MATURE CONTENT WARNING

CHAPTER 5 – JUST ANOTHER OF YOUR MISTAKES

~Soundtrack - Billie Eillish – When the party's over~

Penelope couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this bitter mixture of being sad and angry, as if her chest couldn't decide if it wanted to tighten with disappointment or burn with rage. What she knew for certain she was feeling though was the fact that it was amusing in a sick sort of way that even when you had no expectations whatsoever, someone could still let you down and make you discover a new level of loneliness that you didn't know you could still reach.

It was her graduation day. And she had been surprised at first to hear that she'd graduated, as had been everyone else including her parents, but nonetheless she had passed all of her exams. So on the day of the ceremony, Penelope had gone out of her way look as victorious as she felt. She had put on a pretty black dress, not too short but not too long either, expensive and modest and outright beautiful, which was a first for her. She'd put on a pair of heels stolen from her mother and had even practiced walking on them without breaking a few bones. And most surprisingly, she'd decided to lose her black, edgy make up. There were no dark shades under her blue eyes, but instead just a natural look that she knew everyone else preferred on her because it made her look "more like a girl" as her father liked to put it.

She did everything she could to make herself presentable before putting on her blue robe and the hat and giving herself a onceover in the mirror. And she was just so proud of herself. After how much everyone told her that she never did enough to even pass high school, here she was, ready to prove them wrong and to look damn good doing it.

And she felt ready for whatever was to come too. She felt ready to start planning for summer, to work her ass off to pay some of the student loans that were to come, to go to college and leave home for good, while also proving her parents how truly capable she was. Today was the first day of the many good ones that were to come. She was sure of it.

So, before going out of the house to meet the friends that were picking her up, Penelope left her mother a voicemail to tell her she would meet them there.

What Penelope didn't expect, though, was the exact opposite of that happening.

It was one o'clock, and everyone had taken their seats. She looked around for her parents but didn't see them. She figured they were late.

It was half past one, and the teachers' speeches were over. She looked around again, but still no sign of them. She figured there must have been traffic.

It was two o'clock, and they started calling the students on stages. She checked the seats from the back and saw no familiar face. She figured they might have gotten the hour wrong.

It was a quarter past two and her name was called. She climbed on the stage, hands shaking in maybe nervousness or anger, and looked around for the last time. She finally figured they weren't coming.

Still, Penelope tried not to let this get the best of her. She stood there, trying to smile as a diploma was handed to her, as some gave their pompous speeches, and as they threw their hats in the air, with no one to watch as she caught hers. She smiled and took photos and celebrated with her friends, not bothering to scan the crowd anymore. And it could have been so easy to pretend she didn't actually care, that maybe it was best her parents hadn't showed up because she didn't need them to, not when they had never supported her anyway. Even if they had come, they probably would have ruined this for her.

But in spite of those reasons, Penelope refused to go out for drinks with her friends when invited, giving a half-assed excuse for it. She walked the distance to her house, still in her graduation robe, and smoked through half of her pack without realizing that she was practically sprinting to get home the more she thought about what had happened.

And when she got there, opening her front door and ready to see them there, nonchalant and uncaring while she was fuming from every poor, disappointment hit Penelope even more than she thought it could still manage to. Because the entire house was quiet.

She closed the door behind her slowly and threw her hat on the couch in the living room before going to scan the rest of the house. But halfway through the search, Penelope stopped in the kitchen and saw the note left on the table with her name on it. She took it reluctantly and read.

Dad and I went to visit your uncle in Bloomington for the weekend, he's sick. We're gonna be back Monday. Make sure you cook yourself something.

– Mom

And Penelope supposed it was sort of inexplicable why she felt her chest tighten like that. Because she knew her parents, of course they didn't give a damn about anything but themselves, or about a daughter they'd made it clear plenty of times they had never wanted. She knew them so well because of the many occasions they'd proven to her that trusting them not to disappoint her was a huge mistake. Now that she thought about it, she didn't know why she had expected them to show up, they had never said they would, they had just simply smiled and nodded when she'd invited them to her graduation. Maybe they had even forgotten about it.

