Death Sentence
Aug. 3rd, 2009 07:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
veiledndarknessTitle: Watching Him 8/11
Author: veiledndarkness
Pairing: Billy/OFC
Rating: R
Summary: She sees everything, she’s watching him fall.
Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit made and no harm intended.
AU follows storyline of movie somewhat.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
XX
With a sigh of relief, Beth slipped off her bed, moving with slow, deliberate movements. Billy lay on the bed, sleeping finally, his hands fisted in the fabric of her sheets. She tiptoed to the bathroom and closed the door behind her.
She avoided looking at herself in the mirror, knowing damn well the sight she must have looked. She bit her lip as she sat in the bathtub, letting the hot water fill around her. Billy was…something else, she sighed, her whole body aching slightly.
Beth leaned back, resting her head on the ledge. She trailed her fingers in the water, relaxing bit by bit. She closed her eyes, letting her mind wander. Understanding Billy was difficult at best, and his behavior the night before had confirmed her thoughts about him.
She exhaled, dipping her head under the water. Billy needed love, understanding, he needed someone to give a damn about him. She scowled at the ceiling. No doubt Bones hadn’t cared, if ever, about either boy. She knew the things that both boys had done in the past; she’d heard the rumors of many hungry nights, and sicknesses that had gone untreated.
She sat up, slicking her wet hair back from her face. It hadn’t been a lie, no matter how upset he made her; she did care, too much even. Something about Billy brought out a deep need in her, made her want to help him. She held no illusions of being able to change him, but God, if she could only break through and make him see how pointless this life of murder, death and hate was.
Beth reached for the bar of soap in the nearby dish. She rubbed it between her hands, shivering in the warm water. Billy needed her, she was very sure of that. And she wouldn’t be like his father, or like his long dead mother. She wouldn’t leave him. Not like they had.
X
“I’ll drive ya in, if y’ want,” Billy knelt down, tugging his boots on, an unlit cigarette tucked behind his ear. He glanced up at her, watching as she braided her hair.
“I’d like that. So are you always this pleasant after sex?”
He smirked and stood up, palming the cigarette from his ear. “Maybe,” he said. “An’ y’ did jus’ feed me as well.”
Beth rolled her eyes, "Men, so basic. You need to eat more often. And I don't mean a liquid diet either."
Billy shrugged, "Makes no difference t' me."
She turned to face him, watching him closely. "Billy, I'm serious. You're gonna get sick if you don't eat properly."
He tugged his coat back on, a blank look to his face. "Yeah..."
She frowned. It was clear that this was a topic he didn't want to talk about. Beth forced a small smile and picked up her purse. "C'mon then, I need to talk to Sammy before I start today."
Billy nodded, lighting his cigarette as he followed behind her. “I really don’t want you smokin’ in my apartment by the way,” she said, a teasing grin curving her lips.
“Aw, Beth,” Billy groaned. He took a long drag and blew the smoke away from her. “I need it.”
“You need them like you need another scar,” she muttered. “Keep it to a minimum?”
“Nag.”
“Stubborn fool,” she said, locking the door. “Billy…about last night…”
He eased away from her, taking another drag off the cigarette, “What about?”
Beth pocketed the key, her shoes quiet on the worn hallway carpet. “You came all the way here looking for me. Somethin’ must have upset you.”
“Y’ really hafta ask why I came after ya?” Billy flicked the cigarette, his jaw tensed.
“You’re right, that’s a stupid question,” she murmured. “I suppose I thought it was somethin’ more. Never mind then.”
He grunted and looked away, the easy banter between them gone. Beth let out a soft sigh and walked with him to the stairs, the bright sunlight greeting them when they stepped outside moments later. Billy winced and pulled out his sunglasses, shoving them on his face in a hurry.
“I’m gonna drop ya off. I gotta meet Eddie soon,” Billy mumbled once they were in the car, speeding down the road.
She nodded. “That’s fine, Billy.” Beth looked down at her lap, twisting her fingers in the strap of her purse. “Did you…”
“What?”
