𝐁eyond the Lens - b.e

43 -

Ellie returned to the hotel, her heart racing, her thoughts spinning wildly. She was shaken, deeply unsettled by what had just happened at Billie's place. That moment suspended between them, the almost-kiss, and then Finneas' sudden interruption. She couldn't stop replaying the scene in her mind, trying to understand how they had gotten to that point, how the tension between them had escalated so much.

A part of her was frustrated with Finneas for knocking at the door at that exact moment, right before their lips could meet. But a larger part of her felt almost relieved. Would a kiss have been a mistake? What if it changed everything between them? What if that sudden closeness ended up ruining the fragile bond they had only just started to build? Ellie couldn't help but ask herself these questions.

She sighed deeply as she walked down the hallway, her mind racing with every new thought. Everything could have shifted tonight. She knew it, she was aware of it. The tension between her and Billie wasn't something she could ignore, but the idea of going further scared her. They were going to be together every day for the next two months on tour. A kiss could complicate everything, make things more tense, more confusing. And yet... she couldn't deny the attraction she had felt.

Lost in her thoughts, Ellie slowed her pace in front of her hotel room door, hesitating to go in. She needed to talk to someone, to sort through her emotions. And the only person that came to mind right now was Kate.

Ellie left Livaï in her room, then closed the door and quickly made her way to Kate's room, her heart still heavy. She knew Kate would understand, wouldn't judge, and would tell her what she needed to hear.

She knocked softly on her friend's door, her heart still racing from the turmoil. After a few seconds, the door opened, revealing Kate in her pajamas, her hair down and a sleepy smile on her face.

"Ellie?" she asked, frowning slightly, clearly surprised to see her at this late hour. "What's going on?"

Ellie lowered her eyes, hesitating for a moment. "I need to talk. Something happened tonight... and I'm feeling so fucking lost, like a teenager."

Without hesitation, Kate opened the door wide and invited her in. "Come on in, let's talk."

Ellie walked into the room, letting the door close softly behind her. She sat down on the bed, her hands clasped on her knees, while Kate took a seat next to her, attentive.

"So, tell me everything," Kate said gently, sensing that this was something important.

Ellie took a deep breath before diving into her story, the words almost spilling out on their own. "Tonight, at Billie's... something happened between us. We were talking, laughing, and then... I don't know how it happened, but things got more serious. She started talking about her loneliness, her past, and there was this... tension between us. It was so intense."

Kate listened carefully, her eyes searching Ellie's with silent understanding.

"We were about to kiss," Ellie confessed, her voice dropping lower. "I really think it was going to happen, but Finneas knocked on the door right at that moment."

There was a brief silence, then Kate raised an eyebrow slightly. "And how do you feel about that?"

Ellie shook her head, looking confused. "I don't know. Part of me is frustrated that it didn't happen... but another part of me is relieved. What if that kiss had changed everything between us? What if it ruined things?"

Kate took a moment before responding, thinking carefully about how to phrase her thoughts. "I understand your concerns. It's normal to be afraid that something like that could complicate things. But there's also the possibility that it wouldn't complicate anything at all."