Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Seven


    Lila stretched, confused for a moment by how much room she had to do so. She opened her eyes, and, with a jolt, realised she was in Asher''s bed – naked. Alone, too.


    ''So… none of it had been a dream,'' she thought to herself, placing her hands over her eyes in a brief moment of embarrassment. She''d… actually spent most of yesterday on his dick, virtually moaning until she fell asleep.


    Though, should she really be embarrassed? Clearly, he''d wanted, and enjoyed, it too. So, was her embarrassment simply stemming from how much she had tried to ignore her sexual thoughts, which had started before they got together?


    She wasn''t quite sure if she''d ever get an answer to that, but for now she sat up. She was slightly disappointed that Asher wasn''t in bed with her, but perhaps he was in the bathroom.


    Her eyes landed on her bags and she pulled on what she''d intended to wear as pyjamas.


    She knocked on the bathroom door but didn''t hear anything. She gingerly opened it, peering into the darkness. He wasn''t there, either.


    She left his bedroom and saw him sitting on the couch in house clothes, textbooks splayed out on the coffee table. He looked up as soon as she left and beamed at her.


    "Good morning," he said brightly, standing up immediately. "Did you want some juice?"


    "Good morning," she smiled. "Sounds great."


    He bustled over to the kitchenette. "Sorry I left," he said as he poured juice into a cup. "I woke up about an hour ago in a cold sweat, since exams are next week."


    "Oh," she uttered as she sat in her usual spot. He passed her cup to her with a kiss and she took a sip as he sat next to her, their legs lightly touching. "It''s okay. I get it," she said.


    He reached over and gently squeezed her thigh before looking back down at his textbooks. She wasn''t quite sure what subject he was studying for, since he had several open, but she watched him for a while, enjoying the sight of him in full focus.


    Eventually, he glanced at her before closing his Chem textbook. "I''m guessing you don''t want to study."


    "I do, but… I like looking at you," she replied frankly, taking another sip of her juice. "Plus, I''m feeling too lazy to get my study bag."


    "I can grab it," he said, stretching his arms up. "Where''s it?"


    "Just in your room. The bag that doesn''t have clothes in it."


    "Roger that," he smiled, standing up and crossing to his room. He returned shortly after and handed her bag to her.


    It felt almost as though yesterday had been a freak occurrence since neither of them addressed it. He''d been rather shy when he purchased a pack of twenty condoms rather than ten, but at the rate they were going yesterday, she''d been convinced that they''d need to buy more before the weekend was over. Now, though… he seemed dedicated to studying.


    She pulled out her Maths textbook and workbook and began studying alongside him. A benefit of having done it so much, it seemed, was that she felt incredibly calm and focused today.


    The shrill tone of the intercom made her jump and Asher crossed the rumpus room to respond to Marlene''s invitation for breakfast.


    "Good time for a break," he commented with a nod. "Hope you''re hungry."


    She returned the nod, vividly remembering his comments from last night. He seemed to remember the same as he quickly looked away, his face as pink as hers surely was. She returned to his room to put on something a touch more presentable before heading downstairs with him, hand-in-hand.


    Breakfast today was a humble ham, cheese and mushroom omelette with some toast and juice, which was swiftly demolished.


    "I can see you two were hungry," Marlene said lightly as she collected their plates. "Would you like me to make more food?"


    "I''m okay," Lila said upon Asher glancing at her.


    "Yeah, I''m okay too," Asher said, nodding at Marlene.


    "Okay. Let me know if that changes."


    "Thanks," Asher replied, standing up and holding his hand out for Lila to take. She did so, and they headed back up to the rumpus room.


    "You don''t have to study if you don''t want to," Asher said as she sat down in her usual spot.


    "I get stressed about exams too," she said frankly. "I''ll study with you."


    "Alright, well… if you get bored or need a break, just let me know. You can use the TV, too. I don''t mind a bit of background noise."


    "Okay."


    They studied in silence for a while longer. That was until Lila decided she couldn''t take it anymore. Her curiosity about what he thought regarding yesterday was going to drive her mental.


    "So… Asher."