“Did they give you Joe’s ashes?”
She could feel the weight of his glare, though it was directed at the road, rather than her.
“No.”
“I, oh,” she whispered. “That’s a shame. We could have had a service…”
The car swerved a little, startling a yelp out of her. “He didn’t need no service,” Billy snapped. “Our kind doesn’t, Beth, thought ya oughta know that by now.”
Beth clutched the door handle, her heart beating fast. Billy’s rages still frightened her. “That doesn’t mean you can’t buck tradition once in a while,” she ventured. “A simple service, in remembrance…”
“Bullshit,” Billy stubbed his cigarette out forcefully into the ashtray. “Fuck that crap.”
“Billy…”
“Leave it alone. Jus’ fuckin’ leave it alone.”
Beth looked out the window, blinking back tears. “I’m sorry. I miss him too.”
Billy yanked the car over to the side of the road. “Yeah,” he leaned over, yanking her against him.
She turned her head to the side, breathing fast. “Billy…” she darted a glance at him, gauging his mood. “Shh, ok? I know…stay calm, alright?”
He pressed his face to her neck, inhaling her scent. “Don’t wanna talk ‘bout him.”
“That’s fine, we don’t hafta, but you gotta calm down or else you’re gonna go off on a freak out,” she soothed, resting her hands on his wrists. “Breathe in slow, and then out slow.”
Billy took in a deep, shuddery breath, letting it out a moment later. “Good,” she coaxed. “You gotta be the one in control, not your temper, right?”
“Yeah…”
“Right,” she leaned into his arms willingly, letting him kiss her neck.
Billy nipped her neck, soothing the sting with a light kiss. Beth smiled. “Now go on, I got work to do and for the love of God, can you avoid injuring yourself any further today?”
“No promises,” he said, letting go of her with great reluctance.
Beth slipped her purse onto her shoulder and kissed his cheek, laughing inwardly at the look on his face. “Behave, hm?”
He smiled then, the smile lighting up his face. She got out of the car, her heart still beating too hard. One fight avoided, she thought to herself, proud of his attempts to stay calm.
X
“No, I don’t want to discuss anything, and I swear, if I hear one more word about this, I’m walkin’ out again an’ leaving you to deal with them.”
Sammy set the crate of bottles down with an annoyed huff. “Don’t you be darin’ that, Bethie. I damn near killed Jamie cause he was all in my face, sayin’ you mix his drink better or some shit. Fool boy, I swear t’ Jesus…”
Beth stifled a laugh. “Drama queen is what you are, Sammy. Jamie’s a sweetheart if you be nice to him. Besides, you had it coming. I don’t push into your business, you stay outta mine.”
“But Bethie, this shit is different, girlie!”
She gave him a look over her shoulder. “Last warning,” she said. “I mean it. Not a word about me or him.”
Sammy let loose a string of words, the fluid Spanish rolling off his tongue, muttering as he unpacked the crate. Beth chuckled and hefted a crate up, bringing it over to him. “I’m willing to bet that you think usin’ a different language doesn’t count.”
“Bethie,” he reached up, his large fingers wrapping around her wrist and fingers easily. “Don’t be laughin’, s’ ain’t nothin’ to laugh over. Billy got demons, he got problems, girlie. I don’t wanna see you end up like his dead mama.”
“Let go of me,” Beth hissed, yanking her wrist back. “I’m not his mother. I give a shit, that’s the difference.”
Sammy shook his head sadly. “Bethie, there ain’t much else I can say. You be careful, girlie.”
Beth rubbed her wrist with one hand, glaring at him. “I am careful. Billy needs this, he needs me.”
“And Big Bones, you think he ain’t gonna find out? He got ears an’ eyes everywhere. Eddie knows it too.”
“Good, then Eddie can hear it from you when I say for you both to back the fuck off!” she stormed away from him, gathering the clean dishes from the kitchen.
Beth stacked the clean glasses, her hands shaking. “Bastards, the pair of them,” she whispered, furious. She started the next load of glasses and plates, taking her anger and frustration out on the cleaning tasks.
