Chapter One Hundred and Eighty-Two


    Before long, Lila, Asher and Daniel exited the bus and made their way to the Moloney house in silence. Lila contemplated talking to Daniel about his crush as they walked, but conceded that he’d probably clam up if she tried out in the open.


    Lila and Asher stood behind Daniel as he unlocked the front door. As soon as they were all inside, shoes off and ready to amble to the kitchen, Lila turned to Daniel.


    “When do ya wanna chat?” she asked.


    Daniel turned a strange shade of red – one that she’d never seen before on her brother. “We’re talking about that today?”


    “Yeah, dude. You asked for this.”


    He looked down the hallway like it had an answer for him. Then, he took a deep breath and shook his head.


    “Let’s get it over with,” he mumbled, heading into the kitchen. Lila glanced up at Asher, who looked mildly amused, before following Daniel. He was already pouring juice into three cups and wordlessly foisted filled cups upon Lila and Asher, who promptly went up the stairs.


    Lila opened her bedroom door for Asher once they reached it and he passed her his cup before placing their bags down. She took a moment to look at him inside her room, her eyes flickering to her bed, and swiftly turned, almost splashing juice out of their cups.


    “What’s wrong?” Asher asked as he closed her door behind him.


    “Nothing,” she replied, though of course she wanted to say that the fact that they weren’t currently getting up to something fun in her room was bothering her.


    “My love-”


    “Ew,” Daniel wrinkled his nose, having just arrived on the landing. “What a nickname.”


    “Yeah, yeah, as if we’re not about to sit around in your room and talk about-”


    “Get in,” Daniel interrupted Lila, casting an uneasy look at Clare’s door. “I think Clare’s home.”


    Lila smirked with a hint of mischievousness. Asher opened the door to Daniel’s room before plucking his cup out of her hands. She crossed the threshold and sat on Daniel’s bed as Daniel dumped his school bags by his desk. Asher joined Lila on Daniel’s bed. Daniel exhaled deeply as he pulled his desk chair out and sat backwards on it, facing them both.


    The trio sat in silence for a few moments. Lila watched with amusement as Daniel’s face reddened and returned to normal every so often whilst she sipped her juice.


    Daniel exhaled again, this time with a tortured groan, and placed his juice on his desk before spinning one rotation in his chair.


    “Fine, I’m just gonna say it,” he said, though he wasn’t looking at either Lila or Asher. “I want help with a girl.”


    “Sure,” Asher nodded. “Are you sure I should be the one to help you, though?”


    “Well, you’re dating my sister, so something went right.”


    “It’s only ‘cause Lila confessed.”


    “But you didn’t start dating right away. You asked her to be your girlfriend a while after, didn’t you?”


    Asher winced. “Yeah. It… was a while.”


    “So, you managed to get the courage,” Daniel replied, now looking at Asher with a grim expression. “How?”


    Though Lila’s eyes were now devoted to Asher, he didn’t even attempt a glance at her, his face pink.


    “Lila was waiting for me,” Asher said quietly. “I couldn’t keep holding out on her.”


    Daniel sighed, running his hands through his hair. “Yep, never mind. You guys can leave now.”


    “Not a chance,” Lila replied, pulling Asher by the hand back down into a seated position. “We can still help even if our circumstances don’t match yours.”


    Daniel looked at her doubtfully. “How?”


    “Advice can come from an outside perspective. Doesn’t have to be from experience. I mean, Asher’s never run a business before, but he reworked all your Banker stuff and got it sanctioned, didn’t he?”


    Daniel leaned his head on his hand. “I guess.”


    Lila tried her best comforting smile. “So, tell us what’s going on. Who is she?”


    “Well… she’s in my PC class. Uh, her name’s Isabella. Shortened to Izzy.”


    “Alright. What do you like about her?” Lila asked. “You said she was cute and stuff. Smiley and friendly. Have you thought more about it?”


    Daniel turned his head to the other side. “She’s pretty.”


    “That’s it?”


    “She’s smart, too.”


    “Probably should’ve said that one first,” Lila frowned. “How smart is she?”


    “Gets A’s.”


    “Respectable,” Asher nodded. Lila gave him a sideways glance before continuing her interrogation.


    “Are you guys friends?”


    “I dunno,” Daniel sighed, his shoulders slumping with the energy of someone who’d given up all hope.


    “What does that mean?” Lila’s impatience was beginning to filter through her tone. Asher placed a hand on her leg with a subtle shake of his head. She took a deep breath to centre herself as she waited for Daniel’s response.


    “It means… well, I’ve hardly had friends at the moment ‘cause I only just hired someone to run the admin stuff. I’ve only been hanging out with people this week.”


    “Is she one of them?” Lila pressed, that centring breath having vanished immediately. Asher squeezed her thigh, and she met his gaze. It seemed like he wanted to take over the conversation and she reluctantly nodded.


    “Not really,” Daniel mumbled, looking down at his hands, which he twisted together.


    “Do you think she likes you?” Asher asked gently.


    Daniel squeezed his hands. “I don’t think so.”


    Asher looked thoughtful. “How is she when you do interact?”


    “She, like, smiles a whole bunch. She laughs a lot, too. In Science the other day, the teacher put us on the same table with a couple other people and I just read out the worksheet in a stupid voice and she laughed for ages. Sometimes, she talks to me and stuff but I get nervous and end up saying really dumb shit and her laugh goes on and on even if it wasn’t funny.” He paused, his face reddening once more. “Her hair’s really soft. Smells nice, too.”


    Lila wrinkled her nose. “You’re sniffing her hair?”


    “Not like a weirdo,” Daniel retorted defensively.


    Lila raised an eyebrow in response.


    “S-She’s got, like, really long blonde hair that she plays with all the time. Twirls it and it’s really shiny. I dunno how it happened but I found myself touching it and she let me. Since then, if we’re lined up for class, she lets me braid it or whatever. Smells like strawberries.”


    “You’re braiding her hair?” Lila’s voice rose until Asher squeezed her thigh again. “When’d you even learn to do that?”


    “Sometimes? And did you forget about how you and Clare made me do your hair for primary school?”


    “I missed a lot of signs with Lila,” Asher said lightly before Lila could respond. “Things I realised after she confessed, and even more that I realised after we started dating. Reflected a lot on them and, with that, I reckon Izzy likes you.”


    Lila was curious about what signs she’d given off, but refocused on Daniel’s predicament for the moment.


    “I agree with Asher,” Lila said. “I mean, getting your hair sniffed is weird unless you like the sniffer.”


