Claudia and Finneas are getting married today. Two months of preparations, planning and decisions all for one day.
All for today.
I am so excited for them I could explode.
After getting to Claudia's last night we all passed out in the spare bedrooms, only to be woken up by Claudia herself in time for us to leave to get ready at the venue.
I haven't seen Billie since this morning though, and every time I think about her a pit grows in my stomach.
But it's a good kind of feeling.
I think so at least.
I just don't know what's going to happen when I see her, all dressed up and looking like a goddess.
And it's not like old feelings are going to resurface, because those feelings never got old. They've only grown over time, they've matured.
And now more than ever, especially after last night by the bar, my need and want for Billie has reached new heights.
And I don't think I can control them any longer.
"Ellie?" the lady Claudia hired to do our makeup called out to me.
"Sorry" I shook my head, shooting her an apologetic smile "just very deep in thought"
"No worries at all, but you're all done. Your dress is in the room down the hall, second from the right" she directed me and sent me on my way.
I looked at my hair and makeup in the mirror.
She's given us all a natural look with a golden glow, a look that contrasts beautifully with the dresses we are wearing.
"Thank you so much! It looks amazing" I gave her a hug and told Mak and Gia I was going to get dressed now.
I entered the room and found the dress laying over a chair in the corner.
Slipping off my robe, I grabbed the dress and slipped it on.
"Fucking hell" I groaned into the empty room, trying to zip up the back but arms weren't long enough.
"Hey Fin have you seen- shit" the door open and Billies voice ring around the room.
"Finneas is on the other side of the building Claudia doesn't want them running into each other" I told her over my shoulder, still turned around struggling with this zipper. And stop creeping up on me!" I whirled around to yell at Billie some more, but my words got caught in my throat at the beauty before me.
Like when she showed me the photo my eyes instantly went to her bare chest, and like I had assumed, the tighter than normal pant suit showed her off her flawless curves.
"Lost for words?" Billie cocked her eyebrow and smirked then motioned for me to turn around.
"Shut up and zip me up" I moved my hair to the side to give her access.
"You look beautiful Eleanor" she whispered and pressed her lips to my shoulder.
"Billie" I breathlessly whispered and turned back around to wrap my arms around her neck.
"Seriously Eleanor" her hands gripped my waist "today might be Claudia's big day, but don't tell her I think you're the most gorgeous woman at this wedding"
I tipped my head back, laughing "you're such a sweet talker. But I do have to disagree, you look gorgeous too" I ran a finger down the valley of her bare chest "I especially love this"
My hands had moved from behind her neck to the base of it and them up to her jaw, stroking the skin lightly.
"Eleanor baby, I want this" Billie told me, looking me straight in the eyes "I want you. In the elevator, you asked me if I figured out what I wanted. It's you. I want you and hopefully all of this one day. It'll be you in that dress we looked at and who knows maybe I'll even be in a fuckin' dress too. But mama I—"
I grabbed Billie's cheeks not caring about her makeup and mine, smashing our lips together and backing us into the bathroom connected to the room we were in.
Her tongue swiped out and her teeth nibble on my bottom lip, eliciting a moan.
"You want to do this now?" she asked and placed me on the counter "you can't bitch at me when you look in the mirror and have sex hair and your makeup's a lil fucked up"
"Billie. Baby" I kissed her needily "if your hands aren't under my dress in the next few seconds, I will take care of my need for you myself" I told her.
And like a switch Billie flipped "the fuck you will" she grabbed my hands, pinning them to the counter before releasing them to hike my dress above my waist, exposing the light blue lingerie bottoms I was wearing.
"Fuck" Billie groaned, staring between my legs "you're so perfect" she connected out lips again and tugged my panties to the side, seeking my dripping entrance.
"Billie" I gasped when she plunged two fingers in, not wasting any time.
I lurched forward and buried my face into her shoulder to muffle the loud moans.
"Soon Eleanor" her voice right in my ear, the hot breath hitting it adding to the moment "this will be us. You getting ready for our wedding"
Her pace inhumanely quickened, then brutally slowed down to edge me.
"I will try and see you for a fuck like this just before you walk down that aisle and we are bound to each other for life. I promise you that"
Her words alone kicked me off the edge and screamed into her shoulder as my high hit, her fingers not slowing down as she let me ride out my climax.
"Always so fucking sweet" she swirled her fingers around in her mouth before kissing me, making sure to shove her tongue down my throat.
In absolute awe of the woman before me, I blankly stared up at her like a vegetable. Trying to grasp what the fuck just happened.
"I love you" were the words that decided to fall out of my mouth "I fucking love you Billie"
"I love you too baby" she wrapped her arms around me for a tight hug and pecked my forehead "so much"
"Do I look like I just had sex?" I asked her, straightening out my hair.