X
With a startling amount of comfort, Beth found she rather liked having Billy come to her apartment after work. The hours passed in a hazy blur, ones spent wrapped in his arms on her bed, her body pressed against his. They spoke of nothing in particular, Billy rarely offered tidbits about himself, and Beth found that probing for answers only gave her snippets of stories that broke her heart.
She cooked for them and he sat with her on the couch, holding onto her as they watched movies from her collection. She rather liked the sound of his muffled laughs, and it made her stomach hurt less to see him smiling. It was difficult to reconcile this Billy with the one that had done such terrible things to people.
For several days, there was nothing but this, a silent, unspoken connection that they both relied on.
X
“One second,” Beth called, hurrying over to the door a few days later. She smoothed a hand over her hair and opened the door, her ready smile fading. “Eddie…Hi,” she said.
Eddie tilted his head. “Bethie, c’mon, this ain’t like ya at all. You’re avoidin’ me.”
“I’m not, I’ve been busy. Um…come in, but I don’t have a lot of time right now.”
“Yeah I know. He’s stoppin’ by, ain’t he?”
Beth sucked in a quick breath, forcing herself to relax. “He might. I don’t make him come here, he chooses to come sometimes.”
Eddie looked around the small apartment, his large frame out of place amidst her simple furniture and decorations. “Bethie, please don’t make this so damned hard. We gotta talk.”
“We are talking,” Beth shot back, crossing her arms over her chest.
Eddie sighed, a deep sound of weariness. He sat down on her couch, running a hand along his short beard. “Ya know what I mean. Don’t be playin’ stupid, when y’ far from it.”
Beth sat down, the little hairs on the back of her neck prickling. “Eddie…”
“This thing…whatever the fuck y’ wanna call it…”
“Eddie, so help me, I love you like a father, but if you finish that sentence, I will slap you.”
Eddie tensed, holding his head in his hands. “Bethie, hear me out, please.”
“No,” Beth gripped the arm of the couch. “The last three days were pretty damn good. He comes to see me, and it’s our own world here. It’s not the Roses, it’s not his father beatin’ him down, it’s not him havin’ to be Billy Darley. He’s Billy here, and I will not, I repeat, I will not take that from him.”
“An’ what if he gets hurt, huh? What if he dies? Or gets thrown in jail, Beth? Then what? What if someone decides t’ take y’ out t’ get t’ him? What if y’ get knocked up?”
Beth stared at the carpet, her eyes gleaming with unshed tears. “Stop it,” she whispered.
“Y’ think for one second that Billy even wants that kind of life?” Eddie stood then. “Y’ think real hard on this, Bethie. This ain’t a game, not a fuckin’ game at all.”
“I…Eddie, you don’t understand.”
Eddie leaned in, cupping her face with one broad palm. “Bethie, this life, and the life me an’ him lead, it ain’t for you,” he said, gentling his voice.
A tear trickled down her cheek, her chest hitching. “I can’t leave him, Eddie. I won’t do it. Don’t ask me that again.”
“I don’t want ya endin’ up like them, y’ ain’t like us.”
“I’m no one special,” she turned away from him, the tears trickling faster. “I’m no better than any one else. But I won’t be the next one to leave him. You know he needs this.”
Eddie let go of her, sighing again. “There’s no happy endin’ for Darleys. Best ya accept that now.”
Beth curled up on the couch, one hand over her face. “Leave Eddie, I can’t do this right now.”
“Don’t cry, Bethie. Please…I jus’ wanna protect ya.”
She closed her eyes, huddled up, her head to her knees. “Go.”
When she heard the door close, she gave in, letting the tears fall. Every word Eddie had spoken, each was a fear that she held close to her heart, ones that she struggled not to even consider. Beth sat on the couch, watching the sky darken as the hours passed.
X
“Do you really need to go already?” Beth asked from the bed, the sheets draped here and there across her body. She stretched a little, her hair falling in wisps along her cheeks.