    Daniel slapped both his hands over his face. “I told you it wasn’t like a weirdo!”


    “Taking a big whiff of an innocent girl’s hair is weird, no matter how you slice it.”


    “I wasn’t whiffing her hair-”


    “Inhaling, then.”


    Daniel looked despairingly at Asher. “You get it, right?”


    “Hair sniffing?” Asher asked, a small teasing smirk on his lips. “Totally weird.”


    Daniel buried his face into his hands again as Asher laughed.


    “I’m kidding, Daniel. It’s pretty normal,” he said reassuringly.


    “It is?” Lila whipped her head to face Asher. “Have you been sniffing my hair for years?”


    “Undoubtedly.”


    “Good thing I like you, then,” Lila replied, folding her arms across her chest.


    “It’s more like… wanting to be close with your crush means you take in as many details of them as you can. Scent wafts over, you know. You happen to smell good, so I take an extra sniff here and there-”


    Lila playfully whacked Asher’s arm. “Stop now, or I’ll call the police.”


    He chortled before taking a drink from his cup.


    In saying that, now that Asher had mentioned it, Lila had committed his scent to memory far before she confessed her feelings. He was a bit too tall for her to sniff his hair frequently, though.


    “Maybe it is normal,” Lila conceded with a sigh.


    “Hair sniffer,” Asher said, pointing accusatorily at her.


    “Says you!”


    Daniel slowly lowered his hands. “You’re both so dumb. Did you lose a couple of braincells when you started dating?”


    “I might’ve, but Asher hasn’t,” Lila said with a touch of pride. “He’s still in the running for Dux.”


    Asher bashfully smiled as Daniel shook his head.


    “Whatever,” Daniel said petulantly before sighing once more. “So… you guys think she likes me?”


    “Sometimes you say funny stuff, but you’re not that funny,” Lila replied with a satisfied nod. “She sounds smart, so you’d think she’d be more discerning with what’s funny.”


    “Okay, damn,” Daniel uttered.


    “But girls like funny, at least in my experience. It’s also such a giveaway, to be laughing all the time around your crush. So, if you can make her laugh at nothing, then I reckon she likes you,” Lila concluded.


    “Touching her hair in your presence also seems like a sign,” Asher interjected.


    “Do I do that often?” Lila queried.


    “Absolutely. Especially when-” Asher faltered, their eyes meeting for a brief second before he took a sip of his juice.


    “When…?” Lila asked, nudging him with her knee.


    “Never mind.”


    Lila pursed her lips. Then, his avoidance abruptly made sense – she’d smoothed down her hair quite a lot when they talked about Asher being ready for more intimacy, and then when she returned to his on the Monday after their long weekend.


    “R-Right,” Lila breathed before taking a sip of her juice, too.


    “I’m not gonna ask,” Daniel said, leaning over to his desk and drinking from his cup before setting it down again.


    “Good. A-Anyway, um, right, she lets you play with her hair, too. That’s a sign of trust, in my opinion,” Lila said nervously, clearing her throat.


    “Trust?” Daniel asked, tilting his head in apparent confusion.


    “Yeah. I mean, she trusts you enough to not mess up her hair. Or, she wouldn’t mind it if you did,” Lila explained.


    Daniel gulped audibly. Then, he nodded a few times.


    “If… if I believe you guys, then… what do I do about it?” he asked quietly.


    “What do you want to do about it?” Lila asked just as quietly.


    “I… I’ve never… dated anyone before,” Daniel whispered. “What does it even mean?”


    That was a loaded question.


    “You get to spend a lot of time together,” Asher said confidently. “Get to know each other over and above all others on a deeper level. It’s different to friendship, but in a good way. Especially since you two get to define it together. You also start to figure out what it means to prioritise another person.”


    Lila nodded, thinking about what else to add. “Of course, you’ll figure out if you actually like her as a person or if she’s just pretty to you. It’s not always a bad thing to figure out you’re not compatible. If you do get into a relationship, enjoy it. You’ll even learn things about yourself that you didn’t know.”


    Daniel blew his hair out of his eyes. “How do I know if I wanna date her?”


    “Well, she’ll have to reciprocate,” Asher smiled. “How about you start from telling her you like her?”


    “But that’s scary, dude,” Daniel whined. “I tried today and all I said was that I liked her lunchbox.”


    “Was it a nice lunchbox?” Lila questioned.


    Daniel glared at her. “Yeah, but that’s not the point.”


    “Were you out in the open?” Asher asked.


    Daniel nodded. “By our lockers.”


    “I think,” Lila said before Asher could reply, “you should try hanging out with her a bit more. I mean, confessing and all that is best done in private, right? But right now, you have no idea whether she’ll go with you to a private spot somewhere.”


    “Okay.” Daniel exhaled slowly, deflating like a balloon as he did so. “How do I hang out with her more?”


    “How does anyone hang out with anyone more?” Lila quipped.


    “There’s two classic plans that you could use to try and hang out with her more,” Asher said carefully. “The first is trying to hang out with her at lunch. Easier if you’ve got mutual friends with her, and all you do is just sit there as a group. Try and get more comfortable around her. Try some intentional conversations, too.”


    “Okay. What’s the second?” Daniel asked, rolling slightly toward them.


    “Asking her for help with an assignment or an exam,” Asher said simply. “I’d thought about those two plans quite a lot, but I wasn’t able to use them. Well, not until Lila and I were paired for English, though that was by force – I didn’t ask her to be my partner.”


    “Why didn’t you try the lunch one?” Lila queried.


    “Why? ‘Cause it’d look suspicious as heck.”


    “So I shouldn’t do the lunch one then?” Daniel asked, looking slightly crestfallen.


    “No, no, do that one if you want,” Asher replied swiftly. “Lila only ever sat with Elise and Grace, and I’d have to bring Isaac along if I wanted to hang out with them as a group – except Isaac’s Lila’s ex, so that’s just complicated.”


    Daniel brought his hands to his eyes and gave a half-hearted laugh. “The fuck?”


    Lila exchanged a look with Asher and found that Asher looked incredibly guilty.


    “I know Asher hadn’t done either of those plans, but as a girl, they sound solid,” Lila said encouragingly. “If your goal is to tell her how you feel, you’ve gotta get comfortable talking to her about normal things first. Vulnerability sucks, but you’ll never get to tell her if you keep getting too nervous to say normal stuff.”


