Chapter 10

The morning light filtered through the blinds, casting soft golden lines across my bed. My head throbbed faintly, a reminder of last nights drink, but the ache wasn't what kept me awake, it was Billie. Her voice, her touch, the almost kiss that had been snatched away by ivys impeccable timing.

I rolled onto my side, staring at the ceiling as everything replayed in my head like a movie I couldn't turn off. My phone buzzed in the nightstand, the screen lighting up with a notification.

Billie:Hope your heads not killing you, last night was fun :)

My stomach flipped, and I typed out a response, then deleted it. Typed again. Deleted. Finally, I tossed my phone onto the pillow and groaned.

"You're making noise" Ivy grumbled from beside me, her voice muffled by her pillow.

I propped myself up on my elbow, watching her burrow deeper under the covers. "We need to talk"

She cracked one eye open, her mascara smudged from the night before."About?"

"Billie."

Ivy shot up so fast she nearly kicked her phone off the nightstand."Okay hold on." She tied her hair into a messy bun and squinted at me like she needed me to physically prove I wasn't messing with her.

"What happened? And don't you dare left anything out."

I sat up, wrapping my arms around my knees. "We almost kissed."

"What?!" Ivy practically screamed, bouncing in the bed like a kid hyped up on sugar. "Are you kidding me? When? Where? What do you mean almost?"

I buried my face in my hands, feeling both giddy and tortured. "After the game. We went for a walk, talked for awhile, and... I don't know. She got really close, and I thought she was going to kiss me, but then you showed up"

Ivy gasped, clutching her chest like she'd been shot.

"I cockblocked Billie Eilish."

I snorted, flopping back onto the bed. "Yes Ivy. Yes you did"

She collapsed next to me, staring at the ceiling"I'm a monster"

"A literal menace" I agreed, though my voice was light with laughter.

Ivy turned her head to look at me, her face serious"But like... she was gonna kiss you? For real?"

I bit my lip, my heart pounding just thinking about it.

"It felt like it. I don't know. She said she noticed how I looked at her during the game. And she drank to some of those questions too, Ivy"

She sat up again, her mouth hanging open."Dude. That means she likes you. Like, likes you likes you"

I grabbed a pillow and smacked her with it, my cheeks burning."Don't make this worse!"Ivy cackled dodging my second swing

"I'm serious! You don't almost kiss someone for no reason. And Billie doesn't exactly give people attention like that just for fun"

I chewed on my bottom lip, my pulse hammering."What if it was just the drinks? Or the moment? What if it meant nothing?"

Ivy flopped onto her stomach and propped her chin up with her hands."Then why is she texting you this morning?"

I bolted up right, grabbing my phone so fast I almost dropped it. Billie's message still sat there, waiting. I typed back.

Ember:Same to you, my heads surprisingly intact, though I can't say the same for Ivy

I stared at the screen, my fingers twitching, waiting for the three dots to appear. When they finally did, I held my breath.

Billie:Poor Ivy, should I send her flowers?

I snorted, showing the text to Ivy, she squinted, then flipped off my phone like Billie could somehow see her through the screen.

"Tell her to send me a lifetime supply of fries instead." Ivy muttered, dragging herself to the bathroom.I smiled and typed back

Ember:Fries might work better, She's dramatic when she's hungover

Billie:I believe it

Billie:Are you free today?

My heart stumbled over itself. I blinked, rereading the message three times to make sure I wasn't hallucinating

Ember:Yess, why?

Billie:Come over :)

I dropped my phone onto the bed and stared at it like it might explode.

"What now?" Ivy called out from the bathroom, her voice echoing

"She wants me to come over" I blurted, feeling like my brain had short- circuited.Ivy poked her head out, toothpaste foam spilling from her mouth. "TODAY?!"

"Today" I whispered, falling back onto my pillows. My heart hammering like it was trying to break free.

Ivy spat into the sink and scrambled back into the room, hopping onto my bed like we were 13 and she'd just discovered my biggest crush "Are you going?"

"I don't know!" I groaned clutching my face. "What if it's weird? What if she changed her mind? What if she just feels bad we didn't kiss or something?"

Ivy grabbed my wrists, yanking my hands away from my face."Or what if she just likes you and wants to hangout?"

I stared at her, chest tight. "I don't know how to do this."

She softened, her voice dropping. "You don't have to know. Just go, see what happens. Worse case, you hang out with Billie Eilish for a day. Best case..." I swallowed hard. "Best case?"

Ivy grinned . "You get a kiss"

I pressed the heels of my palms into my eyes, my skin burning, but my pulse drumming with anticipation, the memory of Billie's almost kiss lingering like an imprint on my skin.After a long shaken breath, I grabbed my phone and typed out a reply

Ember:Okay, I'll come over

My phone buzzed almost immediately.

Billie: Cool, Come by round noon?

I locked my screen, staring at my reflection in the black glass like it might give me answers.

"Guess I'm going" I whispered, half to myself.

Ivy squealed and dove off my bed to rifle through my wardrobe.And as ridiculous as it was, as terrifying as it felt, a small hopeful smile crept onto my face.

-

I pulled up to the address she sent me, almost turning around twice. As soon as I pulled up to the gate, it opened, like she was watching and knew I was already here.

