Chapter 33

The ride back to the hotel was quieter than usual, not in a bad way. It was the kind of quiet that buzzed with something unspoken, something new. Billie sat next to me in the back of the SUV, her thigh pressed against mine, fingers toying with hand like she was working through something in her head.

I glanced at her, a smirk tugging at my lips"you good over there?"

She turned, meeting my gaze with that look, the one that always made mu stomach flip. "yeah" she murmured

"just thinking"

I arched a brow"thats dangerous"

Billie scoffed, nudging me playfully with her knee."shut up" but then her voice softened.

" I just... can't believe I finally said it"

My heart clenched in the best way"That you wanted me to be your girlfriend?"

Her lips parted, Like she was about to say something sarcastic, but then she just looked at me, and the teasing melted away"yeah" she admitted.

"And that you said yes"

I rolled my eyes. "Like I was ever gonna say no"

She grinned, tilting her head"I dunno pretty, you like to make me work for things"

I hummed pretending to think"thats true. But you did just put on a killer show and kiss me in front of a bunch of people, so I guess you earned it"

Billie let out a dramatic breath"finally. took so much effort"

I laughed, shaking my head as the car pulled up to the hotel entrance. The second the door opened, the cool night air hit me, but before I could step out, Billie's hand brushed against mine.Not grabbing, not holding - just there. Close enough that all I had to do was move my pinky an inch to hook it around hers.I did.

Her breath hitched, barely noticeable, before she pulled away, stepping out of the car. I followed, the weight of the moment lingering between us as we slipped through the lobby and into the elevator.The doors slide shut, and suddenly, we were alone.

Billie leaned against the mirrored wall, arms crossed, watching me "so"

I arched a brow"so?"

Her lips twitched."you coming to my room, or do I have to sneak into yours?"

I chuckled, tilting my head"you do like sneaking around"

She grinned"not my fault it makes things more fun"

The elevator dinged, she pushed off the wall stepping out before I could answer. But when she reached her door, she didn't go inside, she turned, waiting.

waiting for me

Billie reached for the door handle but didn't open it yet. instead, she leaned in, her lips just barely brushing my ear as she murmured"last chance to run, pretty"

I swallowed hard, My breath catching " not running"

Her smile deepened, something warm flickering in her eyes."good"

And with that, she pushed the door open, stepping inside and pulling me in after her.

--

The next morning the sun was streaming through the curtains. Billie was still asleep beside me, one arm slung lazily over my waist, her face half buried in the pillow. her breathing was slow, steady, and I let myself take her in, this rare, peaceful moment where she was just Billie. Just mine.

A muffled buzz broke the quiet. I reached blindly for my phone on the nightstand, squinting at the screen. Incoming facetime: Ivy & Aidan

I sighed, answering it while keeping my voice low"this better be important"

Ivy's face filled the screen first, her smirk immediate"rise and shine lovebirds"

Aidan appeared over her shoulder, waving"you two survive the night, or did Billies snoring finally get to you?"

I snorted, shaking my head"she doesn't snore"

"liar"Billie mumbled sleepily, barely cracking an eye open.

Ivy cooed"aww. did we wake up the pop star? my bad"

Billie groaned, dragging a pillow over her face"you're both the worst"

Aidan grinned"hey, we just wanted to check in! make sure Ember hasn't run away yet"

I rolled my eyes"no, i'm still here. unfortunately"

Billies arm tightened around me, pulling me closer"shut up. you love it"

Ivy wiggled her eyebrows"Sooo, hows it feel to officially be girlfriends?"

I felt billies sleepy grin against my shoulder before she answered, voice still thick with sleep

"feels pretty damn good"

I bit my lip, warmth flooding my chest. yeah. it really did.

Aidan chuckled. "You two are disgustingly cute."

"And yet, you still called us at the crack of dawn," I muttered.

Ivy smirked. "Because we missed you, obviously. And also, Aidan had a bet that you two would be all over each other by now."

Billie lifted the pillow off her face just enough to raise a brow. "Who won?"

Aidan looked smug. "Me. Ivy thought you'd still be awkward about it."

Ivy groaned. "Okay, in my defense, you were weird for a long time."

Billie snorted, stretching her arms before settling back against me. "Fair. But I'm not weird about it now."

Ivy's grin softened. "No, you're not. It's nice seeing you both happy."

Billie's fingers brushed against mine beneath the covers, a silent reassurance, and I squeezed them gently.

Aidan clapped his hands together. "Alright, enough of the mushy stuff. What's the plan for today?"

I sighed. "Probably being lazy, ordering way too much room service, and letting Billie recover from last night's show."

Billie hummed in agreement. "Best plan I've ever heard."

Ivy laughed. "Enjoy it, lovebirds. We'll see you when you get back."

Aidan shot us a wink before the call ended, leaving me and Billie wrapped in quiet warmth again.

She turned her head, eyes still heavy with sleep, and smirked. "I like waking up like this."

My heart stuttered. "Yeah?"

Her fingers traced lazy circles on my skin. "Yeah. Let's do it more often."

I grinned, leaning in just enough to steal a quick, lazy kiss. "Deal."