    No one said anything for quite a while after this. Enough time passed that Lila contemplated saying something else, but Daniel dropped his hands and nodded.


    “Yeah… yeah. I see what you’re saying. Baby steps.”


    “Yeah,” Lila smiled. “Baby steps.”


    Daniel chewed his bottom lip before spinning in his chair once more.


    “Where do I find the courage?” he asked after he settled before them again.


    Lila peeked at Asher and took a deep breath. “I decided that holding it in sucked more than trying to tell Asher. It didn’t mean that I wasn’t scared – I just powered through.”


    “I decided that I wanted to try,” Asher said, giving Lila a soft smile. “I was nervous as hell that I’d made Lila wait too long and she’d say no, but the idea of not trying scared me more than my nerves.”


    Daniel dragged his hands through his hair, his frustration evident in the rough way he did so. “Alright. I’ll try and hang out with her more, see how she goes but-” he snapped his eyes to Lila’s, then to Asher’s “-you guys really think she likes me back?”


    “Without meeting her or seeing her with you, yeah,” Asher nodded.


    “What Asher said,” Lila replied.


    Daniel scrunched his face like he’d just eaten a lemon. “Okay. If that’s the case… maybe I’ve got a shot.”


    “If you don’t try, you’ll never know,” Lila said, taking Asher’s free hand in hers. “I tried and it’s been the best thing I could’ve done.”


    “I didn’t ask you to be gross in here,” Daniel grumbled. Then he paused before saying, “Is it really how it feels?”


    “Definitely,” Asher said without skipping a beat.


    Daniel seemed ready to end the conversation there before he narrowed his eyes at Asher.


    “What happened with your ex?”


    Asher grimaced. “What do you mean? She cheated.”


    “No, no,” Daniel shook his head impatiently. “How’d you ask her?”


    “I didn’t. She asked me.”


    Daniel sighed heavily. “What do you think my chances are if I just wait for her to make a move?”


    “You could, but you might go crazy and overthink everything she does,” Asher said sensibly.


    “How’d you get it to happen to you twice?” Daniel asked, his voice nearing a whine. “I don’t wanna confess.”


    “You don’t have to,” Lila said, her voice low and gentle.


    “I… I don’t want to ‘cause it’s scary, but I do ‘cause… I wanna try,” Daniel mumbled. Then, he threw his hands up in the air. “Fuck, fine. I’m gonna try and hang out with her for the rest of the week and see what happens. Maybe I’ll accidentally say I like her or something.”


    “You’ll be okay,” Lila replied comfortingly. “Try not to put pressure on yourself for now. There’s no rush.”


    Daniel nodded. “Yeah. No rush.” Then he looked at Lila and Asher for a moment before saying, “Thanks, guys. I… If I need more help, I’ll let you know.”


    “No worries,” Asher said, standing up from Daniel’s bed. He held a hand out to Lila, who took it as she stood as well.


    Daniel shuffled his chair across to his desk which allowed Asher and Lila to pass to leave his room.


    Asher placed his hand on the doorknob when Daniel suddenly said, “What’s sex like?”


    “Bro,” Lila said immediately as she turned back to Daniel, “don’t worry about that.”


    “But I’m curious-”


    “As if us verbally explaining it will make it make sense,” Lila shuddered. “How about you confess to Izzy first?”


    Daniel frowned. “But I-”


    “How old are you again?” Asher interjected.


    “Fourteen on the 23^rd,” Daniel answered.


    “Then I’m absolutely not saying shit,” Asher said firmly. “You’re too young.”


    “I’m also too young to start a business.”


    Asher reached out and bopped Daniel on the head. “Exactly. Don’t you remember how much trouble that caused?”


    “I’m only two years younger!”


    “Sure, but that’s two years too young.”


    “Says who?”


    “The law, mate.”


    That seemed to shut Daniel’s argument down for only a second.


    “You’re joking. The law doesn’t say anything about-”


    “It does,” Asher nodded. “Age of consent is sixteen. Google it.”


    Daniel sighed in defeat. “Whatever. I’m still curious.”


    “You can die curious,” Lila said shortly. “Get a girlfriend first, figure it out later. Or ask Clare about it.”


    “Absolutely not,” Daniel replied swiftly. “No way am I asking Clare.”


    “Then don’t.”


    “Aren’t you supposed to say something about safe sex as my responsible elders?” Daniel asked as Asher tried once more to turn the doorknob.


    “Elders?” Lila snorted before saying, “Yeah. Abstinence is safe.”


    Daniel gave her a dubious look. “So, what, you’re being unsafe then?”


    “Daniel, you’re worrying about something that’s a billion steps ahead,” Lila replied seriously, battling her desire to cringe into nothingness.


    Asher sighed as though he was preparing to do something unpleasant. “He’s your brother, Lila.”


    “Well, yeah,” Lila said matter-of-factly. “What’s that got to do with anything?”


    “Trying to shut him down when he’s curious is never going to work, is it?”


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Lila gingerly placed a hand on her forehead. “You’re right.”


    Asher placed his hand in his blazer and pulled out a single condom packet. “This is the most embarrassing thing you’re going to buy in two years,” he said frankly, handing it over to Daniel, who inspected the packet closely.


    “What is it?” Daniel asked after a moment.


    “A condom.”


    Daniel’s face turned red and he flung it back at Asher, who effortlessly caught it. “Ew! You keep one in your blazer? Are you guys doing stuff at school?”


    “No,” Asher said earnestly, putting it back in his blazer. “Also, I keep three in there.”


    “Why?”


    “Just in case.”


    “In case of what?”


    “The mood-”


    “I’m gonna go,” Lila announced, her embarrassment pooling in her cheeks. “I can’t listen anymore.”


    Asher opened the door for her before looking shrewdly at Daniel. “Daniel, do you actually want to talk about this stuff?”


    “… Yeah…”


    Asher met Lila’s eyes and she could see that he was hesitant.


    “I’ll see you in a bit,” Asher murmured, gently pushing her towards the door.


    “Asher, if you don’t want to-”


    He shook his head. “I do. Daniel’s asking.”


    “But you don’t like-”


    “It’s fine.”


    “It’s fine?”


    He met her eyes again and smiled. “It’s fine. See you.”


    With one more push, she was out of Daniel’s room and the door quietly shut behind her. She stood in the hallway for a moment, tempted to press her ear against the door.


    Before Lila could act on this intrusive thought, Clare’s door cracked open and she poked her head out into the hallway.


    “Is Asher here?” Clare asked.


