Billie
The blizzard hasn’t let up, the wind howling outside like it’s trying to break into the cabin, snow piling so high against the windows it’s like we’re sealed in a cocoon of white.
I’m curled up on the cozy couch, the fire crackling in the hearth, casting a warm glow over the living area. I’m wearing the soft flannel pajamas we picked up in town at the general store today along with the groceries—pale blue with little white snowflakes, snug and comfy, making me feel like a kid tucked in for a snowy night.
Felix is nestled in my lap, his big blue eyes staring up at me as I play with his soft ears, making him talk in a silly voice about how he’s the king of the mountain.
“Rawwwr!” Felix says. “I’m thekiiiingof themountaaaain!Rawwwwr!”
“Yes you are, yes you are!” I giggle in delight.
It’s goofy, but it’s fun, and I’m loving this feeling of being safe and snug, far from the chaos of my pop star life.
The coloring books and glitter pens are scattered on the coffee table, my unicorn masterpiece from our contest earlier pinned proudly to the wall, thanks to Felix’s expert judgment. I giggle, giving Felix a little shake, and for a moment, I’m just Billie—twenty-two, happy, and Little.
My mind drifts to earlier, when I opened up to Max about how lonely my rise to fame has been. It felt so good to let it out, to tell him about Trent keeping me from my dancers, locking me in hotel rooms, even sending Zane away.
Max listened so intently, his blue eyes locked on mine, not just like a bodyguard doing his job but like he genuinely cared.Waymore than if I was just a client to protect.
He didn’t interrupt, didn’t brush it off with some platitude—he just listened, his jaw tight like he was angry for me, his hand steady on his mug like he was holding himself back from storming out to confront Trent right then.
It made me feel seen,reallyseen, for the first time in forever.
I’m used to people wanting something from me—fans wanting selfies, Trent wanting my signature on another contract—but Max? He just wanted to hear me. It’s new, and it’s making my heart do these fluttery things I’m not sure how to handle.
Max didn’t open up about himself, though, and I noticed that.
Max is reserved, always keeping a piece of himself locked away, like there’s a wall between the Guard and the man.
He told me a bit about his past that day outside, chopping wood—growing up on a farm, a little about one of his past missions—but it was just enough to keep me curious, not enough to really know him.
I get it, though.
Opening up isn’t easy.
I’ve spent years hiding my real feelings behind a pop star smile, so I know how hard it is to let someone in.
I’m happy to give Max time, to wait for him to share the real Max, the man behind the stern voice and those ocean-blue eyes.
I want to know him, not just as my Daddy, but as the person who makes me feel so safe, so cared for. That kiss in the forest today, the way his lips felt against mine, all warm and firm—it was like a promise that there’s more to him, and I’m dying to find out what.
My fingers pause on Felix’s ears as my thoughts shift to my mom.
We used to be so close when I was a kid, back when I was a child actor, memorizing lines in our apartment, her cheering me on at every audition. She’d comb my hair, tell me stories about her own dreams of being a singer, and we’d laugh until we couldn’t breathe.
But these last few years, since Trent took over and turned me into Billie B, things have changed. Trent’s always there, controlling everything—my schedule, my friends, even my calls home. “Focus on the brand,” he’d say, waving off my requests to visit Mom or have her come to a show. “You don’t need distractions.”
I let him do it, let him pull me away from her, and now our calls are short, awkward, like we’re strangers. I regret it so much, letting him build that wall between us. I miss her, miss the waythings used to be, and it hurts to think I’ve let Trent control so much of my personal life…
What else has he taken from me?
I hug Felix tighter, my throat tight with the weight of it all.
I don’t want to get too sad, not when I’m here with Max, feeling this new kind of safe.
Instead, I focus on Felix, making him dance on my lap, trying to push the heavy thoughts away. That’s when I hear Max’s footsteps, the floor creaking as he comes back into the living area. He’s been in the shower, and when I look up, my breath catches in my throat…
W-w-w-wow.
