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A week passed, and Billie made no intention to stop herself from seeing Ezra. Each location in the tour between Pittsburgh and Miami created a new opportunity for the two to sneak away and get their fix between recording sessions, sound checks, and shows. Though Billie didn't want to admit it, she had found herself in an inescapable loop with the singer that she had no desire getting out of.
The arrangement was simple. They'd reach a new destination, pleasure each other, and go on pretending as if they were strangers. Truthfully, there wasn't enough time in this leg of the tour to pencil in anything more than a quick hookup. Though she didn't mind sticking to the rules she outlined between them, Billie missed the conversations that came with seeing Ezra.
They hadn't said more than a handful of words to each other in person, and the same went for their texts. They only reached out when making plans, which Billie took most of the initiative on. She should be grateful that Ezra understood his place, but part of her wondered if there was something beyond respecting her boundaries that she was missing.
Though she wanted to shake the idea of Ezra being preoccupied with someone else, she just couldn't stop herself from thinking about it. It was more likely that he was busy with the constant recording sessions and meetings that filled his schedule. Yet, it couldn't have been a coincidence that he had withdrawn himself from the group ever since New York.
All Billie could think of was that ghostly image of him in the penthouse party. All alone while surrounded by dozens of people.
She couldn't remember the last time he had gone out with everyone. It seemed Ezra had an excuse or prior obligation that Jeff made a point of expressing before every show. Maybe it was for the best that he didn't join, since partying wasn't conducive to keeping Ezra safe and coherent for the tour.
Besides, she had been seriously neglecting Monte. Though she had made her intentions clear with the photographer, he was still very much interested. They spent a majority of the nights during that week together while out with everyone, but Billie couldn't bring herself to sleep with him again. Monte was nice, but he wasn't naive. He had taken the hint and stopped asking her out on dates or offering for her to come home with him. It seemed as if they were better at being friends than lovers, anyways.
Even though she couldn't imagine herself with Monte, part of her felt like she was making a mistake. It was as if she was throwing away something perfect in the pursuit of something broken. Her relationship with Ezra was fickle and rough around the edges, and yet, she couldn't help herself when it came to him. One look into those stormy eyes and she was putty in his hands.
When they arrived in Miami, the girls were immediately preoccupied with a meeting Monica had set up with a few potential investors. The executives decided to stay for the soundcheck to get a better feel for the girls, which captured Billie's attention for a majority of the morning and afternoon leading up to the show. Of course, the meeting was a bust.
