off-key | b.e

they'd been writing together for weeks now. late nights. cold coffee that billie pretended to like. melodies that lingered long after the speakers went quiet. everyone kept calling it a dream collaboration. max kept calling it confusing.
because sometimes billie would lean closer when they listened back, shoulder brushing max's, and neither of them would move away. and sometimes billie would pull back so suddenly it felt like rejection, even though nothing had been offered.
billie hit stop. silence filled the room, heavy and intimate.
"it sounds like we're lying," she said softly.
max looked up. "about what?"
billie didn't answer right away. she stared at the mixing board, fingers resting uselessly against the sliders.
"i don't know," she said. "but whatever it is, it's throwing the whole thing off-key."

(lowercase intended)
gxg. intimate scenes will be written. this is my first book so be gracious.

thank you & enjoyyyy👾

#1 in eilish 1/10/26