“And now I realise that I’m miserable without you in my life, and that you’re all I think about from the moment I wake up.”
“Y-you chose me?” Billie asked. “When you could be with someone like Lucille, you…chose me?” That comment wasn’t triumphant or sickening confidence. It was simply Billie,stunned. “Debra?”
“Yes. I did.”
“I don’t know what to do with that,” Billie admitted. “I didn’t think…after everything…I thought you’d be better off?—”
“Billie,” Debra interrupted before Billie could spiral. “I’m not asking for promises. I’m not asking you to be anything other than what you are right now.” She paused. “I just want to spend a little time with you. You know, see how it feels together.”
“Oh.” That single syllable held more hope than Billie likely intended it to. “Well, um…”
“As I said, if you don’t want to…that’s okay.” Debra closed her eyes, willing Billie to say yes. “Whatever you want to do.”
“Do you mean tonight?” Billie asked suddenly, catching Debra off guard. “Getting together, I mean…”
“I’m home if you wanted to come over. We can keep it simple. Takeaway, TV, that kind of thing. I just want to sit in a space with you as you are right now. If you think that’s something you’d be interested in, then I’d love to spend the rest of the night with you.”
“Yes,” Billie said immediately. “If you’re absolutely sure.”
“I’m sure.”
“Then I’d like that a lot.” The sudden brightness in Billie’s voice almost melted Debra, but she knew she had to keep her wits about her tonight. It was important that they knew what was expected of one another beforeanythingmoved forward. “What should I bring?”
“Just yourself. Maybe that smile, too.” Debra closed her eyes and recounted the moment they’d come face to face again. God, her heart had been pounding; it was no wonder Lucille had asked what she did. She could probably hear it throughout the space. “The one you gave me at the museum.”
“Pretty sure it’s the same one I’m wearing now.”
Debra grinned as she took her bottom lip between her teeth. If this was the Billie she was about to become familiar with, she couldn’t wait. “Hey, and Billie?”
“Y-yeah?”
“Maybe come comfortable, too. Since I found out you like to binge-watch shows, I’m sure I can find something for us to pass the time.”
“Give me thirty minutes, and I’ll be there.”
“Don’t rush. I’d like you to arrive in one piece.”
When the call ended, Debra sat in the moment. She didn’t know what would come of this, but she knew she wasn’t rescuing or chasing something fragile. She was simply learning about a woman she’d met…who had changed for the better.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Debra barely hadtime to steady herself before she opened the door. Billie stood there in jeans and a shirt, her sleeves rolled up her forearms, battered Converse scuffed from use rather than neglect. Debra had never seen her looking so…casual. Her hair fell into her eyes, making her look younger and softer.Andshe was smiling. In that moment, Debra one hundred percent forgot how to breathe.
Billie’s presence wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t a rush or a jolt. No, it was calmer than that. It was a sudden awareness and a shift in the space between them, as though the air itself had thickened.
“Hi.” Billie regarded Debra with a faint smile.
Debra reached out, her fingers closing around Billie’s hand. She tugged her inside gently, the door closing behind them with a soft click that sounded far too certain for how fragile everything still felt.
“Thank you for coming.” Debra let go of Billie’s hand and smiled. Nothing else followed. No kiss, and no lingering touch. Just the weight of sincerity settling between them.
“I’m glad you asked. I never would have found the courage. Not these days.”
As they moved into the living room, Debra suddenly felt acutely aware of how intimate her home felt with Billie in it again. She busied herself pouring two whiskies, grateful for something physical to ground her. When she handed Billie a glass, their fingers brushed, and Debra noticed the way Billie flinched. Not away from her as she’d done the last time they were here together, but as though she was surprised by how normal the contact felt.
They sat down, and the quiet stretched. Debra could feel how delicate and charged it was, and she was beginning to wonder if they would simply drink in silence, allowing the evening to be gentle.
But Billie suddenly cleared her throat, choosing not to sit in it for a moment longer. “There’s something I need to tell you before I lose my nerve.”
