Jazz and Liquor ✥Brendon Urie ✥

✥ chapter twenty-nine ✥

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Yes, but what a shame
What a shame the poor groom's bride is a whore

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Angelina insisted that she couldn't stay alone in her own house after that night and pleaded for Brendon to let her stay at his. He agreed without hesitation; he would do anything to keep his friends safe.

She obviously had a hard time finding sleep because she was awake before he was when he went downstairs the next morning. Dark circles hung under her eyes and any life left in her was quickly fading. Brendon sat next to her on the couch and wrapped an arm around her.

"Mornin', darlin'," he said. "How are you?"

She shook her head and broke down in tears, sobbing uncontrollably into his chest. Brendon squeezed her tighter.

"I'm sorry."

"But I had to do it," she claimed, wiping her face. "He was gonna turn you in."

"I could've handled that," Brendon said.

"But then you would've been charged with murder and liquor distribution. This was cleaner."

"You didn't have to do this, Angie, really."

"I did," she responded. "I just had to shove him in front of me." She choked in her last few words before erupting into more tears. "I wasn't gonna let some stupid prohibition officer get in the way of your business and my job. It wasn't an option. Plus Moretti's gonna get in trouble too. Miss Tilly Clarke should be kissing my feet."

"They're gonna arrest Moretti?"

"They should if they're smart. If you weren't married this could've had a slightly happy ending."

Brendon smirked. "I'm getting divorced," he said.

"Oh. Sorry?"

"Don't be. I don't know why I'm sad about it. I just wish I would've told Tilly the truth earlier. I was stupid."

They sat in a contemplative silence, resenting themselves for the things they could have done or could have done better.

Brendon advised that Angelina eat something to get her mind off of her sadness. She picked at the oatmeal and assortment of fruit in front of her with no intention of eating it. Brendon had never seen her so despondent.

Brendon finished cleaning out the rest of June's things after breakfast while Angelina lay silently on the couch. Silence irritated Brendon tremendously so he hummed a song to himself.

There was a knock on the door when Brendon finished piling away June's leftover dresses. Angelina answered before Brendon made it downstairs.

He and Tilly instantaneously made eye contact. They always did when they were close enough to each other.

"I heard about what happened last night," Moretti said, stepping inside the house so Angelina could close the door. "How awful."

Brendon glanced at Angie. "Yeah, it was pretty devastating."

"Those damn LaPialgas," Moretti laughed. "They're obsessed with you."

"You set him up," Angelina said.

Moretti turned to her. "Excuse me?"

"You set him up," she repeated, enunciating every word. "You tried to kill him on multiple occasions."

"And where on earth did you get that information?"

"I know some LaPiaglas," she said. "They told me that you two aren't rivals. You just used them to get back at Brendon for sleeping with your fiancée."

Tilly took her arm out of Moretti's. "Is that true?"

"Don't give me that look!" Moretti scoffed. "You think I didn't know about you whoring around with Brendon behind my back?"

Tilly shook her head. "I didn't-"

"You thought I didn't notice you two chatting it up all the time and smiling at each other and staying out late? I left you two here alone on purpose because I knew what you'd do. I figured I might as well let you to have it," Moretti said. He turned to Brendon. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

"Henry!" Tilly cried.

"Your parents warned me about you," Moretti said. "They told me you liked to run around but I didn't care. I have ways of putting people in line but apparently I couldn't outsmart Mr. Urie. What a shame."

"Why didn't you just tell me that you knew?" Tilly asked.

"Why didn't you just tell me you were having an affair, Matilda? You want everything to be so simple!"

Tilly let her angry tears fall freely, refusing to wipe her face with her white gloves.

"Would you like to give Mr. Urie his invitation?" Moretti asked.

Tilly reached into her purse and handed Brendon an envelope. It was a wedding invitation.

"The police are after me since some people gave me away," Moretti said, side eyeing Angelina. "We're getting married tomorrow for the spousal privilege during testimony. The marriage will be annulled when they convict me. I have no doubt that they will."

"Then why get married?" Brendon asked.

"To get me off of the murder charges. I'm not interested in being in jail for life, Mr. Urie."

"Why didn't you just kill me yourself?" Brendon asked. "If you knew what we were doing why rely on other people to take me out?"

"You two think I'm stupid, don't you?" Moretti laughed. "You think I would kill you in cold blood by my own hand? I've never killed anyone. I've ordered people to be killed but I've never pulled a trigger on anyone myself. I wasn't sacrificing my clean record for my whore fiancée."

Tilly crossed her arms.

"I'm sorry that things had to come to this but you didn't seem like the ideal husband," Brendon said, somewhat jumping to Tilly's defense. "She wouldn't have any reason to cheat on you if you were treating her right."

"All of a sudden you're the relationship expert?" Tilly smirked. "You were a cheater too. And a liar."

"I'm trying to help you," Brendon said. "You told me yourself he was terrible."

"Whatever, Brendon."

"Why do you wanna be treated this way? It makes no sense."

"I don't want to be treated like this! I didn't ask to be abused and taking advantage of and lied to but it happens anyways! So now it's my fault?"

"I didn't say that."

"Forget it. I'll be in the car." Tilly stormed toward the front door.

"Hope you can make it to the wedding, Mr. Urie. Maybe sing some of those love songs Matilda would tell Mary about all the time. She likes those a lot." Moretti smiled and followed Tilly's path out the door.

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So the next chapter is the last one😔

My chest hurts but um this was fun