Page 13 of Lila

“Well, I’m still not convinced,” I mutter.

“Whatever you say, dear.” She smirks at me before standing and throwing a pillow at me. “Take a shower. You reek of sex.”

“I hate you!” I call to her back as she leaves me alone with my thoughts, her cackle echoing down the hall.

Lav waits until I’m showered and dressed for the day before she confronts me again.

“Soooo… How was it? Why’d you leave? I know, I know,” she cuts me off when I open my mouth. “You don’t do mornings. But this is different. This isn’t just any guy you met at a club. This is yourmate.”

“I wish people would stop saying that word,” I mutter.

“Better get used to it, babes. Once a supe meets their mate, there’s no hiding. He’ll find you again and you’ll have to face the facts. You can’t live in denial forever.”

“Says who?”

“Says the universe! Don’t run from your fate, Lils. Give him a chance. He could make you happy.”

“You’re not going to let this go are you?”

“What do you think?” Her smirk turns into a full grin, knowing she’s won.

“Fine.” I roll my eyes. “You want me to trust Fate? I’ll leave it to them. I won’t hide, but I won’t go looking for him either. If we find our way to each other… maybe it is meant to be and I’ll give him a chance.”

“Fate has a way of surprising you. So don’t get too hopeful.” The twinkle in her eye has me thinking she’s going to find a way tohelpfate again.

Narrowing my eyes at her, I’m about to say something but am interrupted by “Danger. Danger. This is your mother calling.”

“Does she know that’s her ringtone?” Lav shakes her head at me.

I shrug with a grin as I pick up the phone. “Last week was a Molly Weasly chastizing me for not answering the phone.”

We’re both laughing when I hit answer.

“Lila?”

“Yes, Mother,” I say as my laugh turns to a chuckle then peters out. “Who else would it be?”

“I don’t know. It could be the cops answering to tell me they found you dead in a ditch,” she snipes. “I just found out Cybil and Nicole are missing.”

“What do you mean,missing?”

Lav’s eyes widen at the implication.

“Imean, no one has seen them. Everyone thought it was odd that they just disappeared. They’ve been very vocal about their support for Victoria, then suddenly they went radio silence. Felicia went to their house this morning and they weren’t there.”

“You think they’d come here?”

“I think we had the right to be concerned. I don’t know how they would know where you are… Unless they pay off a tracker. I don't think they even know about them. They’re not the brightest girls.”

“So there’s a possibility.”

“A small one,” she agrees.

“Great. Thanks for the warning.”

“Sorry, Lils. I really thought things would die down if you just laid low for a while.”

“I know, Mom. It’s not your fault. We’ll deal with it if they find me.”

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