Chapter Forty-Nine: Too Little Too Late

Beetle stood in Lydia's kitchen, more stunned than he'd ever been in his whole existence. He looked down at himself, noting that he still seemed pretty damned gross and dead looking. Well, that sure as fuck wasn't expected. None of it was. Immediately, he began to feel a bit woozy, as he placed his right hand over his chest, feeling his heart slowly start to beat again. It was barely detectable, but it was there.

"Holy shit..." his eyes grew wide, as he felt his face. It was slowly warming up, and he took a slow breath as his lungs began to expand again. "I-I'm alive! HELL YEAH! I MADE IT!" he shouted to the rooftops. "Woah...Muh powers..." he mused, hoping to his dick and balls that part hadn't changed. He narrowed his eyes, juicing the broken window, watching a bright light blast it back into place just like he'd never shattered it in the first place. "FUCK YES!" he cackled, realizing that his power felt even stronger and faster than before.

He was the happiest he'd ever been. "HAHA! No more nasty gross hookers, no more shitty house, no more Trixy, no more monster peens, no more..." he began, only to stop dead in his tracks. It had happened so fast that he hadn't even truly grasped it yet. "Deetz..." he said under his breath, gazing across the room to see her standing in that poofy, red wedding dress, staring at him quietly while fiddling with the ring on her hand.

"Heh...Ya did it..." he felt his jaw gape to the floor.

"Yeah." she shrugged, still staring at him with a look of great sadness etching her features. "I kept my word this time."

He stepped up to her, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. It all came back to him. He was ready to murder her, and halfway tempted to do it, but she did it. Then she grabbed him and kissed him. He involuntarily licked his lips, feeling the taste of her still there. In an instant, everything hit him like a ton of anvils. Lydia had no reason to. She could have left him stranded, but she didn't. Immediately, he felt the gravity of what she'd done after he'd done nothing but spitefully pour scalding hatred in her direction. He looked over to her, really taking her in for the first time. She was beautiful. Way too beautiful for an evil bastard like him. What the fuck was he thinking?

"Heya...Look. I didn't mean to-" he began, taking another step toward her, only for her to cut him off.

"Yeah. You did." she said bluntly, taking her veil off and throwing it to the floor. "You got what you wanted. You're free."

"Yeah, but ya gotta lemme explain." he trailed her, as she began to walk away, opening her huge closet and dragging out a large set of luggage.

"No need." she stated, beginning to throw clothes in her suitcase.

Okay, this was bullshit. He slammed the lid of her suitcase down, getting her attention. "Look, at least let me help ya out 'er somethin'."

"I don't need your help anymore. Go live your life. That's what you came here for. You proved that already." Lydia spat, beginning to tear off that purposely hideous wedding dress he'd juiced her into. He sighed, awkwardly looking away from her as she stood there in her underwear, pulling a decent set of clothes out and dressing herself.

"I know yer pissed, but I-" he tried again, but Lydia just wasn't having it.

"You were going to ruin my life. Do you know how long the sentence is for stealing that much?" Lydia asked, glaring at him like there was no tomorrow.

"I wasn't thinkin' straight!" he said, grabbing her arm in an attempt to get through to her.

"No, BJ. You had plenty of time to think. Nothing was going to change your mind. You and Trixy deserve each other. You're both bitter, spiteful assholes." she said, yanking her arm out of his grasp as she grabbed a few more of her things, including a wad of cash.

"Hey now!" he spat, feeling that frayed nerve that she'd just hit, as she latched her suitcase shut.

"Here." she said, splitting the giant wad of cash in her hand, handing over half of it to him. "You'll need it."

Immediately, his heart sank. He had to be the biggest moron in all of existence for making shit so hard for her. "I can't take that shit!" he threw his hands up, suddenly having an enormous change of heart about everything. Unfortunately, it was too late. She hated his guts. His wife hated his guts.

"You weren't worried about that before. Just take it." she said, throwing it at him, as she stepped into a pair of black tennis shoes, picking up her luggage.

"Where the hell're ya goin'?" his face twisted in complete and utter fear for the first time in a long, long time.

"My lease ends in three months. It's all paid, along with my other bills." she stated flatly, taking a sticky note out of a drawer and scribbling something on it. "Here's my phone number in case anyone tries to contact me." Lydia said, handing him the paper that he found himself clutching tightly in his grimy hand. She disappeared one final time into the closet, bringing out a large camera on a lanyard and placing it around her neck.

"What's that?" he grunted, reaching for it and taking it in his hand, prompting her to shoot him a wary look.

"It's my old hobby. I gave it up when I started being an idiot and trying to please everybody. I'm taking it with me." she explained, appearing more hurt than bitter, though she seemed to feel quite a bit of both.

"You never told me where the hell yer even goin'!" He stepped in front of her, hoping to block her way and slow her ass down a bit.

"You'll find out when I get there." she replied vaguely, dismissing him as she side-stepped him, taking her luggage with her.

"Fuck! Here. At least let me help yer ass!" he sighed, snatching one of her heavy suitcases out of her grasp as they left the front of the building.

"There's an extra key under the coffee maker. I have the other one. You'll probably need it." she said, briskly walking at such a furious pace that it was everything he could do to keep up with her.

He followed her to the busy curb, as she waved down a taxi, purposely not looking his way.

"Please, Lydia. At least stay long enough to tell me what the hell's goin' on with ya." he found himself begging her, which is something he never thought in a million lifetimes that he'd do. How could he have been so damned blinded by his own hate? What the hell was he going to do now? For the first time, he could see Lydia without evil, rage-filled, bastard glasses, and that time came far too late.

"There's nothing to tell, BJ." she sighed, turning to him one final time as the taxi pulled up. "You don't treat people you love that way. I would've never done that to you." she spoke, looking at him as the bright day sun caused her sad eyes to sparkle. He really had taken her for granted the whole damned time.

"You both riding?" the cab driver turned to her, as she placed her luggage inside.

"Nope. I'm going alone." Lydia replied, before turning to him one final time. "Take care of yourself, BJ."

"Babe, don't-" he began, only for her to slam the car door shut. He watched the taxi drive off, wandering into traffic as he followed her trail until he couldn't anymore. The loud blaring of a car horn caused him to snap back to his senses, as he scrambled out of the road, sighing to himself. She'd probably hate his guts for the rest of her life, and now there was no way he'd ever possibly hate hers.

He'd truly fucked it up this time.