But still, she could not help the loneliness that overcame her. Like it was just a terrible pit inside her chest, dark and cold and quiet with nothing to make it less miserable, so she had to sit through it and admit no rope would pull her up. She was on her own. She might have as well pretended she liked it like that. But then, why was everything feeling so heavy all of a sudden, even the silence in the room?

Penelope stood like that for a few seconds, with that note still in her hand that she gripped tight and crumpled it, before she realized sad wasn't what she was supposed to be feeling. No, they didn't really deserve that, nor did she. No one made her sad like that. What she was feeling now was anger, because it made a lot more sense. Whether they had forgotten or deliberately chosen not to show up, it was not fair, not when they had given her so much bullshit about not being to graduate. And now that she had, they just hadn't wanted to face the fact that they were wrong about their daughter all along.

None of it was any fair, especially that she would have to spend such an important day alone. She needed to let out her anger. She needed something.

She needed another cigarette, Penelope decided as she finally threw that note in the trash. She kicked aside brutally the chair standing in the way and stormed outside, slamming the door behind her. And she was shaking from every limb too, with an anger that overcame her so suddenly that she didn't know where it had all surfaced from.

She reached for her pack and even went as far to take a cigarette out and put it between her lips before she heard the sound of a car door shutting. And she knew exactly what expected her before she even lifted her eyes from the ground.

~Soundtrack: Maroon 5 - Animals - Electric Guitar Cover by Kfir Ochaion~

A few feet away from her house stood Billy Hargrove's Camaro, as shiny blue and gorgeous as ever, and coming out of it was Billy, with a cigarette between his lips and a light blue collar shirt that was, of course, unbuttoned halfway down and that Penelope could not help for the life of her but notice that it was matching his ocean eyes. And he was looking right at her.

Great, exactly what she needed. To be reminded that Billy Hargrove existed.

She sighed and watched him as he stood like that for a few seconds, looking at her while leaning against his car and blowing a cloud of smoke.

"Damn, Lopes," he spoke all of a sudden, loud enough for Penelope to hear him, with the cigarette still between his lips. "New look suits you."

She frowned, looking down at herself and remembered she wasn't wearing her usual dark clothes and dark make up, but still her blue graduation robe with heels and the dress underneath. And she could feel his eyes scanning her entire body, hungrier than usual.

And the first thing Penelope wanted to do was roll her eyes, because that was the instinctual reaction when it came to Billy, the boy with all talk and no bark. She even remembered their last moment, two weeks ago, when she'd caught him being jealous of Penny and she'd pushed him into a locker to prove how easily he could back off like a scared little boy if she took control unexpectedly. Funny, she observed, she hadn't thought about that since it had happened.

And what a big mistake it was to remember that. Because it brought with it the memory of having someone like Billy Hargrove backed into a corner, with his chest heaving and his hot breath on her face, all at her mercy to either push away or bring closer. And now she remembered she'd liked it too. She had done it to prove a point, to prove that she had the upper hand and he was no match for her. But as soon as her body had been pressed up against his, it had felt like the exact opposite of that.

Because she'd enjoyed it more than she had planned. His lips were so close while she was talking about the things they could do to prove everyone in Hawkins that the rumors were true, and it was as if she'd gotten so caught up in her own fantasy game, that she couldn't tell the difference between pretending she wanted this and actually wanting it. And originally, that had scared her enough that she had pushed Billy away, feeling satisfied with her manipulation.

But now? Now, as she was looking at him and saw the way he was looking at her, now that it was her graduation day and she was all alone, now that she was angry with everything around her, she could not find one damn reason to be scared.

