Years had passed since Billy and I had bonded over ice cream drinks; being separated by hundreds of miles made the romance fade, but the friendship hardened. We were removed enough from each other's day-to-day lives that we could be honest, sometimes painfully so.

Billy led an extraordinary life. He navigated an onslaught of notoriety for his music and thrived under pressure. He had a conviction for the complexity of the work but forged a simplicity to the craft. He devoted himself to physical instruments, fulfilling a need to feel the noise. But with success came fame, and he wasn't good at people. His skin was too thin, and his veins ran too close to the surface for protection. He knew not everyone would like his work, but the attacks on his person or, worse, his family and friends took a heavy toll.

On the other hand, I lived an everyday life, graduated from college, started a career, got married, and bought a home. But I found myself gazing out the window of my suburban dream, hoping for something to light a spark. My husband, Sam, wanted to try for children. I found excuses for why we should wait for months, but we both knew the problem; I didn't want children. Honestly, I didn't want any of the planned life; leaving was the best thing for both of us. I could breathe again, and within a year, he found a new life with a woman who wanted the map.

I was a different woman walking down Billy's driveway than when we had met a decade prior. He was on the front steps; his pale skin still glowed in the moonlight. Silently, he took my bag and slung it over his shoulder while also pulling me into his chest.

"She left me, Lil." His words choked on a sob as his chest heaved beneath my head. "I knew we had problems; I just didn't..." He pulled away and brought a hand to his hair, tugging it gently as he collected himself. "I should have been home more. I didn't need to go into the studio. I have a fucking studio here."

As he gathered his thoughts, I stayed quiet.

"She wanted to go places." He shook his head so quickly, like a tick. "I can't just go out. There are people everywhere taking pictures, talking to me, asking me for whatever they think I'll give them." His hand trembled as he brought it back to his hair nervously.

"It's okay, Billy." I wanted to ease his pain, but I just followed him.

He didn't go into the house; he crossed to the barn, to the studio. I should've known it was the place that would comfort him. He spent the entire night playing old songs, consoling songs. As his hands floated across the piano's keys, his shoulders rose from their slump. Even a few smiles had graced his lips when the sun finally lightened the sky.

"You on a call?" Billy tentatively poked his head into his own office. I had been working remotely for a week while he knocked around the house.

"Nope."

"What are you listening to?"

"Buddy Holly."

He gave a silent nod as he thumbed through the small batch of records I had stolen from his various collections around the house.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah." He settled on the chair facing me and let his eyes fixate on a pen on the desk. "You ever listen to my stuff?"

"You know I've heard some of it and love it, but we work because I know you for you, not your music."

"What if I asked you to listen?"

"I'd stay up all night listening," I absently murmured as I typed out an email.

"When you're done, come find me in the studio." Without another word, he was gone.

When I got to the studio, I paused in the doorway. Billy was playing a song that was vaguely familiar and humming to himself.

"Hey, handsome,"

As he turned, a smile filled his face; he still had enough chub to make his cheeks puff childishly pricked by his dimples. "Hey you, come sit down." He scooted over on the bench as I slid in as instructed.

"Are you going to play me a song, piano man?"

The song was beautifully simplistic, a melody akin to a nursery rhyme, with his voice coming softly like a lullaby. Two friends that grew together from childhood to old age, depending on each other. When he gazed at me, I saw my tears reflected in his eyes.

"That wasn't the reaction I expected." He tucked my head into his chest. "You've always known I love you."

There was only a slight moment when our eyes met before his lips crashed into mine.

We spent two weeks in a tangled mess of each other before he forced reality. "Stay with me," he murmured one morning as he watched me getting dressed.

"I am staying with you," I teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"Stay with me forever." He sat up with determination. "Your office would let you work remotely. Move-in."

"Billy, you just got out of a marriage; you don't know what you're saying."

"Lily, my marriage didn't work because I always compared her to you. Everything came down to did she remind me of you or not. I know she could feel it. I know you can feel it."

"Billy... What about your kids?"

"They'll love you. I know you don't think you like kids, but I think you'll love them. James is so interested in everything, and Rose..." He paused for a moment, smiling to himself. "Rose reminds me of you, fierce and independent, but full of empathy."

"Billy, I'm not a wife, and I'm not a mother." I turned my back to him, hoping he wouldn't push further.

He was there, twirling me into his arms. "Tell me you aren't in love with me." There was a light in his eyes, the same one I had seen all those years ago.

"Billy, I'm not in love with you." I snuffed the light out.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed the second part of the adventure of Lil and Billy!

In-Between Track 2 has been expanded to a full length! You can check out Something In Between!