Nightcall - Billie Eilish

15 -

My eyes darted frantically between Skeet and Billie. What the hell was going on?

I finally locked my gaze on Skeet, searching for an explanation.

"What the fuck are you doing here ?"

He gave me a nervous smile and stepped further out of the shadows of the room. Behind him, Billie was moving closer, looking calm yet intrigued.

"With Billie?" I added, incredulous.

Skeet raised his hands defensively, clearly uncomfortable.

"It's not what you think."

I took a small step back, suddenly realizing I might have stumbled into something I wasn't supposed to see. At least they were dressed, unlike that idiot from earlier. Ugh, that image was going to haunt me for a long time.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Billie raised an eyebrow and took a step forward, her voice cutting through the tension.

"We weren't fucking, you weirdo"

Well, at least that cleared things up. Before I could respond, she turned to Skeet, looking surprised.

"Wait a second, bro... is this your Dina?"

I immediately frowned and turned to Skeet.

"Your Dina?" I repeated, packing all my annoyance into those two words.

Skeet avoided my eyes, looking thoroughly uncomfortable as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Yeah," he muttered sheepishly. "It's her."

That simple reply drew a loud, genuine laugh from Billie, the kind of laugh that almost shook her.

"Shit, now this I didn't see coming."

I looked back and forth between Skeet and Billie, desperately searching their faces for some kind of explanation.

"Alright," I finally blurted out, exasperation dripping from my voice, "who's going to explain what the hell is going on here?"

Billie stepped closer, her piercing gaze locking onto mine as if she could see straight through me.

"We're friends, Skeet and I," she said simply, as if that explained everything.

Before I could respond, Skeet turned to her, looking even more lost than I was.

"Hold on... she's your Dina from the record store?"

Okay, that was it.

"What the fuck is with this "your Dina" crap? I'm not somebody's goddamn property!"

A heavy silence fell over the room. Billie looked like she might have been blushing, but in the dim light, I couldn't be sure. Between the muted glow, the music vibrating through the walls, and their baffling dynamic, I felt like I was trapped in some surreal scene.

"Alright, I'm done," I sighed, raising my hands in surrender. "I'm way too drunk to try and make sense of this mess. I'll leave you to it."

I spun on my heel, ready to escape this absurd situation. But just as I started to walk away, Skeet's voice stopped me.

"Wait, Dina, can we talk?"

I froze and turned around, but before I could say anything, Billie stepped in. She lightly placed a hand on Skeet's arm, like she was trying to calm him down.

"I'll stay with her, Skeet," she said. "Go join the guys."

Skeet frowned, surprised, but after a moment's hesitation, he just smiled.

"Whatever you say," he replied before glancing at me one last time.

"See you later, Dina."

And just like that, he disappeared into the crowd, leaving me alone with Billie.

She studied me for a moment, her lips curling into a sly smile.

"So, you actually came to my party?"

"Are you kidding? You're the one who invited me."

"Dude, you ghosted me after the invite. I wasn't expecting you to show."

I shrugged, trying to hide my embarrassment.

"Is it a good thing I came?"

Billie stepped closer, shrinking the space between us. I instinctively stepped back, but her presence seemed to fill the entire room.

"A very good thing," she murmured, her voice low and warm.

She brushed past me, close enough to almost touch. Her scent, soft and intoxicating, momentarily drowned out the noise of the party.

"Come on, let's get you a glass of water," she said, extending a hand toward me.

I hesitated but eventually took it. Her hand was soft and warm, her fingers pressing lightly against mine as her thumb grazed my skin, sending a shiver through me.

Damn it, why did just holding her hand make me feel this way?

She led me through the crowd, and I followed without resistance, my mind a haze. One thought wouldn't stop nagging me: Skeet.

Why was Skeet always everywhere, crossing my path at every turn? And seriously, out of everyone in Los Angeles, how the hell did he know Billie Eilish, like she was just the girl next door?

After what felt like an endless trek through the crowd, we finally reached the kitchen. Billie grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and handed it to me with another one of those disarming smiles.

"Here you go, gorgeous. This will help."

"Thanks," I mumbled, thrown off balance.

Her gaze lingered on me, unwavering, and it made me so uncomfortable I had to look away, staring down at the water bottle instead. I thought I heard her chuckle softly.

The silence between us grew heavier. Too heavy. I felt compelled to break it.

"How do you know Skeet?" I asked, looking back up at her.

"He's one of my brother's friends."

I nodded, digesting this new piece of information before speaking again, more cautiously this time.

"I guess he told you how we met, huh?"

An amused smile spread across her lips, but then she seemed to think of something, her expression shifting suddenly. She inhaled sharply, her eyes widening.

"No way, hold on!"

I raised an eyebrow, confused.

"The texts you sent me about that shitty hookup... That was Skeet?"

I couldn't help but smile, bringing the water bottle to my lips, wishing it were something stronger.

Billie burst into laughter.

"God, I'm never getting over this! He didn't tell me the story like that."

"Oh yeah?"

"You've really got him hooked," she said, still laughing.

Then her eyes scanned me, head to toe, without a shred of subtlety. She paused, as if savoring the moment, then added with a sly grin,

"You're a heartbreaker, Dina."

Those words, the way she said my name, that look... It made me blush despite myself. I couldn't understand what was happening, but one thing was certain: this girl had a strange hold on me. A magnetic presence I'd never felt before.

Not with a girl.