She dropped the cigarette on the ground as realization hit her. He wanted her. He'd wanted her since he had put that cigarette with his phone number behind her ear, since he had found her sleeping in his car, since she'd driven him nuts in that parking lot, and especially since she'd pushed him against a locker. There was a guy right in front of her who wanted her so much it showed, a star of Hawkins High with the looks of the Californian bad boy everyone knew he was.

And as she climbed the stairs from the front porch into the lawn and walked with determined steps towards Billy, Penelope realized she wanted him, too.

Billy frowned at seeing the look on her face, and spoke before she reached him. "Jeez, what's wrong?"

But she didn't answer that.

What she did instead was use her hands to push him by the shoulders at full force against the side of his car before attacking his mouth with hers. And she wondered why she hadn't done that sooner as soon as their lips touched and she felt the warmth of his.

With one hand on his chest she held him pressed against the car, and the other rushed to tangle itself in his hair the way she had wanted to do the moment she'd thought of what it would be like to kiss Billy Hargrove. She made a fistful of his hair and started moving her mouth against his, letting out all the frustrations in that kiss, both with him and everything about today. And he tasted salty, both refreshing and menacing at the same time.

If she could describe what kissing Billy Hargrove was like, she would have said it was like running into the ocean on a hot summer day. Like diving right in the cold water without a thought, letting the waves raise you up while the saltiness of the water imprinted itself on your lips. It felt like any anticipation could not have prepared her enough for this.

And to her own surprise, Billy responded to the kiss right away. As soon as her hand tangled itself in his curly long hair, one hand flew to her hips and pushed her closer towards him while the other cupped her face, and every touch felt like a new current, like a new way she could get swept up. And the minute her nails dug into the back of his neck and she heard him groan against her lips, Penelope knew she was a goner.

She let their mouths move together until it felt like all breath was running out of her and until she could feel all that frustration fading away, making space for a new kind of burning. And before she could let that grab a better hold of her, Penelope pulled away and looked at Billy, sure that she must have looked just as flushed as he was.

So because the sight of a surprised, taken aback Billy was almost as good as the kiss itself, Penelope spoke before she could change her mind.

"Tonight. 8PM. Knock twice and don't be late."

She didn't know where all that confidence was coming from considering that, as empowering as taking control of the kiss like that had felt, it had also left her more unnerved than anticipated. But she could at least still find pride in the fact that she looked more put together than Billy. His curly hair was messy and his shirt crumpled, and his pink lips swollen. His breath was still coming in quick, and his face looked like it was still processing what had just happened.

But nonetheless, he put himself back together fast enough to give a response. "Yes, ma'am."

Penelope had to force her lips against a smile at that. Just like she had to force herself not to lean in again and drown. So, because it seemed like she wasn't a fan of thinking rationally today, she let go of his body and turned around, feeling cold all of a sudden despite the heat that had taken over her body.

She walked away, leaving a gaping Billy Hargrove behind, and didn't have time to wonder if this was the stupidest decision she'd ever taken or not before she closed the door behind her and leaned against it, with the taste of Billy's lips still lingering on her own.

o-o-o

Billy let the chilly droplets of water run down his bare back as he leaned with his hands on the cold tiles and closed his eyes. He inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to get a hold of himself and hoping a cold shower would get him out of the haze that Penelope Skye had put him in.

Two hours had passed since that kiss.

He'd stood in the shower for what must have been ten minutes before he got out and wrapped a towel around his waist. From there, everything was a routine he knew all too well.

It was a douche thing to have a routine before going over to a chick's place to have sex, but Billy did. He would take a shower, blow dry his hair, put on one of his best shirts which tonight happened to be the dark red one, spend at least half an hour on his hair making sure every curl was in the right place, all the while smoking cigarettes and blasting his favorite rock songs.

But tonight, he didn't really feel like he had the patience to deal with that routine. Tonight, all he kept doing was checking the clock.