"Apart from the flushed cheeks, swollen lips and mark on your neck then no" she laughed "not at all"
Mark on my neck?
"You gave me a hickey?" I pushed her away from me and whipped around to look in the mirror.
"No I gave you a love bite. I got you back Eleanor" her hands rubbed my hips and travelled to my abdomen "and I ain't letting any bitches tonight take you away"
This is straight fuckery.
I don't have time to be concealing my neck, the ceremony is in-
"Holy shit the ceremony!"
"Relax we have 30 minutes, enough time for me to snatch some concealer and colour corrector for you ok?"
"Hurry up" I told her and pushed her out of the bathroom.
If she hadn't just blown my brains out a few minutes ago, I'd have been so much more furious.
I couldn't shake off Billie's eyes the whole ceremony.
I could just feel her watchful stare while I was trying to keep my focus on my befriends who were saying their vows and 'I do's'. But it was so hard when 5'4", blued eyed goddess was staring me down with a knowing look in her eyes.
But now we were all mingling before sitting down for dinner.
The food was in a buffet style manner and people were either dancing, getting drunk or grazing off the food on display.
"Bitch!" Mav took my hand and whirled me to the dance floor before I could reject his annoying ass "this is so beautiful, ya'll did a good job" he kissed my cheek and spun me again.
"Thanks Maverick" I took a champagne flute from his hands and downed it "got your eye on anyone tonight?"
"I could be asking you the same thing. Billie's been eyeing you all night, and yes by the way. Some model or influencer or whatever the fuck that is friends with Claudia has been making eyes all night so hopefully I get dicked down tonight"
"You're just as vulgar than Mak" I shook my head giggling "if not more"
"Baby" he took two more flutes from the waiter walking past before handing one to me "tell me something I don't know"
Before the conversation could carry on a high-pitched noise cut through the speakers and the music stopped.
"Fuck!" was the next noise to come through followed by an apology and there on a chair by the band was Billie.
The microphone and a fork in her right hand and an empty champagne flute in the other.
What the fuck is she doing?
"Any answers?" Mav looked at me and I shook my head, in a daze at what she was planning to do.
"I'd like to make a toast or speech" she said into the microphone, gaining everyone's attention. All eyes on her, not that it mattered though, she's used to arenas of thousands now.
"Or whatever the fuck this is..." she muttered, before tapping the flute with the fork despite the fact that everyone was looking at her with confused and amused gazes.
And everyone started laughing when she broke the glass and cursed into the microphone again "uh- any way. Hi, I'm Billie if you don't already know and my big brother who is also my best friend got married tonight!" she yelled, and everyone started cheering and clapping for the newlyweds.
"But tonight I'd like to say a few words about what love is to me, you know as I'm the best woman and this is expected of me... I think so anyways" and again a chorus of laughter rung around the room.
Her eyes found mine as she scanned the room and she shot me a wink "When Finneas met Claudia he rushed into my room that night and announced he found his soulmate and the woman he wanted to marry. And my response being the seventeen-year-old asshole I was at the time was to get the fuck out of my room and bother someone else. Oh, and also that type of love didn't exist. But a few months later" she looked at me again and it was like everyone in the room had disappeared.
"-a few months later I had the shock of my life when I met the woman I wanted to marry and who I believe to this day is my soulmate. But as any good relationship starts, we actually hated each other for the first while. She was fresh off the plane from Australia and staying with us for a year. Which mom" she eyed Maggie "says she told me, but four years later I have no recollection of her ever telling me, we'd be housing an exchange student"
"You just never listen!" Maggie shouted at Billie while Patrick had his arm around her, laughing at his wife and daughter silently bicker in the few seconds they had with just their eyes.
"Anyways. She and I fought, but in the midst of all the bickering we grew close and began dating despite her addiction to vanilla thick shakes and disgusting McDonald's chicken nuggets. I fell in love with her very quickly, how could I not? But what got in the way was our inexperience of a relationship and immaturity. Two seventeen-year-old girls in a relationship with each other can be pretty rocky sometimes" she joked, and I beamed a smile, my eyes becoming blurry as Billie talked.
"Some shit happened. That's life. I tried to hate her but could never bring myself to it. Four years later she came back and even through all the success I've had since she left, I felt like I had finally achieved something bigger than myself. She came back and she stayed. And thanks to our friends they made me realise she stayed around for me" Billie paused to step off the chair and manoeuvred her way through the crowd until she was right in front of me.
"So, Eleanor Evangeline Reed. I have a question for you" Billie took my hand in hers and my breath hitched in my throat "will you be my girlfriend again?"
I nodded erratically through the unshed tears and threw my arms around her neck while everyone cheered and clapped.
"Let's fucking go!" Mav yelled from beside us, his arms around Mak and Gia who had walked over to us.
