Chapter 44 WHAT !.
Lilian POV
I groaned in my seat the moment I saw Lucy walk into the classroom. Of all people. This girl was so damn tempting—no, not tempting like that, but tempting in the sense that her very presence tested my patience. Especially the way her neck was always exposed, like she didn’t know what kind of attention that sort of thing attracted. Or maybe she knew. Maybe that was the problem.
She smiled brightly when her eyes landed on me and practically hopped over to where I was sitting. Her energy alone was enough to give someone a headache.
“What's up, Lilian?” she chirped.
I internally rolled my eyes before finally looking up at her. “I’m good. Classes are over—what the fuck are you still doing here?”
She only shrugged, completely unbothered. “I should be the one asking you that, because you seem to always be in Miss Vale’s office every time school closes.”
I narrowed my eyes at her, studying her face, trying to see if she was joking or actually serious. “Are you stalking me?”
She scoffed and humped—hmphed—under her breath. “I’ve got better things to do than stalk people, Lilian.”
I nodded and went quiet after that. Because if I kept talking, I’d just be leading her on to keep the conversation going, and right now I wasn’t in the mood to talk. Not to Lucy. Not to anyone. My head was already too full.
She swung her legs lazily while sitting on the desk beside me, the movement constant, distracting. Then she looked at me again.
Ugh. Just leave me alone.
“Um… Lilian?”
I forced a smile and glanced at her. “Yeah?”
She nibbled at the edge of her clothes like a little kid, her fingers twisting the fabric nervously. “Are you free tonight? I’ve got a party I want to attend, and I’m required to invite one person. So I thought—since we’re friends—why don’t I invite you?”
That was when it clicked. The dinner. The elders. The shitty elders’ place I had been trying so hard not to think about all day. I wasn’t free. Not even close.
“I’d love to go,” I said slowly, choosing my words carefully, “but I’ve got somewhere to be already.” I tapped her shoulder lightly. “Maybe next time, yeah?”
She nodded, but then perked her head up, curiosity lighting her eyes. “Where are you going exactly?”
I swirled my fingers in the air vaguely. “I don’t know yet. Someone invited me, so…”
She stood up and dusted off her clothes. “See you later then. I have to go already.”
“Yeah,” I muttered, watching her leave the class.
I breathed out slowly, like I’d been holding it in the entire time. Peace. Finally. But of course, that peace lasted exactly two seconds—because I saw the doorknob move again, and I groaned.
Can’t I just have a moment of peace?
Seraphine walked in like she owned the goddamned school. Today she wore her black ninja coat, fitted perfectly to her body, making her look badass in a way that had male students openly staring and most girls outright drooling. She didn’t even acknowledge them.
She came straight toward me and sat beside me, right where Lucy had just been. “Lilian, I thought you already left until I saw Lucy walk out of this class. I perceived your scent on her when she passed by.”
I shrugged and stayed quiet.
She leaned closer. “Is everything okay? You look quiet. In class you were zoning out. I left you alone because you looked depressed.”
I scoffed and finally faced her, one brow raised, my face flat. “Did you just ask me why I look depressed?”
She frowned. “What the heck do you mean by that? Of course I asked you.”
I shook my head and sighed. “I’m meeting the elders today, and you expect me not to be depressed? The worst part is that I have to meet them after work, which—I don’t know—I’m kind of scared. They sound scary. I don’t even want to imagine what it’s like to be in the midst of a million vampires.”
She grabbed my arm gently. “Hey. If I had the right to tell them not to call you, I would. Seriously. But… I can’t.”
“Whatever,” I muttered, standing up.
Seraphine walked me out of the school compound and told me where to meet her after work so we could go to the dinner. She said I shouldn’t bother getting clothes—that she already got me one.
I nodded, then headed for work alone. I’d told Jonah to go ahead of me since I was going to be late. He agreed immediately, mostly because he’d already skipped a day and needed to be early.
When I got to the café, people were already lining up. Mr. Rouke was clearly making the orders.
I walked up to the counter and greeted him, but he only replied with a smile, tapping my shoulder before leaving the counter for me to take over. I slipped on my apron and slid into barista mode like it was second nature.
Orders came in nonstop. Coffee. Pastries. Complaints. Smiles. I took orders, prepared them, then passed them to Jonah to serve. The routine kept my mind occupied—until the clock hit ten.
My heart rate spiked instantly. My breathing grew uneven.
And to think I kept bad-mouthing the elders but was now terrified to face them—it was actually funny. In a dark, ironic way.
When we closed up, I practically begged Jonah to go home. He claimed he was scared of walking alone, but I managed to persuade him eventually.
I hesitantly went to the place Seraphine told me to wait. My knees were shaking, but I acted like I was fine. By the time I reached the park, she was already there—standing tall, confident, like a born hero.
She smirked when she saw me. Like she’d won a jackpot or something.
“You’re walking weird,” she said with a mocking laugh. “What’s wrong with your legs?”
I groaned. “Man, I’m freaking out right now. I feel like I can’t breathe. And to think I was calling them bitches earlier—yeah, that’s not doing me any favors.”
She snorted, clearly holding back laughter.
I glared at her. “What’s funny?”
She raised her hands. “Sorry—I’m—hmph—hahahaha!”
I rolled my eyes and climbed into her car. When she didn’t follow, I opened the door again and snapped, “Get in already, jeez!”
She finally composed herself, though her cheeks were still red from laughing, which only annoyed the shit out of me.
“Um… the thing is,” she said slowly, “someone else is actually going to come get you. Just wear the dress at the—”
Every other word blurred. The only thing that registered was someone else was coming to get me.
“What?!”