double update: read 15 first!!

Billie was alone. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, as she shuffled closer to the side of the bed where Jamie had fallen asleep that night, reaching her arm out to wrap around his torso, she realised he was gone.

It wasn't that she expected him to stay, he was a busy man who needed to get back to Manchester, and it's not like they were even together, they were just having fun, she'd just hoped that maybe he would've said goodbye before he left.

The night she had spent with him was so different from any night she'd once spent with Brad, she wanted to remember every moment and she did. The way his hands wandered her skin as he freed her body from her clothes and she did the same to him, the way his lips trailed mindlessly across her skin, the scent of his aftershave that lingered in the air.

It was the first time in a long time that she had felt actually wanted, and the person who wanted her didn't just want it all for himself, he wanted her to feel good too, something that Brad was never overly eager to deliver on.

So as she lay there, staring at the ceiling, sheets strewn over her bare skin she wondered why he didn't say goodbye, she wouldn't have minded if he'd woken her up for that, to see his face before he sped back to the other side of London.

The feelings she felt were complicated, or at least she thought they were. Jamie Tartt had always been a 'no go zone' yet there she was feeling safe in his company, safe in his arms in a way that she didn't feel with Brad.

A gentle knock against her bedroom door snapped her out of her spiralling thoughts, "Yeah," She muttered.

The door opened and in slipped Madison who was already dressed for work, closing the door behind herself, "This room smells of sex," She sighed, opening the curtains to let natural light flood the room.

"Fuck off," Billie mumbled, blinking the sun out of her eyes, "He did."

"Was this the first one since Brad?" Madison asked as she perched at the end of the bed.

"Yeah, but it was different," Billie sighed, even though she didn't really want to unpack the whole night at that moment.

"Good different?"

"Definitely," Billie smiled to herself.

"So why do you look so down, babe?" Madison asked her best friend.

"I thought he would be here, I thought he would've at least said goodbye, maybe that's stupid," Billie sighed.

"Who is it?" Madison asked, "Someone you met on an app? Someone from work?"

"You don't know him." Billie hummed.

"So it's not Jamie Tartt?" Madison quipped with a grin.

"Why would it be-"

"He's in the kitchen making you breakfast." Madison replied with a grin.

"And you didn't think to lead with that?" Billie exclaimed, tossing a cushion at her best friend, her heart racing against her chest at the thought of Jamie making breakfast, Jamie who didn't leave, Jamie who stayed.

"I thought you knew!" Madison laughed as she stood up from the bed, rummaging in Billie's drawers and tossing her friend her 'cutest pyjamas' which was a white ribbed vest top and shorts with small flowers embroidered on them, "Put those on."

"Why are you trying to pimp me out?" Billie hissed as she slipped the pyjamas onto her body before retrieving Jamie's black hoodie she had acquired in Manchester and slipping that on to.

"Brad never bothered to make you breakfast." Madison replied sincerely.

"Brad never stayed," Billie hummed as she took a glimpse at herself in the mirror, appreciating the way Jamie's hoodie hugged her body.

"Come on hungry girl, get that breakfast," Madison grinned, ushering her best friend towards the bedroom door.

Billie opened her bedroom door and immediately her eyes fell on Jamie in the kitchen with his back to her as he stood at the stove. But it wasn't just Jamie, Alfie was standing beside him...helping him?

"Yeah, just flip it like that, she doesn't like it too over cooked," Alfie muttered as he leant against the counter, also dressed and ready for work, looking up from Jamie's frying pan to see Madison and Billie, "Morning campers!"

At Alfie's words Jamie looked up from the stove, turning to face the woman who he had left in bed with the intention of returning to, hoping that she'd stay asleep until he came back with breakfast. It was only when he was rummaging through the cupboards for something to make for breakfast that Alfie appeared and offered to help.

"Hi," Jamie smiled, and as Billie took in what he was wearing, she couldn't help but smile. He was wearing his boxers and one of her old One Direction t-shirts that her brother had bought three sizes too big for her to 'grow into' when she was a teenager, the faint hum of her and Alfie's shared playlist filled the room, "Made breakfast."

"I can see that," Billie smiled as she approached the kitchen area of the room, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"I made french toast," Jamie explained, and Billie couldn't ignore the way her stomach fluttered, "Alfie said it's your favourite."

"It is," Billie nodded as she watched Jamie move the cooked slices of french toast onto two plates before topping them with Biscoff sauce and fruit.

"There's hot chocolate there for you as well," Jamie told her, gesturing to the mug beside the kettle as he concentrated on the presentation of the breakfast.

