Lilly's hand stayed on the doorknob of her apartment longer than it should have. The tension in her chest felt like a noose that had been tightening since morning as she left campus early. It was the last thing she wanted to do, skipping class, but the looming pressure of what awaited her at West Wood Cemetery had made it impossible to stay.
The air was different, warmer inside the apartment when she finally stepped in compared to the cool autumn breeze outside, yet somehow less comforting. The smell of Layla's usual morning coffee still clung in the air; it further added to the pit of unease growing inside Lilly's stomach. She knew she wasn't going to be able to dodge the questioning this time.
She barely got her backpack down to the floor by the front door when Layla appeared from the hallway, her brow furrowed, arms crossed as she leaned against the doorframe of her bedroom. Layla's eyes were inquisitive, filled with a mix of concern and frustration that Lilly had been trying her hardest to avoid for weeks.
"You're back early," Layla said, her voice flat, yet questioning, and Lilly knew beneath it was the suspicion that had been growing. "Didn't you have class until noon?"
Lilly let out a troubled sigh and pulled at the sleeves of her hoodie, trying not to break her voice. "Yeah, I left early," she grumbled, shifting her eyes away from Layla's slicing gaze. She could already feel the tension rise between them, an invisible line in the sand that neither wanted to cross, yet both seemed inevitable.
Layla's eyes narrowed, and she took a step closer to her, trustingly unimpressed with Lilly's evasive reply. "That's the third time this week, Lilly. What's going on? You've been skipping classes, disappearing, and you won't tell me where you're going. You're not yourself lately."
As Lilly struggled to concoct a response that would even remotely sound believable, guilt began to creep in, her chest tightening. The truth just wouldn't work here—spirits, graveyards, some kind of ancient ritual being the reason—but neither did any of the lies that came to mind. But she had to say something.
I've just been. Busy," she said in one breath, hoping that the vagueness would suffice in deflecting Layla from her questioning. "It's nothing. I'm fine.".
Layla frowned even deeper, crossing her arms tighter across her chest. "Busy with what? Because it's not school. You've barely been going to class and you're not keeping up with your assignments. If something's going on, you need to talk to me."
Lilly's stomach twisted with guilt. Layla's concern wasn't unwarranted, but she had no way to tell her what was going on without sounding insane. How could she explain that her nights were in a graveyard, fighting spirits, and trying to unravel the mysteries of an ancient entity?
I'm fine," Lilly repeated, though her voice cracked slightly under the pressure of the lie. "I just have some stuff to take care of. It's nothing serious.
Layla's eyes flashed with frustration; clearly, her patience was wearing thin. "You've been saying that for weeks, but you're not fine. You're missing class, your grades are slipping, and you're completely shutting me out. If you're in trouble, Lilly, I can help, but you have to tell me what's going on.
The weight of Layla's words hung heavy between them, and for a quick flash of a second, Lilly thought about telling her everything. But the thought of dragging Layla into the supernatural world mess sent a chill down her spine. Whatever it was at West Wood Cemetery wasn't some spooky ghost story; it was dangerous, and the last thing she wanted was to put Layla at risk.
"I don't need help," Lilly snapped out, immediately regretting the sharpness in her voice as words tumbled from her lips. She saw the flash of hurt in Layla's eyes, but she couldn't afford to back down now. If she had let Layla in, if she had told her the truth then it would only go from bad to worse.
Layla's face hardened, her lips pressing now into a thin line. "Then where are you going?" she asked, quieter, but laced with concern. "Because you just got home, and now it looks like you're leaving again.
Lilly's heart raced as she fumbled for an answer. She hadn't planned to stop at the apartment long, but she hadn't anticipated Layla would be here, waiting for answers that Lilly couldn't give-desperate, the truth clawed at the back of her mind for release, but she knew she could never risk it.
"I have something I need to take care of," Lilly said, avoiding eye contact with Layla. "It's important."
Layla stared back at her for one very silent, long moment; her face unreadable, but Lilly could tell the frustration and confusion churning therein. Layla's not buying her excuses, and Lilly knew it. She isn't fooling one single person with the obvious cracks in her story that can't be ignored.
You're not going to tell me, are you?" Layla's voice was barely audible above her breath, each word tinged with hurt.
Guilt threatened to choke her, and Lilly swallowed hard. She shook her head, refusing to meet Layla's gaze. "I am so sorry."
Layla exhaled softly, a resigned sigh. "Fine. Don't tell me. But whatever it is, I'm here when you're ready to talk.". Lily's throat began to swell up in the way Layla spun around and retreated to her room, the door softly clicking shut behind her. Again, the apartment felt cooler and more deserted in the silence it carried. Lilly hated the ache in her heart at the thought of having to keep Layla at arm's length to protect her.