Lilium

Six

Six

She called Jack first.

Sat on the floor inside Michael's cramped bathroom, knees to her chest and her back against the door, Lilith listened to the dial tones and prayed Jack would answer. Michael sat on the side of his bathtub and held her free hand in his.

Jack picked up on the third ring. "Hello?"

"Jack."

"Lilith! What's—"

"Longsly's dead." Lilith closed her eyes and rest her forehead on her knees, tightening her grip on both her phone and Michael's hand. He squeezed back.

"What?"

"You heard me." Lilith clenched her jaw and huffed. "My newest therapist got murdered today, some time after I saw her."

"You're... You're kidding." Jack's horror registered loud and clear to Lilith's ears. "You sure?"

"Check the news."

"I will. I'll – Hey! Cole, what the fuck are you—"

"Dude, shut up and give me the phone."

"Jack, should I go?"

"No, just give me a sec—Cole! Give it back, douchebag!"

While Jack continued to protest in the background, Cole sighed into the phone. "Hey."

"Hi," Lilith replied.

"I saw on the news. I... I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too." She let Michael's hand go and messed with her hair. "It's a shame; I was starting to like her."

Cole swore, his voice far off, and something slammed. Lilith guessed it was a door. "That's good, I guess. Though it'd only been two visits."

"It's more times that I'd seen anyone else."

"True."

Michael came to sit beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She leaned her head against his chest.

"Cole, do you think Jack's mom would mind if I came over?"

"I don't see why not. Um... I'll go ask."

"God damn it, Cole! Give me the phone!"

"Fuck off! Lil, I'll call you back in a few, okay? And um... if you get here tonight, we need to talk."

Lilith swallowed. "Oh... Okay."

"Don't worry, it's not bad this ti—Jack! Jesus Christ, let me go!"

Lilith shook her head and hung up, letting the phone drop to the floor. Michael rest his hand on her knee.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked.

Lilith shrugged. "Not unless you can bring people back to life." She said. When she closed her eyes, it was Oliver's face that swam in her vision.

Damn him. Damn all of them.

Her phone buzzed and she answered without looking up.

"What?"

"Mrs. Zavala said you can come over. She saw the news."

Dammit. "Oh?"

"Yeah. She said she was gonna call your dad, but I think I convinced her not to."