Angel

V

   Angelina dropped her bag but barely noticed it, already focused on rediscovering the face of the one who made her heart beat. Her eyes traveled from her gorgeous green eyes to her perfectly shaped mouth. Only then she noticed Stefani was biting her bottom lip.
"Do I-
- You absolutely still look like Christmas morning, Stefani said, cutting Angie off, The most beautiful of my life."
Stefani started to feel her cheeks getting warmer. Why did she even say that, she had no clue wether or not Angelina shared the same feelings for her. She nervously bit a tongue.
Angelina went down on her knees to gather all the things that fell off of her bag. Was she was kneeling down, Stefani couldn't help but stare at her beautiful neckline, a wonderful look at Angelina's perfectly shaped breasts. She smelled the same as she did two years earlier. This smell was the smell of love a brought Stefani back to that night, the night they met, and every single action involved. She suddenly got out of her thoughts, Angie looking straight at her face, and she still was looking at her boobs. She felt her face turning red and hot so she started staring at her feet, getting out of the way for Angelina to come in.
The house was the cleanest it had ever been, the windows were open, and the smell of the sea mixed to the smell of the flowers Stefani had bought the same morning embalmed the living room.
Angelina walked slowly in, still troubled by the eyes of Stefani on her neckline. She quickly put her hand on it, for a second, just as if she was enjoying a touch even from the look of her lover. She turned back to face Stefani who was leaning against the kitchen furniture, with two glasses of fresh lemonade.
"I hope it's okay for you if we stay sober today.
- It's perfect. I'd rather be, Angie instantly answered, I had to... talk to you. I wanted to see you."
Stefani's heart was beating so fast she feared it could burst anytime. She came to see her ? She wanted to see her again ? Was there any chance she hadn't forgotten about them two ?
"Yes, of course I ahem... I... Yeah I'd be more than happy to help you with ahem... with anything. At all."
Stefani was struggling keeping it together and alining more than two words together to make a clear sentence. She was drowning in her hope that maybe, maybe there was still a chance, maybe they'd have another shot to let their love shine. She sat on the couch and softer tapped the seat next to her as an invitation for Angie to sit next to her. Angelina sat down only a few centimeters away from Stefani and their skin nearly touching shivered.
"I heard you are getting married right ? Angelina quietly said, sipping on her lemonade, her eyes looking at the carpet, It's great, if you're happy it's just great.
- Yes, yeah we are... we indeed are engaged but ahem... I mean yes we are."
Stefani was hurting from saying she lived a happy life with Taylor, she wanted to scream that she loved Angelina, her one true love, her angel, and these same words were harming Angie, thinking there was no way Stefani would end a perfect relationship for her wrecked self. Both of them were trying to lie to each other so much they hurt themselves even more.
   "You said you wanted to talk to me about something huh ? Stefani succeeded in saying in one go, Just... just tell me, if I can do anything for you I'll do it."
   Angelina wanted her to kiss her, to touch her, fuck her, and to never ever leave her again. These words were burning her tongue, she was aching for this touch and these eyes she'd missed for so long. She knew exactly what she wanted Stefani to do but she couldn't have told her, ever.
   "Yes, I... I've got a few problems at home. And I'm... I was truly hoping you'd be able to advise me, or to just listen to me bragging, complaining or whatever, you know I just need to get that out."
   Angie kept on playing with her fingers nervously and Stefani obviously noticed it. Was this image of Brangelina as fake as the one Taylor and her gave to the press ? She desperately hoped it was, but something deep down in her told her it'd be something completely different and she felt her heart so heavy in her chest.
   "Yea of course, I'll be more than happy to listen to you."
   Happy to listen to you ? How awkward was she feeling. What a dumb sentence, she should've kept her mouth closed. She started avoiding eye contact with Angelina, too scared to blush at her sight from how awkward and silly she felt.
"Well you know, Brad and I... let's say we have our differences and... and I... I..."
Angelina suddenly got caught in her emotions, thinking about how bad the situation had turned, how worried and scared she was most of the time, for her but mostly for her children, and she felt guilty about loving Stefani as much, and she was all troubled by the fact she could see her again. She stopped talking, unable to make any sound, her mouth still open. A single teardrop rolled down her cheek, and she closed her eyed painfully, almost ashamed of letting go this way in front of such a woman.
Stefani immediately started hugging Angelina to cheer her up, worried about why she'd cry like that. Only once she had her arms around Angie did she realize what she was doing and her face went straight to red. However she felt Angelina's body relax under her touch, so she didn't let go for a minute. When she felt like Angie was alright, she got away from her, holding her shoulder, her face a few centimeters away from Angelina's, her eyes in hers. She could feel her breathe on her dry lips. She quickly licked and bit her bottom lip without even noticing it.
"You okay ?
- Yes... Yeah, yeah I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...
- You have nothing to apologize for. Nothing."
Stefani moves backwards a little bit so their faces wouldn't be that close anymore, and as she was letting go of Angelina's arms, their hand touched and she felt both of their skins shiver. Both women retired their hands quickly, both as troubled as each other.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't feel like it, Angelina, Stefani softly said, almost in a whisper, It's fine.
- No, no I came to tell you. I mean I came for... Yes, yeah I need to tell you, I have never talked about it to anybody and it's killing me."
Stefani silently memorized that Angie had another reason for coming to see her that day than just telling a story and she almost smiled, despite the lowkey tragic situation.
"You know, there's... there's multiple types of alcoholism. Some people can still be active and functional even while being drunk, and totally addicted to boose. And..."
Angelina stopped, repressing another tear, biting her lips from the inside, nervous about revealing her secret.
"We might look perfect. Brangelina, the power couple, you maybe know about that, but we're just... we're so far from being an actual power couple as Taylor and you are."
Stefani's heart stopped. They both had issues with their couple. Was it possible that the other reason why Angelina car was simply her ?
"Brad... I love him. I mean I loved him, so much, I tried to save us. By the Sea was my ultimate trial. But he... he is a drunk. Nobody can see it because he's still functioning well, but I can. I spend my days, my every hour, minute, second, worrying about my children. I am not sure of what a drunk could do to them, father or not. I can't live like that anymore... I... I just... I can't ! I used to love him so much, just so so much and ever since... I mean everything changed so much..."
Even since ? Stefani could help thinking Angie was referring to the night they met. The night that changed it all for her. Was Angelina feeling the same ? She could barley breathe, suffocated by her hopes.
"Angelina... I... I know you love or at least loves him dearly but... He became a threat to you and your kids' health. You have to consider breaking up with him, divorcing before it gets too far. I know it's a hard decision to make, but it's maybe for the better. Nobody knows what a drunk can do to people and I don't him to hurt you or your children. Ever."
Stefani's words warmed Angelina's heart. She was hearing the genuine worry in her voice and could also hear some love trying to be hidden. Or was she only making it up, messed up by her hopes to find the woman who loved her back a couple years ago ?
"You might need some time to think about but then take it. You never know when it's gonna be too late. Please think about it. I want you to be safe."
Stefani took a short pause.
"Also...
- Yeah ?
- I wanted to ask you... What did you come for, other than telling me this. I know there's something else."
Angelina stopped breathing, out of any answer to that one question. She was starting to panic and she could feel her heart pound quicker and quicker in her chest. She was uncertain about wether or not she should've told Stefani about her real feelings. She was scared, but the words of worry and support she heard right before made her want to be honest. They gave her courage. Stefani have her courage.
"It's okay you don't have to ans...
- You."