Accomplice《Lilix》

PART 9: (No) More Secrets

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She wasn't in a good mood. Maybe it was just one of those days, or maybe she was mentally searching for something or someone to blame.

Nothing interesting happened in her homeroom. Her seat in the back of the room gave her access to everything that happened in the front, from Alya's newest supernatural theories, to Marinette's failed attempts at having a normal conversation. It was all entertaining for a short while, but after that it didn't take much for her to zone out.

As soon as the door to the apartment closed behind her, she threw her bag down onto the counter by the kitchen. She wasn't sure what to do--she never had a plan in mind when she came home. Her feet took her to her mom's studio. Apparently her mind decided on mannequins and measuring tape. The sound of purring made her look under the table, where found Leo laying down on his back. She sighed and scooped him up into her arms. Just as she was about to leave, she couldn't help but stop to stare at the room. She felt herself chewing on her lip. 

The fabrics and sketches that filled the room didn't bring the same comfort they did when she was younger. They brought her...well, nothing. She wasn't sure when it happened, but she missed the days when she would walk into the room and not feel slightly nauseous.

The sound of the front door clicking let her know that her mom was home. Lila turned around just as Erin appeared in the doorway. "Hey, you're back." Erin smiled and kissed her daughter's forehead. She gave her a look when she eyed the cat in her arms.

"I thought I told you to keep him out of here," she said to Lila. "He thinks his claws go perfectly together with almost everything in this room."

"I just saw him hiding here. It's kind of his comfort spot, I guess," Lila added, gently stroking his fur.

Erin rolled her eyes. "He's a cat, honey. And as much as I adore him, there are plenty of other spaces here."

Lila frowned. But before she could say anything else, Erin had already turned her attention to something else. "C'mon," she muttered to Leo. She set the cat down and let him follow her out of the room and into her own. As soon as the door shut, Leo had already made himself perfectly comfortable in one of the corners of her room. Her phone vibrated in her pocket, but she ignored it. She suddenly wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone, whether she knew them or not.

The sound of the doorbell interrupted her thoughts. Probably for the better, but still. When she went to see who was at the door, she felt her insides turn to ice. Her mom was already there, and she was making conversation with the one person she didn't feel like seeing.

Felix was by the door, making effortless small talk. He had a small bouquet of roses in his hand, and she felt sorry for the poor soul who would have to receive them. He looked past her mom and met her eyes.

Lila didn't catch what they were saying before, but even if she did she knew her shock wouldn't have allowed her to process it. Before Erin could get a word out, Lila had grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to the side. "Mom, what is he--"

"He's here to see you, of course," she said casually. "Seems like you two got along better than you let on."

Lila stared at her, still unable to process anything. "And you don't see a problem with this at all?"

"Why would I?"

"I--never mind. I'll go deal with him."

Erin looked at her skeptically, but she didn't say anything more. Lila groaned and stormed past her, ready to scare him off if she had to.

"Rossi."

"Vanily." She quickly checked behind her to make sure they were alone. The moment her mom was out of earshot, her demeanor dropped. "What the hell do you want?" she spat. Felix held out the roses to her, and she rolled her eyes. "Wow. I feel so loved."