𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐥𝐲 | 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐄𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡

𝐓𝐞𝐧

𝑩𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒆'𝒔 𝑷𝑶𝑽.

Panama day.

I barely slept the night before — too wired, too ready, too obsessed with every second I was about to spend with Monnie. I planned the whole damn trip around her.
Relaxation days, pool nights, dinners on rooftops.
Q got maybe six hours of my time for the shoot.
Monnie got everything else.

When I pulled up to her building, she was already outside with her suitcase.
Crop top, leggings, hair slicked, lip gloss shining, looking like trouble wrapped in sunshine.

I swear my heart kicked like it recognized her before I did.

Q was leaning against the rental car, arms crossed, sunglasses on, pretending he wasn't burning with jealousy.

The minute Monnie walked up, he muttered under his breath, "Damn, she really coming with us..."

I grabbed her suitcase and kissed her cheek. "Good morning, baby."

Her smile made the whole block brighter.

Q watched, jaw tight. Told you — jealous.
He'd die before admitting it, but I could feel it dripping off him.

Monnie climbed into the backseat and Q immediately turned toward her.

"So Monnie... Panama, huh? You ever been out the country?"

She didn't even look up from her phone. "Nope."

"You gon' love it. Maybe I can show you around some spots—"

"Q," I snapped, "shut the fuck up."

He raised his hands. "I'm just being friendly."

"You're being annoying," I corrected. "And she's not here for you."

Monnie smirked behind me. She liked when I put him in his place — I could tell.

⸻

Security was chaos, but having Monnie beside me made everything easier.
She was laughing at me fighting with the bins, calling me dramatic, bumping her shoulder into mine as we walked.

Q stayed ten feet behind us the whole time, sulking like a kid who wasn't allowed to sit with the cool group.

While he went to grab food, Monnie and I sat near the gate.

She nudged me with her knee. "He's behaving better today."

I snorted. "Because I threatened to leave him outside the airport if he didn't."

She bit her lip, smiling. "I appreciate you standing up for me."

I sat back, eyes softening. "I appreciate you getting along with him for my sake. I know you don't trust him."

Her expression shifted — serious, warm, loyal in a way that felt like a punch to my chest.

"I'm not doing it for him," she said quietly. "I'm doing it for you. Only you. The minute he crosses a line again, that's between you two. But I'll keep it cute. For your music."

My throat tightened.

She didn't realize how much that meant.

I leaned in and kissed her temple softly.
"You're everything, you know that?"

She shrugged like it was nothing, but I saw the smile she tried to hide.

⸻

We boarded first-class — Q refused to fly coach, and honestly? I wasn't complaining.

Monnie sat by the window, I took the middle, and Q got stuck on the aisle like a babysitter nobody wanted.

The second we sat down, Monnie rested her head on my shoulder, fingers playing with the hem of my sleeve.
Soft. Familiar. Comforting in a way that felt brand-new.