He cheated.
He kissed him.
He didn't make it to his honeymoon.
And he didn't want to.
Charlie Swan was beside himself at what he'd just done. It keeps playing it over and over in his head as he walks away from Billy. Getting into his car; he drives down the road away from his mistake. His original plan for the day had been to hop on a plane with his beautiful wife but instead he received a phone call about a case.
So, he told his wife that he would meet her there and he had meant it. She may have doubted his ability to quickly put a case to rest but he wanted so badly for it to just be the two of them, away from everything and everyone.
But, of course it would be a case that connected him to his past and of course Billy would pick that moment to finally honor his father and mother by joining the council. Charlie wouldn't put it past Billy to have arranged for the leaders to take a special interest in this case.
They hated that eyesore just as much as anyone else, so it finally being gone would not be cause for their concern.
His phone starts ringing as he continues to drive with the hope that it'll help in chasing away the thoughts that were forming in his head.
Glancing down at his cell phone he sees that it was Billy calling him. He was not planning on answering that phone. He didn't want to see, let alone speak to Billy, right now.
Finally the ringing stops; he passes the station and decides to head home. Before he can turn off of the main road his phone starts ringing again.
Again it was Billy, "Stop calling me" he screams at it.
The last thing he wants is to hear him apologize or worse tell him that what they did wasn't wrong.
"It was very wrong, I'm a married man" he continues to hold a conversation with himself as he finally parks in front of his house.
The ringing had stopped in mid-conversation.
He was breathing hard as he just stared at the phone then at his house then back at the phone.
It was like he had no willpower when it comes to Billy; although, it had always been like that. Anytime Billy wanted something Charlie would give into him from school lunches to stolen kisses in the locker room.
Charlie just couldn't say no to Billy and sometimes he really didn't want to.
He hated himself for it but Billy had left messages on his voicemail, picking up his phone he dials the familiar access code and places the phone on speaker.
"Charlie pick-up the phone…what we did wasn't wrong. You were just comforting an old friend." He could hear the heavy breathing in his voice.
"Please pick-up…I 'm sorry okay" Billy took a deep breath on the recording "I just needed to feel grounded…I just…ever since they died I've been so…"
He sighs as understanding comes to Charlie, "I need you in my life Charlie. And if it isn't by my side as my one and only then hopefully it will be as my best friend."
The message cuts off and Charlie presses a button on his phone for the next one to begin, "I don't want you to be upset with me. I just needed to feel close to you even if…just for a moment."
Silence is all that is heard on the other end of the phone causing Charlie to look at the screen to see if it still was playing the recording.
It starts up just as quickly as it had stopped, "I don't want to be the one that messes up your marriage, so I promise you that I will not kiss or touch you again."
A smile comes to Charlie's face as he knows that Billy always keeps his promises especially after he apologizes.
A sigh of relief leaves Charlie's lips, it is finally over. The goal that Billy had of getting Charlie back was over. Charlie could finally have his friend back with no ulterior motives on either one of their parts.
"Until you ask me too" Charlie stops his train of thought as he takes in what he'd just heard. He thought the message had ended but of course Billy always had to get in the last word.
Charlie Swan knew that no matter how hard he tries Billy Black will always be his weakness, his Achilles' heel.
But the same can be said for Billy Black, as he left those messages he knew that one thing was for sure.
Charlie Swan is his one and only; he just needs to remember that and before ending his final message Billy made it his personal mission to remind Charlie of just that.