    "Yes, my love?"


    She blushed. That was something else that had happened yesterday, and his casual use of this pet name told her that it wasn''t just a ''yesterday'' thing.


    "Um… I was… curious."


    "Uh oh," he said playfully, looking up at her. He placed his notebook on the coffee table and turned to her, giving her his undivided attention.


    "I… wanted to know what you thought about yesterday," she said, unable to look into his eyes.


    "What I thought?" he asked. She nodded.


    "Well… another reason why I left was because I couldn''t stop thinking about it. I needed a distraction. Since… when I woke up and saw you, it felt like I was having heart palpitations again. You looked so peaceful… and naked." He paused and she felt her cheeks heat up.


    "I… kinda thought that maybe you''d think it was too much," he continued, his tone surprisingly nervous.


    "Definitely not," she said emphatically. "It was perfect."


    He breathed a deep sigh of relief. "I''m… really glad."


    "So… if you wanted to take a break from study at some point," she said tentatively, "we could… if you wanted-"


    "Do you want to?"


    She looked into his eyes, detecting his interest in the idea of doing it again. "Of course."


    He smiled brightly, touching her cheek. "Now?"


    Her heartbeat sped up as she swallowed. "Please."


    He wasted absolutely no time in lifting her from the couch, his lips against her neck. "I can''t wait," he murmured, the goosebumps bursting across her skin causing her to shiver in response. She threw her arms around his neck with a musical giggle and it wasn''t long before he tossed her onto his bed, closing the door behind them with a slam.


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    Later that day, amidst further study, Asher looked up at Lila and closed his notebook.


    "It''s been a while," he said, which made Lila''s heart pound. Did he mean-


    "We should take a break," he continued. "We haven''t played a game yet."


    She took a deep breath. ''Games… normal things… that''s good too.''


    "Unless you don''t want to?"


    She glanced at him. He looked really keen for a gaming break, and he''d been studying for hours now. She smiled.


    "Let''s play."


    She cleared the couch of study materials as Asher selected a game for them to play. After only ten minutes though, she started to feel antsy. There was something that they hadn''t addressed – something big that happened. He''d said he''d process it later… had that ''later'' arrived yet?


    "What''s wrong?" Asher asked as he revived her character with a sideways glance at her. "Do you not want to play?"


    "I do but… I really want to talk about what Isaac said."


    "Oh." Asher hit ''pause'' and balanced his controller on his pile of textbooks. "Then let''s talk about it."


    She placed her controller down and pressed her lips together.


    "It… doesn''t look like you want to talk about it."


    "No, I do – it just… I feel so stupid," she said after a long pause. "They''ve been together for so long and I didn''t notice."


    "I didn''t notice either," Asher replied gently. "I think that''s what they were hoping for, though."


    "But why? I mean, I know Isaac said not to tell Elise since she''d kill him, but why would she want to hide that from me? Is it… because I''ve been neglecting our friendship?"


    Asher sighed. "If they''ve been together for as long as Vanuatu, then I doubt she feels that way, since she''d be spending her time with Isaac anyway."


    "Right, but… does she not trust me?"


    "I think she trusts you quite a lot – but that might also be part of the problem. Maybe she thinks she''s let you down in some way by it."


    "Let me down? But she knows I''ve been trying to get them together all term."


    Asher shrugged. "Maybe she''s ashamed for some reason?"


    "Ashamed?" Lila paused. "But why?"


    Asher shrugged again. "I mean, Isaac said it first happened in a park. Maybe she''s ashamed of that?"


    "But that shouldn''t matter," Lila insisted. "I''m just happy that they''re together. It would''ve made me happy to have known when it happened."


    "Mysteries to be resolved when we see them next, I''m sure."


    "It kinda annoys me to know that they''ve been going all the way at school, but Isaac''s been lurking and trying to stop us from showing any affection," Lila grumbled. "How hypocritical."


