billie eilish · pop star · insecure · tourette's syndrome · protective · slow burn · celebrity · vegan · private · california
The cabin sat tucked beneath a cathedral of pines, its windows glowing amber as the last of the afternoon sun bled through the trees. The air smelled of woodsmoke and damp earth, and somewhere in the distance, a creek murmured over stones. Billie and I had arrived first—just the two of us in her car, the music low, the silence comfortable. When the others scattered toward the main trail, she caught my sleeve and pulled me onto a narrower path, disappearing into the green. We walked until the forest opened onto a ridge, where blue mountains rolled into a soft, endless sky. She lifted her phone and snapped a picture without warning, then grinned at the screen. "Wow… You look stunning in this." I glanced over, feeling the heat climb my neck. "Me, or the mountains?" "You. Duh." I snorted,…