He felt like he was wrapped around Penelope's pinky finger and he hated it. He could not remember the last time he had been so taken aback by a kiss, or by even a girl, that he would forget to take control and let her dominate him like that. He was as hooked as a fish, that even now he could not wrap his head around everything that had happened, how she'd stormed over to him, pushed him against his own car and went straight for the thing Billy had always hoped he would get from her but thought he never would. Even now, he licked his lips involuntarily hoping for a remaining taste of her.

Oh, and how it had been worth all that teasing, too. If Billy would have known that her little games would lead to this, he would've let her do whatever she wanted without any protest whatsoever. And as if that kiss hadn't been surprising enough, she'd invited him to come over tonight, too. God, the woman was such a hurricane that he felt compelled to run to despite the warning signs in his mind. She was unpredictable and messy and with the power to burn him to the ground, and he was here, still craving for more.

Even so, Billy could not help but chastise himself. Yes, she was all that and so much more, with qualities – if he could even call them that – that he had never thought he would find in a girl. But so was he. He'd come all the way from California like a tidal wave ready to swipe away Hawkins, and whatever he'd wanted he'd claimed. He was just as dangerous, just as much of a match for Penelope's fire, but he'd never gotten the chance to act on any of that, sure she wouldn't want him to. But now she wanted him to. And all he had been able to say was "yes, ma'am", like a compliant little boy? Perhaps he'd been too taken aback to register what Penelope was doing to him and his entire body, but now he was catching up. And he was ready to stop Penelope from having all the fun.

So, a few minutes before 8pm, Billy put out the rest of his cigarette, yelled at Max to tell her he wouldn't be coming home tonight, and headed over to Penelope's house ready to play his own cards.

~Soundtrack: Somo – The Somo Medley~

Billy knocked twice, like he was told to. He waited, not for a second doubting Penelope would open the door. It was weird really, the confidence that seemed to overcome him so suddenly, considering that ever since he'd met this mess of a woman all he'd done was question everything she did, even when she would make his head spin. But now, some of that was gone. Now, he waited knowing for a fact he wouldn't put up with any of Penelope's games.

And surely, Billy didn't have to knock a second time.

Penelope opened the door and looked at him, and if there was one thing that could still shake up his newfound confidence, it was how drop dead gorgeous she looked. If he thought she looked stunning in that graduation robe and in those heels, then the view in front of him right now was enough to knock him out. She wore a simple black dress, short enough to show a part of her perfect thighs, but long enough to still make you wonder, and from upwards it hugged her waist and chest perfectly that Billy had a hard time making himself tear his eyes from that and to her face. But when he did, he didn't regret it because her hair was let down so that the waves cascaded around her bare shoulders, and her sky blue eyes were still untouched by that overly dark make up, just wide and almost innocent looking to anyone naïve enough to think that.

And she looked at him like he was the prey that she wanted to eat up for dinner. And with how dumbstruck he was for a few seconds, Billy would have let her.

"Lopes," he said eventually after recovering, letting his nickname for her go slowly on his lips.

Penelope held her chin high and studied him right back. "William."

His lips curled upwards slightly at that.

He wanted to tell her she looked great. He wanted to tell her that kiss that driven him insane, and that he'd thought about it all day. He wanted to tell her he was minutes away from fucking her right there in the doorway. But he did none of that.

Penelope stepped aside while still watching him with those ravenous eyes, whose intensity was probably matching in his own eyes, and Billy understood no words were meant to be said right now, it wasn't about that. So instead, he took a step forward and walked inside, slow and deliberate and looking down at her the entire time, and to no wonder of his, she didn't back away or show any sign that she was intimidated by his sureness.

In fact, Billy saw it in her eyes, the look he recognized all too well, the look that said she was seconds away from throwing him around and tear him to pieces. And because he didn't want to let her do that just yet, he acted first.

With one quick move that matched hers from just hours ago, Billy cupped her face with both of his hands and kissed her, walking her backwards into the wall behind her. She gasped a little into the kiss, despite how clearly it had shown that it had taken all the power he had not to kiss her the moment she'd opened the door. She tried to grab his collar and take control by pushing him back then probably slam him into the wall, which seemed to be her signature move by now, but before she could do that, Billy grabbed her wrists and held them against the wall, pinning them there while he kept moving his lips hungrily but surely against her own. And the small moan she made and that vibrated through his mouth assured Billy that for him, there was no going back from here. He was a dead man.

