The Artist / Billie Eilish

Chapter 44

Billie's POV

I leant down to kiss Rose's head lightly, watching as she looked up at me and waited for me to lean down and kiss her.

I was sitting on the top of the couch, and she was sitting on the cushions like a normal person, between my legs.

Everyone was hanging in the greenroom before the show, and right now we were waiting for Finneas to bring a shit load of Taco Bell.

I heard Ethan over-dramatically gag as I kissed Rose, so I kissed her for longer whilst flipping him off, feeling my girl desperately reach out to pull my arm down, laughing against my lips.

Everyone went back to light conversation as I leant back, watching.

I was finally feeling... Okay. Like everything was going to be okay.

Not that I'd actually done anything to change my situation, but as far as Rose knew, I was back to normal and we're in love with no bad things.

Management was sort of fine with me coming out, none of the fans gave a shit. Actually, they kinda dig it more than when they thought I was straight.

Gay little fucks.

Suddenly, my phone chimed on the couch next to Rose, the specific ringtone quickly pulling me out of my thoughts. I snatched it up before she could read the name on my screen, not that she even looked, and I felt her nails reassuringly graze up and down my ankle softly as she talked to Ethan.

I swiped open the text, my breath hitching in my throat as I turned down my brightness, paranoia swirling through my head.

Aiden: yo bil, where you at lately? you coming over soon or what?

Aiden: i see you started posting about ur gf again. cute. gonna start posting about me, soon? it's been long enough lol

Aiden: does she know about me?

The last text made my heartbeat pulse in my ears, and I nearly had a fucking heart attack when Finn burst through the door behind me, yelling about food. I shoved my phone in my pocket and took a deep, shaky breath, trying to shake the feeling before it brought me right back into the mindset of a couple weeks ago.

I need a fucking burrito. Now.

Rose's POV

"I don't know, man. I just... I don't trust her."

Rolling my eyes, I listened to Ethan lecture me as I wiped my makeup off in the hotel bathroom, the harsh lighting exposing all of the freckles on my face.

I threw my wipe in the trash as I splashed water on my face, dabbing it dry with a towel - Ethan still blabbering in the background. With one last look at myself, I sighed before turning to head out, switching the light off and wandering over to my open case on the floor, Ethan's eyes following me across the room.

"You don't think that's a little suss? Everything that happened on vacation with her phone and her whole ass personality changing? And then she decides to change and be better? The fuck? I just don't want you to get h-"

"Ethan!" Clothes clutched in my hands, I turned to look at my best friend, watching as his shoulders dropped defeatedly, a sigh escaping his lips. I dropped the clothes back into my suitcase as I stood, wandering over to sit next to him on the bed, resting my head on his shoulder. "I get that you're just trying to look out for me," I mumbled, feeling his head rest against mine. "But I promise you I can handle myself. She's better now, but even if she wasn't, I can handle it. She's obviously got stuff going on, and I'm just... going to be here for her. If she's struggling right now, it's the least I can do. She doesn't need the added pressure of trying to keep me happy."

I felt Ethan shake his head against mine, pressing a kiss to my temple. "You're too good to everyone, you know that?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, douche-fuck. Now, I was thinking..." Rolling backwards onto the bed, I grabbed the remote and held it into the air. "Halloween?"

Ethan chuckled, and the second I switched the TV on, there was a loud ass knock at the door.

A loud ass, persistent knock.

I closed my eyes to try and regain the tiny amount of patience I had left, and Ethan laughed again, pushing me over on the bed before getting up to answer whoever it was.

Smiling to myself, I focused on finding the movie on the crappy hotel TV, and tried to listen in to whoever was at the door whilst doing so.

It sounded like a guy I didn't recognise, so I shrugged it off and carried on looking through the movies.

Movies on satellite are always shitty. Romcoms and shit. Not even the good kind.

I took a second to think of who's card this room was checked into, and, after remembering it was Ethan's, I decided paying for a couple movies was totally the right idea for tonight.

Just as I was nearing $20 worth of crappy movie purchases, Ethan poked his head into the room, mouthing something to me that I put absolutely no effort into trying to understand.

"... What?"

He rolled his eyes, whispering harshly. "It's some guy here for you."

I stared at him.

"... What? A guy here for me? Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure. That's what he said, anyways."

"What the fuck?"

"Are we just gonna have a whole conversation when there is a dude waiting for you at the door?"

"Ethan, I am literally a lesbian. Get rid of him."

"Oh my god," he laughed, grabbing my ankle and dragging me across the bed as I squealed, slapping his chest before scurrying to the door, opening it to a guy I've never seen before.

He stood there, smiling. Kinda scrawny. Kinda plain. Kinda looked like a sim, in a weird, cartoon way.

Sim boy cleared his throat, and I was suddenly reminded that he was a real person, smiling back at him quickly before stuttering out the first thing I could think of.

"U-uh, hi! You... wanted me?"

The guy laughed, running a hand through his boring colored hair, his eyes quickly scanning me head to toe.

I suddenly felt a little insecure in my big ass brontosaurus shirt.

"Hi. Sorry, I haven't introduced myself," he chuckled lowly, holding out his hand. "I'm Aiden."