new book is out go read it right neeoow🔪

warnings ! : blood x

Billie had just finished another electrifying show on her tour. The roar of the crowd filled the massive arena as she stood on the infinity stage, soaking it all in. Confetti swirled through the air, glinting in the stage lights like tiny pieces of gold. She scanned the sea of her fans, faces filled with joy, tears, and admiration. A wide smile spread across her face, her chest swelling with gratitude. This—these moments—were why she loved what she did.

As the final note of her encore faded and the lights dimmed slightly, she caught sight of Cedric standing just offstage, his tall frame a steady presence in the chaos of post-show activity. His piercing green eyes locked onto hers, a soft smile playing at his lips as he gave her a subtle nod. It was their unspoken way of saying, You did amazing.

But the moment of bliss was short-lived.

Out of the corner of her eye, Billie noticed a sudden commotion near the barricades at the edge of the stage. She barely had time to process what was happening before a rogue fan, a man dressed in all black, vaulted over the barrier and sprinted onto the stage. The sight of the AK-47 slung across his shoulder sent a wave of icy fear crashing over her.

The crowd screamed in unison, a deafening cacophony of terror.

"Get down!" someone yelled.

Billie froze, her heart hammering in her chest as the man stormed toward her, his face twisted with rage. Her legs refused to move, panic paralyzing her as she stared at the weapon.

Before she could react, a blur of motion shot across the stage.

Cedric.

He moved faster than she'd ever seen, a blur of muscle and precision. He tackled the man to the ground with such force that the sound echoed through the arena. The rifle clattered to the stage floor, but not before two deafening gunshots rang out.

The crowd erupted in screams, fans scattering in every direction.

Billie's ears rang from the noise, her vision tunneling as she watched Cedric wrestle the gunman into submission. With a swift motion, Cedric disarmed him completely, knocking him out cold with a brutal punch to the jaw. The man went limp, collapsing onto the stage like a rag doll.

For a moment, there was silence.

And then Billie saw it.

Cedric swayed on his feet, his breathing shallow and uneven. Her eyes dropped to his chest, and her stomach plummeted. Blood. Bright red and horrifyingly plentiful, pouring from his lower abdomen and chest.

"Cedric!" Billie screamed, rushing toward him as he started breathing slower.

The blood soaked through his shirt, spreading like a blooming flower. Cedric glanced down at himself, his brows knitting together in confusion before his legs buckled. He stumbled backward, falling off the edge of the stage.

"NO!" Billie shrieked, her voice breaking as she ran after him.

She barely registered her security team swarming the stage, dragging the unconscious attacker away and calling for paramedics.

Security swarmed the stage, paramedics already rushing to Cedric's side as he lay crumpled on the arena floor. Billie pushed through the chaos, her heart in her throat.

"Get him to the hospital now!" someone shouted.

Billie dropped to her knees beside Cedric, her hands trembling as she pressed them to his wounds in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. His eyes fluttered open, unfocused and glassy, but when they landed on her, a faint smile tugged at his lips.

"Billie," he murmured, his voice barely a whisper.

"Don't you dare," she choked out, tears streaming down her face. "Don't you dare leave me, Cedric."

Hours later, Billie sat in the waiting room of the hospital, her hands covered in dried blood—Cedric's blood. The smell of antiseptic stung her nose, the sterile environment doing nothing to soothe her fraying nerves.

Maggie sat beside her, trying to offer comfort, but Billie was inconsolable. Her mind replayed the scene over and over: the gunshots, Cedric's body hitting the floor, the blood.

Finally, a doctor emerged, his expression grave.

"Mr. Pierre lost a lot of blood," he said, addressing Billie directly. "And he's B-negative, which is very rare. We struggled to find enough in such a short span of time."

Billie's chest tightened. "But is he—will he—"

"He's stable for now," the doctor interrupted gently. "But the next 24 hours are critical."

The weight of his words crushed her. Stable for now.

"He's a stubborn bastard," Aaron muttered, his voice thick with emotion. "He's not going anywhere."

Billie refused to leave Cedric's side, even when the nurses tried to usher her out of his room. She sat by his bed, holding his hand tightly in hers, her thumb brushing over his knuckles.

He looked so fragile, his normally powerful frame pale and still against the stark white sheets. The bandages across his torso were a harsh reminder of just how close she'd come to losing him.

"You idiot," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Why'd you have to be a hero?"

Cedric didn't stir, the steady beep of the heart monitor the only sound in the room.

Billie leaned forward, resting her forehead against his hand as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. "You can't leave me," she whispered. "I need you, Cedric. Please."

The next day, Cedric's eyes fluttered open.

At first, he was disoriented, his gaze drifting around the room until it landed on Billie, who was asleep in the chair beside his bed, her head resting on the edge of his mattress.

"Billie," he croaked, his voice hoarse.

Her eyes shot open, and she bolted upright. "Cedric!"

He managed a weak smile. "Hey, love."

Tears filled her eyes as she leaned over to press a kiss to his forehead. "Don't you ever scare me like that again," she said, her voice trembling.

"Sorry," he murmured, his hand twitching slightly as he tried to squeeze hers. "Guess I can't help being your knight in shining armor."

Billie let out a watery laugh, brushing his curls away from his forehead. "You're an idiot, you know that?"

"Yeah," he said, his eyes soft as they locked onto hers. "But I'd do it again. For you."

Her heart clenched at his words. She leaned down, pressing her forehead against his, her voice barely above a whisper. "I love you, Cedric."

His eyes widened slightly, surprise flickering across his face before it softened into something warm and unspoken.

"I love you too," he said, his voice steady despite the pain.