@gobletofmuses;; 3) sender shows up at receiver’s house drunk after they’ve broken up.
HAVING DECIDED that she no longer wanted to wallow in the sadness that had engulfed her since he had left, lily had decided to plan a girls night out. sending an owl to marlene, mary and dorcas the four women had come to the agreement to meet at a pub down street from lilys flat.
when the time for her eventually rolled around, she leaned toward the mirror in her hallway and attempted to refresh the lipstick she wore, when a soft knock at the door drew her attention away. with furrowed brows, she glanced down at her watch before up at the door again. had plans changed? were they all meeting here now?
with a small frown, lily walked to the door, stretching up to peer out the peep hole in the middle of it. when she saw who was standing on the other side, her heart almost stopped. what was he doing here? slowly, with a slightly shaky hand, lily twisted the doorknob and pulled the door open just enough so that she could take a sideways stance between the door and the jamb, heart hammering within her chest as she did. “ bill. what - ”
as she spoke, her eyes widened a tiny bit before flicking up to take a closer look at his face. the red tinge to his cheeks - the glaze to his eyes. the swaying slightly on the spot. and then - it hit her. the smell. “ you’re drunk? you’re showing up on my doorstep - drunk. bill what the ever loving fuck do you hope to accomplish? ” though her words sounded harsh, she couldn’t blame him. she had been planning on getting completely shit faced that night to forget him. if only for an evening.
ㅤㅤHe’d started early — or late, he supposed. Rolling out of bed well after two in the afternoon couldn’t be counted as early, but he’d trudged into the kitchen, slamming the cupboards open until he found a half-drunk bottle of fire whiskey and from there everything had been a blur.
ㅤㅤA part of him was thankful for it. The blur of events kept him from thinking or feeling too much, from recounting the bullshit he’d thrown at her two weeks prior. The look on her face was still burned in his retinas — tear-stained and defiant — and everytime he let himself relive the moment, it felt as though someone was stabbing him in the heart. Bill was an idiot, that much was obvious. Everything that’d happened in Egypt — the first time he’d kissed her, the first time he’d pressed his body against hers, the first time he’d said he loved her — shattered under the weight of his careless words.
ㅤㅤ“It seems we want different things, Miss Evans. And I can’t build a life with someone who’s intent on sabotaging the path I choose to walk.” Bile rose in his throat when he recalled the cold tone in which he addressed her with, the shift in their argument when he’d resorted to the petty display of calling her by her surname. And all for what? Because she missed him. Because he couldn’t take a bloody holiday to spend with her family. To spend time with her. For as long as he lived he would despise himself for being responsible for her pain.
ㅤㅤPalm pressed against the doorframe, Bill’s glazed eyes sharpened a fraction when her face came into view, the sound of her voice breathing life into his senses. ❛ Li-Lils. ❜ Slurring his words, he felt a rush of heat in his eyes, lids blinking rapidly. ❛ I’m sorry. ❜ His voice was a rasp, throat dry and voice cracking over the apology. Seeing her again, even with his vision and consciousness swimming in and out, devastated him. Jaw tightening in an effort to reign in his agony, Bill’s eyes flickered to his feet, unsure that he’d be able to hold himself together if he looked at her again. ❛ You . . . didn’t . . didn’t stop me. ❜ And then, more to himself. ❛ Why didn’t you stop me? ❜
ㅤㅤHead shooting up to meet her gaze, Bill’s palm slipped, feet stumbling forward and he winced as he attempted to catch himself, groaning softly when his ankle caught momentarily. ❛ Why didn’t you . . . why didn’t you tell me . . . I was being a fucking idiot? ❜ He was leaning on the door now, breathing heavy with the effort to shake off the pain — both physical and mental.