    Lila nodded. “Yeah. He’s just having a chat with Daniel now. Why?”


    Clare exhaled deeply, opening her door fully and leaning against the doorframe. “When you said Asher was coming over, I realised that it’s been a while since Alex came over. I was thinking about inviting him to come here for dinner tomorrow.”


    Lila stared at Clare, taking in the yellowing bruises on her sister’s face. “Why?”


    Clare folded her arms against her chest. “I… I.” She stopped herself, scrunching her face in a way that suggested to Lila that Clare had no idea either.


    “You?”


    Clare leaned her head back onto the doorframe, her eyes on the ceiling. “I… want reassurance.”


    “Reassurance?”


    “That you think… Alex loves me.”


    Lila paused. “Are you doubting him?”


    “No, no,” Clare waved her hand. “No. No. I’m… nervous about Melody still.”


    “You don’t think you clocked her hard enough to get the message?”


    Lila’s attempted joke evidently fell flat as Clare’s expression morphed into one of shame.


    “It’s not that,” Clare explained after a few moments. “I just-” She cut herself off again, her eyes shimmering as she looked at Lila. “What if something does happen with him and Melody?”


    Lila crossed the hallway to Clare. “Come on, let’s talk in your room.”


    Clare stood aside to let Lila through, and Lila took a seat on Clare’s bed as Clare sat on her vanity stool.


    “Clare, Alex says he loves you, right?” Lila asked whilst Clare fiddled with her hands, her eyes distant.


    Clare nodded. “Of course.”


    “Alex wouldn’t let something happen with Melody,” Lila said, trying to exude confidence.


    Clare was silent for just a second before she placed her head in her hands. “Melody’s been sending nudes to Alex.”


    Lila felt her stomach drop. “What? How do you know?”


    “He told me about it yesterday. He said he blocked her but what the fuck, Lila. What if… what if he gets, like, enticed-”


    “Definitely not,” Lila said flatly. “Don’t even let yourself think that.”


    “You can’t say it’s not a possibility.”


    Lila faltered. Anything was possible, of course, but-


    “See,” Clare’s voice shook. “You can’t.”


    “Clare… don’t you remember how long he waited for you to want something more? A guy like that wouldn’t throw this away for someone like Melody.”


    Clare’s entire body began to shake. Lila instantly stood from Clare’s bed and hugged her. Clare gripped Lila’s uniform as she started crying, her sobs growing in volume – enough that Lila suddenly realised that, yes, she had heard Clare sobbing years ago night after night.


    Lila’s anger lit a fire in her throat as she held Clare, waiting patiently for her crying to taper off.


    “L-Lila, p-please. Please just… see. He-he’s changed, recently. It feels like he’s keeping secrets from me.”


    Lila did not like the sound of that. She separated slightly from Clare, enough so she could see her tear-streaked face. Lila cleared hair from Clare’s face and looked deeply into her eyes, swallowing her anger down.


    “Okay, Clare. You said tomorrow?”


    Clare sniffled, nodding a few times. “Y-Yeah. He’s got work from Friday until Sunday, but with the school holidays coming up, you won’t be around much, right?”


    The guilt must’ve shown on Lila’s face since Clare smiled, wiping away her residual tears.


    “It’s fine if you’re not around, Lila. Enjoy your time with Asher,” Clare said. “School holidays stop eventually, after all.”


    Lila sighed, giving Clare another hug. “I don’t like it when you’re so upset, sis.”


    “Same,” Clare replied with a dry laugh. “But… if you can be here tomorrow a-and… tell me what you’re seeing, then maybe I won’t be so upset.”


    “Okay. I’ll be here.”


    Clare remained still before returning Lila’s hug. “Thank you.”


    Lila smiled. “Do you need anything else?”


    Clare shook her head. “No. I’ll be okay. I… I just wish work wasn’t so shit right now with Melody.”


    “I know. Are you sure you want to keep working at Coolisimo?”


    “Of course I do,” Clare said indignantly. “I love working there. Plus… working with Alex has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Being a team with him… It’s one of the things that brings me joy, you know.”


    Lila held her sigh in. If someone told Lila to change schools for a reason like this, which meant separating from Asher, she’d definitely be upset.


    “If… if we couldn’t work together, I think my heart would break,” Clare whispered. “It’s so fun, having my partner that I love work at the place that I love. And I love watching him work, and I think he loves watching me work, too. There’s just something about it. We share so many memories there, not to mention all the in-jokes, and knowing the colleagues we’re talking about when we chat about shifts we didn’t have together just makes it… better somehow. Richer, I guess.”


    Lila felt like she could relate in some measure, given all the investigation work she’d done with Asher. It was similar in a way, and she definitely loved watching Asher focus.


    “Alright,” Lila nodded. “I understand.”


    Clare gave her a watery smile. “Thanks, Lila.”


    “Do you want to talk about anything else?”


    Clare shook her head. “No. Just wanted to say I wanted to bring Alex over. Ended up saying more stuff though.”


    Lila squeezed Clare’s hand. “Okay. I’ll just be in my room if you need me.”


    “Okay.”


    Lila quietly left Clare’s room, checking behind her one last time to make sure Clare really was okay. Clare’s eyes were glassy, but at least she wasn’t crying anymore. Lila shut the door behind her and tiptoed to her room, collapsing on her bed face-first with her mind running through the conversations she’d had with both her siblings this afternoon before settling on Clare’s continued plight.


    The idea that Alex was hiding something definitely bothered Lila quite a bit. Was he cheating on Clare with Melody? Lila didn’t want to believe it in the slightest. Was Clare just being paranoid?


    Lila ruminated some more with no real conclusions coming to the surface. She’d just have to see how he was with Clare tomorrow-


    “Sorry,” Asher’s voice cut through her musings, forcing her to turn and see his flushed face as he entered her room. “Took a bit longer than I expected.”


    “No, it’s all good,” Lila replied, sitting up. “How’d you go?”


    “Never repeating that one again,” Asher said, shaking his head. “So many questions.”


    “Like what?”


    Asher shuddered. “Don’t ask.”


    Lila frowned. “Well, that makes me curious.”


    “All you curious Moloneys,” Asher huffed. “Stop that.”


    Lila laughed. “It’s in our blood. Blame my Dad. Go on. Tell me.”


    “It was just a general sex talk,” Asher said, crossing her room before doubling back and closing the door. “Plus some advice.”


    “Advice?”


    “On what to do. Consent especially, and how to make it a good experience for everyone involved.”