He wanted to trace every line of her body in that dress, feel her curves underneath, feel the warmth of her thighs and the feeling of her chest against his mouth, but he knew that as soon as he would let go of her hands, the situation would change. So instead, Billy stopped the kiss and moved his way down to her neck, breathing in her minty scent and feeling the heat of her body. He planted a soft kiss in the same spot he had done weeks ago in that parking lot, but didn't stop there this time and continued his journey all over every sensible speck of skin he could find, making her back arch.

Her breath came in quicker as she let her head fall back and give him better access, and because he didn't want to stop until he heard her make that beautiful sound again, he lifted his thigh a little and placed it right between her legs, holding it pressed there.

And there it was.

Penelope moaned again, this time louder, and Billy let a lazy smile form on his lips as he kept kissing her neck, deciding that it was his favorite sound in the world. And he was going to be damned if he didn't hear it all night.

"Billy," she breathed out eventually as he reached her ear and bit gently at her earlobe, and Billy could swear he could feel the goose bumps forming on her skin. Still, his name didn't sound like a moan or a groan, but instead like the beginning of a sentence. And he finally realized how frustrating this must have been for her, being out of control like this.

He stopped and looked back up at her, feeling his voice full of lust as he said, "I don't wanna hear it, sweetheart." And then he was kissing her again, this time slower and without the same kind of rushed hunger.

But before he could expect it, Penelope's teeth found his bottom lip and she bit it, not gently or rough either, but enough to drive Billy to the point where he was done prolonging this. He saw her smirk up at him before, in another fast move, he grabbed her legs and lifted her up to straddle his waist, then started walking her to what he hoped was her bedroom.

He walked her blindly without breaking the kiss and while grabbing onto her ass this time to keep her steady, and her hands gripped his hair in the same way he had loved when she'd done it hours ago, pulling at it gently enough to make him groan this time. He felt they reached the door and Penelope opened it with one of her hands, and from there, it was finally familiar territory.

She had started to undo the buttons on his shirt that by the time they reached the bed and dropped in it, she was done with all of them. He pulled back from her and took off the shirt hurriedly, feeling her eyes scanning his body before her hands followed, tracing his chest with her fingernails. Once she reached his necklace she pulled at it again, another signature move, and crashed their lips together. He could not get tired of kissing her, he was sure.

Without breaking it, he placed his hands on her bare thighs and grabbed onto the skin there, too needy to be gentle by this point, before lifting her up and placing her on his lap so that he would have better access to the zipper in the back. He moved his hands fast and brought the zipper down in one swift move, but took his time pulling her dress down. He started kissing his way down from her jawline to her neck and then to her shoulder, pulling down the straps of her dress as he went until finally it was down to her waist and he could see the perfect lacey dark bra she wore. He kissed his way down her chest too, enjoying every single sound she made and the way she arched her body and pressed it as close as possible to his, all the while running her hands through his hair or up and down his back.

Billy could not remember the last time he'd gotten so lost in a girl, so into her body and her sounds and her hands working on him that his mind would just go completely blank. He could think of nothing else he would rather be doing, or any other moment alone he'd ever had with a chick that had compared to this. It was like he was in a trance, yet his hands and mouth and body had a mind of their own and knew how to get those little groans out of her.

And because he wanted to make her feel as good as she was making him feel by just letting him touch her like that, the moment Billy felt she wanted to push him down so that she'd be on top of him completely instead of just his lap, he acted fast again and flipped both of their bodies over so that she was under him now.

She gave another surprised gasp against his lips, and when he moved to kiss her neck again, she spoke.

"You're sure keen on not letting me have my fun, aren't you?"

