IF WE WERE MEANT TO BE // Billie Eilish

Chapter Sixteen - To Look At Those Eyes

A/N: I changed the ending of the last chapter, so if you read it just after I published it, you may want to re read the last paragraph.

Francis' POV

Friday

"Hello, beautiful. What's wrong?" Madison asks, entering my bedroom.

It's been a week of since I told Billie to forget her feelings for me. Since then, I've made sure that whenever she enters a room, I leave - I need her to forget about me.

In any other circumstance, I would've chosen Billie a billion times over any job. But, this job is everything to me. I've had galleries reaching out asking to feature my work and loads of ready buyers contacting me about my paintings. This job secures my future as an artist and I can't let my childhood dream be destroyed when it's right in front of me.

Mads gets under the duvet and wraps her arms around me. I missed her hugs when I was in England.

I shake my head, not wanting to talk about it.

"Come on. Who am I stabbing?"

"My boss."

"Is he paying you badly? Wait, did he do something to you? Francis, I'm gonna kill-"

"Mads, stop. He didn't do anything like that." I laugh.

"Then why are bringing out the pitchforks, exactly?"

I shove my head in the pillow and groan. "I gotta tell you something. But, you have to promise not to freak out."  I say sternly.

She puts out her pinky and I wrap my own around hers, causing us to erupt into a fit of giggles.

"Ok." I sigh. "Do you remember that night we went clubbing and got really drunk..."

***

"Damn, Kingston. Kissing a celebrity? Now that's badass." Grayson says, popping his head round the corner of the door just as I finish telling Madison everything - well a very vague version of it.

"You were listening?" I laugh as he plonks himself down on the end of the bed.

"And to think that Mads and I thought you were fucking Luke in England." He grins cheekily, causing me to throw a cushion at him with full force.

"Holy fuck, Francis. This is crazy. You know that, right?" Madison says.

"What's crazy?" Luke says, entering the flat.

"I was just showing them some sketches." I respond quickly before the others can. They both give me a confused look, but don't say anything.

"I gotta get to work. See you later. Please, just don't say anything to him yet." I continue, grabbing my bag.

***

"Francis, where are the new art designs?" Mike asks, bombarding me the second I walk into the office.

"I gave you them yesterday?" I reply, confused.

"No, those were just variations of your previous pieces. I need you and Billie on brainstorming today."

"But, I thought you-"

"I gave you advice." He says, under his breath whilst looking around to check no one's listening. "But I never told you to stop doing your job because of it."

Fuck.

I give Mike a small smile. Satisfied, he walks off, ready to attack another team member with demands.

I start to walk over to Billie. She notices, and her eyes are immediately filled with hope.

I can't do it.

Unable to look at those eyes a second longer, I enter one of the practise rooms. It's filled with her awards, various guitars and a beautiful, black, grand piano at which I take a seat.

I hover my hands over the keys, then press down on a soft chord, singing as I do so.

"I've been finding it hard,
To keep you out of my head,
And I can't sleep at night,
And I keep running through words,
For the words I can say,
To put this right.

You make me feel alive,
And I feel like I might die,
If I don't have you tonight, you tonight, oh,
You make me feel alive, feel alive, oh."

My hands slowly lift and my eyes shut.

"How the hell am I the famous singer out of us?" A soft voice calls.

I look over to see Billie, leaning against the doorframe, a small smile on her beautiful lips.

"I didn't know you were listening." I reply, trying to forget about how the sun is hitting her face, making her cheeks a golden rose colour.

"Why keep the fact that you sing a secret?" She asks, keeping her eyes stuck on me.

"I don't like the spotlight."

She pauses for a second.

"Is that why you did what you did to me?" Her voice is colder now. "Because you didn't want me to drag you into the spotlight?"

"No, of course not."

"Then why the fuck did you pull that shit on me? Because by what you just fucking sang I know I'm not making us up."

I know she's not going to let this go. I take a deep breath.

"I had to choose-"

Finneas pops his head round the door, saving me.

"Bil. Claudes and I just picked her little sister up from the airport. She's staying for a while and would probably like some friends her age. You too, Francis."

We follow him out to the main room of the office. Billie freezes, causing me to look up in confusion.

"Elliott? You're Claudia's sister?"

"Francis? So, that's why we were at the same club - I was with Claudia and Finneas before I met you."

Memories of our kiss flash up in my mind. I look over to Billie, who is seething with anger but trying to control it.

Elliott looks over to her and smiles mischievously, clearly remembering who she is and her jealousy over that kiss.

"Elliott Sulewski. And you are?"

"Billie Eilish. I'm sure you've heard of me." She snaps back.

"Doesn't ring a bell." Elliott responds innocently.

"How long are you staying?" Billie continues, extremely irritated but trying to contain her attitude.

"Depends on how much I like it here." She replies, giving a subtle glance to me - one which Billie notices. The tension is so high in the room that I feel like I can barely breathe.

It looks like one's about to rip the other's head off.

But, I can't tell which.

A/N: lol after so many chapters in england, hope no one forgot abt mads and gray - they are still crucial to the storyline :)

what do you think about Elliott returning? and what do you think will happen next?

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THANK YOU FOR READING!