Hostage to you

Chill

The driver, Mike, drops me off at Billie's house. The cool night air brushes against my skin as I step out of the car. It's quiet out here, but I can already feel the slight buzz in my chest. It's nothing new—I've been feeling it more around Billie lately—but tonight it feels different. I can't shake it.

Billie opens the door before I can knock, standing there in an oversized hoodie, her hair loose and slightly messy. Her smile is easy, but there's something about the way her eyes linger on mine for just a second too long that makes the air feel heavier.

"Hey," she says, stepping aside to let me in.

I nod and follow her inside, catching the faint scent of something sweet—her perfume, maybe. It clings to the air around her. The house is quiet, with soft music playing from another room. Billie leads me into the living room where Finneas is lounging on the couch, his guitar resting on his lap.

"Raven!" Finneas greets me with a grin. "She convinced you to come out, huh?"

I shrug, sinking into the armchair. "Didn't take much convincing."

He chuckles, plucking a random chord on the guitar. "Well, welcome to the hangout."

Billie sits on the couch beside him, folding her legs beneath her. Her body relaxes into the cushions, but she keeps sneaking these small glances at me, like she's waiting for something. I feel it too, but I can't put my finger on what's different.

For a while, it's easy. The three of us chat, laughing over nothing, but there's this quiet tension running underneath it all. Finneas must feel it too because every so often, he looks between me and Billie, his brow creasing slightly like he's reading something in the air that neither of us are saying.

"You good, Billie?" Finneas asks suddenly, his tone casual, but there's something in his voice that feels more pointed.

She shrugs, brushing him off with a light smile. "Yeah, why?"

Finneas glances at me, his eyes flicking between us for a beat too long before he turns his attention back to his guitar. "No reason. Just... vibe's a little different, that's all."

I shift in my seat, the weight of his words settling over me, though I can't quite figure out what he means. Is something different? I glance at Billie, and she's already looking at me. Her eyes drop to my hands for a second before she quickly looks away, her smile faltering for just a moment.

I feel my stomach twist, like I've missed something important.

After a while, Finneas stands up, stretching his arms above his head. "Alright, I'm gonna get out of here for a bit. You two have fun."

There's a teasing lilt in his voice, but I can't tell if he's just messing with us or if he actually sees something I'm not. Billie rolls her eyes at him, tossing a pillow his way, but she doesn't say anything.

"Don't stay up too late," he adds, giving me a look before disappearing down the hall.

And then it's just me and Billie.

The room feels quieter now, the low hum of music barely audible over the silence between us. Billie fidgets with the hem of her hoodie, her fingers brushing against the fabric, and I notice how her leg is almost, but not quite, touching mine. She's sitting closer than before.

"You good?" I ask, my voice soft, cutting through the quiet.

Billie looks up at me, her eyes holding mine for just a second too long. "Yeah. I'm good."

There's something in the way she says it, something that makes the space between us feel smaller, like the room is shrinking around us. Her knee shifts, just enough to brush against mine, and for a moment, I think it's an accident. But she doesn't pull away.

I don't move either.

We sit there like that, the silence growing heavier with every second that passes. Billie's gaze drops to my hands, then back to my face. She looks like she wants to say something, but the words don't come.

"You didn't have to come over, you know," she says finally, her voice almost a whisper.

I shrug, trying to keep things casual. "You asked."

Her lips twitch into a faint smile, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Yeah, but you didn't have to say yes."

The air between us is thick now, and I can feel my pulse quickening, though I can't figure out why. This is just Billie. We've hung out a hundred times before, but tonight feels different—like there's something unspoken hanging between us.

I glance down, noticing how her fingers have moved closer to mine on the couch. Close enough that if either of us moved just a little bit more, we'd be touching.

But neither of us does.

"You ever think about..." Billie starts, her voice trailing off as she bites her lip.

"About what?" I ask, my throat suddenly dry.

She hesitates, her eyes flicking up to meet mine again. "No, nothing."

My heart skips a beat, but before I can respond, her phone buzzes on the table, snapping the tension like a rubber band. Billie pulls back quickly, grabbing her phone and glancing at the screen. The moment—whatever it was—is gone.

"Sorry," she mutters, typing out a response. "Just... give me a second."

I lean back, trying to catch my breath. I don't know what just happened, but it felt like something. Like we were teetering on the edge of something, and neither of us knew what to do about it.

When Finneas comes back, the mood shifts. He plops back down on the couch, tossing Billie a look before turning to me with a smirk.

"You two good?" he asks, like he's in on some joke I don't get.

Billie laughs, brushing it off, but there's a tightness to her smile now. I don't know if Finneas noticed anything while he was gone, but he's watching us more closely than before, like he's picked up on something neither of us is saying.

"Yeah, we're good," I say, trying to play along, though my voice doesn't come out as steady as I'd like.

Finneas just nods, still grinning. "Right. Well, don't let me interrupt whatever's going on here."

He's teasing, but there's an edge to it, like he knows more than he's letting on. Billie shoots him a look, and I shift uncomfortably in my seat, suddenly too aware of how close we're sitting.

Eventually, the night winds down, and I stand to leave. Billie walks me to the door, her expression softer now, almost like she's still thinking about something she doesn't want to say out loud.

"Thanks for coming over," she says quietly, leaning against the doorframe.

"Anytime," I reply, but there's something heavy in the way she's looking at me, like she's waiting for me to do... something.

I step outside, feeling the cool night air hit me as Billie watches me from the doorway. There's a tension there, unspoken but palpable, like we're both waiting for the other to say or do something we won't.

But neither of us does.