It took a minute for Lily to realize her mistake, but the guilt hit her just as hard. [i]God, I'm such an idiot...[/i]

"I'm so sorry," she mouthed to Arlene, who had been nothing but a saint to her. Lily kept her gun aimed at the guy, her finger patiently resting on the trigger ready to pull it if he as so much moved an inch towards either one of the women. "You can go if you wish," she added, now audible enough for the guy to hear, "I can take care of him." 

Without compromising her advantage over the man, Lily slowly sidestepped over to Arlene, who looked ready to go. "I'm not sure what he wants with either one of us, but I've got your back. Trust me." 

With that, she stepped in between the man and Arlene. Looking him over, Lily wondered how powerful his one piece was, although she hoped that it wasn't strong enough for a bullet. "You should turn around and leave the same way you came from," she said to him with a calm voice, the familiar anxiety she felt refusing to surface. 

[@fluorescent]
[@BCTheEntity]