Connected but separated

Amends

After Richards funeral everyone was in the Middleton home, either talking or eating. Liliana decided it would probably be best to talk to Beth.
Beth was in the middle of a conversation with Belle.

"Hey uh Beth, can I talk to you,"

"Yeah ok. Be right back Belle,"

Belle smiled at the two and walked off.

"Hey so um I wanted to apologise for not being there. It's just a lot happened and it took time for me to realise that it's not the end of the world,"
Liliana paused and thought for a moment.
It's okay to feel upset but her dad wouldn't want her being sad and pushing everyone away. She needs to move on and make amends with everyone. Her dad has been dead for 4 months.
She will miss him but she misses being herself and she misses her friends.
"I have you Beth and I want you to feel like you have me. No matter what. What you went through was a nightmare and I want you to be able to talk about it with me,"

"I know I can Lily, you were just not yourself and I missed you,"

"I missed you too Beth,"

Liliana grabbed her sister and hugged her.

As she hugged her sister she looked up and saw Abbey talking with Jason.
Beth realised her looking towards her friend.

"Go and talk to her Lily,"

Liliana smiled before giving her sister one more squeeze and walked towards Abbey.

"Hey Abbey,"

"Hi," replied Abbey as she lets go of Jason's hand

"Hey Lils, how have you been," asked Jason sincerely

"Okay. You?,"

"I'm good,"

Liliana smiled while tuning her focus onto Abbey "can we talk,"

Abbey didn't reply so Jason spoke up.

"I think I'm going to go and talk to Tom," Jason began walking away leaving the two alone

"I get why you were mad at me," started Liliana before she was cut off

"I wasn't mad. I was confused and frustrated because you wanted to go and speak to the women who caused you so much harm,"

"I get that Abbey but I needed to ask her something,"

"Can I know? What you asked?"

Liliana sighed as she looked at the girl who held so much curiosity and decided to tell her. She was her best friend after all.

"I needed to know if being in love with my dad was the only reason she did this,"

Abbey stood there. Ashamed with herself that she was even frustrated with Liliana.

"Do you want to talk about it? All of it?"

"Yes actually,"

Liliana began with the night her father died as the two of them sat down.

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Sam was in his room. Alone.
The second the ceremony finished was the second he left straight to his room.

He had a lot on his mind. Like how he almost died, his step mother, his mother and Liliana.
Sam found out from Riley that Liliana told him that Grace was the one who killed his mom.
That information destroyed him.
That same day, Liliana told him she loved him and he didn't even say anything. He just sat there speechless.

Before he could continue to be alone in his thoughts, there was a knock on his door.

"Doors unlocked,"

When Sam sat up from his bed, he saw his father enter.

"Good evening son,"

"Evening,"

"We are about to have dinner with the Darling family as almost all the guests have left. Abbey and her father are staying tonight,"

"Okay I'll be down in a minute,"

Archer nodded at his son and then walked out of the room.

Sam and his father were never super close. I mean they were a lot closer when his mom was alive but after she died, he barely saw his father.

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When Sam arrived down at the table, he saw that the only seat available was one next to Liliana.
He cringed at how awkward he was going to feel.

Liliana also noticed this and cursed herself for not getting Abbey to sit next to her.

Sam came over and smiled at Liliana before sitting down. She returned it before looking at Abbey with wide eyes as a sign of help.

"So I know we have had a lot of tragedies the past few months, but now I am hoping that we can move forward," spoke Archer with a calm and collected voice

How could he be so calm?

"Yes, Archer and I have decided that we will be throwing a ball to signify moving onwards in life," said Alice after Archer spoke, looking around the table.

Liliana scoffed as she took a bite out of her food in front of her.

"Do you have something you would like to add Liliana?" asked Alice

"I just don't understand how a few hours ago we were at dads funeral and now you two just want to throw a ball to 'move forward' I think that the people need the time to grieve,"

"And they are going to have that time. We just thought that it would be best considering the circumstances,"

"So throw ball?" asked Sam understanding what Liliana was suggesting

"Yes son, your uncle is coming all the way here and will be attending this ball as well,"

"Uncle Henry?"

"Yes he will be staying a few weeks,"

"And girls our kingdom will be coming here for the ball as well. Just ours Archers, and of course Abbeys," announced Alice as she drank some water

"So we aren't inviting anyone from Graces kingdom?" asked Beth completely oblivious to what took place before

"Why would we," asked Archer

"She was your wife," said Liliana before something clicked in her head "wait were you here most of the time while you were married to Grace?"

"Yes majority,"

"How come you never saw anything that Grace was doing. I mean a lot was happening in this castle under your authority,"

"Liliana don't be rude," said Alice while glaring at her daughter

"What mother? It's a reasonable question,"

"Liliana,"

"You know what I'm not hungry. Have a lovely evening," said Liliana as she got up and stormed out of the room.

When Liliana left the room all there was, was pure silence. Abbey and her father unfortunately had to witness all of that and in Sam's head it was pure chaos.

Why didn't his dad see anything happen?

1070 words