    “I see.” Lila pursed her lips before giving him a mischievous grin. “Care to demonstrate?”


    He drew close to her bed and booped her nose with his index finger. “Not here, my love. Tomorrow, definitely.”


    “Ah, about that,” Lila grabbed his hand before he could take it back and intertwined their fingers, her motions slow and deliberate. “Clare wants me to be here tomorrow. She’s inviting Alex over and she wants me to analyse him, I guess.”


    “Oh,” Asher blinked, lowering himself into Lila’s desk chair. “For what?”


    “If he loves her.”


    “I thought it was pretty obvious that he does.”


    “I thought so too, but Clare thinks he’s hiding something.” She sighed and added, “Melody’s sent him nudes. He blocked her, apparently, but Clare’s still… paranoid that Melody will do something with Alex.”


    “If he won’t, then he won’t. Also, who does that? Sending nudes to someone who’s in a relationship. I’m glad he blocked her and told Clare, though. Keeping it a secret would be way worse if she found out later. His honesty is a good sign.”


    “I agree. She still wants some reassurance, though.”


    “I see. Do I need to be here?”


    Lila shrugged. “Clare didn’t ask for you. I think you can have your Thursday back.”


    Asher looked relieved for a moment before disappointment took over. “I was hoping we could… do some stuff tomorrow.”


    “We could right now. Door’s closed.”


    “Lila… Daniel’s just over there. Clare’s here too, but Daniel’s room is directly across from yours.”


    “It’s fine. These walls aren’t that thin.”


    A knock sounded on the door, making them both jump.


    “Oi! I’m here! Hands off!” Daniel’s voice called.


    “Go away!” Lila yelled back. She heard him cackling as he clomped towards the stairs.


    “He’s so annoying,” Lila grumbled, flopping backwards onto her bed. “He heard us talking ‘cause he was in the hallway. You can hear voices when you’re in your room if someone’s talking loudly, but it’s indistinct. It’s still like that if you’re in the hallway.” She glanced over at Asher. “So… if we decide to get up to something-”


    “He could be in the hallway at any time.”


    Lila turned her head so she could see Asher. “Like I said, it’s indistinct. I can be quiet, too.”


    “You?” Asher smirked. “Definitely not enough for no one here to notice. Besides, a moan is a moan, my love. What’s the wall supposed to disguise that with? A conversation about fine arts?”


    She flushed before sighing heavily. “Fine. You win.”


    “It doesn’t feel like a win since I do want to.”


    A heavy pause followed. Lila contemplated continuing to talk to Asher about doing something, but instead, she asked, “Were you embarrassed talking to Daniel about all that?”


    “Of course. He’s just as aware of the fact that I’m dating you, and therefore doing all that with you, as I am, which made the embarrassment a billion times worse. But… I think he really needed that conversation. Kinda like how you pushed me to talk to Gabriel after we confessed to each other ‘cause he’s older with more experience.”


    He gave a long-winded exhale before continuing. “I didn’t want to say this with Daniel right there, as it probably comes off as condescending, but I’ve learned that if you Moloneys are left alone with your curiosity for too long, you’ll just go ahead and do whatever it is to find out anyway. That’s pretty dangerous for a kid who doesn’t know much about safety and all that. I can push my embarrassment aside for a cause like that.”


    Lila smiled at him, and his eyes flickered to hers.


    “What’s with the smile?” he asked.


    “It’s nice having you back here,” she said plainly. “I think Daniel thinks of you as his big brother, in a way. Especially since you’ve come to his rescue a few times now. Even if you are condescending about us Moloney siblings.”


    Asher laughed, though his expression was rather bashful. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be. You reckon he thinks that, though?”


    “Definitely.” She smiled at him again. “You know how I said before that it all clicked – the fact that I liked you – when I saw you helping Daniel? Well, moments like these remind me of how it felt back then. Reminds me of how far we’ve come, too.”


    “Really?”


    Lila nodded. “Really. And… I’m really glad you get along with my siblings. You mentioned before that you know how important family is to me and you’re right, even though I never told you that. Thank you for trying.”


    His expression melted into one that looked touched by what she’d said. “Thank you for trusting me enough to let me try.”


    “Of course, my love. I trust you with my whole heart.”


    He grinned, his eyes darting down to her lips. “I trust you with my whole heart too, my love.”


    “You can at least give me a kiss, right?” Lila asked after a beat.


    He grinned again. “Coming right up.”


    Once he was in her vicinity, Lila grabbed his tie and pulled him enough so that he fell on the bed, their lips meeting as he stabilised himself. She pressed herself close to his body, running her free hand across his chest and up to his face, her desire for more sparking within her veins. She tried her best – really tried – to rein it in, to be happy with this level of touch, but the way her body was responding to him deep within told her this would be wishful thinking.


    “Please,” she whispered when they broke apart for air, her eyes meeting his. They looked just as lustful as she felt. “Please, my love.”


    “Lila… the idea makes me so nervous.”


    “We don’t even need to get undressed.”


    He sighed, though she could tell her idea was starting to turn the tide. “My love, is it really that bad?”


    She nodded, gripping his shoulders. “Just having you be so close is like a tease.”


    He paused, gently brushing some wayward pieces of hair from her face. “I feel the same.”


    “Then-”


    He brought his hand lower, to her chest, which halted her words entirely. “I can’t guarantee anything, but I wouldn’t mind kissing you more,” he murmured as he ran his hands over both of her boobs.


    She raised herself so she could meet his lips halfway and he continued to explore her chest. She started to unbutton her school blouse to let him touch her bare skin and he took the opportunity to deepen their kiss. A shiver of pleasure intermingled with anticipation ran through her as she released her top button. If she touched him, would he-


    Knock knock.


    Asher turned to look at the door, breathing heavily as his body still hovered above hers, his hands exactly where she liked them to be on her chest.


    Knock knock.


    “Go away, Daniel!” Lila called.


    The door opened, revealing Lila’s Dad.


    “Shit,” Asher breathed as he instantly stood up, his expression and demeanour showcasing exactly how ready he was to evaporate in these circumstances as he wiped his mouth.


    “I’d say carry on, but I need to borrow you, Asher,” her Dad said, his tone incredibly severe.


    “I-I’m so sorry,” Asher replied swiftly, his voice wavering. “I-I can leave-”


    A flash of amusement crossed Lila’s Dad’s face, and she felt herself relax. He wasn’t mad about them kissing like that, at least. And, now that she was seeing her Dad, she was reminded of the fact that her Dad wanted to see if Asher’d be a good fit for his PI firm.