Billy sat at the end of the bed, dressing slowly. “Yeah, I got shafted into workin’. Heco fucked off wit’ that skank o’ his. I gotta cover.”
She nodded, curling up again, her body pleasantly sore. “You comin’ back tonight?” she murmured, before yawning quietly.
Billy looked back at her, a faint smile curving his lips. “Why, y’ wanna see me that bad?”
“Pfft,” she scoffed. “You know I can’t sleep right unless someone steals half my covers midway through the night.”
“Hey, I make up for it, don’t I?” Billy ran his palm along her smooth back.
“Mhm, an’ then some,” she closed her eyes. “Billy…be safe?”
He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “Ain’t I always?”
“I know…I can’t shake that feeling though.”
Billy stood up and adjusted his belt, sliding his silver rings back on his fingers. “Beth…I…” he started to say and then shook his head, falling silent.
She opened her eyes, looking up at him. “Yeah,” she nodded, understanding what he couldn’t say. “I know.”
He leaned in quick, kissing her. Beth grasped his cross necklace, tugging him back down for another kiss. “Go on,” she whispered. “Get to work.”
She let go of the necklace and smiled, watching him leave before drifting off to sleep.
X
The rapid beeping of her cell phone broke Beth’s sleep some time later. She blinked at the ceiling groggily, half registering the sound. The phone fell silent for a moment before it started up again.
Beth groaned and reached for the phone. “H’lo?” she mumbled.
“Beth! Jesus fucking Christ, where’s Billy?” came Eddie’s frantic voice.
“Huh?”
“Where is he? Bethie, is he with ya?”
Beth sat up, her heart pounding hard against her ribs. “He…He left earlier,” she said, pushing her hair back from her face. “He was coverin’ for Heco. Why? What happened?”
“The fucker isn’t dead! He came t’ the bar, he’s lookin’ for Billy!”
Beth licked her dry lips, her body as cold as ice. “N-Nick Hume….”
“Bethie, y’ stay put, I’m callin’ Billy. Y’ hear me? Stay there.”
She dropped the phone, her fingers numb. “Billy…” she whispered, horrified.
X
Author: veiledndarkness
Pairing: Billy/OFC
Rating: R
Summary: She sees everything, she’s watching him fall.
Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit made and no harm intended.
AU follows storyline of movie somewhat.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
XX
With a sigh of relief, Beth slipped off her bed, moving with slow, deliberate movements. Billy lay on the bed, sleeping finally, his hands fisted in the fabric of her sheets. She tiptoed to the bathroom and closed the door behind her.
She avoided looking at herself in the mirror, knowing damn well the sight she must have looked. She bit her lip as she sat in the bathtub, letting the hot water fill around her. Billy was…something else, she sighed, her whole body aching slightly.
Beth leaned back, resting her head on the ledge. She trailed her fingers in the water, relaxing bit by bit. She closed her eyes, letting her mind wander. Understanding Billy was difficult at best, and his behavior the night before had confirmed her thoughts about him.
She exhaled, dipping her head under the water. Billy needed love, understanding, he needed someone to give a damn about him. She scowled at the ceiling. No doubt Bones hadn’t cared, if ever, about either boy. She knew the things that both boys had done in the past; she’d heard the rumors of many hungry nights, and sicknesses that had gone untreated.
She sat up, slicking her wet hair back from her face. It hadn’t been a lie, no matter how upset he made her; she did care, too much even. Something about Billy brought out a deep need in her, made her want to help him. She held no illusions of being able to change him, but God, if she could only break through and make him see how pointless this life of murder, death and hate was.
Beth reached for the bar of soap in the nearby dish. She rubbed it between her hands, shivering in the warm water. Billy needed her, she was very sure of that. And she wouldn’t be like his father, or like his long dead mother. She wouldn’t leave him. Not like they had.
X
“I’ll drive ya in, if y’ want,” Billy knelt down, tugging his boots on, an unlit cigarette tucked behind his ear. He glanced up at her, watching as she braided her hair.
“I’d like that. So are you always this pleasant after sex?”
