The past few days had been a blur of packing boxes, signing papers, and planning out where everything would go in the new house. Me and Courtney were officially moving in today, and the excitement was overwhelming.

Billie had been by my side through the whole process, helping me pack, driving me to get last-minute essentials, and making sure I wasn't over-stressing.

By the time we finished moving the last box into the house, Billie had casually suggested we stop by Finneas and Claudia's place before unpacking, saying they wanted to see the new homeowners and congratulate them. I didn't think much of it-until I walked through the front door.

---

Billie's pov

I had been planning this for days. Every little detail-the decorations, the lights, the playlist, even the food that Claudia helped set up-I wanted it to be perfect. Not just for Courtney, but mostly for Heavenly. I knew what this move meant to her. A fresh start. Stability. Something real.

She never got to have a celebration like this before. She never really had people who showed up for her. But I wanted to change that. I wanted to be that for her.

So when the front door swung open and she stepped inside with Courtney, my heart was already racing.

"Surprise!" the whole room erupted.

Courtney gasped, instantly beaming as she took everything in, already thanking Finneas and Claudia for putting this together.

But Heavenly... she just stood there.

Her eyes were wide, scanning the room like she wasn't sure if she was dreaming or if this was really happening. Her lips parted slightly, but she didn't say anything.

I stepped closer, bumping her shoulder playfully. "What do you think?"

She turned to me, her expression unreadable. I caught a flicker of something in her eyes-something raw, something fragile-before she quickly masked it.

"You did this?" Her voice was quiet, uncertain.

I shrugged, trying to act casual even though my heart was hammering. "Of course. You deserve something good after all the stress."

A small smile tugged at her lips, but it didn't reach her eyes. And before I could ask if she was okay, Courtney was pulling her deeper into the party, gushing over how amazing everything was.

The night went on. People drank, laughed, celebrated. Courtney was in her element, soaking up the energy, dancing in the middle of the room.

I tried to mingle, but I was distracted.

My eyes kept finding Heavenly.

She wasn't really here.

She was distant, her smiles forced. When people spoke to her, she nodded, gave small answers, but it was like she was somewhere else entirely.

Then, at some point... she was just gone.

I didn't even notice right away. I had been caught up talking to Finneas and Claudia, but when I glanced around the room, I realized I hadn't seen her in a while.

A bad feeling crept up my spine.

I slipped away from the crowd, moving down the hallway toward the stairs.

Upstairs, the bathroom door was shut.

I knocked lightly. "Heavenly?"

Silence.

I pressed my palm against the door, listening. Then, faintly, I heard it.

Soft, choked sobs.

My stomach dropped.

"Heavenly," I said, quieter this time. "Open the door."

Nothing.

I exhaled, resting my forehead against the wood.

I didn't know what to say. Didn't know how to fix this.

But I wanted to.

-----
Heavenlys pov

I locked the bathroom door behind me, my hands shaking as I gripped the counter. My chest was tight, my breathing uneven, and no matter how hard I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, it wouldn't go away.

The party was still going downstairs. I could hear the faint sound of laughter, music, people celebrating. Courtney's people. Billie's people.

I had no one.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, my vision blurring with unshed tears.

This was supposed to be a happy moment. A fresh start. A new home. But standing in that room, watching everyone celebrate, I realized something I had been trying so hard to ignore.

I didn't have a mother who would call to check on me. I didn't have a father who would show up and tell me how proud he was. I didn't have childhood friends reminiscing about how we always dreamed of this moment.

I had no one.

Except for Courtney. Except for Billie. Except for Finneas and Claudia, who had been nothing but kind to me, but even with them-I felt like I was just... there.

Not really a part of anything.

I let out a sharp breath, gripping the edge of the sink. My arms felt weak, my head was spinning.

Why did I even come? Why did I let myself think, even for a second, that I was worth celebrating?

A broken girl with nothing to offer.

Tears slipped down my face before I could stop them, my body shaking as silent sobs racked through me. I slid down to the floor, pulling my knees to my chest, trying to make myself small.

There was a knock at the door.

I stiffened, quickly wiping my face.

"Heavenly?" Billie's voice was soft, but firm.

I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing my forehead against my knees. I didn't want to see her right now. I didn't want anyone to see me like this.

She knocked again, this time gentler. "Open the door."

I couldn't.

I couldn't move. Couldn't speak.

The weight in my chest felt unbearable, like I was sinking into something I couldn't crawl out of.

"Heavenly," Billie said again, quieter this time.

Her voice... there was something in it. Something real.

I swallowed hard, my throat raw from holding back the sobs.

But I still didn't answer.

The silence stretched between us, thick and heavy. I knew Billie was still on the other side of the door-I could hear her breathing, could almost feel her presence through the wood.

A part of me wanted to open the door. Wanted her to hold me, to tell me it was okay, to remind me I wasn't as alone as I felt.

But the other part of me?

The part that had been abandoned, broken, left behind over and over again?

That part told me to stay quiet.

To push her away before she had the chance to do the same to me.

A shaky breath slipped past my lips, and before I could even stop myself, a muffled sob followed. I clamped a hand over my mouth, hating how weak I sounded. Hating how Billie made me feel seen even when I didn't want to be.

"Heavenly," Billie said again, her voice softer now, more pleading. "Please, just open the door."

I squeezed my eyes shut, my fingers digging into my arms.

I shouldn't.

I couldn't.

But my body moved before my mind could stop it.

I reached up with trembling fingers and unlocked the door.

The handle turned almost immediately, and then Billie was there, stepping inside and shutting the door behind her.

Her blue eyes found mine, scanning my face, taking in my tear-streaked cheeks, my red-rimmed eyes, my trembling hands.

She didn't say anything.

She didn't need to.

Because a second later, she was kneeling in front of me, her arms wrapping around me, pulling me against her.

And I broke.

The sobs I had been holding in crashed over me like a tidal wave, my body shaking violently as I clung to her. Billie didn't speak, didn't shush me or tell me to calm down-she just held me. Firm. Warm. Real.

My fingers curled into the fabric of her hoodie, gripping onto her like she was the only thing keeping me from falling apart completely.

And maybe she was.

She ran her fingers through my hair, her touch gentle, grounding. "You're not alone," she whispered, her breath warm against my temple. "I promise you, you're not alone."

I wanted to believe her.

I really, really did.

But a part of me was still scared.

Still waiting for the moment she would realize I was too much.

That I wasn't worth the effort.

And she'd leave, just like everyone else.