Arms Length

Chapter 21: The way we started Made it Something Cursed

**Billie**

Jade's leaving the tour.... Those words echo in my head like lyrics to a bad song. She left and I was too stubborn to even go to her room and talk to her or give the apology she deserved. I haven't even texted her, even though I've thought about it, I thought about it every night when I was sleeping alone, or when I performed 'When I Was Older' because I know that's her favorite. I don't even know if we're broken up because technically speaking, we never had that talk, but this, this definitely feels like a breakup, not just a friend taking a break from my tour. I wasn't lying when I told Jade I'd been in love with her since I saw her that day in the parking lot. I don't know why I believed what Sophie told me honestly. I feel stupid.

After Jade left the tour every rehearsal in Mexico and South America had some kind of hiccup, which Sophie refused to acknowledge, even after Danny called her out and Finneas yelled at her and he rarely yells. I'm pretty sure Danny has had it up to his eyeballs with this bitch's bullshit. And I'm pretty sure Danny's called this last-minute meeting to discuss plans for the European leg of the tour. Great, just what we all want to do at 10pm on Monday night after a flight, have a fucking meeting.

"I know, no one wants to be here." Danny says. "We have about a month to before Europe and before we get to zero hour... I wanted to address a couple things." He taps his pen. "Miss Baker will not be joining us in Europe. We had too many technical issues arise while we were in Mexico and South America." Thank Fuck!

"So, are we going to have an intern with us in Europe?" I ask trying not to sound too desperate.

"I sent Miss Holland an email this morning extending another offer to her, but she hasn't responded yet, I also spoke to Miss Patterson about Miss Holland, hopefully we can get Miss Holland back on board." Danny says looking over his notes, as he rubs his eyes.

"Do we even know if she's still with Interscope?" Finneas asks

"She's in a recording session with Dermot Kennedy right now." Danny says. "She's been working with him for past 3 days." Great, I get to compete with some asshole. "And, if she says no, we'll make do with no intern on tour with us. We've toured without one before." Danny says shrugging. "That's all for the evening. Everyone go home and get some sleep; it's been a long day."

I push myself away from the table, stand up and stretch and follow Fin out of the conference room.

Her car is still here, that matte gray z28 I find as equally sexy as I find her. "You okay, Bil?" Fin asks getting into the SUV.

"Y-yeah?" I nod my head getting into the SUV slowly hoping to catch a glimpse of her walking out of the building. "Can we wait her for a second? Please?"

"Of course, Miss Eilish." The driver says.

Fifteen hours... well minutes later Jade emerges from the building pulling her, well actually my hoodie off her body, holding her backpack between her thighs and her keys in between her teeth. She smooths her t-shirt down, slings her backpack over her shoulder and makes her way to her car.

"Go on." Fin says nodding to Jade.

I sigh, "I can't."

"Stop being an asshole, Bil. Go talk to her." He says giving me a push.

I take a deep breath, open the car door and jog over to Jade slowly. Please don't let her pepper spray me. "Jade?"

"Yeah?" She looks at me, "Oh... hey..."

"C-can we talk?"

"Yeah." She says unlocking her car, then looks at me, like she's waiting for me to start the conversation.

"I... how have you been?"

She cocks her eyebrow. "I've been great, Bil. I left Mexico not knowing where I stood with you, the person I thought was my friend tried to ruin what I have or had with you, and got away with doing the bare minimum while we interned together, and has zero remorse for doing what she did. How have you been?" she asks rolling her eyes as she opens her car door and sets her backpack on the passenger seat.

I guess I deserve that response. "I had that coming." I run my hand through my hair.

She sighs, looks at me and away quickly. "Is that all you wanted? To ask me how I've been?" She looks like she wants to cry.

"I'm sorry..." I say locking eyes with her.

"Bils!" I hear Sophie, of course. "You didn't tell me you were here." She says walking over to me and Jade. "Oh... Hi Jade." She smiles fakely.

"Yeah we had a late meeting." I say flatly, my focus still on Jade.

"Did I interrupt?" Sophie cocks her head.

I see Jade blink slowly, but it was what was behind that blink,that said it all; it was an irritated eyeroll behind that slow, cat-like blink. "No.... I was just leaving...." She says her eyes still dead-locked with mine.

"Oh, too bad..." Sophie says poking out her bottom lip.

"I'll call you later... okay?" All I see is Jade.

"Okay..."She says biting the inside of her cheek before sliding into her driver's seat.

I feel Sophie jerk me away from Jade nearly pulling my arm out of its socket. "Danny didn't tell me there was a meeting. What happened?" Sophie asks pulling me over to her car. I can still see the SUV parked, the headlights are now off, I'm pretty sure I can see Fin asleep in the backseat. Shit. I'll offer to buy him a nice bag of coffee tomorrow.

"Just to go over tour stuff. Look Sophie, I need to get going, it's late and the car is still waiting on me..." I say trying to shrug her off.

"Okay, but listen, I was thinking since you and Jade aren't really dating anymore, maybe we could have dinner sometime?"

"Listen...." I hold up my hand.

"Sorry to interrupt." I hear Jade's voice from behind us. Sophie looks beyond annoyed. "Eilish, you forgot this." Jade says holding the hoodie I let her borrow back in February.

"Oh...uh you can keep it... ba... Jade." I say cutting myself off before I can finish the nickname.

"You also forgot this." She says pressing her lips against mine as her fingers lace through the hair at the back of neck. I'm shocked for about .05 seconds and waste no time pulling her into my body by her hips and slide my tongue into her mouth. God, she tastes like a watermelon jolly-rancher. I hear her let out a soft sigh into kiss as I grip her hips roughly and grin in the kiss. I hear Sophie scoff just as Jade pulls away lightly pressing her lips against mine.

"Call me when you get home." I whisper against her lips.

"Okay." She whispers and nods before she saunters back over to her car. I'm not sure if she kissed me for show or because she wanted to, either way I'll take it.