Night Shifts | Billie Eilish

Chapter Six

THE MISTAKE

"I- uhm- uh," Billie stammered, backing out of the kitchen. "Wait, it's okay! You don't have to answer! I didn't realize it was going to stress you out so much. Sorry, Billie," I said, trying to ease the situation, although it wasn't really working.

"Fuck. Come back, I'm really sorry," I said, putting down the bag of granola I had in my hand and walking over to her. Billie looked at the wooden floor, scratching her elbow. "I didn't know that would be such a sensitive topic for you. I am genuinely sorry. I shouldn't have done that," I said, and before I knew it, she was bringing her hands up to her eyes, her shoulders falling with a sob.In all honesty, I wanted to punch myself.

That poor girl is so precious, and I have potentially messed everything up. "Oh no," I muttered to myself. Surprisingly, Billie didn't back away like I was expecting. She looked up teary-eyed and weakly put her arms out for a hug. I didn't waste any time, wrapping her up safely in my arms and hugging her tightly.

"It's okay, you're safe with me," I whispered into her ear. It only made her cry harder.I could hear Billie murmuring something amidst her hiccups, but I couldn't make it out. "What are you saying, honey?" I asked, pulling away slightly. "Sorry," she cried. "Oh no, no, no, don't be sorry. It's okay. I'm the one who should be sorry," I hushed, bringing her back into the hug.Her head rested on my shoulder, and I couldn't help but take note of the sweet smell of her hair. Everything about Billie was sweet, so I shouldn't have been surprised by the waft of vanilla and citrus I got.

The girl in my arms calmed down after a short while. I deemed it safe enough for me to pull back and take a look at her. Her face was red and blotchy, her eyes bloodshot, and her eyelids puffy. None of which are attractive on most people, but she was so pitifully looking that it was adorable.

Well, to me at least.

"Oh, my heart aches. Here, come sit down. I'll get you some water and tissues."I guided Billie to the table in the middle of my kitchen and pulled back a chair for her to sit on. I grabbed a glass and filled it up with water. On my way back to Billie, I grabbed the box of Kleenex on the counter and brought it back.

I put it down beside her and handed the glass over.

She took it and gulped down the whole thing. Billie pulled it from her lips and placed it down onto the table, taking heavy breaths. "Thirsty?" I asked. She nodded, licking her lips and grabbing a tissue to wipe her face.

"Why-uhm if- I was-if I did regress, how would it change how you treat me?" she asked, balling up the used tissue in her hand and pulling at the frayed edges. "Like in the hospital? Or as a person?" I asked. "Uh, both, I guess," she shrugged. "Well, in the hospital, we as staff can be more accommodating and discuss it further as a coping mechanism, and as a person, it wouldn't change anything about how I personally treat you right now," I said.

"An-and you said you're a caregiver, right?"

"Mhm-hm, I am," I said, putting my elbow on the table and leaning my head against it, looking at the girl in the chair. "Have you ever cared for someone?" Billie asked, looking up. "I have, in the past," I nodded.

"Anyone now?"

I thought to myself. "Technically, yes, but it's complicated," I told her, kind of hinting towards what I was trying to say, but she didn't seem to catch on to it. Her gaze dropped back to her lap as she continued to fiddle with her tissue.

The silence grew awkward, so I stood up. "So, breakfast?"

Billie just shrugged. I grabbed the granola and put it on the table. "Do you like this? Or something else? I have bread too. Do you like toast?" I suggested, but I was getting nothing from her. "I want to help you, but I don't want to make you something you don't want, Billie. Talk to me," I said, stupidly bending down to find her gaze.

She couldn't help but giggle while trying to keep a frown. "Toast is fine," she mumbled, pushing me away playfully. "There she is," I chuckled, going to my pantry to grab the bread. I grabbed two slices and pressed them down into the toaster to cook.

While it was cooking, I grabbed myself a bowl and some milk for my granola.

"How do your arms feel?" I asked. "Hurts, but it's fine," she shrugged. "You sure? I can give you some pain relief," I asked. She shook her head. I grabbed her toast and put it on a plate. "What do you want on it?" I asked, opening up my fridge for her to see my options."I kinda feel like just butter," she said.

"Here you go, then," I said, putting the plate, butter, and a knife in front of her. "Thank you," Billie said quietly as I sat down to eat my cereal. She grabbed the knife and dug into the butter. Her shirt was too big for her body, her arms bandaged up, and her bed hair spread all over the place haphazardly.

I can't help but think, "Fuck, she's so cute."

916 words.