Chapter Thirty-One

Though the next couple of days away from Asher were idyllic, as far as school holidays went, Lila couldn’t stop thinking about what Asher had said about hiding his feelings from Holly. She knew she was overthinking as she tried to discern the meaning behind Asher’s words and what he thought about Lila. Why was it so easy for him to open up to Lila? Despite his admission to this, Lila still felt that perhaps Asher wasn’t completely honest with her. What did that mean?

She decided to say none of this to Grace or Elise when they went shopping again on Thursday, but when she bought way more Easter chocolate than Grace and Elise expected, Lila did mention that she was seeing Asher on Easter Sunday. They made their disappointment known, loudly, and so Lila ensured to keep her woes regarding Asher to herself – at least, for now.

Lila still kept her thoughts to herself over the Easter weekend despite being surrounded by her parents and siblings. She was evidently doing a terrible job at appearing fine, however, since her Dad pulled her aside on Easter Sunday by the barbecue on the alfresco with a clack of his tongs. Lila had made the mistake of bringing out the corn and garlic butter to him whilst Clare and their Mum fussed with dessert and Daniel set the table.

“Lila,” he called before she could escape into the safety of the house, his shrimp-patterned apron slightly bulging around his belly as he spoke.

“Yes, Dad?” Lila asked with a sigh, turning back to face him.

“You’ve been deep in thought recently,” he said conversationally, placing the corn on the barbecue beside the chicken pieces. A tongue of flame leapt out at him, and he stepped back as he waited for Lila’s response.

“Is that a bad thing? Maybe I want to be more contemplative,” she replied, crossing her arms.

“I’m sensing contemptuousness,” her Dad observed, closing the lid of the barbecue.

“Sorry. Just got a lot of things going on. Semi-formal is on the 21st so I guess I’m stressed about that,” Lila lied.

“Are you still going to that boy’s house after lunch?” her Dad asked sternly, his hazel eyes peering at her over the rim of his oval-shaped glasses.

“Yes, Dad,” she said, slightly uncomfortable now.

“Let me take you,” he said, wiping his hands on his apron. “We can have a chat, just you and me. We haven’t had one of those in a long time.”

Lila looked back through the glass doors. Clare and her Mum were laughing, pushing each other aside as they struggled to put whipped cream on the desserts. Daniel was rolling his eyes and shaking his head at them with a slight smile on his face.

“I’d already asked Clare if she could take me,” Lila eventually said, looking back at her Dad.

“Well, I’m sure she won’t mind if I take you instead,” he countered seriously.

Lila relented with a sigh. “Okay, Dad. Thank you.”

“There’s the way,” he said affectionately with a wink.

Lila couldn’t bring herself to eat much of her Easter Sunday lunch, despite the attempted cajoling from her Mum. Daniel was more than happy to eat Lila’s share, but there was something in his eyes as he asked if she was done with her food. Was it pity?

They hadn’t spoken really since he’d given her the stack of photos. They’d both been so busy with exams and Daniel had begun holing himself up in his room more often since exam week was over. He had explained to his family when questioned a couple of nights ago that he was busy throwing himself into Fortnite as a reward for a term well done. They generally left them to it but on occasion, as Lila mindlessly watched TV with her parents, her Mum would fret about Daniel’s mental state.

‘Maybe I should check in with him again,’ Lila thought as she stabbed at a remaining piece of potato salad. ‘Let him know I’m fine and all that…’

After lunch, Lila sat downstairs with her parents and Clare watching ‘90 Day Fiancé’. They sat for a while in a comfortable bubble, watching TV, until Lila’s alarm to get ready to leave sounded. Groaning, she quickly went upstairs to refresh herself and grab her messenger bag that was fit to bursting with Easter chocolate.

When she returned, her Dad was standing by the door to the garage, keys in his hand. He smiled brightly at Lila and gestured towards the garage. Lila quickly divvied out the chocolates for her family, ensuring her Dad’s was with her Mum, before hurrying into the garage. After diving into the car and buckling her seatbelt, Lila input Asher’s address into the Nav. Her Dad smoothly pulled out of the driveway, turning down the radio slightly.

“Don’t tell your mother that I’m driving you, okay?” he said with a wink. “You don’t need to get your 100 hours done in the first, what, three months of turning 16. Don’t know why she gets so worked up over it.”

