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What had made her agree to this? By her count, this was the second thing that Jules Hawthorne had made her agree to that she didn’t really want to do. Maybe she was some sort of witch or hypnotist. And now they were walking toward the pub and Billie couldn’t think of a way to get out of it.
Ava’s words kept swimming around her brain though. Maybe Ava was right. Maybe she needed to rebuild something, anything, maybe she needed to give the village a chance. Somehow, with Jules there, it all seemed a little less scary.
Probably because Jules had a big mouth and a loud voice and Billie could hide behind her.
The woman had tried, Billie had to give her that. She’d tried and she was succeeding so far. She had tenacity, and that needed to be respected. And… and she could make Billie laugh. Not many people could do that, not nowadays.
“Alright then, here we go,” Jules said, stopping so that Billie could catch up. “Last chance to change your mind or into the pub we go.”
Billie wanted to change her mind, she wanted to run, wanted to go safe back home, but she also didn’t want to give Jules the satisfaction. So she straightened up.
Then, to her surprise, Jules looped her arm through hers and walked side by side with her into the pub and Billie was so shocked at the contact that she didn’t have a chance to be anxious about it.
“You’re early,” said the big man behind the bar.
“Not working yet, just came in for a quick one with my… friend first,” Jules said.
Billie noticed the hesitation and couldn’t blame her. Is that what they were, friends? A whistle came from the end of the bar.
“Friends like that are always welcome,” said an old man, leering at Billie.
“Anything else like that and you’ll be banned for harassment,” said the barman. “I mean it, Dave.”
“Sit down there,” Jules said. “What’s your poison?”
Billie, who’d never really drunk alcohol, shrugged. “Vodka and orange juice?” she tried. She liked orange juice, so that couldn’t go wrong.
“Alright.” Jules ducked under the bar and started making drinks.
Billie felt the eyes on her, but it was early and there weren’t many people here now. Maybe she could do this. Maybe she had nothing to be afraid of. Then the door behind her opened and she felt the draft.
“You two keep turning up like bad pennies,” Jules said to whoever had come in behind her. Then she nodded at Billie. “You’ll remember my sister, Amelia, and Cass, right? They were in your class or close enough to it.”
Billie felt her stomach shudder. She turned just a bit. She could do this.
A hand clapped down on her shoulder. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Billie Brooke,” Amelia said.
“Come to play violin for us, have you?” followed up Cass.
“I’ll have a half,” Amelia said to Jules before pulling up the barstool next to Billie’s. “And now we can solve the mystery.”
“What mystery’s that?” Billie asked, voice shaky and mouth dry.
“Why you came back here, of course,” Cass said, sitting down on her other side.
“Yeah, we thought you’d be all rich and famous by now,” said Amelia.
“Oh, leave her alone,” Jules said. She pulled her phone out of her pocket then grinned so wide her face almost split.
“Oooo, texts from lover girl?” Cass teased.
“None of your beeswax,” said Jules, putting her phone away again. “But as it happens, yes. She texts me when she gets to her next gig. So I know she’s safe.”
Amelia rolled her eyes and made sick noises. “Too much romance,” she groaned.
“What about you, Billie Brooke, any romance there?” Cass asked.