    "I think… that jealousy thing he mentioned was deeper than I thought. Knowing Isaac, I think every moment he has to restrain himself has been slowly killing him off. I know that if it were up to him, he would''ve called me as soon as they got together – but of course, I haven''t received any phone calls from him this term. Hiding his feelings like this… makes me think he loves Elise. Like he''d do absolutely anything she asked. So… since he couldn''t do what he wanted, even small things like hold her hand or talk to her like his girlfriend, it was painful to watch us do all that."


    "That''s sad," Lila replied, sinking deeper into the couch. "Poor guy. Do you think he would''ve told us at some point?"


    "He said he ''can''t do this anymore'' the other day," Asher noted thoughtfully. "I think he was planning to avoid us for the rest of time."


    Lila tried to wrack her brain, thinking why Elise felt like she couldn''t bring herself to tell Lila that she was with Isaac – even if it were to just shut Lila up, given all the comments she made. If it were Lila, she would''ve lost her resolve incredibly quickly, since she would''ve been that excited to tell her friends. So was Elise simply not excited?


    That… didn''t feel right.


    Elise had made a few comments here and there about Isaac being Lila''s ex. She''d tried to dissuade Elise from making a big deal of it, but maybe it still concerned her.


    Lila glanced at Asher, her sudden concern about what he thought resurfacing. They''d talked about it in the past but… there wasn''t any harm in checking again, right?


    "I… think… she could be worried about the fact that…" Lila''s hands twisted together, her tongue even more so.


    "The fact that?"


    She took a deep breath. Then another. Then another. Each one shorter than the last, her whole body quivering. Why was she feeling so unsure? He''d been fine with it before since all she''d done with Isaac was kiss. Surely it''d be even better now, right? They''d gone all the way, so… so he wouldn''t care at all about her past with Isaac, right?


    But what if that made it worse? She wasn''t sure how it could but Elise was in the same situation, having gone all the way with Isaac – yet, if she was still worried, then maybe there was something wrong with this situation. Something that Lila needed to be scared of. Something that could destroy everything.


    "Lila, what''s on your mind?" Asher asked, taking her hands in his, his eyes almost swimming with worry. "You look like you''re going to get into a panic attack."


    She shook her head, but her breathing wasn''t calming down. He pulled her closer, gently placing her head on his chest.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "My love, what''s wrong?" he murmured, holding her tighter.


    That''s right… he''d said he loved Lila. He called her his love. He held her tenderly, just like this, and worried for her. If he was bothered about her past with Isaac, then he wouldn''t be like how he was.


    "You can tell me anything," he added, his voice straining. "Did I do something wrong?"


    "No," Lila managed to say.


    "Then what happened? Your mood changed so quickly."


    She looked into his eyes, feeling her anxiety beginning to melt.


    "Please tell me? I''ve… I''ve got a few dollars."


    Her lips twitched into a small smile as she took one more deep breath – the deepest one yet.


    "S-Sorry… I just freaked myself out. Um, I was… just thinking… that, um. E-Elise is probably worried that Isaac and I dated." She paused. "A-And now I''m worried."


    He blinked at her. "About?"


    "About what you think."


    His body relaxed, though his hold on her tightened again. "That''s all? My love, you don''t need to work yourself up about this."


    The tension in her shoulders released. "Really?"


    "Of course. It was one of those things that I worked through before asking you to be mine. I mean, sometimes it pops up every now and then, but, like I said the other day, it''s mainly when I''m super tired and generally insecure." He halted, lightly brushing his finger across her eyebrows. She hadn''t realised how hard she was frowning until his touch reset them.


    "When you told me that you hadn''t really liked him – that you started dating because he asked, basically – it really eased my mind. Not to say you didn''t have a choice in accepting to be his girlfriend, but… well, like I told you before, I''d been upset while you two were dating because I thought you chose him over me. Not that I''d done anything to draw your attention and choose me, but it still hurt. Hurt to see my best friend be with the girl I''d liked for years. I mean, he knew, too. I''d said it was okay for him to ask you out – and I thought it would be. Then I realised I couldn''t even talk to him after you''d said yes. I''d… never felt jealousy over anything up until then."