Was this all a dream? Billie glanced at her two friends for clarification, needing confirmation that this was in fact her reality.

Alfie coughed under his breath before addressing Billie and Jamie, "Madds and I both have big important, unavoidable, extremely serious work emergencies so we shall be leaving."

"Really?" Billie smirked as she watched her two friends pick up their work bags.

"Absolutely, very serious," Madison nodded as she hugged Billie before whispering, "Lunch at the pub?"

"Definitely." Billie nodded.

"Be good," Alfie called out as he made his way down the stairs, followed by Madison, "Don't do anything I wouldn't-"

"Alfie, shut up," Madison hissed as the two friends left the flat, letting the door slam behind them as Billie returned her attention to Jamie as he placed the plates on her dining table, along with her hot chocolate and his tea.

"I thought you'd left when I woke up," Billie smiled as she returned to the kitchen table, taking a seat at the round table beside Jamie.

"I kind of hoped you'd stay asleep and then I'd bring this in as some sort of surprise I guess," Jamie sighed as they both tucked into their breakfasts, "If it's shit we can just go to a cafe or something instead."

"No, it's good," Billie assured him, "No one's made me breakfast like this before."

"Not Brad?"

Billie shook her head, "Brad rarely stayed, and when I'd stay at his place he had a chef who'd make us avocado on toast, and now I can't fucking stand avocados."

"What's wrong with avocados?" Jamie frowned.

"I ate them like every week for three years, I'm surprised I didn't turn into one," Billie replied as Jamie smiled, "And anything that I did with Brad I can't associate with anything but him."

"Like what?" Jamie asked.

"We always used to go for sushi, we used to drink overpriced wine, he used to buy me expensive shit to make up for whatever he'd done at the weekend," Billie sighed, reminded of all the items she'd sold since the breakup that Brad had bought for her.

"I'm playing Chelsea next week," Jamie replied, "I'll make sure to kick him in the shins or something."

"Thanks," Billie smiled, "But I am very much fine without him, now that the dust has settled."

"Good," Jamie nodded.

"You can take that t-shirt home with you if you like," Billie smiled, gesturing to the One Direction t-shirt he was wearing, "Looks better on you than it did on me."

"I'll just leave it here for next time," Jamie smirked.

"Next time, huh?" Billie raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah," Jamie smiled as he continued to eat his breakfast, "What time do you have to set off for work?"

"Probably got about half an hour," Billie replied as she finished off her french toast, standing up from the table, taking her plate over to the sink as the sound of Why Do You Feel So Down? by Declan McKenna played through the speaker. She danced along to the beat, twirling on the spot as Jamie watched on in intrigue, a smile growing on his face as she danced around the kitchen, "You want to dance?"

"I'm not much of a dancer," Jamie replied.

"I don't believe that for a second," Billie furrowed her eyebrows with a smile as she made her way back to the table, placing her hands on Jamie's shoulders in an attempt to move his body to the music.

"I'm happy watching you though," Jamie replied.

"I know you are, I remember you watching me while I danced with Isaac and Colin," Billie reminded him as she leant down and whispered in his ear, "Green suits you."

"I wasn't wearing green," Jamie frowned in confusion.

"I know," Billie muttered with a grin as she watched the cogs turn in Jamie's head.

"I was not jealous," Jamie retorted, unable to hide his grin.

"Oh, I think you were," Billie laughed as she danced backwards towards the bathroom.

"I wasn't jealous, Billie," Jamie sighed as he walked towards her, slowly closing the gap between them.

"I'm not sure about that," Billie grinned as she continued to walk backwards.

"Thirty minutes till you need to leave for work, hmm?" Jamie remarked as he reached her.

"Mmhmm," Billie hummed, "I've got to shower, get dressed, do my hair-"

"I think I can help with that," Jamie mumbled against the skin on her neck as he peppered her skin with light kisses.

"I'm not trusting you with my hair, Tartt," Billie muttered.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Jamie whispered.

After saying goodbye to Jamie before he returned to East London, Billie made her way to work where she spent her morning helping Keeley with brainstorming for branded content. The boys were pretty particular on the things that they wanted to be paid to promote which gave both Billie and Keeley a lot to work with.

By the time it reached midday Billie had made her way back to Richmond Green to the pub where she once worked to meet Alfie and Madison for lunch. As she entered the pub she realised that she was the last of her group to arrive, spotting her two friends sitting at a table in the corner of the pub, a glass of gin and lemonade waiting for her on the table.

"Hello, roomies," Billie smiled as she approached the table, slipping out of her coat and resting it on the back of her chair, "What have I missed?"