“Thanks Dad,” Lila smiled. Truthfully, she wasn’t sure whether she’d be able to drive after the amount of food she had managed to eat in the end.

“So, I’ve noticed that you’ve been going over to this boy’s house a lot,” her Dad said after a momentary pause. Lila sighed. This was exactly what she had been afraid of when accepting her Dad’s offer to drive her.

“Yup,” Lila replied shortly.

“Do I need to have ‘the talk’ with you?” he asked, indicating around a roundabout.

“No,” Lila replied, slightly panicked.

“I’ll have it anyway. So, when a girl and a boy, or a girl and a girl, or a girl and a they/them love each other very much, or not at all so I hear these days-”

“DAD!” Lila yelled, covering her ears. “Ew! Gross!”

He chuckled heartily before sobering up.

“To be serious, though,” he said sternly. “Is he your boyfriend?”

“No,” Lila responded tersely.

“Are you wanting him to be?”

“Dad, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Alright.”

Lila’s Dad drove for a few minutes in silence before Lila spoke again.

“I don’t know what I want,” she admitted. Her Dad nodded.

“That’s fine, as long as you communicate that,” he said, glancing at her. “Neither of you should waste the other’s time.”

“He’s got a girlfriend,” Lila muttered sullenly. “So, it’s not like I can bring it up.”

“I see. So, instead, you go over to his house and sulk about it?”

“I don’t sulk about it at his house,” Lila replied, crossing her arms defiantly. “And, anyway, I don’t have a crush on him.”

“Didn’t say you did,” her Dad replied, smirking. “But if you need to talk, I’ll be here.”

“Thanks Dad, but you know I probably won’t. It’s a bit… embarrassing.”

“You’re not the only one embarrassed, you know.”

Lila fell silent, staring out the window. She could feel her Dad occasionally look at her, but he also didn’t speak. Lila pointed to the correct house when they approached, and made to leave before her Dad stopped her, putting the car into park.

“Lila, I just want you to know that I do care about what you’re going through. I know I’m not your Mum or Clare, but sometimes there’s things you won’t be able to talk about with them.”

Lila felt her breathing quicken. This would be the perfect moment to talk to her Dad about Asher’s Mum. Then, she’d be able to disappear in peace whilst Asher lived his life happily with Holly, and her Dad could work on finding Tabitha.

“I do get the feeling that you’re not just bothered about a boy, though,” her Dad added, as if reading her thoughts. “There’s something deeper here. Why have you been going through my office?”

Lila’s stomach just about fell out of her body. Her Dad didn’t look angry. But there was hardly enough time for Lila to think of a good enough lie to escape unscathed. It felt almost ironic that right when she was contemplating telling him about Asher’s secret, Lila was again desperate to keep it as confidential as possible.

“I… was looking for reference material,” Lila said truthfully. “I’ve… been thinking about career paths. Since I’m in Grade 11, and all that.”

That last part was a lie, but her Dad seemed to accept it as he sat back, a half-smile on his face.

“You don’t need to sneak in, Lila. You can just let me know when you need to go in, or even what you need. I’ll help you find it.”

“Thanks, Dad. I… I’ll let you know.”

Her Dad leaned over and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

“You’re an intelligent girl, Lila. Whatever decisions you make, as long as you think them through, I’ll support you.”

“You trust me that much?” Lila asked incredulously.

“You’re not as wild as Clare, nor as combative as Daniel,” he replied seriously. “Not to say that they’re unintelligent or can’t be trusted. But you respect the rules a lot more than both of them combined. That, in itself, is valuable.”

Was telling an adult about Tabitha’s disappearance a rule to be respected? Lila wasn’t sure, but she hoisted her messenger bag onto her shoulder and got out of the car.

“Thanks for dropping me off, Dad,” she said, about to close the door. “I love you.”

“You’re welcome. Remember to use a cond-”

Lila slammed the door shut and watched her Dad chortle through the window before he slowly drove off, her face hotter than the sun.

She was still flustered as she knocked on the front doors. She tried with excruciating difficulty to put any and all imagery relating to ‘cond-’ out of her mind. As she waited for a response at the door, she took to staring at the stone slabs beneath her feet, trying to focus instead on the details within its faces. A beat passed before Asher opened the front doors, dressed in a crumpled black long-line singlet and grey sweatpants, blinking rapidly at her appearance.

“Is everything okay?” he asked her as she pushed past him and aggressively kicked off her shoes.