He smirked and stood up, palming the cigarette from his ear. “Maybe,” he said. “An’ y’ did jus’ feed me as well.”
Beth rolled her eyes, "Men, so basic. You need to eat more often. And I don't mean a liquid diet either."
Billy shrugged, "Makes no difference t' me."
She turned to face him, watching him closely. "Billy, I'm serious. You're gonna get sick if you don't eat properly."
He tugged his coat back on, a blank look to his face. "Yeah..."
She frowned. It was clear that this was a topic he didn't want to talk about. Beth forced a small smile and picked up her purse. "C'mon then, I need to talk to Sammy before I start today."
Billy nodded, lighting his cigarette as he followed behind her. “I really don’t want you smokin’ in my apartment by the way,” she said, a teasing grin curving her lips.
“Aw, Beth,” Billy groaned. He took a long drag and blew the smoke away from her. “I need it.”
“You need them like you need another scar,” she muttered. “Keep it to a minimum?”
“Nag.”
“Stubborn fool,” she said, locking the door. “Billy…about last night…”
He eased away from her, taking another drag off the cigarette, “What about?”
Beth pocketed the key, her shoes quiet on the worn hallway carpet. “You came all the way here looking for me. Somethin’ must have upset you.”
“Y’ really hafta ask why I came after ya?” Billy flicked the cigarette, his jaw tensed.
“You’re right, that’s a stupid question,” she murmured. “I suppose I thought it was somethin’ more. Never mind then.”
He grunted and looked away, the easy banter between them gone. Beth let out a soft sigh and walked with him to the stairs, the bright sunlight greeting them when they stepped outside moments later. Billy winced and pulled out his sunglasses, shoving them on his face in a hurry.
“I’m gonna drop ya off. I gotta meet Eddie soon,” Billy mumbled once they were in the car, speeding down the road.
She nodded. “That’s fine, Billy.” Beth looked down at her lap, twisting her fingers in the strap of her purse. “Did you…”
“What?”
“Did they give you Joe’s ashes?”
She could feel the weight of his glare, though it was directed at the road, rather than her.
“No.”
“I, oh,” she whispered. “That’s a shame. We could have had a service…”
The car swerved a little, startling a yelp out of her. “He didn’t need no service,” Billy snapped. “Our kind doesn’t, Beth, thought ya oughta know that by now.”
Beth clutched the door handle, her heart beating fast. Billy’s rages still frightened her. “That doesn’t mean you can’t buck tradition once in a while,” she ventured. “A simple service, in remembrance…”
“Bullshit,” Billy stubbed his cigarette out forcefully into the ashtray. “Fuck that crap.”
“Billy…”
“Leave it alone. Jus’ fuckin’ leave it alone.”
Beth looked out the window, blinking back tears. “I’m sorry. I miss him too.”
Billy yanked the car over to the side of the road. “Yeah,” he leaned over, yanking her against him.
She turned her head to the side, breathing fast. “Billy…” she darted a glance at him, gauging his mood. “Shh, ok? I know…stay calm, alright?”
He pressed his face to her neck, inhaling her scent. “Don’t wanna talk ‘bout him.”
“That’s fine, we don’t hafta, but you gotta calm down or else you’re gonna go off on a freak out,” she soothed, resting her hands on his wrists. “Breathe in slow, and then out slow.”
Billy took in a deep, shuddery breath, letting it out a moment later. “Good,” she coaxed. “You gotta be the one in control, not your temper, right?”
“Yeah…”
“Right,” she leaned into his arms willingly, letting him kiss her neck.
Billy nipped her neck, soothing the sting with a light kiss. Beth smiled. “Now go on, I got work to do and for the love of God, can you avoid injuring yourself any further today?”
“No promises,” he said, letting go of her with great reluctance.
Beth slipped her purse onto her shoulder and kissed his cheek, laughing inwardly at the look on his face. “Behave, hm?”
He smiled then, the smile lighting up his face. She got out of the car, her heart still beating too hard. One fight avoided, she thought to herself, proud of his attempts to stay calm.