"Less of that, sit down and tell us what Jamie Tartt was doing in our kitchen this morning," Madison hissed as Billie sat across from her.

"Would you keep your voice down!" Billie muttered, glancing around the pub to see that no one had overheard the conversation, "What do you want to know?"

"Well," Alfie pulled a notebook out of his bag.

"Are you serious?" Billie rolled her eyes.

"I'm a journalist, what do you expect?"

"He's taking the piss," Madison assured her, "But I do have a lot of questions, and before you ask, I did order your usual for lunch."

"Thank you," Billie smiled, "Hit me with your first question."

"What happened since that kiss about two weeks ago and now for him to wind up in your bed?" Madison asked, reminding Billie that she hadn't told either of her friends about when she'd visited him in Manchester.

"I stayed at his place in Manchester at the weekend," Billie told her friends who watched on with eager smiles, "I told everyone I was visiting friends from university, the girls didn't believe me, all they know is that I was staying with a 'guy friend' for the night."

"So, is this like a thing?" Madison asked.

"I don't know, it's not long since we didn't like each other-"

"Fuck off, you just hated that he got under your skin the way you wished Brad would," Madison replied with a smile.

Billie looked to Alfie for backup but he displayed the same grin as Madison, "It's refreshing though, Bils, seeing you fired up about something, and he seems pretty keen on you too."

"You think?" Billie muttered with a half smile, before the looming doubt just crept in, "I just worry that it's so soon after Brad, and he's up in Manchester, I'm here, we're both busy people."

"Billie, slow down," Alfie stopped her from spiralling, "You're allowed to have fun with the fit footballer without it being serious."

"Alf's right," Madison squeezed her best friend's hand, "You've spent the last three years in a very public, pretty toxic relationship, you're entitled to take this slow and see what comes of it."

"I thought the boys must've been joking," Mae arrived at the table armed with three plates of food, "It's good to see you, love, it's been too long."

"It's good to see you too," Billie smiled as Mae placed the plates on the table, Madison opting for a burger and chips, while Billie and Alfie went for fish and chips as they usually did, "I'll make sure not to leave it too long next time."

"Good," Mae smiled, before leaving the three friends to it.

"Anyway," Madison resumed her point as Billie picked at the chips on her plate, "Just take each day as it comes, and as long as you're happy that's all we care about."

"Sporty Spice!" The American voice rang through the pub as Billie looked over her shoulder to see Ted and Rebecca at the bar.

"I'll be right back," Billie told her friends, taking a mouthful of food before approaching the bar.

"What are you doing here, Billie?" Ted asked, "You're not here for the milk meeting, are you?"

"No, I'm having lunch with friends," Billie explained, gesturing to Alfie and Madison who both waved in response.

"There she is," Another familiar voice was added to the mix as Billie watched the look on Rebecca's face drop, the girl looked over her shoulder to see Rupert and the blonde woman from the gala walking towards them.

"Rupert, what are you doing here?" Rebecca frowned.

"We came to celebrate, Rebecca, Rebecca," Rupert replied, glancing at Billie, "And this is the lovely, Billie Kent."

"Lovely to see you again," Bex smiled at the two women.

"And this is Ted," Rupert gestured to the manager, "Why don't you join us for a drink?"

"There you go, Rupert," Mae smiled as she placed an ice bucket containing a bottle of champagne on the bar, "Anything else?"

"A couple more glasses for our friends here," Rupert replied, "Thank you, Mae, you are as delicious as ever, from your West End to your Marble Arch."

"Keep your Big Ben in your pants," Mae quipped.

"This feels like a violation," Billie whispered to Rebecca.

"Thank you for your invitation, but we're actually here to meet with the Milk sisters," Rebecca told Rupert.

"Oh, they won't be coming," Rupert remarked as he poured champagne into the flutes provided by Mae.

"Oh no, did they expire?" Ted was quick to reply as Billie had to stop herself from laughing.

"What?" Rupert muttered, "Well, I know I'm not allowed an ownership stake in the club, but they were nice enough to sell their minority share to Bex here."

"I always thought I'd pay off my student loan before I purchased a football club," Bex remarked as Rupert laughed.

"Obviously, she needed a little financial aid from yours truly, but when we're married what's hers will be mine, and what's mine, well that'll stay mine," Rupert explained.

"May as well call him her sugar daddy and be done with it," Billie muttered again.

"You're engaged?" Rebecca remarked in disbelief.

"Yeah," The pair replied as Bex held up her hand, showing off the overly excessive ring that was obviously compensating for something.

"Hey, congratulations," Ted grinned.