"I love you angel" Billie said in my ear.
"I love you more Billie" I kissed her cheek and turned around to drag her to the nearest bathroom or vacant room.
"Not so fast" Billie said and pulled me back to her.
Instead of smacking against her chest, I looked down and found her on-
"No" my hand shot up to cover my mouth "get the fuck out"
"Just a follow up question baby, marry me?" she pulled a ring out and I damn near fainted at the sight.
Billie.
The girl who stormed into the bathroom on my first day in America and made me think she was an asshole for a month was now kneeling in front of me with an engagement ring in her hands.
"Answer her hoe!" Kelsey yelled, now beside our friends with Connor.
"Yes!" I jumped up and down "of course I'll marry you Bil!"
She slipped the ring onto my finger and pulled me in for a long kiss.
My grip around her neck didn't faulter as I clung to her tightly. As I clung to my fiancé tightly.
"Break it up!" Mak wedged herself between us and ripped the microphone from Billie's hand on my hip.
"Bitch, the fuck?" Billie ask her but was immediately shushed.
"I have an announcement!" Mak jumped up and down excitedly "actually" she grabbed Gia's hand "we Have an announcement!"
Gia looked over at Finneas and Claudia who were grinning at us and nodded to Gia then gave her a thumbs up.
What's going on?
"We're engaged!" Mak screamed and I looked at the apparently engaged couple in front of us in pure shock.
"Since when?" I asked and hugged them both in congratulations.
"Two months ago!" Mak giggled as Gia wrapped her arm around her fiancés waist.
"Yeah" she nodded "what she said"
"Wait what!" Billie yelled "but you said! Wait what? What the fuck is going on?"
I looked at Billie confused, and she opened her mouth not knowing what to say.
"Surprise!" by now everyone had gotten over the announcement and had gone back to drinking and dancing. But not Billie and I.
We dragged everyone to a quieter part of the area and told them all to sit down.
"Anyone care to explain?" Billie asked and pulled me onto her lap, resting her chin on my shoulder.
"You wanna tell them, or shall I?" Finneas asked Gia.
"I mean I came up with the idea, so I'll take the reins Fin Fin" she scuffed his hair and turned to Billie and I "so" she drew out "confession time! That night I was meant to propose to Mak, I did, she said yes, we fucked—"
"Hey! We made love!" Mak hit Gia's chest
"-in the back of my car? Yeah alright baby. Anyway we did get engaged, but I told Billie I didn't propose because I came up with a plan to get you to motherfuckers back together. I told Billie I didn't propose because she had to get back together with you E for me to do so"
"So you tricked us into getting back together?" I asked.
"Essentially" she shrugged "but it worked didn't it?"
I couldn't disagree there "and you were all in on this?" I asked everyone.
They all nodded, and everything started piecing together.
Why Claudia was shoving Billie and I into a car or the same room during wedding planning.
Why Mav made Billie and I go to the car together.
It all makes sense.
And as fooled as I felt, I was more grateful for them for always having our backs.
"Fuck you guys but also thank you so much!" I jumped off Billie's lap "group hug!"
Two months ago I thought I hated Billie and life.
But now, thanks to Gia's brain and the strange ways it works, I'm engaged and ready to start a better one with her by my side.
Relationships are about give and take.
I gave away my doubts and anger towards Billie to give her love and to also take hers in return.
A/N
Before y'all panic, yes there will be and epilogue and yes bonus chapters when I feel like it.
But I just want to say, to the person reading this right now, from the bottom of my fucking heart thank you so much for being invested in this book.
I find it so crazy that so many people from around the globe have read Exchange and now this, all in a craze for this chapter. It really makes a girls heart warm.
I honestly started writing these as a form of procrastination and pure curiosity. I've been on this app for too many years and had an account way too young, but I always thought 'I wonder if anyone would read what I wrote?'.
And the fact that I see comment saying re-reading and even re-reading for the fourth time, is mind blowing to me, and for that I am so thankful.
There's no real reason as to why I chose fanfic and Billie. To be honest I found myself in a rabbit hole of Billie fanfic as she seriously made me start questioning my sexuality and I wanted to have a go.
I think it's been eight months since I started Exchange so thank you all so much for sticking around so long.
And even though as I write this while the world is going through some mad shit, there has been a little silver lining. More people have time to write and read while isolating so just remember that with every book you read and vote for there's a writer who becomes so grateful and motivated when they get that notification.
Ok, rant over.
But I want to want to say a huge thank you to everyone for getting this far and stay tuned for a new book I'm in the process of writing!
And if you haven't read my other books check them out too!
Follow me on IG @bilndrew
Stay safe, drink water.
Thank you so much for everything and reading this far,
Bilstan <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3