X
“No, I don’t want to discuss anything, and I swear, if I hear one more word about this, I’m walkin’ out again an’ leaving you to deal with them.”
Sammy set the crate of bottles down with an annoyed huff. “Don’t you be darin’ that, Bethie. I damn near killed Jamie cause he was all in my face, sayin’ you mix his drink better or some shit. Fool boy, I swear t’ Jesus…”
Beth stifled a laugh. “Drama queen is what you are, Sammy. Jamie’s a sweetheart if you be nice to him. Besides, you had it coming. I don’t push into your business, you stay outta mine.”
“But Bethie, this shit is different, girlie!”
She gave him a look over her shoulder. “Last warning,” she said. “I mean it. Not a word about me or him.”
Sammy let loose a string of words, the fluid Spanish rolling off his tongue, muttering as he unpacked the crate. Beth chuckled and hefted a crate up, bringing it over to him. “I’m willing to bet that you think usin’ a different language doesn’t count.”
“Bethie,” he reached up, his large fingers wrapping around her wrist and fingers easily. “Don’t be laughin’, s’ ain’t nothin’ to laugh over. Billy got demons, he got problems, girlie. I don’t wanna see you end up like his dead mama.”
“Let go of me,” Beth hissed, yanking her wrist back. “I’m not his mother. I give a shit, that’s the difference.”
Sammy shook his head sadly. “Bethie, there ain’t much else I can say. You be careful, girlie.”
Beth rubbed her wrist with one hand, glaring at him. “I am careful. Billy needs this, he needs me.”
“And Big Bones, you think he ain’t gonna find out? He got ears an’ eyes everywhere. Eddie knows it too.”
“Good, then Eddie can hear it from you when I say for you both to back the fuck off!” she stormed away from him, gathering the clean dishes from the kitchen.
Beth stacked the clean glasses, her hands shaking. “Bastards, the pair of them,” she whispered, furious. She started the next load of glasses and plates, taking her anger and frustration out on the cleaning tasks.
X
With a startling amount of comfort, Beth found she rather liked having Billy come to her apartment after work. The hours passed in a hazy blur, ones spent wrapped in his arms on her bed, her body pressed against his. They spoke of nothing in particular, Billy rarely offered tidbits about himself, and Beth found that probing for answers only gave her snippets of stories that broke her heart.
She cooked for them and he sat with her on the couch, holding onto her as they watched movies from her collection. She rather liked the sound of his muffled laughs, and it made her stomach hurt less to see him smiling. It was difficult to reconcile this Billy with the one that had done such terrible things to people.
For several days, there was nothing but this, a silent, unspoken connection that they both relied on.
X
“One second,” Beth called, hurrying over to the door a few days later. She smoothed a hand over her hair and opened the door, her ready smile fading. “Eddie…Hi,” she said.
Eddie tilted his head. “Bethie, c’mon, this ain’t like ya at all. You’re avoidin’ me.”
“I’m not, I’ve been busy. Um…come in, but I don’t have a lot of time right now.”
“Yeah I know. He’s stoppin’ by, ain’t he?”
Beth sucked in a quick breath, forcing herself to relax. “He might. I don’t make him come here, he chooses to come sometimes.”
Eddie looked around the small apartment, his large frame out of place amidst her simple furniture and decorations. “Bethie, please don’t make this so damned hard. We gotta talk.”
“We are talking,” Beth shot back, crossing her arms over her chest.
Eddie sighed, a deep sound of weariness. He sat down on her couch, running a hand along his short beard. “Ya know what I mean. Don’t be playin’ stupid, when y’ far from it.”
Beth sat down, the little hairs on the back of her neck prickling. “Eddie…”
“This thing…whatever the fuck y’ wanna call it…”
“Eddie, so help me, I love you like a father, but if you finish that sentence, I will slap you.”
Eddie tensed, holding his head in his hands. “Bethie, hear me out, please.”