“Fine and dandy,” she said through gritted teeth.

“I might be missing the mark here, but it seems like you’re very much not fine and not dandy,” he said, smirking as he closed the door behind her. As was normal on days Marlene was in the house, slippers were waiting patiently for Lila in the entranceway. She put them on with a huff and marched towards the kitchen.

“Did I do something?” Asher called after her, scrambling to follow.

“Just my Dad being stupid,” Lila squeaked, her blush deepening even further. Gabriel was busy artfully arranging a roast lamb leg upon a sparkling serving dish, but still managed to smile brightly at Lila as she walked in.

“Lila!” he exclaimed, “I was worried you weren’t coming after all.”

“Of course I’d be here, Gabriel,” Lila said, her mood instantly improving. She pulled out four chocolate Easter bunnies and placed them on the counter.

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“I got one for everyone,” she said, suddenly self-conscious. Asher immediately grabbed one and held it above his head in triumph.

“Yesss!” he cried. “Chocolate!”

Lila couldn’t hold back a perplexed laugh as she watched Asher do a little dance with his bunny.

“Asher,” Gabriel warned, “you’ll fall over into the lamb. Again.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Asher laughed. “How long will you be with dinner?”

“Maybe about fifteen minutes to half an hour,” Gabriel said, frowning at Asher.

“Wanna go upstairs?” Asher asked, turning to Lila gleefully. Lila nodded and he led the way as usual.

“Asher… what does he mean by ‘again’?” Lila whispered. Asher clearly pretended not to hear her, though his face reddened.

Once arriving at the top of the landing, Lila laid eyes on Marlene, who was holding a full washing basket. Marlene turned around and Lila saw the glint of a smartphone screen in the basket.

“Welcome, Lila. I trust you’ll be going into Mr Wagner’s rumpus room?” she smiled, though it didn’t seem to reach her eyes.

“Looks like it,” Lila said, her eyes flickering to Asher’s rigid form. “By the way, Marlene, I’ve left a chocolate bunny for you downstairs on the kitchen counter.”

Marlene’s smile widened, warmth slowly seeping into her eyes as they creased in seemingly genuine delight.

“Thank you very much, Lila,” Marlene said, bowing her head. “I’ll be sure to collect it before dinner.”

Lila and Asher awkwardly shuffled into the rumpus room, Marlene’s eyes not leaving them once. Upon closing the door, Asher put his chocolate bunny on his kitchenette counter.

“Thanks for this little guy,” he said, smiling at it fondly.

“You seemed pretty happy to get it,” Lila laughed.

“’Course I am,” Asher said, grinning at Lila now. “Never received one of these before.”

“Never?” Lila repeated, shock plain on her face.

“Yup. Only ever got the shitty little eggs. Gabriel always insists that his desserts are far better than Easter chocolate, so no one ever bought one for me. I mean, Gabriel’s desserts are amazing, but look at him!” Asher said, cupping the bunny in his hands and thrusting it at Lila, who couldn’t help but smile at his joy.

“It is very cute,” Lila agreed. Asher made a satisfied sort of sound and put the bunny back down on the counter, still grinning. If she had known he’d find so much delight with something worth $5, she would’ve bought him a couple more.

“Anyway, I’ve been thinking,” Asher said, walking over to the couch. “We could play a couple of games while we wait.”

“Sure,” Lila said, shrugging off her messenger bag and sitting in her normal spot. “Fair warning though, I can get super competitive. Like, as if my life depends on it.”

“Noted,” Asher laughed, turning on the Switch. They looked through Asher’s catalogue of games and settled on Mario Kart. Lila wasn’t kidding when she said she could get super competitive as she absolutely smashed Asher into the ground at Mario Kart.

“Damn,” he said as the screen showed their final tallies. “You’re a monster.”

Lila cackled as she waved the joy-con controllers in the air. “When you’re a part of three, you gotta claw your way to the top,” she declared, tossing them onto the couch and flexing like a bodybuilder. Asher chuckled, shaking his head at her antics. The intercom’s static made them both jump. It was just Marlene calling them down for dinner.

“Have you been looking into her movements?” Lila asked in a low voice once the crackling stopped. Asher nodded.

“I’ve got a log that I can show you tomorrow or next week when you come over.”

“I don’t mind either way,” Lila shrugged. “It won’t change what we do in the interim.”

