chapter twenty-three:

plot twist

~💚~

billie woke up slowly, her eyes fluttering open as the soft morning light crept through the curtains. the first thing she felt was the warmth of madigan beside her, their bodies tangled under the sheets. billie smiled, her heart swelling with the kind of happiness she hadn't felt in a long time. madigan was still asleep, her face peaceful and relaxed, lips slightly parted as she breathed quietly.

billie lay there for a moment, not wanting to move, just watching her. she couldn't help but stare, completely mesmerized by the girl lying beside her. madigan's hair was splayed out across the pillow, a mess of soft strands that billie loved running her fingers through. she gently brushed a few away from her face, careful not to wake her, and just gazed at her in awe.

her eyes drifted to madigan's face—those lips, slightly swollen from the night before, soft and inviting. billie smiled as she thought of how much she loved kissing them, how they curved when madigan smiled, or how they twisted when she was annoyed or deep in thought. she loved the way madigan's nose crinkled when she laughed, the way her freckles danced across her cheeks, faint but perfect. she loved her eyes, too—those deep, thoughtful eyes that always seemed to be hiding something just beneath the surface, like they could see right through her. and when madigan looked at her with that soft, vulnerable expression, billie felt like she was falling deeper in love every time.

then there was the rest of her, and billie couldn't help but let her gaze roam. madigan's neck, where billie had pressed kisses the night before, was still a little flushed. her shoulders, her arms, her hands—billie loved the way they felt wrapped around her, holding her tight, like madigan never wanted to let go. the curve of her waist, the soft rise and fall of her chest as she breathed—all of it was perfect to billie. every inch of madigan felt like it belonged to her, and the thought made her heart race in the best way possible.

billie smiled to herself, feeling a surge of affection that she couldn't contain. she couldn't believe this was real, that madigan was here, in her bed, with her. she loved everything about her—her laugh, her stubbornness, the way she could be so serious one moment and completely goofy the next. she loved how she challenged billie, how she never treated her like a celebrity but just as billie.

slowly, and with infinite care, billie shifted madigan's sleeping form, guiding her so that her head rested on billie's shoulder, her body draped over billie's chest. madigan let out a soft, contented sigh in her sleep, nuzzling closer without waking. billie smiled, her heart melting at how naturally madigan fit against her. she wrapped her arms around her, pulling her in a little tighter, her hand instinctively sliding up to run through madigan's hair.

her fingers traced lazy patterns through the soft strands, and she couldn't stop thinking about how lucky she felt. this girl, who was so fiercely independent, who didn't care about billie's fame, who challenged her in ways no one else did—this girl was hers. and as billie looked down at her, she realized just how deep her feelings ran. it wasn't just attraction or infatuation anymore; she was head over heels in love with madigan.

the weight of that realization settled over her, warm and comforting. billie's heart ached, but in the best way. she leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to the top of madigan's head, her lips lingering for a moment longer than necessary. she felt madigan stir slightly against her, but she didn't wake. billie didn't mind. she could stay like this forever, holding madigan close, feeling her breath against her skin, running her fingers through her hair.

this—this was everything she'd been missing. not the fame, not the fortune, but this. being with someone who saw her, really saw her, and loved her for who she was beneath it all. and as she held madigan close, she knew she'd do whatever it took to keep her in her life, to protect this fragile, beautiful thing they had.

the world outside could wait. for now, it was just the two of them, wrapped in each other, with nothing to do but exist in this perfect moment together.

madigan stirred slowly, her body shifting against billie's chest as she woke up. her eyes fluttered open, a sleepy smile creeping across her face as she realized where she was—wrapped in billie's arms. she let out a soft sigh and tilted her head up to look at billie, who was already smiling down at her.

"morning," madigan whispered, her voice still thick with sleep.

"morning," billie replied softly, brushing a few strands of hair out of madigan's face. "how'd you sleep?"

madigan chuckled, her arms tightening around billie's waist. "like a rock, honestly. you're surprisingly comfortable."

"surprisingly?" billie raised an eyebrow, grinning. "i'll have you know, i'm very comfortable."

madigan giggled, stretching slightly before nestling back against billie. "you're not wrong."

they lay there for a few more minutes, exchanging soft smiles and quiet words until madigan finally pulled herself out of the warm embrace. "alright, as much as i don't want to move, we should probably get up."

billie sighed dramatically, but there was a playful glint in her eyes. "fine, fine. let's get up before i change my mind and keep you in bed all day."

madigan laughed, rolling out of bed and searching for something to wear. she spotted one of billie's oversized sweatshirts draped over a chair and slipped it on, the fabric swallowing her in its warmth. when she turned to face billie, the singer's eyes lit up.

"you look so good in that," billie said, her voice filled with admiration. "seriously, you should keep it."

madigan raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile on her lips. "you sure? i'm not stealing your favorite sweatshirt, am i?"

billie shook her head, getting out of bed herself and walking over to give madigan a quick kiss. "nah, it looks way better on you than it does on me."

madigan smiled, feeling a flutter in her chest as billie kissed her one more time before they both headed to the kitchen. they worked together to make breakfast, laughing and chatting while they cooked. the morning felt easy, comfortable, like they had been doing this for years.

after breakfast, they packed up their things and got ready to head back to la. the drive was a long one—three hours—but neither of them minded. as they hit the road, billie started playing some music, and soon enough, they were both belting out lyrics to whatever song came on. it was carefree and fun, with the windows down and the wind whipping through the car.

at one point, one of billie's own songs started playing. billie didn't think much of it at first, but then she noticed madigan quietly singing along. billie's eyebrows shot up, her head whipping to look at madigan in surprise.

"wait," billie said, a smile tugging at her lips. "you know my songs?"

madigan hesitated for a second, then gave a sheepish grin. "okay, fine. i may have done some stalking since we started hanging out. i've listened to your music."

billie's eyes widened with excitement. "what? why didn't you tell me? you've been holding out on me!"

madigan chuckled, shrugging as she continued driving. "i don't know... i didn't want to make a big deal out of it. but yeah, i listened to some of your stuff."

billie's excitement bubbled over, her voice filled with genuine curiosity. "so, what do you think? i mean, you said before that this kind of music wasn't really your thing..."

madigan's expression softened, and she glanced at billie, her voice tender as she spoke. "i love your music, billie. your voice... i could listen to it all day. even if the genre's not my usual taste, you make it special."

billie blinked, clearly taken aback. her heart swelled with emotion, a warmth spreading through her chest as she absorbed madigan's words. she leaned over and kissed madigan on the cheek, her voice full of appreciation. "that means more to me than you know."

madigan smiled, her heart racing a little as she felt the weight of billie's gratitude. "well, it's the truth. i didn't think i'd like that kind of music, but you... you made me see it differently. your voice is incredible."

billie couldn't stop smiling, her hand resting on madigan's thigh as they continued down the road. for the rest of the drive, they sang along to more music, occasionally pausing to talk or just bask in the comfort of being with each other. the world outside passed by in a blur, but inside the car, it was just them—laughing, singing, and growing closer with every passing mile.

by the time they neared la, the bond between them felt stronger than ever, and billie couldn't help but feel like she was falling even deeper in love with madigan.