I knocked on the door, my heart flying out of my chest. Billie answered the door with a lazy smile, her hair in a messy bun and wearing an oversized hoodie that practically swallowed her whole. The sight of her, all soft and undone, knocked the air out of my lungs.

"Hey" she said, voice low and inviting, like we shared some unspoken secret.

"Hey" I echoed, stepping inside, her place smelled faintly of vanilla and something herbal, and the dim lighting made everything feel even more intimate.She shut the door behind me, her fingers lingering on the handle for a second longer than necessary.

"I was starting to think you bailed"

I slipped off my shoes, my pulse was already racing."What? And miss hanging with you?"

Billie chuckled, leading me through the living room to a sprawling couch covered in soft blankets. A movie played quietly on the TV, though she barely glanced at it as she flopped onto the cushions, tucking her legs underneath her.

"Pick whatever you want" she offered, handing me the remote. Our fingers brushed, and the stupidly small touch sent a ripple through me.

I settled into the couch, careful to leave space between us. Though every cell in my body screamed to be closer."What were you watching?"

Billie tilted her head, studying me like I was more interesting than whatever was on the screen."Wasn't really paying attention"

My throat went dry. I flipped through the options aimlessly, feeling her gaze lingering on me.

"You always this quiet?" She asked, her voice playful

I smirked, finally landing on some random movie."Only around people who intimidate me"

Billie laughed, a low, warm sound that made my chest tighten. She scooted closer, her knee brushing against mine, stole the remote from my hand, tossing it onto the coffee table.

"Intimidate you?" She echoed, raising a brow"You're a popstar, Ember. Aren't you used to being around famous people?"

I shrugged, hugging a pillow to my chest. "Yeah, but not ones I actually want to be around"

Her eyes gleamed with curiosity, but she didn't push. Instead, we settled into an easy rhythm - talking, teasing, the tension ebbing and flowing like waves. She told me stories about her tour life, about the weird things fans had given her, and I told her all about my first tour and a lot about my two best friends, she listened intently the whole time, like what I was saying was actually interesting.

At some point, she stretched her legs across my lap, her feet resting in my thighs like it was the most natural thing in the world. I was comfortable I placed a hand gently over her calf, earning a small smile from her.

"You're comfortable, right?" She asked, eyes flicking up to mine.

I swallowed hard, my fingers twitching against the blanket. "Mhm"

Billie bit her lip, like she was holding back a grin "good"

We stayed like that for what felt like forever, the movie forgotten as our conversation wound down to quiet glances and shared smiles. The air grew heavier, the space between us shrinking with every passing second.Eventually, Billie shifted, sitting up tucking her legs beneath her again. She leaned in, her face dangerously close to mine, her eyes soft but searching.

"I like hanging out with you" she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper

My heart lurched, every nerve ending in my body buzzing.

" I like hanging out with you, too"

Her smile widened, she she flopped back against the cushions, stretching her arms over her heard.

"You're not what I expected" she said, glancing at me from under her lashes.

I tilted my head grinning. "What did you expect?"

Billie shrugged. "I don't know, maybe someone more... guarded? A little more caught up in the whole celebrity thing?"

I laughed, shaking my head, "trust me, I get enough of that at industry events. Hanging out like this is what I enjoy most and way better must I add"

Her expression softened, and for a moment, she just watched me, her eyes unreadable. Then she grabbed a blanket, draped it over both of us, and settled in closer, her head resting on my shoulder like it belonged there.

I barely breathed, afraid to break whatever fragile, perfect thing this was. The movie played on, forgotten background noise to the steady rhythm of my heart pounding in my chest.

Billie shifted again, her fingers brushing against mine under the blanket, tentative but deliberate. My pulse skyrocketed, and I turned to look at her, my breath catching in my throat.She was already looking at me, her eyes heavy lidded and careful, like she was waiting to see if I'd pull away. I didn't.Her hand moved, fingers grazing along the back of mine, and then she laced them together, her grip gentle but sure. The weight of her touch was grounding and electrifying all at once.The air felt charged, like the universe itself had paused, waiting for something to happen. My chest ached with how badly I wanted to close the distance, but I didn't want to misread this, I didn't want to ruin it.

Billie's gaze dropped to my lips, her breathing shallower, she leaned in - so slowly it felt agonising. My heart pounded louder than the movies soundtrack, my skin burning where her fingers touched mine.The moment stretched, fragile and infinite, and just when I thought the tension might snap me in half.She finally closed the gap.

The kiss was soft at first, tentative, like she was testing the waters, but when I didn't pull back -when I melted into her instead - she deepened it, her fingers tightening around mine as she shifted closer. My heart slammed against my rib cage, and everything else faded away: the movie, the hun of the heater , the outside world.If was just her, just us..

When we finally broke apart, Billie stayed close, her forhead resting against mine, a breathless smile tugging at her lips.

"I've been wanting to do that since last night" she whispered, her thumb brushing over my knuckles.

I let out a shaky laugh, my cheeks burning "me too"

She pulled me back into another kiss, slower this time, like we had all the time in the world. And maybe we did - because in that moment, tangled up on her couch, nothing else seemed to matter.

A/NI am SOOOO SORRY this chapter is so long but it's so so worth it and I put a lot of effort into itttt I hope you love, don't forget to vote and pls comment! I would love love to read your comments <3