Insomnia // Billie Eilish

Chapter 40

"No," Billie said as she talked to somebody on the phone. She paused for a minute, licking her lips. "I don't know... a lot's been happening. I just don't think—" She paced back and forth. "Okay, but she's been going through a lot—well, I understand, but—" She let out a frustrated sigh. "Okay. I'll call you later." She hung up and plopped down on the bed, laying her head in my lap.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, running my fingers through her hair.

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Yeah. They want me to do something with you in public to 'keep the fans interested,'" she mocked her manager's voice. "Nobody really knows who I was with at the airport besides us, so they basically want me to hang out with you, publicly so that people will post about it and stuff, but you're already going through a lot. I don't want you to have to deal with that right now."

"Baby, just do what you need to do, okay? I'll be fine." I pressed a kiss to her forehead and her eyes fluttered shut.

She sighed. "I love you."

"I love you too." I smiled, kissing her.

-

"I can get it myself," I said, opening the cabinet.

She laughed, skeptically. "Okay."

I reached up to grab a cup but I couldn't reach it. I was only an inch or two away when I stood on my tippy toes. I turned around and pursed my lips. "Whoa, what is that?" I pointed behind her to distract her.

"What?" She turned around and I lifted myself up onto the counter. "You're gonna fall and I'm gonna laugh," she said blankly. I guess I overestimated my ability to quickly lift myself onto the counter.

"I am not." I grabbed a cup and held onto the cabinet, almost falling.

She quickly grabbed my waist and pulled me off the counter, laughing. "See, you should've just let me get it for you."

"I was fine," I assured her, filling my cup with water and then drinking it.

"Mm-hm." She took a bite of her avocado toast.

I shook my head. "Come on. Get in the car."

Billie looked at me, sadly. "My toast," she said, her mouth full.

"Bring it with you. Eat it in the car."

"Fine." She sighed. "Let's go." She grabbed her keys and we got in the car. "Hold this." She handed me her toast and backed out of the driveway.

A couple minutes later she opened her mouth, slightly turning her head towards me but keeping her eyes trained on the road. "Toast." I put her toast near her mouth and she took a bite.

-

"Damnit," I shouted as my last ship in Galaga got shot. My score was 300,050.

"Oh my god," Billie yelled. "Howwww?"

"I was so close to beating my high score," I complained.

Billie looked at me, exhaustedly. "That's not your high score?"

I laughed. "No."

She shook her head. "I hate you."

"Love you too, Bil." I pressed a kiss to her cheek. She smiled, a light pink dusting her cheeks.

"Well, what have we here?" Bryant's familiar voice echoed through the arcade. Billie's face dropped. I turned around to see Olivia and Bryant making there way over to us, arm in arm.

"Oh, shit," I whispered. Billie didn't know that that was Bryant. I hoped she didn't find out. I stared at Olivia, warily.

"Fancy seeing you guys here." Olivia smirked.

"Olivia." Billie smiled wryly, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me closer to her. "Always a pleasure."

"Mm-hm." She stared at her for a minute. "Anyways. This is my boyfriend." Olivia looked towards me, waiting for my reaction.

"Olivia," I warned. "I don't think I heard anybody ask—"

"Bryant Walker. I'm sure Mackenzie's mentioned him before."

"Wait a second. This is the little bitch you were talking about?" Billie turned me towards her.

"Calm down. Let's leave before you do something stupid." I tugged on her arm.

"What's wrong? You didn't like the work my boys did on her. I think it made her look much better. It hid her ugly ass face."

Billie shrugged me off and stepped towards him. "What the fuck did you just say?"

"Stop it! We're leaving. Now." I pulled her back and interlaced our fingers. "Don't give him what he wants. And you can't afford to get into stuff like this. It'll ruin you."

"Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry, baby." She kissed my head. "Let's go." As soon as we walked out of the arcade, people surrounded us, shoving cameras in our faces.

"Is this your girlfriend?"

"What's her name?"

"Who were you arguing with?"

"Billie, look over here!"

"That's enough, dude," Billie said. "Watch out." She pushed through the small crowd and opened the car door for me.

"Well... that was interesting."

Billie nodded, tracing her fingers along the steering wheel. "So, that's the dude that had you beat up so bad?"

I pursed my lips. "Yeah."

"And he goes to your school? This is a dude you have to see every day?"

"Yep."

"God." She shook her head. "You shouldn't have to deal with that."

"It's okay. I'm fine now, Billie."

"Yeah, you're fine until he decides to do it again!" I jumped a little at the sudden loud noise. She sighed, leaning back.

"I'm sorry," I said, quietly.

"You don't need to apologize, baby. This isn't your fault."

"Maybe it is, Bil. Maybe I should've just cooperated with Olivia." I furrowed my eyebrows. "Then, none of this would've happened."

I looked over at Billie. Her eyes were glossy. She bit her bottom lip and turned to look out of the window. I put my hand on her cheek and turned her head towards me. "Hey," I said, softly, rubbing my thumb across her cheek. "What's wrong?"

A tear rolled down her cheek as she blinked and she took in a shaky breath, wiping the tear away. "I'm just so fucking worried. You have so much going on. So many people that hurt you for petty reasons. It hurts to see you hurting... you know what I mean? I want to help you, but I don't know how. I can't."

"Yeah, but I'm gonna be okay. I'll be fine. You help me by just being you. All I want is you. Don't worry about anything else besides being you, and I'll be okay." I leaned my forehead against hers. "I love you."

She smiled, connecting our lips. "I love you too."