Belle hugged Lily tightly. �Now what�s wrong?� She asked. �I saw you run out of there like a demon was on your tail.�
�Not really.� She flinched. �Mickey�s acting so strange!�
�What do you mean?� Belle asked, concerned.
�Well, for starters, he�s hardly said two words to me since we got here. And when he does talk, he�s not like Mickey at all! He�s mean and nasty, and not teasing kidding, mean. Mean mean!� Lily said in a jumbled way.
Belle sighed. �I really don�t want to know but what happened last night?�
�He denied ever flirting with me, or viewing me as anything other than a little sister.�
Belle tried not to look at Lily�s face. �Is that why you�re upset with him now?�
�No! Ever since he�s been really quiet. It�s eerie, almost like Lucy and Nick, but the silence isn�t quiet. The silence is made loud by things unsaid.� Lily paraphrased the famous poem.
Belle tightened her jaw and offered up a prayer. �How can she not see it? Is she blind?� Belle wondered. �What�s left unsaid?�
�I don�t know.� Lily frowned and thought for a moment. �I just don�t know. Then just now I wanted to run lines from the scene where Hero comes back to life with him. He said he was busy and to ask Mama, because she has a lot of experience coming back from the dead.�
Belle flinched. �That doesn�t sound like Mickey.�
�I know! And you know who else is acting weird?� Lily began to deal with problems the way she always did, by attempting to ignore them.
Belle made a small noise of frustration in the back of her throat. �No, who?� She asked patiently.
�Brady.�
�Brady always acts weird.� Belle said, putting down her big brother.
Lily began to stomp away. Ten feet later she whirled. �DON�T PUT ME IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS!� She shouted. �HE DOESN�T. WHY DO YOU?�
Belle squared her shoulders and pursed her lips. �I�m sorry, Lily. It just slipped out. You know I love Brady, right?�
�I know.� Lily said. �I just don�t get why you can�t act like you do.�
Belle took a deep breath. �It�s complicated. Mostly it has to do with Drew and my relationship with him.�
�You mean cause you aren�t married.�
�And because we don�t have any plans to be. We have promised to be together for the rest of our lives, but neither of us want to make it official.� She laughed without humor. �In our families, that�s an invitation to disaster.�
�But you love him, right?�
�More than the world.�
�Then why��
�It�s complicated.� Belle repeated.
�Just try to explain it to me.� Lily said. Belle was about to refuse when Lily�s eyes beseeched her. �Please Belle? It�ll help if you can just get it out.�
�Well, I�ve loved him since I was about your age.� She smiled a little bit. �It seems so long ago. Anyway, I had to be a bad girl. Mother and Daddy didn�t approve of our relationship, for a number of reasons, and forbidden love just seemed so� exciting I guess. We kept our relationship going for so long, but there was always this breathless, unreal quality. I was always afraid he�d vanish.� Belle had long ago stopped staring at her sister. She was glaring at the floor, almost talking to herself. �We love each other dearly, but we�re both afraid.�
�Of what?�
Belle took notice of Lily. �Of loving. Of caring. Of committing. Of winding up like his parents, or mine. I don�t really know.�
Lily shrugged.
�Anyway, Drew wanted me to join the ISA, so we could be together more often, but I refused. I wanted to stay in Salem. I�ve worked hard to get to where I am, but I�m so afraid that I�m losing him.� She unconsciously put a hand to her abdomen.
�When I found out we were going to have a baby I was so excited. I thought he�d be around more. But I miscarried, and Daddy kicked him out of the house and I haven�t seen him in what feels like forever, and I just want him to put his arms around me, hold me tight and feel the love. I don�t even need to hear him say it. When he touches me, looks at me, I just know.� Belle looked up again.
�Well that made no sense.� She remarked with a touch of humor.
�Not to me, but you seem to feel better.� Lily reassured her.
�I do.� She smiled a real smile. �Thanks Lily.� She opened her arms. �Give me a hug, then go back and find Mickey. If I know him at all he�ll apologize.�
Lily hugged her sister, realizing it was the only comfort she could give. �What if he doesn�t?�
�Then he�s having a really bad day and you should just steer clear until he�s ready to apologize.� Lily opened her mouth to protest. �But don�t wait too long.� Her eyes clouded. �Don�t wait too long, or it could be too late.�
�Too late for what?� Lily demanded.
Belle ignored her and glanced at the watch she always wore. �Oh, Lord, we�ve been talking for twenty minutes. I better go help Lyssa.�
�Belle?� Lily whined as Belle dashed off. �Thanks a lot.�
�Anytime.� Belle tossed back without missing a beat.
Lily rolled her eyes. She turned around and crashed right into Mickey. �Mickey!� She exclaimed. �How long have you been there?�
�A few minutes, no more.�
�Oh.� Lily stared at him.
�Look, Lily, I�m sorry about earlier. I lost my temper, and I didn�t mean to. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.�
Her jaw remained set. HE turned to go. �Wait!� She called.
He whirled to face her. �Yes?�
�Will you help me run lines?� She set out a peace offering.
�Sure.�
�Why the sudden change of heart?�
�Toby kicked me out of the cherry picker and told me to come back when I was less pissy. His words, not mine.� Mickey held his hands up defensively.
Lily laughed. �Bad day?� She let him understand all was forgiven with the simple question.
�Unbelievable.� He said sourly.
�Try me.�
�Well I didn�t wake up until 6:30�� He began. They talked for a long time. Nothing was resolved considering their feelings, but at least they were on speaking terms again.
Links to other sites on the Web
Get your own Free Home Page