“Guess not,” Asher sighed, opening the door for Lila. They both slowly made their way downstairs, inhaling the delicious scent of a lamb roast and accompaniments.

Sure enough, placed on the table was the piece of lamb Gabriel had been fiddling with when Lila arrived. It was surrounded by a bed of roasted pumpkins and potatoes sprinkled with rosemary, and honeyed carrots. Coleslaw also sat by the serving dish, next to a pitcher of gravy. Lila’s eyes found themselves on Asher’s Dad, who seemed lost in thought.

“Hello, Ivaan,” Lila said pleasantly, moving to shake his hand. This seemed sufficient to bring Ivaan back down to Earth. He smiled at Lila, though his eyes still seemed overcast.

“Hello, Lila,” Ivaan replied, reciprocating her handshake in kind. “Good to see you join us today.”

“Thank you for changing your plans and having me over,” Lila said politely as Marlene and Gabriel took their seats at the table.

“The more the merrier!” declared Gabriel. “Tuck in, tuck in!”

Dinner today was similar to the last time Lila ate with Asher’s Dad – a mixture of small talk and undeniable awkwardness. At least Lila could bask in the glory that was the dinner Gabriel had prepared. A lot of the questions Ivaan asked gave Lila a sense of déjà vu, given Lila had answered them previously. Lila asked Ivaan how his work was, and he replied with the same vague “Good” as he usually did. Lila did notice, however, that Ivaan appeared to be more withdrawn than he had been the last time they had dinner. Was he perhaps feeling the effects of not having Tabitha around for a typically family-oriented holiday?

Once everyone had finished with dinner, Gabriel had disappeared into the kitchen once more. He returned with a tray and a smug look on his face. Lila peered at the tray as he passed her, though she could only see the tops of what looked like little round chocolate cakes.

“Chocolate orange-infused lava cakes,” Gabriel announced as he passed them along to everyone. “Feel free to add thickened cream, if you’d like.”

Gabriel gestured to the milk jug on the tray and dug into his dessert. The burst of citrus complemented the rich, velvety flavour of the chocolate cake, and Lila was in food heaven.

“Gabriel, it feels like you’ve outdone yourself again,” Lila said sweetly, briefly sucking on her spoon.

“You make me blush,” Gabriel laughed, waving Lila’s complement away.

“No, I agree,” Ivaan said suddenly. Gabriel’s laughter stopped as he stared at Ivaan.

“Really, Ivaan?” he asked incredulously. Ivaan nodded.

“Well done, Gabriel.”

Gabriel didn’t say anything, but he did seem far giddier than he had before as he gently rocked in his seat. Once their dessert plates were finished, Lila and Asher looked at each other. As if reaching an agreement with just one look, they simultaneously got up.

“Thank you very much for dinner, as always, Gabriel,” Lila said with a smile.

“The pleasure is all mine,” Gabriel said earnestly, getting up as well and collecting the dirty dishes.

“Did you get your chocolate bunny, Ivaan?” Lila asked. Ivaan looked up at Lila, his eyebrows creasing before relaxing in recognition.

“Oh! Yes, yes I did. Thank you very much,” Ivaan said with a nod. “I’ll be sure to consume it responsibly.”

Lila and Asher said their goodbyes to Ivaan, Marlene, and Gabriel before heading back upstairs to Asher’s rumpus room.

“Thank you for coming,” Asher said once Lila was sat on the couch again. “I truly appreciate it. And I think everyone else does, too.”

Lila flashed Asher a quick smile. “No worries,” she said, leaning back into the couch.

“When were you thinking of leaving?” Asher asked, checking the clock on his phone.

“That’s a good question,” Lila replied slowly, checking her own phone. She’d been here for almost a couple of hours already. Should she play some more games with Asher, or go home?

“You could-”

“I think-”

Lila and Asher had both interrupted each other awkwardly. Lila indicated for Asher to go on.

“You could stay for a bit longer,” Asher said, seeming embarrassed now that he’d been interrupted.

“I was thinking that. If you don’t mind, we could play some more games together,” Lila suggested, looking down at her lap, suddenly feeling a tingling shyness crawl across her shoulders and pull them inward.

“Sounds good,” Asher said with a broad smile, turning the Switch back on again. “This time though, let’s try a co-op game.”

They spent a couple more hours playing a few different co-op games before rounding it out with a few more Mario Kart matches. This time, Asher won a couple, and Lila won the others. Lila couldn’t help her stupid smile on her face as her phone buzzed. It was her Dad, asking when she was ready to be picked up.

