Relentless Love (sequel)

Chapter 6- Do you love him?

Later..

Red carefully shuts the front door to her apartment before she turns to find Lilith leaning against the kitchen counter, wearing her usual silken pajamas of shorts and a small top. Red's heart skips a beat in surprise.

Red let a heavy breath escape her lips, her dark eyes fixated on Lilith's stern expression.

"And?" Lilith curiously questions as she straightens her back, her hand meeting one charm on her braids, anxiously fidgeting.

Red tilts her head in confusion as she locks the front door and throws her keys into the pot beside the door before she begins to walk toward Lilith and almost past her before Lilith's hand snakes around Red's upper arm.

Red stops, and with a low chuckle, turns to Lilith. "Well, are you gonna tell me how it went?" Lilith insists with a shake of her head and a fake smile of excitement plastered across her lips.

Red's eyebrows narrow. "I didn't think you'd want to hear seen as you told me to forget about Layla." Red firmly speaks as she turns to face Lilith, her head slightly tilted down to meet her eye to eye.

Lilith's eyes flick across Red's features fearfully before her lips part. "I let you out early today just so I can hear about it all." Lilith beams up at Red as her hand begins to graze up her arm, caressing Red.

A soft smile appears on Red's cherry-red lips, "You do?" Her voice rises in excitement and Lilith's smile brightens as her hand freezes before she reassuringly nods.

Red gulps before starting, "I explained everything, I could've gone into more detail but I've saved that for when she's feeling better.. I feared overwhelming her and I did because she cried-" Red pauses, her eyes flickering at the idea of it before she sucks a sharp breath of air in again, "It hurt so bad, Lilith. It hurt seeing her like that.." Red speaks as though the memory sends her into an indescribable agony. Lilith manages to nod with a furrowed brow, feigning sympathy while her heart is filled with pain.

"And you know what hurt even more? When she told me that dickhead was her boyfriend." Red sadly pulls away from Lilith as her lips purse and her eyes wander, unaware of the relief across Lilith's face.

"I mean, I can't even judge him but fuckin' hell. I've seen him flirt with the receptionist at the gym! He's clearly not loyal to her, and that's so upsetting that she's put her guard down for a fucking-" Red's tangent is disrupted by Lilith quickly bringing her hand to Red's face and turning her so their eyes meet, "Red, calm down. You don't know this man, you don't know their relationship, you can't assume these things." Lilith speaks sternly, causing Red's anger to slowly deflate as they lock eyes.

The anxiety around the situation begins to arise for Red. Red feels herself about to burst before she hastily pulls Lilith close and collides their bodies together for a tight hug. Lilith doesn't hesitate to wrap her arms around Red's body.

Lilith takes a deep breath, trying to control her own sadness, "It's okay." Red needs her, so she pushes down her feelings of fear, she pushes down the idea that Red will never want her, and Red will never see her as Lilith sees her. She does that because of that very love she feels, because she understands the love Red holds for Layla, down to the sheer fact that she feels the same for Red. She burns for Red whilst Red does for Layla, Red won't ever turn up in flames for Lilith.. but despite the idea killing Lilith she still finds herself withholding all of this merely for Red. Only for Red.

A week later, on the 13th of October..

"Do you think we should speak to her?" Elio whispers over Ashton's shoulder, who's intently staring ahead at Layla impatiently standing outside with a cigarette in her lips and a long coat wrapped around her tightly.