Chasing Air // Billie Eilish

Chapter 24

BILLIE'S P.O.V

"Why have you been so off lately, El?" I asked, setting my hand on her face as we laid down on our sides, facing each other.

"What do you mean?"

I smiled, brushing my thumb across her cheek. "You know what I mean."

She took in a shaky breath, her eyes glossing over. "You're so beautiful and precious and you mean the world to me."

My face heated up and my stomach flipped at the compliment. "Okay... I don't understand why that's making you sad."

She grabbed my hand off of her face, pressing the back of my hand up to her soft lips, peppering it with kisses. Suddenly, she sat up and sighed.

"What's wrong, baby?" I rested my forehead on her shoulder, wrapping my arms loosely around her waist.

"And you're really important to me. You know that, right?"

"Yes." I let out a nervous chuckle. Where was this coming from?

"You make me really happy all the time, and if I could, I'd spend every second with you. We have the most interesting conversations and even when we don't, your presence has always just been enough. You've helped me through so many things." She laughed, sniffling. "And I really, really appreciate it."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What's up? Why are you telling me this? Why does it sound like a goodbye? Why are you crying?"

She shook her head, laughing. "I'm not crying and I'm not going anywhere."

"Damn right, you're not." I pushed her back down and laid on my stomach, on top of her, wrapping my arms around her waist.

"Promise everything's okay?" I asked after a minute, raising my head to look up at her.

"Everything's okay." She kissed my head before laying it back down on her chest and turning my LED lights off.

-

I lifted my head up as I felt Elliot moving beneath me. "What are you doing?"

"I have to get ready for work." She laughed.

I turned my phone on. "At three in the morning?"

"I have to open today. We open at 4:00."

"In the morning?"

She laughed. "In the morning. It's coffee, baby."

My stomach swarmed with butterflies at the name. I groaned. "Why do you have to work?"

"For money, you dork."

"Fuck money. I want you to stay here."

She laughed. "I know, but I'm going anyways."

"Can I come?"

"Can you come?"

"Yeah." I nodded. What she said scared me. What if she was just telling me that she was going to work but she was actually leaving? I didn't know where she'd be going but I knew that I didn't want her to go.