Lila stretched her arms and wrists. “I think I should probably organise to get picked up,” she said softly. Asher nodded, though his face seemed to relax into a despondent look at Lila’s words.

Another message from her Dad came through before Lila had the chance to message him, reminding her to use protection. Lila rolled her eyes, and replied, ‘You can come get me now. And stop being weird pls’. Her Dad simply sent an emoji with its tongue stuck out in jest.

Asher glanced over at her phone. Immediately, his whole body went rigid like a board, his face a deep red, almost purple in colour.

“You good?” Lila asked, confused by his reaction.

“Y-Yup,” Asher replied in a strained voice.

“Don’t mind my Dad,” Lila said reassuringly. “He’s just being stupid.”

Asher’s posture relaxed only a little. Lila, wishing to change the topic as quickly as possible, started a new game of Mario Kart. Asher hesitantly joined, and they resumed their light-hearted gaming session without a fuss. Eventually, Lila’s Dad texted her to let her know he'd arrived, so they both left the rumpus room. Marlene was standing at the kitchen counter, observing them come down the stairs.

“Bye, Marlene,” Lila said with a small wave. Marlene smiled kindly at Lila, waving back.

“Has Gabriel already left?” Asher asked absently, looking at the counter instead of Marlene.

“Yes, Mr Wagner,” Marlene said politely. “He’s not used to working on Sundays, after all.”

Asher bit his lip, looking slightly guilty. A horn sounded outside the house, and Lila sighed.

“Must be my Dad,” she said softly. She waved at Marlene again, and made her way to the front doors. Asher unlocked the security system but seemed to hesitate to open the doors.

“So… I guess I’ll see you on the 13th?” he asked, looking back at Lila.

“Yeah,” Lila replied, bending to put her shoes on.

“Not long, then,” Asher mumbled.

Lila decided she didn’t hear that as she stood up. “Goodnight, Asher,” she said.

“Goodnight, Lila,” he replied, opening the doors to the cool night air. Lila gave him a backward glance as she walked down the pathway towards her Dad’s car. He was still in view as she climbed into the passenger seat. Lila looked back towards the house as her Dad drove off, catching sight of Asher still standing in the doorway. He gave a small wave, which Lila tried to return but wasn’t sure that he would’ve seen it.

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Cecelia returned from Hamilton Island significantly more tanned than when she had left. She seemed like she was back to her normal, bubbly self as Lila, Grace, and Elise took her through the shops where they had found their dresses on Tuesday. Eventually, Cecelia landed on a silvery-grey dress that was a body-con style, flaring out slightly at her knees before stopping. The girls grabbed all their last-minute accessories and assorted makeup as well before parting for the day.

The next day, all four girls hung out at the mall again. Cecelia seemed to still be normal, however, there were times that Cecelia’s mood seemed to noticeably drop. One such time occurred when Elise began talking to one of the shop owners about obtaining a tie and pocket square with similar material to the dress she had bought for semi. At the time, Lila didn’t see an issue with Elise’s request, however, Cecelia had exited the store, her smile gone. Lila made to go after her, but Cecelia had returned so quickly, laughing that she thought she had forgotten her phone but noticed it in her pocket at the last second. Cecelia's laughter had a hollow, disingenuous feel to it, her smile not reaching her eyes, that concerned Lila, though she decided against mentioning it.

Despite Cecelia’s occasionally odd behaviour, Lila’s mind kept wandering back to Asher. Neither Grace nor Elise seemed to have filled Cecelia in regarding Lila’s own odd mood. However, Lila’s mood seemed sufficient enough for Cecelia to pull Lila aside and drag her towards the sushi store for lunch. Grace and Elise, who had decided to get kebabs, weren’t seemingly bothered by Lila’s kidnapping, having waved at Lila despite her audible protests.

“Hope you want sushi,” Cecelia said with a playful tone.

“Sure,” Lila replied with a heavy sigh. After getting here, it was obvious there was no escaping this, really.

“Lila, what’s going on with you?” Cecelia asked seriously as they waited in line.

“Nothing,” Lila replied, averting her gaze from Cecelia’s face.

“If it’s nothing, then you’d be able to look at me,” Cecelia said pointedly. Lila sighed again.