    He waved his hand around at the rumpus room before letting it rest on hers again. "Never really had to ''want'' for anything in an environment like this, so there wasn''t any need to feel jealous about anyone or anything. But then the first time I saw you two walking together, it hit me like a truck. I didn''t know what to do. It was honestly terrifying, feeling something I''d never felt before – something that felt even a small bit like hatred towards my best friend. Then, you guys broke up and I knew Isaac did it because of me, which made me feel pretty stupid and like a shitty friend. And… it did come up again when I asked you out and you kissed me. It felt really good – better than I''d ever kissed Holly – and my mind went straight to asking whether it felt that way because you had some practice with Isaac. That messed me up just a little."


    He caressed her face, his expression serious. "He might''ve taken the opportunity to have your first kiss away from me, but… I think what I''ve been able to have is far more precious. Aside from your first time for basically everything else, the amount of happiness I''ve felt since we''ve been together- actually, no – since you told me you liked me- vastly outweighs any jealousy over Isaac I''d ever had. Especially now – it feels like your whole heart and body belong to me, though it probably sounds weird to say that. Possessive, maybe controlling or like I''m trying to say I own you. It''s hard to explain."


    Lila smiled. "You don''t need to explain. I''m all yours, right down to my heart and my pussy. The proof is right here." She showed him where the indent of his teeth was still on her arm.


    His face turned pink. "You really had to say it like that, didn''t you?"


    "Of course," she replied with a nod. "I do belong to you, just like you belong to me. You''re my person, Asher, and I''m not ashamed to admit it."


    He ran a finger along his bite mark and returned her smile. "Lila, you''re my person too. You don''t need to worry about me feeling jealous of Isaac. That''s a bridge I crossed long ago, especially since I''ve been able to see and have all of you, and even know you far better than he ever has or ever will."


    "So then what about Theo?"


    "Ah. Right." Asher pursed his lips. "Well, the same thing there, mostly. Except… I don''t think my jealousy will ever really go away with him. I had an easier time letting go of it in regards to Isaac because he''s my best mate and I actually like him as a person. Theo, on the other hand… is like a better-"


    She raised an eyebrow at him and he faltered.


    "… version of me generally speaking."


    "Definitely not."


    "On paper, he is."


    "Asher-"


    "Lila, it''s fine," he chuckled, holding her even tighter. "I know you love me and you chose me over him. I''m just saying that my jealousy makes me think that he is better – even if it was just for the fact that he asked you out. I had to wait for you to tell me you liked me to feel brave, and even then it took like a few weeks to get the balls to do it. And… well, Isaac had told me you guys never went on a date when I got the courage to ask what you two had done. So, Theo took another first from me – your first date."


    "Well, that''s wrong," Lila replied resolutely. Asher blinked at her in surprise.


    "Did you go on a date with someone else?"


    "Yeah. You, dummy."


    "Me?"


    "The cinema?"


    "The- oh. When everyone ditched us."


    "Yeah. You asked if we should think of it as a date and we''d settled on no, but… it definitely was. I was just too afraid to claim it as one in case you didn''t like me back."


    He chuckled again, kissing the side of her head. "Same here. Alright, you win. Looks like I was able to have your first date."


    "I… wish I''d had yours."


    He remained quiet – long enough for Lila to start getting worried.


    "While it''s true that you technically didn''t, our firsts are the only ones that matter to me. I hardly remember all of that anymore. You''ve kinda buried yourself into everything I am and have now – my past history; well, I was completely different to who I am now with you. Best part is… I feel like this is my true self. Probably ''cause I wanted to be with you for so long, hiding that part of me that wanted it so badly meant I wasn''t really me. So, to me, that was my first date too."


    She rested her head on his chest. He was being really genuine – she could feel it deeply. Her insecurities about Holly were fading, but it''d be remiss to say they''d disappeared entirely. She just needed more time. Time to process this new stage in their relationship, time to realise fully that this all wasn''t just a dream. She had everything she wanted – a reality she''d never thought possible months ago; even just the other day for… certain things.


    "I love you," she whispered, clutching his shirt. "A lot."


    He laughed – one that was gentle, kind and warm. "I love you a lot too."


    They remained quiet like this for a while before Lila remembered why they were having this conversation in the first place.


