Free Confessions by Janice Collins

heading into the bedroom.  He emerged a couple minutes later in shorts and a tee and walked out on to the balcony to join her.
     
    He sat on the other chair and said, “It’s a nice evening.”
     
    She hummed and continued looking out at the view. 
     
    “Listen, there’s something you should know.” She said nervously, swallowing against a dry mouth.
     
    “Uh-oh, that doesn’t sound so good.”
     
    “It’s nothing terrible,” Aria clarified.  “I just found out today that Tina is back in town and it seems she will be here for the long run.”
     
    “Oh,” he said with a somewhat downcast look in his eyes.  He leaned back against his chair and looked out to the view.  He looked to be searching for something but there was nothing to be found out there. 
     
    “It doesn’t really matter much, does it?”
     
    Aria sighed and replied, “It doesn’t but you know we will end up seeing her.  She’s pretty close to John and friends with a few others.”
     
    “Ah,” he said as if he were being reminded of something he had long forgotten. 
     
    Billy tapped his fingers on the balcony table for a bit before standing up and walking to the kitchen.  Aria didn’t make dinner that night, but brought some subs from a shop they really liked near her job. 
     
    “Are you going to eat yet?”  His voice sounded distant but she reasoned she might be looking for something where there was nothing, much like he had been looking at the view from their balcony. 
     
    Aria stood up and walked to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water before settling on the couch next to him.  He turned on their favorite sitcom and started to silently munch on his sandwich.  They ate in silence and neither really laughed at what was happening on the television; they were both too busy thinking about other things. 
     
    After they had finished eating and Aria had thrown the trash out, she sat on the couch and leaned back against the armrest, stretching her legs out and resting them on Billy’s lap. 
     
    “There’s really no need for this to feel like it’s something awful,” she said tentatively.  He placed his hand on her ankle and nodded. 
     
    “I know, it just came as a shock.  Plus I haven’t really interacted with her much since...” He turned to Aria and shrugged, lips pursed and a sad look in his eyes.  She completely understood where he was coming from.  Though she had never been in the same position as him she had an idea of what he must be feeling.  She pulled herself up next to him and rested her chin on his shoulder. 
     
    “I understand,” she said softly.  He turned to look into her eyes with something resembling gratitude.  She ran her hand down his cheek before standing up and walking to the bedroom.
     
    She sat on the edge of the bed wondering what to do or say.  She didn’t want to be insensitive in any way but she couldn’t help but wonder if he needed some time to himself.  How could she ask that without sounding like she wanted to get away?  Or without making him feel like he would be a jerk to say yes? 
     
    She sighed and rubbed her face.  She stood up and walked back out to the living room.  He was staring at the television but she could tell he wasn’t really watching what was on the screen.  She walked over and sat on the coffee table across him, leaning forward and placing her hands on his knees. 
     
    “Billy,” she said in as sympathetic tone as she could muster, “Do you feel like you need to be alone?”  She asked him in a way she hoped conveyed whatever he needed was okay; all he had to do was speak up.  He looked at her and nodded slowly.  She closed her eyes and gave a nod before standing up and giving him a peck on the cheek. 
     
    “I’ll be at Kay’s,” she said sweetly before heading to the bedroom for a change of clothes. 
     
    Once in her car she opened her contacts list on her phone and selected Kay.  It rang a few times before she