“I’ve just been hanging out with Asher a bit over the holidays,” she said, folding her arms in front of her chest. Cecelia’s eyes almost popped out of her head as she registered what Lila said.

“What?! Are you insane?” she spluttered.

“Probably,” Lila shrugged. “But it’s fine.”

“Clearly not,” Cecelia snorted. “You were staring at a wall for like five minutes in the jewellery store today.”

“I’d gotten my stuff earlier,” Lila insisted.

“Sure,” Cecelia replied doubtfully. “That’s why you got the earrings and pendant set.”

Lila flushed. “You can’t have too many,” she retorted, her anger flaring only slightly. Lila shook her head and took a deep breath. Eventually, she looked up at Cecelia.

“What’s up with you, then?” Lila asked. “It’s only fair that you tell me after I told you.”

Cecelia looked evasive all of a sudden. “I’m fine,” she said eventually, looking at the display window of sushi rolls. She selected what she wanted, Lila close behind, before turning to look at Lila.

“I think I might have a guess,” Lila said slowly, soaking her tuna and cucumber sushi roll in soy sauce as she waited for Cecelia to get her miso soup. “It seems like you’re more bothered than you’re trying to show that Lucas didn’t ask you to semi.”

Cecelia nearly dropped her sushi, but caught herself in time. Lila took this as a sign that she was right.

“Had you talked to him about going to semi?” Lila asked gently. Cecelia shook her head.

“I… kinda assumed we’d go together,” she said timidly.

“I think everyone else did, too,” Lila replied, though not unkindly.

“While I was away, actually, Jackson asked to go to semi with me,” Cecelia said bashfully.

“What’d you say?” Lila asked, leaning forward excitedly.

“I said no. It… didn’t feel right, to me. To go to semi with someone else.”

Lila nodded, returning to her original position. A few moments passed before she asked, “I am wondering though, what is your relationship with Lucas anyway?”

Cecelia brought a shaky hand before her trembling lips. “I… thought I knew what it was, but I don’t know anymore.”

The sushi store clerk flagged Cecelia down, passing a steaming bowl of miso soup to her. Lila and Cecelia both proceeded walked to an empty set of tables and chairs in relative silence, Lila checking on Cecelia every so often. She seemed to have deflated again. They both sat down and ate their sushi, not looking at each other.

“Do… do you think he likes Elise?” Cecelia asked after a while, staring sadly at her last sushi roll.

Lila wasn’t sure what she should say in this scenario. She knew for a fact that Elise didn’t like Lucas in any kind of romantic way – Elise had said as much when Grace and Lila grilled her last week. Plus, Elise’s usual tells weren’t present when talking about Lucas. But Lila had no idea of Lucas’ intentions…

“I don’t know,” Lila said finally, capping the lid of her soy sauce container. “But I do know that she doesn’t like him in that way, at least.”

Cecelia began eating her last sushi roll with zest. She seemed to have perked up, if only slightly.

“Seems like we’re both dateless, though,” Lila observed. “But we’ll have fun together, right?”

Cecelia nodded at Lila, swallowing her sushi. “’Course. We don’t need dates to enjoy semi.”

They began discussing other topics – in particular Cecelia’s Easter adventures on Hamilton Island – and were shortly joined by Elise and Grace, who were complaining about the length of time it had taken to get their kebabs.

By the time Lila returned home, she had almost forgotten about her plans for tomorrow, the 13th. But in the safety of her room, she started feeling anxious, her insides curling and twisting as she tried to sleep. Asher had asked her to arrive at 8 the next morning. Her Dad was happy to take her again that early in the morning, given he was heading off to work around that time, but it meant that she’d arrive at 7.30am instead. Asher probably wouldn’t be awake at that time.

Lila turned in her sheets again, closing her eyes. The more she panicked about not getting enough sleep for tomorrow, the more awake she felt. Sighing, she checked the time. It was 11.34pm. Lila switched on her desk lamp, wincing at the sudden burst of light. Perhaps she’d do some reading to help her sleep.

She’d already finished ‘Monarchy of the Moon’, but hadn’t yet cracked into the book about Shakespeare. ‘I’ll just read a couple pages…’ Lila thought as she opened the cover. When she next checked the time, she saw it was already 12.55am. Although it had taken longer than she’d hoped, she was definitely tired enough to fall asleep now. She put her book down next to her on the floor, double-checked her alarms, and drifted off to sleep, her mind lost in the streets of England during the Elizabethan era.