*Lily*Waking up in Adrian’s bed, I was immediately aware of his gaze upon me. My eyes fluttered open to meet his intense stare and a flush warmed my cheeks. For a fleeting second, I felt exposed and embarrassed, but his smile, soft and unexpected, eased the taut strings of my embarrassment."Good morning," he whispered, his voice a low murmur. His words were a gentle greeting, but they felt like a proclamation, solidifying the reality that I was here, in his bed."Good morning," I replied, my reply barely audible. I shifted closer to him, his arms encircling me with a protective warmth that made the world beyond his embrace seem inconsequential.His fingers traced invisible patterns along my back, and I closed my eyes momentarily. "So...what now?" he asked, his voice carrying a weight that belied the simplicity of the question.I opened my eyes and blinked at him, the question catching me off guard. "What now what?" I managed, my mind racing to catch up to the implications of h
*Lily*Louise was blocking my path, a human barrier between me and my morning lecture."Is there something you need?" I asked, my voice steady despite the confusion and wariness that gnawed at me. Her lips curled into a wry smile, and her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, scrutinizing me with an intensity that set my nerves on edge. "I wonder what could've possibly held up the illustrious Lily Everhart.""Nothing that concerns you," I replied bitterly, trying to sidestep her, but she matched my movement with a dancer's grace, maintaining our uncomfortable proximity. Louise leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "Just remember who you are, dear. Don't ever fool yourself by thinking you're more than that."Her words slithered through the air like smoke, too vague to grasp yet suggestive enough to cloud my thoughts with uncertainty. What was she implying? Did she know anything about Adrian and me? The possibility made the blood in my veins freeze, though I coul
*Lily*"What do you want to do?" Adrian asked as soon as we stepped into the coolness of his apartment."I don't know. Maybe we could watch a movie?" I suggested while he locked the door, and a nervous flutter tickled my chest. The idea seemed innocent enough, but I knew better than that."Sounds good to me," Adrian replied nonchalantly, heading towards his bedroom. I followed him, getting rid of my heels on the way. Adrian opened the door to his bedroom–a place I was starting to be too familiarized with. Adrian headed to his wardrobe and fumbled through it, grabbing an oversized t-shirt and handing it to me. "Since you didn't bring any change of clothes, I thought you'd want to put on something more comfortable than that...dress," he explained, his stare taking in my body from head to toe. "Which by the way, was a fucking good choice."I chuckled and took the shirt from his hand. "You should thank Rachel for that." "I definitely will," he added as I stepped into his bathroom
*Lily*The weekend had stretched out like a languid cat beneath the sun as I spent it watching movies, eating, enjoying the pool and having sex with Adrian inside his apartment. On Sunday morning, when his car curled away from the curb and left me on the corner outside Elysium, I wasn't really ready to go back to my boring student life. Adrian had provided me with such good moments during the last couple of days, that it was hard to go back to my routine.The campus was relatively empty, taking into consideration that it was a Sunday morning, so I assumed everyone was still sleeping or inside their dorms. Yet, I didn't want to risk having someone spotting me getting out of Adrian’s car and making assumptions.An invisible shawl draped over my shoulders as I navigated the familiar path to my dorm. Upon entering Rachel and I's room, I immediately headed to the shower and let the stream of the hot water wash away Adrian's scent from my skin. I wasn't fond of the idea, but I knew it
*Lily*"Adrian, can you please focus?" I whispered, my voice barely audible over the low hum of our classmates discussing their own projects. The Bioethics and Medical Law classroom felt smaller than usual, as if the walls had inched inward over the weekend Adrian and I spent together.Adrian's gaze lingered on me with undeniable warmth. "I am focused, Lily," he replied, his voice smooth like dark velvet, his eyes intent on my face. "Very focused..."My heart fluttered—a betraying response to his relentless flirting. I couldn't help but feel on edge, aware of the other students who could turn their heads at any moment and witness this private exchange between us. My fingers fumbled with the papers in front of me, trying to organize the notes we had gathered for our project, yet failing miserably under the weight of Adrian's intense stare.I was glad he was distracting me from the intrusive thoughts about what I read in Emory's diary, but I was also worried that someone might sp
*Lily*"Of course! Meet me under the bleachers in five minutes." Adrian's voice held a note of urgency too as it crackled through the phone, mirroring my own anxiety. I snapped my cell shut and raced across campus.Elysium's sports field was deserted as I ducked beneath the iron skeleton of the bleachers. "Adrian!" I called out softly, my voice barely more than a whisper against the stillness.I spotted him then, his figure unfolding from the depths of shadow as if he were part of the darkness itself. Adrian's eyes met mine, and they instantly widened with palpable alarm. "Lily, what happened? You're pale as a ghost," he said, closing the distance between us with urgent strides.I took a breath, the cold air biting at my lungs, and the words tumbled out before I could stop them. "The Order left me a note."Adrian's face contorted with worry and confusion. His hand reached out, hesitantly at first, then settled on my arm with a gentle pressure as I told him what happened. Eve
*Lily*I stirred from my bed, my eyes heavy with sleep betraying the reluctance of my body to rise.I tiptoed past Rachel's bed, where she lay in undisturbed slumber, her chest rising and falling peacefully. I moved to my wardrobe, selecting my outfit with care; practicality was paramount for the outdoor excursion, but I couldn't suppress the desire to look presentable—after all, Adrian would be there."Make sure you pack something warm," Rachel had advised yesterday, her words now echoing in my decision to grab a snug sweater. One night away seemed a mere blink, yet the meticulous part of me triple-checked each item Rachel and I had packed before going to bed last night. After I made sure everything was settled, I stepped into the shower to start getting ready.An hour whisked by in silence, and with a gentle shake, I roused Rachel after I got ready. "Morning, sleepyhead," I chimed, a playful lilt in my voice."Is it time?" she mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and b
*Lily*The morning sun had only just begun to breach the horizon, the rays peeking through the cabin window in the secluded valley. I squinted against the light as I surfaced from my bed, feeling the residue of weariness clinging to my limbs.We had stayed up late into the night, huddled around a flickering fire sharing stories. Not to mention my little rendezvous with Adrian in the woods and the games we played during the day.I was exhausted. "Morning, Lily," Rachel greeted me as she rose from her bed and stared up at me. "Ready for the trip back?""I could use another few hours of sleep, but well, what choice do I have?" I replied, lazily rubbing the remnants of dreams from my eyes.We packed our belongings with mechanical movements, the lethargy weighing on us all. After breakfast, which was a subdued affair of sandwiches and fruit, we boarded the bus that would shepherd us back to Elysium. The hum of tired conversations faded as the vehicle swayed rhythmically, lulling