He smirked against her skin and his voice was just as lusty as he felt right about then, like he was on the verge of exploding. "The night's young."

She gave a small, breathless laugh as he lowered his kisses onto her half exposed chest, and then lower until he reached the hem of her dress and pulled himself up for a moment to take it off all the way, before throwing it on the floor like he'd done with his shirt.

And for a second, he just looked at her, in her matching underwear and with her perfect curves finally showing underneath him, breathless and just as hungry for him as he was for her.

And he couldn't help himself from speaking. "You're fucking gorgeous, Lopes, did you know that?"

But she grabbed the back his neck instead, pulling him down into another forceful kiss, and reached with her other free hand for the belt on his jeans. Billy stopped her, grabbing both of her wrists again and pinning them down, earning another groan from Penelope. He restrained from making another comment about that too, and instead, started working his way down.

"Fuck, Billy."

He smirked up again at her. "Not just yet, sweetheart."

He kissed her neck and chest again, taking his time with it, and the only sign of impatience Penelope showed was unhooking her own bra and throwing it hurriedly on the floor, on the forming pile. He groaned at that sight, feeling the bulge in his pants even more than before, and started kissing on the newly exposed skin, biting and licking on every sensitive spot he could find until she was a mess in his arms. And when he felt content with that, he kissed his way all the way down to her abdomen, looking up at her with every gentle kiss he placed just close to where she wanted him, before going back up again and earning another groan. If there was one thing Billy could be proud of, it was bringing Penelope into this state just by teasing.

Eventually he reached her panties and touched with his finger the dripping wet spot right on them, hearing Penelope's moan grow louder this time. And then, without breaking eye contact, he took the hem of the black panties between his teeth and pulled them down slowly, driving both himself and Penelope crazy.

And he would have stopped to admire that view too, had he not been so hungry for her body to the point of combusting. Still, he didn't rush but instead kissed the inside of her thighs for a few minutes, until he could feel her hands pulling his head to where she wanted him, and with another full of himself smirk, he complied.

And if he thought Penelope had been a mess before, now she was a puddle in his arms. She groaned and pulled his hair harder, making Billy even more greedy for her body and proud of his own skills. Still, seeing her like that, her body weak in his arms and her legs shaking every time he touched that spot, it just did it for him too. He was ready to stay down there for hours, enjoying the taste of Penelope on his tongue and the sight of her gorgeous body every time he looked up, but apparently he didn't have to, because only minutes into doing this, and Penelope's groaned swears had started to grow louder. She arched her back as she finally came and her thighs started shaking against his head, and Billy slowed his movements letting her ride out the feeling.

And when she finally pulled him up despite how much he would've loved to stay there and she crashed their lips together once more, Billy realized how much his body needed her too. He let himself get lost in the aftermath of her orgasm, on her taste still lingering on her lips, and let his guard down for a second. Just enough for Penelope to act.

As soon as she caught the opportunity, Penelope pushed him over in one sudden motion and climbed on top of him, taking his hands and holding them above his head just like he'd done to her minutes ago.

He looked up at her, breathless, and realized he should have seen this coming. But the sight of her naked body on him made any coherent thought vanish from his mind anyway.

She smirked down at him before speaking, and Billy knew that smile all too well. It was the one that said Penelope Skye meant trouble.

"My turn."

o-o-o

~Soundtrack: Kiiara – Messy~

Billy woke up the next morning with the sunlight coming through the windows and into his eyes, letting out a groan and reaching over involuntarily with his hand for the silhouette next to him, only to find there was none. He woke up fully then, standing on his elbow and rubbing his eyes with the other hand, finally looking around the unfamiliar room.

Now that it was in broad daylight, Billy noticed the room completely. The walls were painted white and the bed was on the far end of the room opposite with the window, and next to it there was a desk full of books and empty bottles. Above it there was a shelf full of CDs and a stereo radio, and next to the shelf there were posters of all bands he recognized, The Police, Duran Duran, Billy Joel, Vixen. And the one poster that caught his attention was the huge one on the closet of Lee Aaron's that read 'Metal Queen'. Billy smiled lazily, thinking there were still some improvements that could be made to her music taste, but she was on the right track.

