{35}✔️

Dahlia's POV

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After waking up from a long nap, I called Denny and talked to him for almost an hour, then called my dad and talked to him for a while, and then called the twins. I explained what had happened to everyone, figuring it'd be easier for me to say it over the phone than in person. Cora and Denver seem to be handling it well, and they said that nobody's mentioned anything about our past to them. My dad tried to make me go to the police, but I pleaded with him not to make me and I think maybe I've convinced him. The twins were just happy to hear from me, and I promised I'd hang out with them as soon as I'm better, and I'll probably do some explaining about my past whenever we do get together.

While I was calling people, Billie and Finneas were out running a few errands. The music lounge was closed today, but Fin still needed to check on it and then he had to go see his girlfriend, Claudia. Billie went to the store to get some more groceries and then she picked up my medicine.

While they were gone, I made sure to tidy up the best I could. I washed the dishes, cleaned the kitchen and tidied up the living room. They were gone for like three hours, and that's all I'd managed to do because I had to move slow and take several breaks. It fucking hurt and I wanted to just sit my ass back down, but I would've felt guilty if I just relaxed the whole time they were out doing shit.

They've been so nice to me, letting me stay here all the times they have. I know Billie doesn't mind because I'm her friend and she wants me here, but still. She's taking care of me and doing so much for me and I don't know how to repay her. The least I can do is try to clean up a bit.

When they got back, she was less than pleased to see what I had done.

"You could've fallen down at any point and nobody would've been here to help get you back up! It would've been like them stupid ass commercials with the old folks who are like, 'I've fallen and I can't get up!' Except you would've been shit out of luck because you don't have the little necklace—"

"I just wanted to make myself useful." I laughed, cutting her off. "You guys have done so much for me and I really appreciate it."

"It's no problem at all," Fin smiled at me. "I keep telling you you're doing me a huge favor. When you're around, Billie isn't as intolerable—"

"Shut the hell up," She rolled her eyes. "Come on, Dahlia. We're going back to my room and you're going to rest."

"I'm sick of sleeping." I whined.

"Well, then you can stare at the wall."

"Well, then you can stare at the wall." I mocked, causing Finneas to laugh. She carefully picked me up and started to walk me to her room. "I can walk by myself." I mumbled.

"Clearly." She grumbled. "Seriously, I'm so mad at you. You were supposed to be resting."

"I needed to work off some energy. Now I can rest. We both can."

"Nah." She shook her head. "I need to get your medicine ready and make us some lunch and then—"

"You have not slept. At all. All that other shit can wait. You're gonna lay down next to me and we're both gonna sleep, or neither of us is. Your choice."

She sighed as she put me down onto the bed and I looked up at her, waiting to see what she'd do. She cracked a small smile after a moment before crawling onto the bed and pulling the covers over both of us. "Whatever you say, mamas."

***

I hadn't really slept all that much, I'd been too busy staring at Billie as she did. She's fucking beautiful as shit. When she's sleeping she looks so peaceful. Her lips parted slightly as soft snores escaped her here and there, her nose twitching occasionally for whatever reason, her facial features soft and relaxed as she dreamed about who knows what. Even with how relaxed she was and how deep into her sleep she was, she kept an arm around my waist or touched me in some way at all times. Whether she was burying her head in my chest or making me bury mine in hers or intertwining our legs or our fingertips or pulling me halfway on top of her...We were always touching in some way, and if I moved away, her eyebrow would furrow briefly before she pulled me back in and a small half-smile would flash on her face for half a second before she relaxed once again and continued on with her deep sleep.

Her cheeks were rosy, her eyes would move behind her eyelids every now and then, she'd lick her lips every once in a while and a small snore followed immediately after almost every time. She sucked in a deep breath every time her nose twitched and her fingers twitched now and then too. She'd pucker her lips up sometimes too. It happened less frequently than anything else, but it happened. It'd look like she was about to say something but then she wouldn't.

Her hair framed her face so beautifully. It fell all around her, messy and perfect. She turns her head a lot when she's sleeping.

I was studying her so deeply, watching and trying to pick up on every little detail that I could when suddenly I went from staring at her eyelids to staring deep into her eyes. I jumped a little, letting out a small gasp as my cheeks got warmer and warmer. She'd caught me staring, and now she was staring at me with those lidded, lazy eyes. She didn't look shocked, angry, sad or happy. She just looked beautiful. I wanted to look away from her, embarrassed, but I couldn't. How could I look away from those eyes?

"You're so beautiful." She mumbled before pulling me closer. "But god damn, a bitch can't get any sleep when you're staring like that."

"You were sleeping just fine a few moments ago." I mumbled.

"I watch you while you sleep too. It's my favorite thing."

I blushed even more. "I'm an ugly sleeper."

"You lie."

I stayed silent for a while as I waited for her to go back to sleep, and I thought she had, but she started talking again.

"I don't sleep so well when you're not here."

"No?"

"I used to. I used to sleep like a baby no matter what. It's just that now sleeping without you doesn't feel right to me anymore."

She went back to sleep after that.

She's pretty damn cute when she's awake too.

***

"Fucking cheater, how could you?!" I cried. Billie looked at me, unamused.

"How the fuck do you cheat at bingo? Finneas calls out the letter and number, I make bingo, that how it work." She spoke in a baby voice and I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"This is the sixth game in a row that you've won. This is a conspiracy."

"You're projecting. You're just feeling guilty because you cheated at checkers."

Now she knew damn well I didn't cheat at checkers.

"Why can't you both just admit that you suck at certain games?" Finneas laughed. We both glared at him.

"Shut the hell up, Mr. 'I bet I can win four games of poker in a row'." Billie rolled her eyes. "You're the biggest cheater out of all of us."

"So you admit you did cheat." I smirked.

"Yes, I cheated. I used my magical fucking superpowers to make Fin say all the right letters and numbers so I could win." She grumbled sarcastically. I widened my eyes and shook my head at her quickly. "Do not joke about witchcraft, Billie, that shit could get you killed!"

Finneas snorted. "Maybe in the 1600s."

So, we'd decided to have a little game night because there was nothing else to do and this was a great way for me and Finneas to get to spend some time together, and also a great way for me to prove to Billie that I'm superior when it comes to board games. If she wasn't a fucking cheater, I would've been having better luck.

So far we've played checkers, poker, bingo, scrabble, and heads up. We were going to play monopoly, but that was canceled before it even got started because Billie's favorite piece was missing and she refused to use another one. Understandable.

"I'm calling it a night," Finneas let out a tired sigh as he stood up and stretched. "Great beating you, Dahlia. I can't wait to do it again."

"Oh, fuck off." I scoffed. Billie smirked and made kissy faces at him as he walked toward his room. "He's not tired, he's just going to sext Claudia." She laughed. He flipped her off before we heard his room door close.

Billie turned to look at me and sent me a small smile. "Hey."

"Hey." I grinned.

"We're alone now...Know what that means?"

"We finally get to play candy land?"

"Obviously!"