Paying Bills

III

45 Days have passed since the "Dark Wedding" as he liked to referred.

He hasn't spoken to anyone related to Juney in that time, it seemed as she and her family vanished, no one asked for explanation, no one tried to beat him up, it was as if no one even cared, oh but they cared.

When he went to the base unnoticed, to extend his next Journey, he found out, the mainly reason he decided to Marry Juney was all fake.

Not gonna lie in here, his feeling were true when he asked Juney to be his girlfriend, but when he asked her to marry her, he wasn't so sure about it.

A few days before asking her, he enlisted for another 12 months in Afghanistan, and found out there was a clause about having a Family Guardian, and since he had no one, he had to marry someone in order to leave, there wasn't anything he liked more than The military life for Billey. He found peace in that lifestyle.

After his parents died in that car accident at his 18 years old, short before he left for University, he couldn't move on, he needed something to make him feel alive, and he found it in the army.

This wasn't his first journey, he left 9 months during His and Juney's Relationship, and 6 months before that.

Juney wasn't excited about that, hut she respected his decision and knew he forgot his problems in the Military. When he left shortly after the beginning of their relationship, they used to facetime everyday, she sent him letters, photos, even his favorites snacks, when he came back she was the happiest person alive.

He decided to marry Juney as soon as posible, for that clause he heard, even though he wasn't sure to marry, not for Juney, she was awesome, but for him, he didn't want to leave her alone all those months, but he needed that more than he needed Juney, well that's what he thought.

When He found out that clause was all a Lie, he felt a relief m, he wasn't ready to marry, Not Juney not even Dana, so he enlisted for another 36 months. He and Dana were ready to leave on 7 days.

He was ready, she was ready, but something didn't quite feel right, he knew what it was, he didn't think he would die up there, but there was a possibility.

As days passed, he couldn't eat or sleep or think clearly. He knew what he had to do, he had to go to Juney and speak to her, but he didn't know how to start.

He went to the apartment he and Juney shared, Dana was with him, he didn't know if she went for moral helo or just in case Juney was there. When he opened the door everything seem empty.

There wasn't the delicious smell from Juney's Food or Candles, he didn't remembered a time where he was in there and their Echo Dot hasn't been playing some random Movie OST, the colorful lights Juney put around all the living were off, everything seemed lifeless, as if there hasn't been anyone living there for decades.

He went to The Room, THEIR ROOM, there was just the bed and the other furniture, Juney's Fluffy Hello Kitty Pillow wasn't there, only the bed, the bed where they make love million of times, the bes where he took Juney's Virginity, where they spend all those nights kissing and hugging,
The bed they broke once for one of their Pillow fights over the movie.

He felt as empty as the apartment, he felt the loneliness in the floor as he felt in his feet, he wanted to cry, he didn't expect to missed his apartment this much, he missed the moments, he missed Juney.

He opened the closet, the bathroom, the kitchen, the living, even the laundry room, and there was not even a sock of Juney.
All her clothes, all her things, all her memories, even all her photos were gone, she only left his memories.

The Photo was ripped, the engagement photo they had hugely printed was all ripped only Juney's side was gone.

She even took the dog the both shared. He knew this was his place, but was also Juney's, he knew it when he bought it after his parents death, and he also knew it when Juney Moved On a Year Ago.

But now all was gone, Juney, Nala the Dog, the apartment, even Him, he only went to grab a few things the day after the Wedding, just to move to Dana's place to avoid Juney, now he regrets it, he regrets not been there when Juney left the apartment, she must have cried, and he wasn't there to consoled her.

When he went to the kitchen table, he found out the note Juney Left. SHE THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO MARRY DANA.

How wrong she was, not yet anyway, but he didn't quite correct her either.

He took the recipe, the recipe of the first payment they did for their wedding, in the past he asked her why did she keep it, he thought that recipe was trash but she also left him speechless that time, she used to leave him speechless.

"Why won't you just throw it away?" He asked

"Why would I throw away this? Don't you get it, this is the first recipe of our wedding, When we'd be older, I want our Kids and Grandkids or even just for me, to see how special it was! I want to remember this date forever, as much as I will remember the days you asked me out to be you girlfriend and wife, because I love you more than you could imagine" she said

And then, he realized it was true, she loved him more than he could imagined. He felt it right away, he felt what he been feeling all the days since He Left Juney, he felt the tears coming down to his face.

He didn't care Dana was seeing him crying over an old recipe, he didn't care how would she react, he needed this, he needed to understand the pain in Juney's, but that's something he would never experiment.

Juney's love for him was real, was pure, was non fraternal, was true love for a Woman to a Man, and his wasn't even close.

He at first started dating Juney, on a Jealous act, Josh told him he felt attracted to Juney, and Asked him if it was okay to asked her out, he said yes. But then when he saw them together at the restaurant, he couldn't bear it, he waited for Josh to dropped Juney at her home, and rang the bell just seconds after she entered. When she found Billey instead of Josh she felt the weirdness in the air.

" Hey Billey, what are you doin here?" She asked confused "I didn't expect you to come, I just arrived from the date Josh and I had"

"I know that" he said quietly "how was it? How did he treat you?"

"Oh he is a gentleman, I haven't had a date like this in such a long time, I would like to keep in touch with him"

"No you wouldn't"

"Why is that Billey?" She asked confused "did he tell you something is wrong with me?

"No Juney, something is not wrong with you in any way, I am the one who was wrong" he started to feel the blood in his cheeks "I followed you two, and I didn't like it, at first I convinced myself I was doing in it in order to protect you, but as the time passed I understand it, I don't want Josh Or Anyone near you, I want to be with you" and then months after he asked her out to be his girlfriend.

The first months of their relationship nothing seemed to change, they were the same Juney and Billey of all those years, but when Juney asked him about Dana he made it clear she was long gone, and made love to her all the night.

It was a lie, Dana was not gone, but he didn't care, he an Juney had the best night ever, and he started to see Juney different.

Now Juney was gone, Dana was Here, and He... He felt more empty than ever.
He took all the recipes, wrote a check and told Dana to stayed in the apartment. She stayed, even though she hurt Juney, she knew they both need a close up.

As Billey drove to Juney's Parents House, he felt the air left his lungs, when he arrived it took him 20 minutes to get outta of the car. When he finally decided knock the door, the sunlight was gone, it took a few minutes to someone to answer and then the door opened.