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[hider=Agoraphobia by Autoheart] [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaWsV0hFdXo[/youtube] [/hider] 
 
 
After getting out of Andrea’s car and watching her speed off (he wasn’t sure to where), Aaron sat down on the front steps of the Chandlery and took out his phone. He had texted Lily all the way back home, making sure she was safe. She said she was on the bus and that she was on her way back to Roseview. Aaron figured he would sit outside and wait for her. He knew he had some explaining to do. 
 
Ten minutes later, a bus pulled up to the corner of the avenue, near the Cool Beans, and Lily stepped off. She looked quite disheveled; her hair, once very well groomed and braided, was messy and stuck out at odd angles. Her dress was wet on the left side with something that looked like wine. Mascara ran down her cheeks in black smears. She walked barefoot and held her shoes in her right hand. One of the heels were broken. As she walked up to the Chandlery, Aaron stood and felt a burning in his chest. 
 
[i][b] “This is your fault. If you hadn’t deceived her all this time, she would not have been stuck there. Plus you left her there, you fucking moron. Wake the fuck up and think about someone other than yourself!”[/b][/i] As Lily approached Aaron, he started to cry. He leaned onto the front stoop’s wooden rail and sobbed quietly. Lily walked up to him, stopped, and then gave him a hug. 
 
“I’m so sorry,” Aaron sputtered. Lily was quiet. He felt her chest heave gently in a sob. 
 
Aaron unlocked the door, let Lily in, and the two went up into his apartment. Aaron made tea and Lily washed the running makeup off her face. They didn’t talk much. Lily’s dress had been ruined, so she borrowed pajamas from Aaron. They were too big, but they were better than a stained dress (a bottle of wine fell as Lily was running and splattered all over her, she explained). Aaron left the room as Lily undressed and changed. He sat at the kitchen window that overlooked the lake and sipped his tea. A few minutes later, Lily opened the door to his bedroom and said “You can come in now.” Aaron walked into the bedroom, still drinking chamomile tea. Lily was wearing plaid pajama pants and a tee shirt. Both were comically oversized. Her hair was down, and it nearly reached the small of her back. Aaron sat down next to her. The two held a tense silence, both knowing what to say but neither knowing how to say it. 
 
In Aaron’s head, he thought: [i]’I should tell her the truth, that is the only way. She deserves to know and I cannot keep dragging her around like this.’[/i] 
 
In Lily’s head, she thought: [i] ‘He left me there, but I still feel okay. I understand I guess, even though it broke my heart. I shouldn’t understand, but I do.’[/i] The silence continued. Aaron felt guilty. Lily felt nervous. 
 
“Y-you look really pretty with your hair down, like that,” Aaron said. 
 
“Thanks,” Lily said. She blushed. 
 
“Lily-” 
 
“When you were leaving, the people around you shouted as if they were being burned.” Lily said. “I noticed. One of them looked like they had something stuck to their shirt.” 
 
“Oh, that,” Aaron said. “Um…” 
 
“I figured it out,” Lily said. “You’re one of them, like that thing at the club.” 
 
“I’m not like that,” Aaron’s shoulders tightened and he looked down into his mug. “I won’t hurt you. I promise.” 
 
“If I thought you were going to hurt me, I wouldn’t be here,” Lily said. They were silent for a few more minutes. Sirens could be heard in the distance. Aaron wondered if it was the sounds of the city or RAVEN rushing to fight the beast smashing up the club. 
 
“Lily, I’m sorry…” Aaron’s voice trailed off. His face turned white as a sheet and his mouth opened wide. He looked down at the floor. He had to say it now before it was too late. 
 
“You don’t like me, I know,” Lily said. SHe sounded like she was about to cry. “I knew I was too short…” 
 
“It’s not that,” Aaron said. “You are a beautiful woman Lily. I, I just…” 
 
“It’s someone else, maybe?” Lily said. “I bet it’s Sarah. I know she’s prettier than me, and guys don’t like hyper girls.” 
 
“Lily, listen to me,” Aaron felt a surge inside him, a compulsion to speak. Maybe it was bravery. “It’s not that I don’t like you. It’s that I’m not, I’m...Jesus this is hard.” Lily understood. 
 
“Oh,” she said. “Oh, I understand.” [i]’Dammit,’[/i] she thought. [i]’I already spent the fifty bucks…’[/i] She felt a little crushed inside. She leaned over and rested her head on Aaron’s shoulder. Aaron felt as if a great weight had been lifted from him. He put his arm around Lily and hugged her. 
 
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I should’ve told you earlier. I just didn’t want to hurt you.” 
 
“I forgive you,” she said. “I cannot imagine how hard that was to do.” 
 
“Are you okay?” Aaron asked.
 
“I will be,” she said. “I’ll be okay. Um, Aaron?” 
 
“Yeah?” 
 
“Can we still be friends?” Aaron looked down. The hug loosened. For a moment, Lily felt nauseous. 
 
“Of course,” Aaron said. “I’d love to be your friend.” 
 
Lily stayed over that night, as she didn’t have a car to drive home with. She slept in bed with Aaron, her head resting on his shoulder and Aaron awkwardly trying not to hold her like a boyfriend would. There was something endearing about her, some charm that made him feel closer to her than he should have. Eventually, he wore down and put an arm around her. He felt her jump a little, and then nestle up to him more closely. It wasn’t okay, but yet somehow it was. Lily didn’t feel romantic to him, but at that moment she felt extremely important.