Buffy glared at the phone. It had rung about 10 times, and didn't look like it was stopping any time soon. Rolling out of bed, she sniffled, and snatched it out of the cradle. "What is it?" She snapped, not very happy to be interrupted in the middle of a bawling session.
"Angel?" Buffy tried to keep her voice from breaking.
"No I am not crying." She tried to sound strong, but she didn't exactly come out that way.
"So what? Now that's over, and she's dumped you, its back to me? You need someone to fall back on, am I right?" Tears slid down Buffy's face, and she tried to keep herself from throwing the phone against the wall, or at least hanging up.
"I know! I know that you're not like that. It's just, I feel so stupid! All this time, Riley's been with a vampire."
"Tell me about it. No, it's under control now. He probably had some crazy idea about getting even with me. I just, I feel like I should've known! I told him to go away and never come back. And I just got home, and Mom is sick."
"No. Something's wrong with her brain. It's like, sometimes, she doesn't even know me! And others, she doesn't remember anything recent. She'll treat Dawn like a visitor! And ask me where Angel is, or tell me something you said to her about me last year! She asked me a minute ago if Principal Snyder was still on my case. I haven't seen him since graduation!"
"It's not about Riley anymore. It's just I keep thinking that I thought I loved him, and even when I knew I didn't, I still pretended to, so he wouldn't be hurt. And he was letting a vamp feed off him!"
Angel grimaced, remembering when he'd had to do the same to Buffy. "Didn't you notice the marks on him?"
"I'm sorry, Buffy. I didn't know. Why didn't you call me? I would've come."
Buffy sighed. "With Darla in tow? And then what? You would've pitied me, and we might have had some kind of connection again, only to break it when you left me."
Angel was quiet. What could you say to something like that? "I want to come. You need me right now."
Buffy wiped her tears away with the back of her free hand. "I do."
"All right. I miss you."
Angel smiled lightly. "I miss you, too. Buffy?"
"What is it?" Buffy's eyes widened a little. "I know." She whispered into the phone.
"I love you, too."
"Angel?" Buffy tried to keep her voice from breaking.
"No I am not crying." She tried to sound strong, but she didn't exactly come out that way.
"So what? Now that's over, and she's dumped you, its back to me? You need someone to fall back on, am I right?" Tears slid down Buffy's face, and she tried to keep herself from throwing the phone against the wall, or at least hanging up.
"I know! I know that you're not like that. It's just, I feel so stupid! All this time, Riley's been with a vampire."
"Tell me about it. No, it's under control now. He probably had some crazy idea about getting even with me. I just, I feel like I should've known! I told him to go away and never come back. And I just got home, and Mom is sick."
"No. Something's wrong with her brain. It's like, sometimes, she doesn't even know me! And others, she doesn't remember anything recent. She'll treat Dawn like a visitor! And ask me where Angel is, or tell me something you said to her about me last year! She asked me a minute ago if Principal Snyder was still on my case. I haven't seen him since graduation!"
"It's not about Riley anymore. It's just I keep thinking that I thought I loved him, and even when I knew I didn't, I still pretended to, so he wouldn't be hurt. And he was letting a vamp feed off him!"
Angel grimaced, remembering when he'd had to do the same to Buffy. "Didn't you notice the marks on him?"
"I'm sorry, Buffy. I didn't know. Why didn't you call me? I would've come."
Buffy sighed. "With Darla in tow? And then what? You would've pitied me, and we might have had some kind of connection again, only to break it when you left me."
Angel was quiet. What could you say to something like that? "I want to come. You need me right now."
Buffy wiped her tears away with the back of her free hand. "I do."
"All right. I miss you."
Angel smiled lightly. "I miss you, too. Buffy?"
"What is it?" Buffy's eyes widened a little. "I know." She whispered into the phone.
"I love you, too."