twenty nine

turns out everyone was also having sex last night.

finneas and claudia went straight home and didn't check their phones.

and kai didn't answer either.

it's sunday and the store was closed and finneas only saw the text messages when he woke up to let peach out.

when he came to the store, he laughed when he saw the both of us still in the same clothes as last night, looking like we'd clearly done something.

billie flipped him off and finneas told me i didn't have to come in until the afternoon because he could tell i had obviously not had the best night sleep.

but i slept pretty well on billies boobs to be honest.

billie gave me a ride home and kissed me goodbye.

I take a shower and get a couple more hours sleep before my grandma comes home.

when I wake up a second time, I still feel tired.

but I can't get too butt hurt about it because I did spend the night with a girl.

I SPENT THE NIGHT WITH BILLIE.

yeah I did that and some other things too which were all excellent.

it's a beautiful day, the sun is shining and I don't even care that im gonna work a few hours this afternoon.

I shower and dress before changing again, making sure that all of the marks on my body is covered.

my grandma and harry still hasn't come back yet and they're still on their flight so I don't need to attempt to talk with them this morning.

I make myself some quick breakfast and race out the door, realising billie drove me home and frankie is still in the parking lot at work.

sitting in the uber, I feel high as a kite hoping im gonna see billie soon.

I know kai is gonna want to know everything and im honestly surprised they haven't tried to text me already.

but this time, I think im gonna spare some of the details.

because some things are meant to be private.

and what happened in that secret room, stays in that secret room.

but when I get into work, kai isn't there.

"where's kai?"

"they fell down the stairs this morning and is in the ER because it seems like the broke their arm"

without the pestering of kai or stares from billie, the day drags on.

luckily the store is dead so finneas lets me leave early, apologising again for not answering his phone all night.

although last night I would've been angry...after what happened, I wouldn't have minded if we stayed in there forever.

as im walking out the back door, my phone pings.

billie: my mom made us food

billie: come over

sage: your mom is home?

billie: my mom and dad came home for the night

billie: wanted to use supplies while they were driving through

sage: okay, im leaving work now

billie: yay, my mom and dad are excited to meet you

***

ive been to billies house before, but meeting her parents? I don't even know what they look like.

when I knock on the door, a gentleman answers with a smile. "you must be sage, come in, come in"

"hi, mr o'connell right?"

"call me Patrick please. my wife Maggie is in the kitchen, you know where it is, right?"

"yeah, thanks" I slip off my shoes and drop my tote bag at the door, greeting the mot important people in the family.

shark and pepper.

when I walk towards the kitchen, im immediately hit with the smell of something cheesy and garlic.

im wet.

the woman at the stove turns around and smiles, closing the lid on the pan and opening her arms.

"sage honey, it's so lovely to finally meet you" I return the hug and smile, immediately feeling warm and welcome from her hug alone.

"hi maggie, I didn't know you were in town"

"neither did billie nor finneas, we're not staying long"

I pull away from maggie and I hear footsteps into the kitchen. "mom" billie whines.

"how long till dinner? im starving"

"im making your favourite baby, be patient"

"garlic chicken pasta?"

"yes"

billie fist bumps in the air and I smile at her.

she's so cute.

while maggie finishes making dinner and we wait for finneas, who's also joining us, I sit in the front room with Patrick while he shows me some photos of their travels and tells me about the lovely people they've met on their way.

I don't even know why I was so nervous, her parents are amazing.

I thought it would be weird sitting with her parents without billie in the room but I don't know why I felt like I needed billie because patrick is actually really funny.

"how's your dad feel about you being in la?"

patrick knows about my dad?

he must notice the look on my face and smiles. "billie calls us almost every night, she tells us a lot about you"

"I haven't really spoken to my dad so I don't know"

please don't ask about my mom.

"aren't you and your dad close?"

I shrug "this is the first time ive been away from him" my voice cracks at the end and I silently curse at myself for crying over my dad.

I do miss him, and the fact we've barely spoken has just stumbled to the surface.

"im sorry, I didn't know it was a touchy subject"

"it's not" I wipe away the lone tear and shake my head. "I just miss him. we've barely spoke"

"have you tried calling him?"

I shake my head.

"you're living with your grandma right? does she talk to him?"

"I don't know, maybe"

"maybe you should ask her. she could be struggling with something , you never know. sometimes parents aren't very good at being parents"

you got that right.

when Maggie calls that dinner is ready and finneas walks in with his girlfriend, both staring at me like they knew something fishy was going on, we all sit at the table.

I sit in the middle of billie and finneas and we all eat together, maggie and patrick doing most of the talking.

of course they ask about their children and how the she is doing but everyone does most of the talking.

I just sit and eat my broccoli.

after dinner, we all sit in the front room and patrick shows us the vinyl collection he bought while they've been travelling.

when patrick pulls out a julie london vinyl, billie jumps up and grabs it from her father.

"ive been looking for this for months! where did you get this?"

"there's a lot of cool places around the us"

this seems crazy to me because pirate spoke about julie london a few months ago.

at the end of the night before everyone leaves, billie learns against me, wrapping her hand in mine.

we haven't really spoken much alone but it's nice to just be in her company.

she leans close and whispers in my ear "you belong here with me"

forth first time in my life, I truly believe I belong somewhere.

and if you had told me at the beginning of summer that billie and I would be where we are, I would've laughed in your face.

but now, billie is the first person who makes me feel like I belong somewhere.

and it's a crazy feeling.

yes, it would be easy for sage to finally connect the dots and realise who pirate it...she's just a little slow alright? give her time