“Why wouldn’t I?” she frowns, looking at me strangely.
I open my mouth, then close it. Because I don’t know how to answer that in a way that makes sense.
She sits up properly now, crossing her legs, expression serious but not heavy. “We’re friends, Addie,” she says simply. “Iwantyou to be.”
I nod, slowly. And then, before I can second-guess myself, I smile. Just… a small, quiet, real one.
Lilia grins and gestures toward the room. “You can sit down, you know.”
I let out a small laugh, rubbing the back of my neck. “Right. Yeah.”
Lilia leans back against her headboard, kicking her legs out in front of her and without looking at me says, “Addie, I was meaning to ask.” She says it lightly, but I can hear the hesitation tucked beneath it. “If you want to talk about anything—anything at all—you can talk to me.”
Wow.
I swallow the lump in my throat and force myself to nod. “Thank you,” I say honesty, and with the most sincerity. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”
Lilia watches me for a second longer before offering a small, lopsided smile. Then, after a beat, she shifts slightly, her gaze flicking toward my leg.
“Is… your leg better?”
I sigh, adjusting my position and crossing my legs. “Definitely better than it was before.”
Lilia doesn’t look fully convinced, but she lets it slide. Instead, she tilts her head, studying me. “Are you sure you don’t want to tell the police?”
I hesitate, then shrug. “Aren’t Will’s family involved with that?”
Something flickers across Lilia’s face—just for a second—before she lets out a slow breath. “They’re crazy,” she admits, “but they’re brilliant.”
I press my lips together, thinking. “I just have this bad feeling.”
Lilia’s eyebrows pull together slightly. “About what?”
I stare down at my hands, fiddling with my sleeve. “It’s just… they’ve been warning me to stop looking. If the police start meddling, well…” I exhale slowly. “It might get worse.”
Lilia leans forward now, resting her elbows on her knees. Her eyes don’t leave mine. “Butwe’remeddling.” She lifts a brow, voice firm but not unkind. “You think Kai or any of the others are just gonna let this go? Because they won’t.”
I let out a breath, because that’s exactly what I’m worried about. “I guess you’re right.”
Lilia studies me for a moment, not saying anything. Then she makes a face. “I still can’t believe Kai took you to the hospital.”
I shake my head. “I know. I was shocked too.”
Because Kai is unpredictable. And the moment you think you understand him, he proves you wrong.
But he’s just soeasyto like.
Lilia leans back against the pillows, popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth. She chews for a second, then says, completely out of nowhere, “Is there anything going on between you two?”
I stiffen. “No.”
Too fast, I realize when Lilia raises her eyebrows, chewing slowly, clearly amused. “Uh-huh.”
I frown. “What?”
She points to her eyes. “I see all, Addie.” Then she exhales, drags it out a bit. “I see all.”
I roll my eyes. “No, go on. Tell me what you saw.”