    “Absolutely not,” her Dad responded.


    Lila watched Asher pale before her eyes.


    “Come on, downstairs with you,” her Dad continued, gesturing to the hallway. “Let’s have a chat.”


    Lila was almost convinced she could see puddles of nervous sweat in Asher’s wake as he very slowly shuffled his way over to the door, his eyes glued to the floor.


    Lila’s Dad looked over at Lila and winked before standing aside to let Asher out and closing the door behind them. Lila rebuttoned her shirt and then pulled her bedcovers over herself. She hoped that Asher’s nerves at facing her Dad wouldn’t get in the way of his chances at becoming an intern…


    She sighed, hunting for her phone. She hadn’t been done with their kissing – not in the slightest – and it even seemed like Asher was getting ready to go further until her Dad interrupted them. It was probably the worst outcome, to be honest. He definitely wouldn’t want to continue when he returned.


    Lila found her phone and began scrolling on various apps to while away the time. She wasn’t entertained by any of it. She tossed her phone onto her desk and rolled in her bed to face the wall.


    Lila didn’t mean to keep pressuring Asher. Now that he was gone, she was starting to realise that it was pretty shitty of her to keep asking him to change his mind. He’d said that he didn’t want to how many times?


    Lila placed her palms over her eyes, blocking every bit of light available. Again, why was she like this? Blaming him and his addictive touch was easy, albeit once again shitty, and it never resolved the mystery behind her shortcomings.


    ‘I’ll stop pestering him,’ she thought to herself. ‘Friday’s only a couple days away. I can be patient.’


    She gave a long, slow exhale. Sure, she could try and convince herself of that, but as soon as he went near her, it was like she lost all sense to keep to something like that. How long would she have to practise her restraint alone in her room?


    She had no idea what her Dad was going to do with Asher. How would he assess Asher? How long would it take? She probably should’ve asked, but she’d been mostly relieved that her Dad wasn’t going to tell them off for kissing.


    She reached for her phone again. Yet again, nothing excited her enough to hold her attention. Perhaps she should just have a nap?


    She closed her eyes, hoping sleepiness would overcome her. Instead, her mind was riddled with thoughts about whether he would one day tell her off for asking so much. Would he hate her?


    Her heart raced as she bolted upright, her breathing choppy. He wouldn’t hate her, surely. He said he wanted to, but he was nervous.


    But what if he gave in because she kept pushing? Then he might hate her afterwards.


    She slowly lay back down, her heartbeat still pumping. He said he loved her all the time, so she didn’t need to worry like this. Right?


    She placed both her arms over her eyes and squeezed them shut. If she slept, he’d be right back and she could apologise. Mend what might’ve been broken already.


    Minutes passed, but Lila remained firm in her position, which gradually helped her drift off. Her worries hadn’t vanished in the slightest, but they did ease as she napped.


    Right as her mind was beginning to dip into a dream state, Lila felt her covers being pulled over her chest. She fished for the hand that was doing so and opened her bleary eyes, seeing Asher looking down at her with a small smile. A smile that made her panic. What if he stopped smiling at her forever? What would she do then?


    “Hello,” he said once their eyes met. “You can go back to sleep. Don’t mind me.”


    Lila tightened her hold on his hand and shook her head. “No. I’m sorry.”


    “Sorry? For napping?”


    She let go of him as she rubbed her eyes and lifted herself into a seated position. “No. Sorry for pressuring you.”


    “Pressuring me?”


    She nodded, though this didn’t seem to provide him with the answer he was looking for.


    “I’m a bit lost.”


    “Sorry. Um.” She took a deep breath, feeling the sting of tears almost breaking through to reality. “Um… I keep… pestering you.”


    “You do?”


    “About doing stuff here.”


    He was silent for a moment before he started laughing. Was that a bad sign?


    Just as her anxiety spiked, he pulled her in for a hug, kissing the side of her head. “My love, don’t worry. I feel neither pestered nor pressured.”


    “But you’ve said no so many times. I should respect that.”


    He was silent again as he took her hands in his. “I say no because I don’t want to upset your family, not because I don’t want to.”


    “But you don’t want to because you think it’ll upset my family.”


    He sighed. “My love, if you’d like to ask, you can. You turn my mind around so easily when it comes to that.”


    “But that’s from pressuring you.”


    “Lila, you’re fretting. I’m saying it’s okay.”


    “It’s not.”


    “I like knowing you want me. It makes me happy, even if we’re in a situation where we shouldn’t act on it.”


    He didn’t look like he was lying. She bit her lower lip, unsure whether to accept that she could keep asking.


    “I… I’ll stop asking,” she said quietly, looking down at her lap. “If you want to while we’re here, you can ask me, but I’ll stop asking for it. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”


    He looked like he was about to argue with that, but he instead nodded. “Okay, my love. That’s understandable.”


    Asher sat down in her desk chair and neither spoke for a while. Lila kept her eyes on her hands since looking at Asher made her feel shameful once again.


    Eventually, Lila asked, her eyes still staring at her hands, “How’d it go with my Dad?”


    Asher gave such an awkward laugh that Lila immediately looked up at him.


    “It… was fine,” he said, crossing his arms. “He said he’d need a few days to think on it.”


    “On whether you’ll be an intern over the summer?”


    Asher nodded. “Yeah.”


    Lila narrowed her eyes at Asher. “What happened?”


    “With what?”


    “Well, what’d you do with my Dad?”


    “Oh.” He gave a nervous laugh. “Yeah. Uh. He just gave me some documents to look through, organise and see what I thought about them.”


    “What kind of documents?”


    Asher averted his eyes from her. “He said they were from an actual case he was working on, so I can’t say.”


    Lila eagerly sat forward. “What kind of case is it?”


    “Can’t say. Signed a confidentiality agreement.”


    “A confidentiality agreement?”


    “Exactly. So, I can’t say, my love.”


    Lila frowned. “Surely you can. I won’t tell anyone.”


    “Well, the point is that I don’t tell anyone.”


    Lila’s frown deepened. “But we tell each other everything.”


    His lips twitched. “Right, but I’ve never signed a confidentiality agreement before.”


    “I’m curious,” Lila coaxed, shaking his arm. “Please?”


    “No, my love. I can’t.”


    “But you so could. I’d never tell Dad you said something.”


    “Contracts like that are binding, you know. I’m on such thin ice with your Dad it’s not even funny.”


    “You are? Did he say something?”