"So, you better join us for a drink," Rupert told them, "Everyone! Drinks with us, it's on me!"

Billie leant closer to Rebecca as the pub cheered, punters rushing to the bar for a free drink, "I know where the sprinkler system switch is, just say the word and it'll be like that scene at the end of Mamma Mia."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I won't give him the satisfaction," Rebecca sighed as she watched her ex husband and his new fiancée.

"As thrilling as this whole little soirée is, my food is going cold," Billie told her softly, "So if you need me, I'll be right over there."

"Thank you." Rebecca nodded with a gracious smile as Billie returned to her friends.

"What's going on over there?" Alfie asked, eager as ever for a sports related scoop.

"Rupert Mannion's playing sugar daddy again," Billie explained as she returned her attention to her half eaten fish and chips, "He gave his new fiancée the money to buy shares in Richmond."

"Fuck, rich people are crazy," Madison muttered in disbelief, glancing at her watch, "And now I've got to skidaddle to make it back before fifth period, I'm teaching year nine."

"Good luck," Billie smiled as Madison slipped her coat back on, grabbed her bag and slipped out of the pub.

"I booked the rest of the day off work, figured you'd need me to help you rationalise the great Tartt debacle," Alfie nudged her.

"It's not a debacle," Billie huffed between mouthfuls of food, "I just think it's best to take things slow, not put pressure on it, and just have fun."

"Good, you deserve to be happy, not just because of everything that happened with Brad, but because you deserve someone who treats you like the star you are," Alfie told her.

"You're a fucking softy," Billie grinned, "What about you? I feel like I've been so wrapped up in my own shit that I've not checked in with you properly."

"I've woken up in three different beds in the last two weeks," Alfie told her with a smile.

"Any good?" Billie smiled.

"I mean, I didn't get their names or numbers," Alfie remarked, "First one said she was a TV producer, Second was a stockbroker and the third said that he works in music."

"I find it incredibly impressive that you remember these people's jobs but not their names," Billie grinned, reminded of the first time Alfie told her that he'd kissed a boy.

They'd always been incredibly close as friends, it was Alfie who she was friends with before she met Madison. It was a few days after a party when they were seventeen and Alfie just slipped it into conversation, said that he liked boys and girls, and that was the first and last time they ever really talked about it in detail. It wasn't a big deal, not because Billie didn't care, but because she did care, she cared about Alfie and just wanted him to be happy, and as long as he was happy and true to himself, that's all that she cared about.

"Billie," Rebecca slipped into the spare seat, "Ted's just made a fucking wager with Rupert."

"What kind of wager?" Billie asked as she looked across the pub to see Ted and Rupert standing opposite the dartboard.

"If Rupert wins he gets to choose the last two lineups of the season, if Ted wins Rupert can't go in the owner's box," Rebecca explained, looking to Alfie who she recognised from the press room, "Don't you dare print that."

"You have my word, Ms Welton," Alfie saluted with a smile.

"You wanna come watch what could be a highly entertaining darts match?" Billie raised her eyebrows at Alfie.

"Obviously."

The darts match continued with many spectators coming and going, but in a show of loyalty to Ted, Billie, Alfie and Rebecca remained at the bar, their drinks being refilled constantly by Mae for the sake of their nerves, or rather, Rebecca's. The rest of the pub seemed to be team Rupert, especially when Rupert needed just ten points to win and Ted needed 170 and a miracle.

"Should I be giving you the lineup card now, Ted?" Rupert gloated as though he had already won the game, "I shall be putting Obisanya back in defence where he belongs."

"That's exactly what I said!" Jeremy exclaimed.

"No, it's not all Ted's fault," Rupert was quick to reply, "It's my ex wife who bought the hill-billy to our shores, I know she's always been a bit randy, but I never thought she'd fuck over an entire team."

"Hey," Ted exclaimed, "Better manners when I'm holding a dart," He turned to the landlady, "Mae, what do I need to win?"

"Two triple twenties and a bullseye," Mae muttered, as though she had already accepted the American's fate.

"Huh, good luck," Rupert laughed.

"You know, Rupert, guys have underestimated me my entire life, and for years I never understood why, then one day I was driving my little boy to school, and there was this quote on the wall, it said, 'be curious, not judgemental', and I like that," Ted replied, throwing his dart at the board and scoring a triple twenty.

"So, I get back in my car and I'm driving to work, and all of a sudden it hits me, all those fellas who used to belittle me, not a single one of them were curious, you know they thought they had everything all figured out, they judged everything and everyone."

