The Last We Fell

13. 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔏𝔞𝔰𝔱 𝔉𝔞𝔦𝔯

"Do you really have to leave?" Madeline asked, still wrapped tight in her duvet on the bed. I woke up to get ready for my afternoon shift at the clinic an hour before she came to. It would take some time to get there by bus, and I could not bring myself to leave with her mom early in the morning. "I'm sure you can skip once. I'll ask mom to cover for you."

"No she won't." I shake my head at her. "And you should get up and resume life as a human being again. We have lazed around enough this weekend. Don't you have any assignments or readings to get done?"

She groaned and rolled to the other side of the bed trying to ignore me. "Don't rain on my parade. Can't I sleep a little more?"

"You've had enough sleep to last you an entire week." I borrowed one of her rain jackets since the weather took a turn this morning. "I won't be back tonight but I'll see you around campus okay?"

She nodded, giving me a thumbs up after assessing my outfit that she put together for me from her wardrobe. "You look pretty again."

"You little shit!" I threw a pillow at her making her flop back onto the mattress. I never pretended to have a sense of fashion anyway. 

"What are you going to do about Em?" She asked in concern.

I shrugged. "The same as always, ignore her and hope to avoid her as much as I can."

She sighed and waved me goodbye. I found my way to the bus stop, putting on some music to keep me entertained. I debated keeping my curiosity in check but it won me over in the end. I've been in battle since the last family dinner I went to, especially after my talk with Liam. I finally caved in and researched the O'Connor name for context for what I heard and gathered so far. Maybe I'm a fool for not being able to fathom the mystery and issues of rich successful families such as the O'Connors and even my sperm donnor's. Most of the news were irrelevant, talking about their business and whatnot. It took some digging to get an inkling of what happened a few years ago. I turned off my phone, blood rushing in my veins. Why should I give up my peace of mind when this has nothing to do with me? I never asked to be part of this. That guy was probably playing mind games on me. He must either be really stupid or fearfully scheming to trust me with something like this. My only concern should be to finish college and get the hell out and away from here.

"Ah Lilianne." Dr. Rowanda called me to her office as I was heading to my department. "Let me talk to you for a minute."

"Sure." I followed her, feeling confused. I stayed all weekend at their place so she could have told me anything then. 

She smiled and offered me a cup of tea, settling in the sofa opposite me in front of her desk. It's been awhile since I felt like a little kid sitting nervously in front of an adult waiting for some kind of admonishment. Baseless anxieties that I could not help. The corners of her eyes crinkled showing a hint of her age. I always thought she didn't look a day over thirty. Lucky for Madeline who got all the good genes. 

"Is everything alright?" I asked tentatively, taking a sip of the jasmine tea.

She chuckled lightly. "Shouldn't I be the one to ask you that?"

"Me?" Was my behaviour of late out of the ordinary? I didn't think so. 

"Have you argued with Emilia?" She asked in that gentle, non-invasive manner of hers that successfully disarmed and charmed even the toughest of patients. Of course she would ask me about it.

I shrugged, nibbling on the inside of my cheek out of habit. "It's nothing unusual, you know. She's just being herself and I'm being me."

"Lily." She called to get me to look at her. She could often tell a lot more from looking at a person rather than the words they might tell her. No wonder she was a great therapist, perhaps the best in town. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it but if you're having a hard time you know you can always come to me."