Fever Dream

Kalena

I didn't sleep that night.

I tossed and turned, every shift in my sheets feeling like a betrayal. Billie's laugh echoed in my head—soft, real, close. And then the photo. A different laugh. A different version of her. One I didn't recognize.

By the time the sky turned grey, I was on autopilot. Showered. Dressed. Still hadn't texted her.

She texted me first.

morning sunshine, missed your face.

I stared at the screen. My heart clenched.

I didn't reply. I called.

She answered immediately. "Hey—"

"We need to talk," I said. My voice didn't even sound like mine.

A pause. "Okay. When?"

"Now. My place."

"Okay."

It wasn't cold. It wasn't dramatic. Just... final. Like we both knew the tone had shifted.

-

She showed up less than thirty minutes later, in a hoodie and jeans, no makeup, hair messy like she'd run her fingers through it a hundred times on the drive over. She looked tired. Nervous.

"Hey," she said, stepping inside.

I didn't hug her. Didn't smile.

Billie's eyes searched my face. "What's going on?"

I held up my phone. "Someone sent me this."

Her eyes dropped to the screen.

Silence.

Then, "Are you serious?"

"I just want to know if it's real."

She looked up sharply. "You think I'm lying to you?"

"I don't know what to think, Billie. I see this photo, and I see you—with someone else. Holding hands. Laughing like it's us."

Billie exhaled, stepping back. "That's from months ago. Before you. Before we even met."

"Why would someone send it to me now?"

"Because people suck. Because they're jealous. Because they want to mess with you—or me. Or us."

I crossed my arms. "You didn't tell me you were seeing someone before."

"Because it didn't matter." Her voice cracked. "It wasn't like this. It wasn't anything."

"How do I know that?"

She took a step toward me. "Because I'm standing here. Fighting for this. Fighting for you."

I felt like I was unraveling. "You made me feel safe. I don't feel safe anymore."

Her face twisted. "Kalena, please. I didn't lie to you. I didn't cheat. I didn't do anything wrong."

"But you didn't tell me either."

"I didn't know I had to give you my entire dating history."

I flinched. "It's not about history. It's about honesty."

Billie ran a hand through her hair, pacing. "I've never done this before. I've never felt like this before. I'm trying. I'm sofucking scared and I'm trying."

My chest caved. "I'm scared too."

She stopped in front of me. "Then tell me what you need."

"I need to know that I'm not just a phase. I need to know I'm not a song lyric or a distraction or some hot fling that you'll forget in a few months."