"And I realised their underestimating me, who I was had nothing to do with it, cause if they were curious, they would ask questions, like, 'do you play a lot of darts, Ted?'" He threw another dart at the board, hitting a second triple twenty, as the pub cheered, "Which I would've answered, 'yes sir, every Sunday afternoon at a sports bar with my father, from age ten, till I was sixteen, when he passed away.'"

"Barbecue sauce." Ted muttered, throwing the dart at the board and hitting the bullseye, the pub erupting in celebration.

"Maybe I should become a darts journalist," Alfie judged Billie with a playful smile.

"Darts journalism?" Billie frowned as Rupert and Bex slipped out of the pub.

"Mmhmm," Alfie nodded, "That was far more gripping than any match I've watched in the last five years."

"That's because there was more at stake," Billie replied as she watched Ted whisper something to Rebecca, "And because Ted put that geriatric prick in his place."

"Drinks are on me!"

Billie had been falling asleep halfway through Bridget Jones' Baby on her sofa when she heard her doorbell ring profusely, as though whoever was ringing it had their finger pressed down against the bell.

She hurried down the stairs, internally praying to whichever god or mystic power was listening in case it were an axe wielding murderer.

No, it wasn't, it was Keeley Jones wearing a pink fur coat and a sombre smile on her face.

"Keeley?" The brunette remarked as she rubbed her eyes.

"Hi, can I come in?" She smiled, "Roy was going to come too, but then your sister called, said something about a major emergency at work and now he's at her house reading Phoebe to sleep."

"Of course, come in," Billie nodded, letting the woman into her flat and closing the door behind her.

"It's weird, even though I've never been inside your flat, it feels like I have," Keeley muttered as they made their way up the stairs.

"Is this about you and Roy sorting things out?" Billie asked, taking a seat on the sofa and patting the space beside her, gesturing for Keeley to take a seat.

"He told you?" Keeley blushed.

"He didn't have to," Billie assured the woman, "I knew he'd make it up to you, he'd have been stupid not to."

"It's not about Roy, it's about you and Jamie," Keeley sighed as Billie frowned.

"I was going to tell you," Billie muttered as her bottom lip trembled.

"Tell me what?"

"Wait, what exactly did you come here to talk to me about?" Billie remarked, slowly concluding that the two women had their wires crossed.

"That photo of you and Jamie that was in The Sun, why? What did you think I was going to ask you about?" Keeley asked and Billie realised that it was time to be honest.

"I was going to tell you, but I couldn't find the right time, and I wanted to do it properly, so that this wouldn't be awkward, but it definitely is awkward, isn't it?" Billie rambled.

"I don't have a clue what you're talking about, Bils." Keeley whispered in confusion.

"I've been seeing Jamie...well, 'seeing' is a very loose term," Billie replied, "We kissed a few times, I stayed at his, he stayed here last night after his match against West Ham, and we...anyway, I was going to tell you, because you're an incredible friend and I don't want this to be weird."

"It's not weird, Billie," Keeley smiled, squeezing the girl's hands, "Jamie and I were over long before I ended it, and I don't know if it was Ted or you, but he seems a lot brighter since you arrived, and I think that's fucking perfect."

"So, you're okay with it?" Billie asked nervously.

"Of course, and it would be pretty shitty of me to be dating your brother if I was still hung up on Jamie," Keeley told her, "As long as you're happy, and he treats you right, that's all that matters."

"Thank you," Billie smiled, "And while we're on the topic of Jamie, can this stay between us? The last thing either of us need is Roy getting banged up for beating Jamie up."

"Your secret's safe with me," Keeley nudged her.

"Anyway, what was it you wanted to talk about?" Billie asked.

"Right, well, there's no easy way of saying this," Keeley sighed, ready to deliver the news, "That photo of you and Jamie, it was Rebecca that paid the photographer and gave him a tip off that you'd be in Chelsea."

"Oh."

"She also paid the same photographer to take those photos of me and Ted," Keeley continued, "And I don't know why she'd do that."

It hurt, more than anything it hurt. Rebecca was a woman who Billie had put her trust in, who she looked up to and admired. She wasn't angry, she was hurt, because it was the same woman who had encouraged her to free herself from the relationship that had led her name to be plastered all over the tabloids. Despite all that, she didn't have it in her to be angry, she was just disappointed.

"What are we going to do?" Billie asked.

"I'm going to tell Rebecca to come clean to Ted," Keeley replied, "The only reason I told you myself is because Roy wouldn't have been able to keep this to himself, he'd be too worried about you."

"Why do you think she did it, Keeley?" Billie whispered.

"I don't know, but we'll work it out."

author's note: hope you enjoyed the chapters! please comment, vote and all that lovely stuff!