    "Elise and Isaac won''t be able to escape us on Monday," she said.


    "They definitely won''t," Asher agreed.


    "Do you think, even though Isaac asked us to keep it quiet, that he told her he told us?"


    "Oh, definitely," Asher replied instantly, his confidence in this answer overwhelming. "He''d feel guilty and panicked and, well, what''s spilling one secret after you''ve told the biggest one you''ve had for a while?"


    She nodded, contemplating this for a moment before saying, "I hope… now that their secret''s out, they''ll be happy about it on Monday."


    "I hope so too."


    He squeezed her hand. "Do you feel better? You certainly look better than you did before asking about what I thought."


    She smiled. "Yeah. Sorry. I got so worked up over nothing."


    "It makes sense. It worried me too, for a time. That Isaac would feel like I betrayed him or something, but it disappeared pretty quickly with how hard he tried to get us together. Surely Elise would feel the same since you''ve been bugging her about it all term."


    "Yeah. Surely. Um, besides the fact that we''ve been completely busy with… other things, I''ve intentionally not messaged her. If Isaac''s told her, then she''ll be expecting a message from me but I don''t think I should. If she''s that passionate about keeping it a secret that Isaac thinks she''d ''kill'' him, then I think she needs space."


    "That sounds logical," Asher replied, "but wouldn''t she think you''re mad at her?"


    Lila paused. She… might. But what if Isaac hadn''t told her yet?


    "I think it''s the best course of action, though," Asher added thoughtfully. "If Isaac hasn''t said anything yet, then you''d be throwing him under the bus and I think he''s been stressed enough for the past few weeks."


    Lila exhaled slowly. "I''m so curious about the reason."


    "I''m sure we''ll find out soon enough."


    "Yeah."


    She pursed her lips before looking up at Asher. "My love?"


    "Yes?" he asked pleasantly, looking down at her in return.


    "Um… i-if you''re okay with it… can we do it again?"


    He looked surprised, yet also excited for the prospect. "I''m not gonna say no but it feels a bit out of the blue. Is there a reason?"


    She smiled, her heartbeat feeling heavier with anticipation with each passing second. "Besides the fact that I love you?"


    "I mean, that''s as good a reason as any, but…"


    "You''re right. You said some really sweet things just now. So, I want to make sure you mean it."


    He shifted his posture so he was more upright. "You think I don''t?"


    She gave him a mischievous look. "I dunno," she said, her tone light and airy. "I think I need some reassurance."


    "Then…" he grabbed her hand as he stood, lifting her to her feet, "let me show you."


    "Please."


    "I feel like I shouldn''t have told you that I like it when you say please," he murmured, leading her to his room.


    She giggled. "Should I beg instead?"


    He glanced at her before closing the door, his lust burning brightly in his eyes. "Only if you want me to go crazy."


    She grinned. "Always."


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    The rest of the weekend passed by in a blur of study, love, lighthearted conversation, laughter and, to her surprise, even sleep. Lila had never felt so prepared and relaxed before her exams as she did now, which really surprised her given how much not-study they were squeezing in. She wondered if she was giving herself a false sense of security and that, actually, she wasn''t absorbing anything at all and instead believing she was. When she told Asher this, he, of course, laughed and said he believed she''d do brilliantly – something that, coming from him, settled her doubt for the moment. Eventually though, her stay with Asher had to end.


    Lila reluctantly texted Clare, asking her to pick her up after their dinner of slow-cooked honey and garlic chicken. It was first met with a ''ur alive?'' response before a confirmation and Lila glumly put her phone into her pocket.


    They returned upstairs, hand-in-hand, with Asher seeming just as solemn about the end of her visit. He helped her pack away the myriad of her things that had somehow found themselves strewn about before she pulled out a couple of pieces of comfortable clothes.


    "You do know that unpacking doesn''t mean you don''t have to leave," he said as she passed them to him. She laughed.


    "I know. I wish it did, but I just thought… well, with the holidays coming up, I could leave some clothes here. Just in case."


