Something In Between: Sequel to On The Edge of Tomorrow

Chapter 57

A boisterous laugh flew from Billy. "There's something you don't hear every day."

"I'm going to take it at face value and not dig in at all," Brandon nodded as he excused himself.

"I think you scared him away," I chided.

"Good." Billy dipped his face to kiss up and down my neck. "Want a tour of the house?" He breathed between kisses.

"Really, a tour?" I let out a laugh.

"Mmhmm, I'd give you a private one; thirty minutes."

I turned as his hands floated over my waist.

"Make that an hour," he adjusted.

"Billy, you have guests," I protested.

"We have guests, and it's fine; they won't even notice. There's like a million of them here."

"Later," I leveled.

"Promise?" His eyes bore into mine as he added, "with the pants."

"Well, we won't get very far if the pants stay on," I teased as I pulled away.

"Speak for yourself." His eyes scanned me again in an entirely lustful manner that Billy rarely let take over him.

"You coming?" I called over my shoulder.

"I'm just going to watch for a moment," he shot back as he leaned against a tree.

I found Tim at a picnic table and settled next to him with an extra bump to his shoulder.

"So, what's the story, morning glory," Tim leaned in, relishing the rare moment with no Billy. I knew he had been dying to get the update for days, maybe weeks.

"Oasis, going old school."

"Don't distract me. Spill," he demanded.

"I don't know," I admitted. "Something happened."

"Something?"

"Yeah, we..." I didn't know how to put it.

"I don't need the details." Tim quickly put his hands up to halt my words. "I heard enough of them through hotel walls. A decade later, and I still have nightmares."

"No, it's not that. I mean, it is that, but it wasn't just that. It was more, and since then, it's been more."

"Ah, Lil, did you ever think that maybe you let yourself finally fall in love with Billy Collins?"

"What? I was in love with him. And I've always loved him."

"Lil, we can both agree that you have always loved him, but you never let yourself fall in love with him, not fully. You were pushing him away from practically the moment you met. It was brutal."

"Brutal," my voice came weakly.

"I mean," Tim paused on his words. "No, I can't; it was just brutal, Lil. You were savage to him. You would let him get close enough to fall in love with you, and then the second you fell, you ripped his heart out. Honestly, Lil, the best thing you ever did was admit that you wouldn't be able to fall in love with him. Well, until now, but it's different now. I mean the accident, Sarah, Sam; it shifted things. It's good, right?"

I stared back at him, trying to process his babble...

"Fuck," slipped from his lips. "Don't, Lil, you can't." The desperate plea in his words matched the burning of pain, fear, and anger in his eyes. "I can't let you do this to him again. And the kids, Lil. You can't. Not right after Sarah."

"I just... it's just... I can't..." Suddenly, a tiny, inconsequential fact that I had never even thought to share was burning in my mind, ready to derail my peace. The anguish on Sam's face when he found out was replaced with Billy's in my memories, but I had never told Billy.