Unknown L (Book 1)

~~ Explain Yourself ~~

"Bryce!"

L called out before he walked out of the door. She was getting comfortable on the couch just as she remembered something, reaching under the cushion and pulling out the note. She smiled wider to herself and held it with the photo as she laid down, her eyes half shut now.

"Thank you for helping me, I don't know how I could have done it without you... thanks for everything you've done for me."

"You're welcome, L."

She heard him say and she was sure it was the gentlest of tones but seconds later she was asleep and wouldn't be sure it had happened when she woke up.

She didn't see the note addressed to her that Bryce left on the table by the window and wouldn't until much later. He'd made sure the door was locked from the outside and would only unlock when she opened it from the inside the next morning. She was acutely aware even in sleep that he stood at the door a little longer than usual. He'd whispered something she couldn't grasp and then left.

L bolted upright when the shouting woke her.

"L, you wake up this instant! You have some explaining to do, and I mean everything! You just left me with a duplicate! I didn't even know! How could you do that to me?!"

L rubbed the sleep from her eyes and gawked towards the front door to see Matilda through the little window. She looked furious- and expression that didn't suit her. L peered around, all of her thoughts catching up with her at once; the photo and note were perched precariously on the edge of the sofa. She reached for them and looked them over once again. They gave her a warm, happy sensation that she wasn't used to.

She sighed when Matilda began knocking and shouting again. L hid the photo and note, and walked over to the door.

"I'll explain everything if you just stop shouting," L called through the door and heard a loud sigh.

But Matilda stopped shouting, and L opened the door to let her in, frowning when she trudged into the living room.

"I had no idea what was happening, I thought someone had grabbed you without me knowing and put a copy in your place. I was so worried, everyone was! You should've told me. Anything could've happened to you."

L took a deep breath as she followed Matilda into the living room. She dropped down onto the couch and pulled her knees up to her chest.

"It's a long story, and I'm sure you've heard bits of it already, but I'll tell you what happened and why I didn't tell anyone else I was going."

Matilda didn't look pleased, but she stayed silent, which indicated that L should go on. L explained as much as she could without going into too much detail- about the plan to go and why she went. She emphasised how much Robbie and his family meant to her, how they needed her, and it was her fault they'd been taken in the first place. She left out the parts about her parents. She didn't feel like talking to her about them right now. She sighed as she got to the action and just gave Matilda bits and pieces about the Demons, the fighting, and the escaping.

Matilda's eyes were wide, and her lip was quivering when L finally finished speaking.

"That sounds so dangerous! I understand why you did it now, but oh, it was too much! You should have waited here and you could have apologised to them when they were brought in..."

L didn't expect Matilda to understand, and she shook her head, standing up again. She felt unusually fidgety.

"No, I couldn't do that, but it doesn't matter now because we're back... I have to wash and get something to eat. Do you wanna stick around and have, erm, lunch with me, or are you gonna stay angry? Because if you are, then you can do it somewhere else, please, I've had enough of people being annoyed at me."