When Billie moved out of the place she shared with William for just a short time, she decided to go back to her own apartment. It was easy considering the fact that this place was more of a home than the one she and William bought, she didn't have to drag anything from that place, even the pair of few shoes, luxury bags and clothes were still in their walk in closet, nicely arranged. Those meant nothing to her, they were just props, William was a fool not to realize that not once Billie had ever wore those clothes he bought for her, neither the expensive jewelries he gave her as a gift to make up for his bad behaviour and loss of time- not that Billie ever mind that, she was even thankful that they only meet once or twice a week.
Billie vaguely remembered when was the last time William had treated her right where nobody was around. He was so good at pretending, deceiving people into thinking their marriage was to be envied. That they had the perfect marriage. It was even a delight for her when the police contacted her to inform that William was in the custody of L.A.P.D for driving under the influence and was charged with battery and assault for beating up a cop. Sounding shock, Billie tried to sound remorseful for the victim, desperate to sound like any other wife would have been for such a reckless act done by their saint husbands.
As the call immediately ended, she had a triumphant smile curving on her lip as strange as it seemed to be, Billie Dean felt the freedom. She knew this was the beginning of William's downfall and she could not let her name get smeared on by the dirt her husband had dug for his own grave.
"Mrs Howard, I am Cindy, I will be filling in for Claire's temporary absence. I am very pleased to work with you, Ma'am." The redhead said in a perky tone, grinning widely to show her enthusiasm hoping her boss would find it endearing and would let her work for her.
Billie Dean, who was in her white robe having coffee in the kitchen as she sat on the stool and reading the document that was sent to her last night by her own attorney, quickly stripped of her eyes from the paper and to see the girl, seeing much less to her expectation about the new assistant she forced a smile and then continued on reading. The smile she gave away was enough for a squeal to pour out of the girl's mouth. She rolled her eyes but kept it to herself.
"What's in it for me today?" expecting that the new girl had taken care of her schedule from Claire. Nervously the girl shuffled through her bag.
"I-um, you have... um an interview? With... let me check, just give me a second." Sighing, Billie knew this was a terrible pick. "I'm sorry please don't fire me. I'm just really nervous."
"Cancel the interview, I've said it before I am not doing it. If you want to keep this job, you better sort yourself out first and don't stammer when you're talking to me, you sound incompetent. Got it?" Afraid to tumbling off her own tongue, Cindy nodded looking tensed with teary eyes she was ready to cry in the moment.
"Have you had your breakfast?" Billie asked looking at the girl once more, this took her back to the memory where Claire used to be this girl. "No Ma'am." She must had been up all night, trying to get herself prepared for this job. "Well that explains it. There's food in the fridge heat up whichever you like. I'm going to shower."
Down the lobby, (y/n) was arguing with the woman at the front desk, "I've told you! I've been here before. She knows me!"
"I am very sorry, we can't grant access to your request. Mrs Howard strictly told us herself that she wouldn't be accepting anyone at the moment." The employee patiently replied. "Can't you give her a call? Like before, you tell her it's me. Please."
In the penthouse, Cindy heated herself some leftover pasta while cleaning the dishes her boss had left in the counter as she hums a song. Billie wrapped herself with the crimson robe then towel dried her damp hair. Swiping the mirror with her palm from the moisture that built up, she looked at her reflection. Her eyes were less puffy, her skin looked unblemished, she looked healthy and happy and...
"Who are you?"
"Who are you?"
She heard the same set of words from two different voices, one of the voices she knew all too well.
"You came here, uninvited. You tell me who you are or I'll call security." Cindy's threat gained a scoff from the other woman. Amused, Billie smirked at how the girl acted, she hadn't seen this coming.
Just in cue the elevator dinged, it opened revealing a boy in a white button up, black slacks and blue vest, "Miss Davis! Please you have to leave now or I'll get fired!" the boy begged. Rounding the corner to witness the chaos herself, Billie's presence was first acknowledged by Tommy- the employee who ran after (y/n). "I am very sorry, Mrs Howard. I tried to stop her but she-" her ice cold glares landed on (y/n).
"It's okay Tommy, you can now go. I'll handle this myself."
Before connecting her eyes to Tommy then to Cindy. "Y-you knew her?" Cindy asked with wide eyes.
Having a different interpretation about the situation, (y/n) smirked as she looked at Billie. All the worry she had sunk down, replaced by jealousy. "Didn't know you were into redheads." The comment made Cindy blush.
Calmly, Billie collected herself "Can you give us a minute please." Cindy nodded leaving the room. Once they were left alone, Billie didn't mind if she was naked under the thick robe she had on or her appearance wasn't quite appropriate. Barefoot, she wandered to one of the couches, situating herself in the end of the couch and crossing her leg to the other causing the material to slid off a little exposing more skin.
