Silver was at her mother's company, focused on the computer screen in front of her, deep into troubleshooting a technical issue when a familiar voice broke her concentration.
"Hey, we meet again."
Silver glanced up to see Lily approaching with a broad smile. Trying to remain professional, she returned a polite nod. "Hello."
But Lily wasn't deterred by Silver's distant demeanor. "Are you upset about what I said yesterday? About being Charlie's ex-girlfriend?"
Silver hesitated, her eyes drifting back to the computer screen. The receptionist, Izelle, sensed the tension and subtly shifted in her seat, trying to blend into the background.
Lily, seemingly oblivious to the tension, leaned closer. "Are you working?"
"I am. What are you doing here?" Silver asked, keeping her tone neutral as she continued to fix the computer issue.
Lily's smile widened. "Oh, my girlfriend Amber is a model here. I came to pick her up. Maybe you know her? She recently started working here."
Silver paused, processing the information. "Amber is your girlfriend?"
"Yep, Amber is my girlfriend," Lily confirmed, her tone playful. "I'm a lesbian."
"But you and Charlie dated before?" Silver couldn't hide her confusion.
Lily glanced around the busy reception area. "Maybe we should talk somewhere more private?"
After finishing with the computer, Silver agreed, leading Lily to the break room. As they walked away, Silver informed Izelle, "I've fixed the problem. Let me know if it happens again."
In the break room, Silver asked, "Would you like a drink?"
"Black coffee for me," Lily replied, taking a seat. While Silver prepared their drinks, Lily took out her phone, quickly messaging Amber to meet her in the break room and sending a second message to someone else with a mischievous smile.
Silver returned with the coffee, placing a cup in front of Lily before sitting across from her with her own cup of tea.
"Not a fan of coffee?" Lily noted, eyeing Silver's drink.
Silver shook her head. "No, it makes me sick."
Lily nodded, taking a sip of her coffee before speaking again. "Did Charlie ever tell you about his parents?"
Silver looked up from her tea. "He mentioned they died in a plane crash ten years ago."
Lily sighed, her expression softening. "Yes, we were fifteen when it happened. Our parents were close, so when his parents died, mine took over as his guardians until he turned eighteen. We were always close—so close that our parents assumed we were a couple. But there were never any romantic feelings between us."
Silver listened quietly as Lily continued, "One day, Charlie caught me with a girl. I broke down and confessed that I was a lesbian. I begged him not to tell anyone, especially my parents, because I was terrified they wouldn't accept me. He let me cry on his shoulder until I fell asleep. When my father found us like that, he assumed we were dating. Charlie wanted to clear up the misunderstanding, but I wasn't ready to come out, so I asked him to play along. We pretended to be in a relationship until I met Amber. Once I fell in love with her, I finally came out, and to my relief, my parents accepted us."
Silver was at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond.
Lily noticed her silence and smiled gently. "Amber and I are very grateful to Charlie. He's always supported us and never let anyone hurt us."
Silver opened her mouth to speak but then closed it again, still unsure.
"Don't worry," Lily added with a grin, "Charlie and I never did anything more than hold hands or share friendly hugs."
"I understand," Silver finally managed. "I'm just not sure what to say in a situation like this."
"Do you hate LGBT people?" A new voice interrupted.
Silver looked up to see Amber standing behind Lily. "Amber!" Lily exclaimed, getting up to hug her girlfriend before they both sat down, now facing Silver together.
Amber's eyes locked onto Silver's. "Do you hate people like us?"
Silver shook her head quickly. "No, I believe everyone has the right to love who they want. Gender doesn't matter."
Amber and Lily exchanged pleased looks. They had faced prejudice before, and Silver's acceptance meant a lot to them.
"Do you want to be friends with us?" Lily asked eagerly.
Silver nodded, feeling the tension ease. "I'd like that."
As they shook hands, Lily's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Now that we're friends, tell me—have you ever had a boyfriend or girlfriend?"
Silver hesitated. "No boyfriends. As for a girlfriend, I've never really thought about it."
Lily grinned. "So, you'd be okay dating a girl?"
Silver shrugged. "Like I said, in love, gender doesn't matter."
Lily exchanged a sly look with Amber before saying, "If you ever want to try being with a girl, Amber and I wouldn't mind you joining us for a threesome. Right, Amber?"
Amber blushed but nodded. "I don't mind."
Before Silver could react, she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders. She looked up to see Charlie standing behind her, holding her close as if to protect her.
"We know. Don't be so possessive," Lily teased, sticking her tongue out at Charlie.
"Yeah, don't glare at my Lily," Amber added, holding her girlfriend protectively.
Charlie looked like he wanted to retort but held back.
"Charlie… you're hurting me," Silver whispered.
He immediately let go, looking apologetic. "Sorry."
"It's okay," Silver reassured him softly.
Lily and Amber cooed in unison, "Aw, look how sweet you two are!"
"Yes, you're such a cute couple," Amber agreed. "Don't let Jayden ruin it."
Silver's eyes widened. "You know Jayden?"
''Yeah, I saw him at the party. He's dating your sister, right? I wanted to warn you, but I didn't get the chance. He's bad news," Amber said. Silver glanced at Charlie as he moved to sit next to her, then looked back at Amber.
Charlie's voice was serious as he asked Amber, "What do you know about him?"
Lily frowned at the shift in his tone. "Charlie, why the interrogation?"
"Sorry, Lily," Charlie replied, his tone softening. "It's just that a family is in danger because of him. Amber, if you know anything, please tell us."
Silver appreciated how Charlie handled the situation without revealing too much.
Amber hesitated before speaking. "I knew him in high school. He was a senior when I was a freshman. A friend of mine dated him, but she committed suicide a month later. Her parents didn't believe it was suicide; they thought Jayden was involved. The police arrested him, but they couldn't find any evidence, so they had to let him go."
Charlie's expression darkened. "What was her name?"
"Jae Young," Amber replied softly.
"And Jayden's full name?" Silver asked.
"Jayden Gill. Please, warn your sister," Amber said, looking at Silver with concern.
"Thank you, Amber. I'll make sure she knows," Silver said.
Amber nodded, glancing at the time. "We have a dentist appointment, so we should go."
After saying their goodbyes, Lily and Amber left, leaving Silver and Charlie alone in the break room.
They exchanged a look, each lost in their thoughts about the troubling information they had just learned.