drunk kids, and we waited until they had all passed out and for Mona and Mike to disappear into a bedroom before we clambered out onto the roof. 

The sky was so vast and the night so quiet, and we laughed as we thought of Tré being able to scream as loud as he wanted without anyone hearing him for miles around. I held her as she told me about Holden, feeling rage I'd never comprehended before bubbling under my skin.

"Let me see him, just for a minute, I'd..."

"It's over Billie. It's finally over." Her voice was light and so were her kisses on my neck, bliss entombing us. 

We talked until the sun rose and told us to sleep. 

.......

A/N hey!! thanks for reading! just one or two sweet chapters left...maybe some smut?? (please tell me if you guys want that because heck I dunno) and then we'll wrap it up! thanks so much for all the support and love xxx