    “He did, but he also didn’t need to.” Asher shuddered. “Has anyone told him that his eyes feel like X-ray machines?”


    Lila laughed. She couldn’t disagree with Asher’s observation. “Probably. What’d he say?”


    Asher gave a reluctant sigh. “As soon as we got into his home office, he closed the door and said, ‘No plans for ‘it’ ever, hmm? That certainly lasted.’ I felt like booking it outta there and going home.”


    Lila looked at Asher with her head tilted in confusion. “Huh?”


    “It’s what I said when your parents asked me if we were going to have sex during the long weekend,” Asher reminded her with another shudder. “I’m glad your Mum wasn’t with him this time.”


    “No kidding,” Lila replied softly. “Did Dad say anything else?”


    “Yeah. Gave me a reminder to use protection, which made me feel guilty for last weekend, though of course I didn’t say anything about that. I just nodded along to what he said. Then… he said that while he still wasn’t a big fan of the fact that we were doing that kind of thing, he was glad that I kept to my promise to not make you upset.”


    Asher then wrinkled his nose. “He said he’d wait until you said it was okay to come into your room from now on. Also said that if it was happening anyway, he’d rather it be safely inside a house than somewhere random and unsafe, but would appreciate discretion.”


    Lila also wrinkled her nose. “I hate that he acknowledged it like that.”


    “Yeah. I couldn’t look at him at all, which I think amused him somehow.” Asher glanced at her and sighed. “I was right to feel weird about coming here again, but your Dad wasn’t all that bad about it. Guess I have to see how your Mum is with me, though. All in all, I was definitely overthinking how it’d be. I kinda thought everyone would tell me off immediately and ban me or something stupid. Not that I want to rock the boat.” He gave another awkward laugh before shaking his head.


    Lila paused, letting her embarrassment about her Dad’s ‘talking to’ with Asher subside before speaking. “Are you okay now?”


    He met her scrutinising gaze with a smile. “Yeah. I’m all good. I mean, it’s over with now.”


    They sat in a comfortable silence for a minute or so when Lila said, “You can tell me what case it was and what you were looking at. I’m trustworthy.”


    “My love,” Asher chuckled, “I know you’re trustworthy. That’s not the issue. Maybe you can ask your Dad.”


    Lila didn’t like that idea and told him so. Asher chuckled again.


    “Then remain curious,” he said, leaning forwards and kissing her on the cheek.


    She melted onto her bed, her curiosity still flowing through her. Her Dad was really serious about confidentiality, but what was in that agreement that made Asher want to keep it a secret? Although it wasn’t really his secret to tell… it was a matter that someone had contracted her Dad to look into…


    “Fine,” she said petulantly. “You win.”


    “I wasn’t trying to fight you on it.”


    She lifted her head to see his expression, which appeared fairly guilty to Lila.


    “It’s fine,” she said, staring up at the ceiling. “It’s not your secret to tell.”


    She heard him sigh, but she didn’t look at him again.


    “Do you think you did well with whatever mysterious task it was that you were doing at least?” Lila asked quietly.


    “Your Dad was pretty impressed with how fast I read. He asked me a question or two about my comprehension, but I answered correctly, so I think it could be okay. I can’t really get a gauge on him, though.”


    “Dad’s like that when he’s serious. Unreadable, I mean. He must’ve been analysing you carefully in that case,” Lila replied thoughtfully, glancing at him. “I reckon that means he’s serious about seeing whether you’d be a good fit.”


    “I bloody well hope so. I tried my damndest.” He then paused, a grimace flashing across his face. “Did you think he wouldn’t?”


    She let his question sink in for a moment, deciding to be serious in her reply. “Well, it could go either way. If he were just doing this to humour me, he already would’ve made a decision and either wouldn’t want you as an intern because you’re my boyfriend, or he would want you because I asked. If he’s properly assessing you, then he’s looking at you in the lens of how you’d be on your own merit.”


    “Somehow that makes me wildly more nervous,” Asher shuddered. “How many days do you reckon it’ll take for him to make a decision?”


    “Honestly? I’d want you for my imaginary PI firm immediately. Not sure why he’d take a few days. You don’t need to, like, write an assessment or anything like that?”


    Asher shook his head. “Nah. He just asked me a few questions once I did everything, nodded, then said he’d think about it and let me go.”


    Lila pursed her lips. “Weird. Wonder what he’s waiting for.”


    Asher shrugged, his eyes flitting to the closed door. “Dunno.”


    Lila glanced at the closed door as well before giving Asher a bemused look. In response, he made his way to her bed and gently nudged her shoulder. She remained where she was, and he smiled.


    “Come on, give me some space,” he murmured. “You’re all alone over here.”


    She shuffled along her bed, still confused by his sudden shift in behaviour – but this was quickly replaced with a jolt of surprise as he kissed her neck and pushed them both so that he was above her.


    “M-My love?” she faltered as he continued his kisses.


    He pulled away inquisitively. “Yes?”


    “W-What’s this about?”


    “Do you not want me to?”


    She clutched his shirt, pulling him closer. “I want you to, but if you do, I’ll go crazy. I-”


    “You can go crazy,” he breathed in her ear.


    “B-But I said I won’t ask,” she replied, feeling the heat from both of them intensifying with her thoughts.


    “I said you can.”


    She squeezed her eyes shut, tapping his chest with her forehead. “I’m so fucking weak,” she complained, flopping back down beneath him. “I hate it.”


    He sat back, taking her hands in his and squeezing them. “My love, it’s-”


    “I want you,” she interjected, hardly registering that she was interrupting him, her voice trembling, “It’s so unfair. I-I want a bed that smells like you, too. I want memories of us expressing our love and desire here, too.”


    It was only after she’d said this that she realised how deeply it affected her, the lack of intimacy in her room. The fantasies she’d had here – it wouldn’t compare to the real thing, and having him where she wanted to experience them was too tantalising to bear.


    “Maybe… maybe it’s better if you don’t come around again,” she whispered.


    He clenched his hands around hers, and she kept her eyes shut, unwilling to see what kind of expression he had now that she’d suggested that.


    “Lila,” he mumbled, placing a hand on her face, “please look at me.”


    She took a deep steadying breath before doing so. She was struck by how cautious his eyes were and she turned her head again.


    His voice was pleading as he said, “My love, I can’t stand it when you’re so sad like this. I can’t break my promise to your parents right after your Dad said he was glad I kept it.”