“No,” Beth gripped the arm of the couch. “The last three days were pretty damn good. He comes to see me, and it’s our own world here. It’s not the Roses, it’s not his father beatin’ him down, it’s not him havin’ to be Billy Darley. He’s Billy here, and I will not, I repeat, I will not take that from him.”
“An’ what if he gets hurt, huh? What if he dies? Or gets thrown in jail, Beth? Then what? What if someone decides t’ take y’ out t’ get t’ him? What if y’ get knocked up?”
Beth stared at the carpet, her eyes gleaming with unshed tears. “Stop it,” she whispered.
“Y’ think for one second that Billy even wants that kind of life?” Eddie stood then. “Y’ think real hard on this, Bethie. This ain’t a game, not a fuckin’ game at all.”
“I…Eddie, you don’t understand.”
Eddie leaned in, cupping her face with one broad palm. “Bethie, this life, and the life me an’ him lead, it ain’t for you,” he said, gentling his voice.
A tear trickled down her cheek, her chest hitching. “I can’t leave him, Eddie. I won’t do it. Don’t ask me that again.”
“I don’t want ya endin’ up like them, y’ ain’t like us.”
“I’m no one special,” she turned away from him, the tears trickling faster. “I’m no better than any one else. But I won’t be the next one to leave him. You know he needs this.”
Eddie let go of her, sighing again. “There’s no happy endin’ for Darleys. Best ya accept that now.”
Beth curled up on the couch, one hand over her face. “Leave Eddie, I can’t do this right now.”
“Don’t cry, Bethie. Please…I jus’ wanna protect ya.”
She closed her eyes, huddled up, her head to her knees. “Go.”
When she heard the door close, she gave in, letting the tears fall. Every word Eddie had spoken, each was a fear that she held close to her heart, ones that she struggled not to even consider. Beth sat on the couch, watching the sky darken as the hours passed.
X
“Do you really need to go already?” Beth asked from the bed, the sheets draped here and there across her body. She stretched a little, her hair falling in wisps along her cheeks.
Billy sat at the end of the bed, dressing slowly. “Yeah, I got shafted into workin’. Heco fucked off wit’ that skank o’ his. I gotta cover.”
She nodded, curling up again, her body pleasantly sore. “You comin’ back tonight?” she murmured, before yawning quietly.
Billy looked back at her, a faint smile curving his lips. “Why, y’ wanna see me that bad?”
“Pfft,” she scoffed. “You know I can’t sleep right unless someone steals half my covers midway through the night.”
“Hey, I make up for it, don’t I?” Billy ran his palm along her smooth back.
“Mhm, an’ then some,” she closed her eyes. “Billy…be safe?”
He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “Ain’t I always?”
“I know…I can’t shake that feeling though.”
Billy stood up and adjusted his belt, sliding his silver rings back on his fingers. “Beth…I…” he started to say and then shook his head, falling silent.
She opened her eyes, looking up at him. “Yeah,” she nodded, understanding what he couldn’t say. “I know.”
He leaned in quick, kissing her. Beth grasped his cross necklace, tugging him back down for another kiss. “Go on,” she whispered. “Get to work.”
She let go of the necklace and smiled, watching him leave before drifting off to sleep.
X
The rapid beeping of her cell phone broke Beth’s sleep some time later. She blinked at the ceiling groggily, half registering the sound. The phone fell silent for a moment before it started up again.
Beth groaned and reached for the phone. “H’lo?” she mumbled.
“Beth! Jesus fucking Christ, where’s Billy?” came Eddie’s frantic voice.
“Huh?”
“Where is he? Bethie, is he with ya?”
Beth sat up, her heart pounding hard against her ribs. “He…He left earlier,” she said, pushing her hair back from her face. “He was coverin’ for Heco. Why? What happened?”
“The fucker isn’t dead! He came t’ the bar, he’s lookin’ for Billy!”
Beth licked her dry lips, her body as cold as ice. “N-Nick Hume….”
“Bethie, y’ stay put, I’m callin’ Billy. Y’ hear me? Stay there.”
She dropped the phone, her fingers numb. “Billy…” she whispered, horrified.
X