    He looked down at what he was holding before glancing at her, his cheeks slightly flushed. "You want to leave these?"


    It… may have been the smallest pair of pyjamas she owned, coupled with a loose t-shirt, mini shorts and clean underwear.


    "Yeah. I mean, I might unexpectedly stay over. Why, are you going to do weird things with them?"


    He looked mortified as he put them down on his bed. "Definitely not."


    "Seems suspicious," she said seriously, though it was paired with a teasing grin.


    He gave her a pleading look until he evidently realised she was kidding around. He looked back down at the clothes and gingerly held up her underwear.


    "How do I even fold this?" he asked, seeming distressed by the fact he didn''t know.


    "Here," she said, folding the set of underwear in the way she normally did. "Where are you going to put it?"


    "I''ll find a spot in my drawers. I… hope Marlene doesn''t find them."


    Lila nodded, taking one last look around his room. She pointed at the box of condoms haphazardly left on his bedside table. "What about those?"


    He headed over to them and inspected the contents of the box, his face turning a bright red after he did so. "Uh… well, there''s not many left, so… I''ll just toss the box and keep the rest inside my bedside table. Looks like I''ll need to get more."


    "I can get more-"


    "No," he shook his head vehemently. "You''re already buying and taking the Pill. I''ve got to contribute somehow, too."


    Being saved from the embarrassment of getting some was quite the bonus. "You won''t get embarrassed?" she asked quietly.


    "Shit yeah, I will be. I''ve gotta do it though. It''s not fair otherwise."


    "Do you want me to come with you?"


    "Always," he smirked, the innuendo making her feel slightly flustered, "but no, it''s alright. It''s easy for me to ask George to wait for me to duck into the shops after school. Like when I got that gift for Gabriel."


    "If… you''re sure."


    "As sure as I can be."


    They shared a smile, though Lila''s heart was pounding. If only she could stay a little bit longer…


    "I… hope I made it up to you," Asher said softly, taking her hand in his. "I said I would, since we couldn''t see each other as much the past couple weeks and I broke my promise last Sunday. I''d… been hoping to go out on a couple dates, but we ended up-" his face flushed and he turned his eyes away from hers, "-mostly staying in. Sorry."


    "Are you kidding?" Lila replied, squeezing his hand. "I''m going to be thinking about this weekend forever. It was even better than my fantasies."


    "Seriously?"


    She nodded.


    "Mine too," he smiled.


    "I loved every moment."


    "Even the studying?"


    "Even the studying. Best I''ve ever studied."


    He chuckled. "Same, actually." He squeezed her hand and kissed her on the side of her head. "I love you."


    "I love you too."


    They made their way downstairs, with Asher''s shoulders laden with her bags. Marlene was washing some cookware from tonight''s dinner and shut the tap off as Lila and Asher approached.


    "I hope you enjoyed your time, Lila," Marlene smiled, her eyes flickering to Lila''s arm. She placed a hand to cover where she felt Marlene was looking – the bite mark. It had mostly disappeared but… well, she''d had it for quite a while over this weekend. Was Marlene checking on it?


    "I really did," Lila replied, her tone somewhat nervous. She was reminded of the fact that Asher had said he didn''t want Marlene to know, but something about the way Marlene was smiling convinced Lila that she, without a doubt, knew.


    "I''m glad to hear it," Marlene replied pleasantly. "I''m sure I''ll be seeing you soon again."


    "Y-Yeah," Lila responded, the feeling that Marlene knew only increasing. "Have a good night, Marlene."


    "Goodnight, Lila."


    Asher pulled Lila along to the front doors, entering the security code when he reached the panel.


    Lila could hear Clare''s music from all the way here as she put her shoes on. She wondered whether something was bothering Clare again, to the point that she needed to drown out her thoughts with music.


    "I wish you could stay," Asher muttered, taking her hand again as they walked to Clare''s car.


    "Same," Lila replied, her steps feeling heavy, as if her body was subconsciously making her drag her feet.


    "But at least we''ll see each other tomorrow."


    "Yup. And we even have English second."


    Asher opened the back passenger door and placed her bags inside, greeting Clare as he did so. She returned the greeting, but Lila could tell – something was definitely off.