But still, that was not what caught his attention the most. What did was Penelope, standing in the middle of the room unaware he was watching. She was putting on a long sleeved shirt, doing its buttons with her back to him and wearing nothing but that shirt. And just like that, memories from last night came flooding.

They must have fallen asleep at five in the morning, Billy remembered with satisfaction. He looked around again at all the places where they had done it, from the bed to the desk, the wall, even against the wardrobe closet. And it had been, hands down, the best sex Billy had ever had. Usually, he wouldn't spend the night at any chick's place, even if it was Penelope, but they had both just fallen exhausted, unable to move. It had all been a mixture of him trying to be in control or her wanting to be as well, until they would each give into the other and wait for their turn. And seeing Penelope Skye in control, confident and knowing damn well what she was doing to him, it had blew his mind the entire night.

Yep, Billy thought. It was safe to say last night had been a success.

He got out of bed and grabbed his pair of boxers from nearby, finally catching Penelope's attention.

"That's a nice view to wake up to," he said, voice still sleepy, and reached for his tossed around jeans without tearing his eyes from her half naked body.

Penelope smiled faintly at him without saying anything, before putting on the rest of her clothes, too. Billy wondered for a second if it would be awkward if he just finished dressing and left, given that was what he usually did. He also wondered if he would have to give Penelope the speech of 'this was great but I'm not really looking for anything serious right now'. The sex had been great, and he was definitely looking forward to doing this again in the same casual manner, but right now all he kept thinking was how to get out of here without making everything awkward.

So, he opened his mouth to speak, only to have her beat him to it.

"Listen, about last night," she started, wrinkling her nose a little. "Let's pretend it never happened, mkay? Kay."

Billy stopped doing his belt and simply blinked, sure he hadn't heard correctly. "What?"

"I mean, it was clearly a mistake, we both agree. So let's just move on like adults and never talk about it again."

"What?" he repeated, this time louder. "A mistake? What's the matter, I thought we both enjoyed it? You sure as hell looked like you were from where I was standing."

Penelope rolled her eyes, making Billy feel even more irritated. "Yeah it was great, I agree. That doesn't mean it wasn't a mistake or that it should happen again," she picked up his red shirt from the ground and threw it at him. "You know the way out."

And no matter how much he recognized that speech of hers, because he'd been the one giving it to an awful lot of girls, Billy couldn't help but yell at her.

"This is bullshit. Don't talk to me like I'm some desperate girl who's trying to stick around after a one night stand, okay? What did you think, that I was gonna invite you over for brunch? You just beat me to telling you the same thing."

Penelope rolled her eyes for the second time. "Okay, then why are you still here?"

"Because you're full of bullshit," he shouted, feeling uncomfortable with how this was playing out.

"Or," she said in a mocking voice. "You're just not used to receiving the same treatment you give girls."

And because she guessed exactly his thought process, that seemed to get him even more frustrated. It was such an unexpected ending to the night they'd just had, to how amazing it had been, and now she was ruining it by wanting to choose who gave the one night stand speech. Even after everything that had happened, Penelope Skye could still leave him speechless.

"Look, Billy," she sighed and spoke in a more serious tone. "Like I said, let's be adults here. We both agree this was a onetime thing. Why is it important who kicks who out?"

And she was right again. It wasn't important. It never had been. If any other girl would have told him to get out in the morning, he would have already been out the door. But maybe what bothered him was how, after a great night of sex they'd had, she'd called it a mistake. When he didn't think it was that at all.

And the fact that he let himself be bothered by that simply increased the anger. It shouldn't have mattered.

He let out a scoff and finished putting on his shirt, not bothering to button it. "Whatever, I don't care."

And with those last words, Billy turned around and left Penelope's house, slamming the door on his way out.