͏b͏r͏o͏k͏e͏n || ͏b͏i͏l͏l͏y ͏h͏a͏r͏g͏r͏o͏v͏e

N I N E

I glanced into the rearview mirror and caught sight of Max slumped in the backseat, arms crossed and face like thunderclouds. She looked miserable, but more than that, she looked tired of the world.

Billy broke the silence with a clipped question, his voice low but unmistakably sharp. "That kid you were talking to—who is he?"

Max didn't even bother looking up. "He's no one."

"No one?" Billy echoed, his suspicion practically dripping.

"Just some kid from my class," she muttered, shrinking further into the seat.

"Then why was he talking to you?"

"It was just a stupid class assignment," she snapped, eyes narrowing at the back of Billy's head.

"Then why're you so upset?" he pushed.

"I'm not!"

Billy's tone hardened, frustration bleeding into concern. "Is he causing you trouble?"

Max fired back without missing a beat. "Why do you even care?"

Billy's grip on the wheel tightened further. "Because, Max, you're a little pain in the ass—but like it or not, we're family now. And that means I've gotta look out for you."

Max let out a sharp, sarcastic laugh. "Oh, how blessed I am."

He ignored her tone completely. "This is serious shit, okay? I'm older. I've seen more. And one thing I've learned—there are people in this world you stay the hell away from. That kid? He's one of them."

I blinked, taken aback by the intensity in his voice.

"You stay away from him," he said again, voice dark. "You hear me?"

Max didn't respond right away. I turned slightly in my seat and saw her wiping at her cheek. My chest clenched. She was fighting back tears.

I looked over at Billy. His jaw was clenched, his eyes glued to the road like it was the only thing keeping him together. For once, his anger wasn't explosive—it was controlled, laser-focused. And honestly? That was scarier.

"What are you staring at, Harrington?" he barked suddenly.

I smirked and threw a wink back at Max. "Just a big ol' baby with way too much hair."

Billy shot me a glare through the rearview mirror, but I saw the twitch in the corner of his mouth. "You're one to talk," he muttered.

"Excuse me?" I said with mock offense, folding my arms.

"You heard me, Harrington. Don't make me repeat myself." He turned sharply down a side street, his irritation simmering just beneath the surface.

I lifted my head off the window, raising a brow. "You got a lot of nerve talking about my hair when yours is practically in its own zip code."

Billy scoffed, eyes still on the road. "At least mine doesn't look like it got in a fight with a hairdryer and lost."

"Wow. That's rich coming from Mr. Aquanet himself," I shot back. "Do you singlehandedly keep the hairspray industry alive, or do you have help?"

Max snorted from the backseat, clearly trying to stifle a laugh.

Billy glanced at me with a smug grin. "Jealousy's not a good look on you, princess."

"Neither is that shirt, but here we are," I replied sweetly.

Max groaned from the back. "Can you guys just admit you like each other so I can get out of this car with my sanity intact?"

"We don't like each other," I snapped at the same time Billy said, "She wishes."

I whipped my head toward him. "Excuse you?"

Billy raised an eyebrow, grinning like a cat who just caught a bird. "You heard me, Harrington."

"You're delusional."

"And yet here you are. Riding shotgun in my car."

"Only because Max dragged me."

"You didn't put up much of a fight."

"Because I'm polite."

"No, you're not."

Max threw her hands in the air from the backseat. Billy laughed under his breath. I crossed my arms, glaring out the window—partly to hide my smirk, partly to stop myself from reaching over and strangling him.

This boy was infuriating. Smug. Annoying. Completely insufferable.

And yet, for some stupid reason, I wasn't crawling out of his car and storming off. I was sitting there next to him in silence, our faces both flushed—his with amusement, mine with secondhand embarrassment and way too many confusing feelings.

The rest of the ride was quiet. Not peaceful-quiet. Tense-quiet. Awkward-quiet. The kind of quiet that makes you hyper-aware of how loud your breathing sounds and how close your knees are to touching.

When we finally pulled up to Max's place, she hopped out without a word, practically sprinting toward the front door like she couldn't get away fast enough. I almost asked her to take me with her.

Billy pulled away, and the silence returned, heavier this time. When we turned onto my street, I sighed the moment I saw our empty driveway. Typical.

As he eased the Camaro to a stop in front of my house, he glanced over at me.

"Why the long face?" he asked, his voice cutting through the quiet.

I unbuckled my seatbelt with a tired click. "No one's home. And I don't have a key."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you have a house key?"

"It's with my car key," I muttered.

Billy blinked. "You have a car?"

"Technically. My grandpa gave it to me, but it's a mess. Doesn't even run."

"Why not fix it?"

I shrugged. "Haven't had time. Or tools. Or motivation."

He looked at me like I'd just admitted I didn't know how to breathe. I glanced up at my bedroom window, an idea clicking into place.

"How strong are you?" I asked suddenly.

Billy squinted. "How strong do you need me to be?"

"Come with me," I said, hopping out of the car. He followed me around to the side of the house with a confused but amused expression.

"Can you boost me up there?" I pointed to my open bedroom window.

Billy snorted. "Yeah. As long as you didn't eat a brick for lunch."

"Funny," I said flatly, placing my foot in his cupped hands.

He hoisted me up, and I scrambled halfway onto the ledge before realizing I couldn't quite make it.

"Uh... Billy?"

He looked up, already grinning. "Need a little extra push?"

"Yes, please. Don't be weird about it."

"No promises." He gave me a playful shove—of course right on my butt—and I tumbled gracelessly through the window.

"I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am," he called up smugly.

I poked my head back out, my cheeks burning. "Shut up. And... thanks."

He stepped back, hands in his pockets. "See ya around, princess."

I watched him walk off, his usual cocky swagger on full display as he climbed into the Camaro. I closed the window behind me, leaning against the sill with a groan.

"That was embarrassing," I muttered.

But the worst part?

It kind of wasn't.