"Is it too soon?" Billie played off, not taking her eyes away from (y/n) who still stood in the middle of the living room and kitchen. She saw the girl flinched with what she said, lips twitching in anger. "Why are you here?" fiddling on her finger, (y/n) forced herself to look up to Billie, "You never returned my calls, I even sent you some emails but clearly you're not interested." There was dead silence for a minute then (y/n) spoke up again.
"I thought I clearly said distance... we should distance ourselves for a while not hook up with others..." the pain sounded rich in (y/n)'s voice for a moment Billie thought she should just have explained that it wasn't what it seemed to be but then on the other hand, she wanted for the other woman to feel what it was like to be in her position.
For the past days, Billie witnessed (y/n) and the other woman got close to each other, the first time she saw them was when she was having coffee in the café. She had woken up early for her, she wanted to see (y/n) without forcing the other woman, so as creepy as it seemed to be, she was only sitting in the corner of the café next to the glass wall in the early morning hoping to steal a few glance from the younger woman. She badly missed her. She wanted to hold her, ask her how she had been holding up for the recent days.
Clearing her throat, Billie stood up, "Cindy is my assistant. Claire is on leave because she's going to have a baby anytime now. It is her first day today."
(y/n)'s shoulder fell, relieved of what she heard from the woman. "I... I'm sorry. I misjudged the situation."
"You really thought I would just throw myself into other people after I confessed my feelings for you and gave myself?! How could you think like that? Not because I cheated on my husband for you, you could have the privilege to think of me that way!" (y/n) open her lips to speak up for herself but the right words wouldn't come out.
Instead, (y/n) sniffed and swallowed the lump in her throat, bowing her head down in humiliation as she blinked off the tears, then right on the floor she saw a piece of paper she picked it up. Her eyes quickly scanning the page. "You're divorcing William?"
Enraged, Billie stride off taking the paper from (y/n)'s hand and stacking it with the rest of the papers on the counter, inserting them into the envelop. "I don't see why my personal life is any of your business. I don't need you to be concern. The moment you started going out with that woman, you ended it. You ended us. You said we should distance ourselves with other people I also didn't think flirting with other people was a part of it!"
"Billie I... I'm not seeing her. Arizona is Julie's Doctor. She's just being nice. She's only a friend..."
"I took your suggestion into careful consideration. I thought you were right. I knew a part of you were scared and I was too! I respected that, I didn't call or forced myself into you because I wanted to give you some time and I was thankful because I thought for a moment you actually cared. It's clear that I'm not thinking rational at all times and you, you were always taking things with precautions. I trusted you (y/n), I did."
Both of them were at fault. Their assumptions were the poison that controlled their emotions, they got too ahead of themselves they did not even bother to ask first, they thought what they knew was enough but nothing that was only one sided ever worked.
Breaking from trance (y/n) sniffed and wiped away the tears from the corner of her eye with the back of her hand, "I only wanted to be with you. And what I said, that was foolish, I was selfish. I thought it was for our own good but turned out I was scared of what it would cost me if William were to find out." Billie's eyes stung, with her jaw clenched together she swallowed the bit down on her lower lip refocusing her mind on the physical pain and not on her tears that were waiting to fall.
Not uttering a word, Billie closed the gap between them, reaching out her hand to caress the soft skin of (y/n)'s cheek and wiping off the tears that continued to fall. It was a simple action that meant more than all the words combined altogether. She hushed her, drawing a small smile to her plumps lips before bringing her other hand around the younger woman's physique.
(y/n) buried her face where Billie's neck and shoulder met, feeling the soft material of Billie's robe against her skin. She dearly missed this, how Billie smelled subtly sweet. Shifting her head, her lips met the nakedness of Billie's neck, it was still damp from her hair, the skin felt cool against her lips.
Aching to have a taste, (y/n) opened her mouth about to nip on the skin when she pulled herself away, "I need to know if you still love me." Billie's expression warmed, she smiled down bringing (y/n)'s head close to her chest with her hand cupping the back of the younger woman's her she whispered, "I will never not love you." as she placed an innocent, feather light kiss on the side of her head.
"May I kiss you please?" the voice was faint and breathy, she pulled away just enough to meet Billie's gaze, as soon as Billie gave her the signal, (y/n) hungrily went for the woman's lips, capturing those plump rosy skin and devouring them.
Pulling away for breath, Billie placed her forehead against (y/n)'s, both their breaths were steadying and their noses touching. "No more running away." Billie said, placing a peck on the younger woman's forehead, (y/n) smiled, "No more."
"Care to explain how you got away from security?" (y/n) laughed remembering how Tommy screamed at her in horror, fearing for his job.
a/n: Again, i hope you like the new update. I'll see y'all again in a couple of days.