    He closed the door and turned to face Lila. She could feel the sadness in her face about to take over but she masked it with a smile.


    "A goodnight kiss, please," she said, placing her arms around his neck. He snaked his hands down her waist before firmly grasping her hips.


    "With a request like that, of course," he whispered, leaning in and capturing her lips in his. The way that their energies matched – an echo of the passion they''d had over the past four days with a touch of sadness at their parting.


    Once it was over, she gave him a breathless smile. "That''s some goodnight kiss," she said coyly, opening the front passenger door.


    "I aim to please," he smiled back. "Goodnight Lila. I love you. See you tomorrow."


    "Goodnight, my love. I love you too."


    She slid into the car, a smile still on her face, though it started to wane slightly as Clare pulled away from his house. It returned when she remembered what happened over the weekend and she brought a hand to her chest, lightly touching the ''A'' underneath her shirt.


    There was silence for just a moment before Clare turned her head towards Lila and swiftly turned the music down.


    "Jesus, Lila, you look like he ran through you a million times."


    The sudden statement threw Lila. Was she that obvious? How?


    "W-What does that even look like?"


    "You. Right now. You look exhausted, but you''re smiling like crazy. And you''re walking with this confidence, plus the way you kissed goodbye just now…" Clare wrinkled her nose. "Please, for my sanity, tell me that you remembered to take your Pill over the past few days."


    "Don''t worry, sis."


    "Good. Look, I don''t know if you know about this other pill called the ''morning after pill'', or ''Plan B''. You get them at any pharmacy. It''s not advised to take them often but… if you think you need it, you need to get on that. It''s got a very small timeframe before it''s ineffective. Best used within 24 hours, but good up to 72 hours or so depending on the brand."


    "I don''t. We were careful."


    "The Pill isn''t 100% effective, you know. It''s pretty good, but being careful doesn''t hurt anyone."


    "I know. We also used condoms and it''s not like he… y''know… in-"


    "I''ll believe you," Clare instantly cut Lila off with a shudder. "Not another word, please."


    Lila pursed her lips, looking out the window as Clare drove them back home. Lila thought about asking Clare what was wrong with her, but the awkwardness of what they''d just talked about was preventing Lila from speaking. They were a minute or so away when Clare spoke again.


    "Did he take care of you, at least?"


    "I feel like you know him well enough to know the answer to that."


    "Some guys turn into someone completely different when they''re having sex," Clare shrugged. "Something about it can make them entirely selfish."


    "He wasn''t selfish," Lila said lightly, pressing her lips together to prevent her from saying more.


    "Good, good."


    Clare remained silent until she parked the car at home. Lila touched the handle, ready to get out, when Clare pulled her arm.


    "After… what happened with Mum, I think you should just go upstairs. You''re a bit… obvious right now," Clare said gently.


    "What does that even mean?" Lila frowned.


    "Exactly what I said before. I''m sure you''ll be fine after you go to sleep, and I know we sorted out Mum''s worries before, but… well, with her experience, she''ll be able to tell a mile away. I don''t think she''s ready for that realisation just yet."


    "Even though she thought it was happening before?"


    "It''s different when you clearly look like you had the time of your life, getting the daylights banged out of you."


    Lila spluttered, unable to deny Clare''s observation. She… was exactly right, after all.


    "Like I said, you should be fine when you sleep it off. I mean, realistically, she would probably figure it out since it''s, what, Sunday night and you''ve been gone since Thursday. But, after hearing about what happened to Mum back in the Philippines, I guess I just want to protect her peace as much as I can. For your sake, too."


    "Okay."


    She heeded Clare''s advice, skipping straight past her parents, who were seated in the living room, and had almost ended up in her bedroom without encountering Daniel – except, she didn''t quite make it.


    He opened up his bedroom door right as she placed her hand on her doorknob. He took one look at her and scowled.


    "Disgusting," he remarked, retreating back into his room and snapping the door shut. "Your love''s gross!" he added in a half-yell.


    She''d really need to work on whatever it was that made her so obvious.