I hate you | B.E.

18

DID I CROSS THE LINE?

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Billie sat at her keyboard, her fingers lightly grazing the keys as she searched for inspiration. The silence of the room felt stifling. Every so often, a melody or chord progression would come to her, and she'd quickly jot it down in her notebook, the pages already filled with scribbled notes and half-finished ideas. The tip of her pen rested on her lips, a habit she'd developed. As she played a few chords with her left hand, her eyes unfocused, lost in the music only she could hear in her head.

Billie flinched as the door creaked open, Her fingers hovered above the keys, and she looked up to meet Finneas's stern gaze.

"Hey, Finneas," she smiled at him, as she straightened in her seat and put her pen down. She stood, moving to hug him, but he stopped her with a raised hand. She paused, her hands mid air as she stared at him confused; he never refused her hugs, ever, the two were basically inseparable.

"Billie, you're out of your mind," he said, seething with a frustration Billie was not used her. The way he looked at her made her feel like she was under a magnifying glass, every flaw exposed.

Billie blinked, confused as she brought her hands down to her side. "What are you talking about?"

"Claudia filled me in," he continued, his eyes narrowing. "Aurelia told her everything."

The corners of his mouth turned down in disgust as he rubbed his face with a groan. Billie's heart felt like it had dropped into her stomach, her chest tightening. She wanted to argue, but the words caught in her throat.

"When we talked, you conveniently left out that you were literally abusing Aurelia," he spat. His words cut through her, and she stood frozen, shameful.

"I love you, Billie, but I can't defend you on this. You're completely out of line," he said, jabbing a finger towards her chest as if to emphasize the gravity of her actions.

Billie's eyes dropped to the floor, a tear slipping down her cheek, tracing a path through now smudged mascara beneath her eyes. 

"I don't even know how she still loves you," he muttered, his voice dropping to a disappointed whisper. "You need to fix this."

His words were like daggers, sinking into her body. She knew he spoke from a place of love, but it didn't soften the impact of his harsh assessment.

"You were right when you said you don't deserve her. Because you really don't," he added, his voice final.

Billie winced, her face contorting with pain. Hearing it so bluntly made her feel like she was being torn apart.

"I know... I've been trying to make things right, Fin," she murmured, her voice trembling as she wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. Her emotions were chaotic at this point, but she tried to glue herself together.

Finneas crossed his arms over his chest, his expression hardening. "Have you two had a proper conversation?"

She nodded, her throat tight as she struggled to keep her composure. "Yeah... she hasn't forgiven me... obviously. But I've been trying to show her the person I can be... or who I used to be, at least."

He huffed, his anger slightly easing as he processed her words. "Right. I told Mom. She called Aurora."

The impact of his words hit Billie like a punch to the gut. Her eyes widened, and her head snapped up in panic. Her bottom lip quivered, and she licked her dry lips, her breath coming in short, ragged bursts.