    “It’s not you that’s making me sad,” she said softly, looking back at him, a fresh wave of guilt swallowing her stomach whole as she saw the depth of his sadness written all over his face. “It’s me.”


    “Doesn’t matter,” he replied. “Look, I’m fine with doing stuff here now. Your Dad more or less gave me the go-ahead, s-so-”


    “Don’t worry about it,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m doing exactly what I didn’t want to do. I won’t do this to you.”


    “You’re not doing anything to me,” he insisted. “Please let me have you.”


    She wanted to say no – she knew he was just giving in because she was throwing another tantrum; doing exactly what she hated doing, yet constantly found herself in the pattern of.


    “Please,” he said again. “I’m genuinely okay with it, my love.”


    “But if I hadn’t started pushing-”


    “I’ve thought about it since I first started coming over, Lila. Even before you confessed.”


    She met his eyes once more. They were so genuine, so loving.


    “I was only scared of how your parents would react. Especially your Dad. I… I love you, and I love loving you, but with how risky it is even with our precautions, the threat of your parents being so upset with me that they ban me is – or was – so real to me. Now that I’m actually here and everyone’s pretty normal, albeit with a few references here and there, I’m completely okay. It doesn’t seem like they’ll try and make us break up.” He paused before adding, “I’d like to be quiet about it though, like your Dad said.”


    “But it doesn’t mean I’m not… being a big baby again. It feels like I’m making you give in so you can shut me up.”


    “That’s not why I’m saying we can. Believe me, please.”


    She bit her lower lip, her mind still torn. “Are you sure?”


    “Absolutely.”


    Her breath quickened. “I-I’ll believe you. You wouldn’t lie to me about this, right?”


    “Of course I wouldn’t.”


    “Then… please.”


    He smiled at her, relief softening his expression. “Yes, ma’am.” Then he lowered his lips to her ear. “You have to be a good girl and keep quiet, though. Otherwise, I’ll have to stop, and you’ll need to wait until Friday.”


    “I-I promise,” she said, her eyes roving down his body. “I’ll be good.”


    He grinned at her. “Show me.”


    Being in his intimate, loving embrace in her room was everything she’d wanted and more – better than her fantasies – even though they kept their uniforms on. They kept as quiet as possible, breathing out their ultimate releases with such incredible intensity that left Lila quivering for longer than usual.


    Asher evidently noticed this as well by the way he smirked as he kissed her.


    “There’s my good girl,” he murmured. Then, he paused, his eyes intensely on hers, seemingly drinking in her gaze and exuberant, giddy smile from having been called that once more.


    He kissed her again as if satisfied by what he saw and asked, “Now, how do we get rid of the evidence?”


    It was now that she realised that she had no plan for this.


    “Oops,” she uttered.


    “Oops?” He looked around her room before meeting her sheepish gaze. “You don’t have a bin, do you?”


    “No. Ahhh, where could I put it?” Lila bit her lower lip as she agonised over what they could do.


    “The outside bin?” Asher suggested.


    “It’ll have to be.”


    From there, with her mood much lighter, they readjusted themselves so they looked proper enough to face her family again and spent the rest of the night until dinner chatting and laughing about nothing in particular.


    Dinner, despite the conversations had with Daniel, Clare and Lila’s Dad that day, passed as normally as possible. Lila’s Mum had welcomed Asher warmly to the dinner table, with absolutely no mention of her knowledge of their activities, which seemed to put Asher at ease. Discussions centred around Asher’s soccer finals, everyone’s grades that they’d received, and other miscellaneous and innocuous topics.


    And, just like that, Asher’s visit to Lila’s was at an end. They traipsed downstairs, Asher’s school bag over his shoulder, and Asher had finished saying his goodbyes to Lila’s family when Lila’s Dad spoke up.


    “Just a word, please,” he said, causing Asher’s posture to stiffen entirely.


    “Y-Yes?” Asher replied, his voice oddly high-pitched.


    Her Dad had a flash of a grin pass his lips. “I’m sure you two would like to spend every moment you can together over the school holidays, but I must ask for my daughter to be returned to me from time to time. You’re welcome to come back to visit as well.”


    Lila felt herself flush as Asher nodded a few too many times.


    “Of course, sir.”


    That flash of a grin materialised. “Alright. Get home safe, Asher.”


    “Thank you, sir. Goodnight.”


    “Goodnight.”


    Lila and Asher promptly continued their journey to the front door and out towards Marlene’s awaiting car, pausing for a second to chuck away their evidence in the outside bin.


    As soon as the bin closed, Asher turned to Lila with a hesitant smile.


    “Goodnight, my love,” he said, pulling her into a hug. She kissed him before squeezing him tightly in her arms and pulling away.


    “Goodnight, my love. See you tomorrow.”


    “See you tomorrow.”


    She watched as he climbed into Marlene’s car, and she waved at both Marlene and Asher as they slowly reversed out of Lila’s driveway. Suddenly, the weight of all that had happened today fell onto her shoulders all at once, and she shuffled inside, locking the door behind her.


    Her Dad had just brushed past her in the hallway when she spoke to him, her exhaustion alleviating enough to ask a pressing question.


    “Hey, Dad?”


    “That’s me,” he replied, turning around with a paternal smile.


    “What’d you get Asher to do this afternoon?”


    His smile widened. “He hasn’t told you?”


    “Well… all he said was he looked through some documents on a case that you’re working on at your PI firm, and he signed a confidentiality agreement. What was he supposed to do?”


    Her Dad’s eyes seemed to twinkle with mirth in the dimly lit hallway. “That’s all he said?”


    “Yeah.”


    “Then that’s all that happened.”


    “Dad…”


    He chuckled. “You know how important confidentiality is, Lila.”


    She pouted. “He won’t tell me anything! What kind of case is it?”


    “Too bad, kiddo. I also signed a confidentiality agreement.”


    She frowned, and he chuckled again. “Goodnight, Lila,” he said lightly, floating down the hallway towards his home office.


    She was tempted to press the issue again, but her exhaustion was coming back in full force. “Goodnight, Dad,” she said reluctantly. He disappeared into the home office without another word.


    ‘What’s he wanting to do in the office so late at night?’ Lila thought as she climbed the stairs back to her room. ‘Is it to do with that case Asher looked at?’


    She didn’t have enough clues for answers to those questions and, surprisingly, she was finding little care in the face of how tired she was. She ran through her nightly routine with speed and pulled the covers over herself, comforted by the lingering scent of Asher. She even found that she fell asleep faster than she usually did.