𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 || 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥

Chapter 15 - Oh, look, a Doppelganger!

I stared glumly down into my cup of...well, whatever was floating in there. Come to think of it, I hadn't really been paying much attention when I got to P3 and Phoebe ordered for the four of us. I just hoped it was something alcoholic. I couldn't take much more of this...

See, the truth was - I'd been avoiding Chris. Okay, yes, again. But not because I didn't want to see him - actually, the opposite. I was still confused about everything between us and what we were or weren't. I had been scared to death, absolutely terrified he would die last week. I still remember cradling his head in my lap, fingers threading through soft brown locks with a heavy feeling of dread lodged in my chest.

I thought I was going to lose him...and I wasn't prepared for how unprepared I was for that possibility. Or just how happy it made me when Leo came and healed him. I didn't know how attached I had become.

Now things were more than a little awkward between us because of it and I had no idea what to say or do to fix it. So yes, I was being a child about it and avoiding him - maybe it was best this way...

Not to mention I still had to figure out a way to tell the girls about my little demon power problem...

"Yeah, the thing is we've just gotta be careful because if we stay too far away from each other, demons take advantage. We've learned that lesson the hard way a few times," Piper pointed out as I tuned back into the conversation, turning in my seat at the bar to face them.

Paige sighed, "I know, I know, I get it. I just really don't want to think of us living together in fifty years,"

"Ah, twenty, thirty years tops," Piper joked, making a face.

"We can always move to Hong Kong so I could see Jason whenever I want to," Phoebe suggested with a sly smile.

"How do you say "dream on" in Chinese?" she asked her sister mockingly.

"Ni Tsai Tsua Mung," Phoebe answered immediately and I burst out laughing, unable to stop myself.

"Impressive," I briefly arched my eyebrows with a smile on my face before taking another sip from my cup.

"Hey, nice of you to join the conversation - thought you may have been on a hot date with your drink over there," Phoebe countered with a teasing smile.

I rolled my eyes, pushing back a strand of ebony hair from my neck as I did.

"Sorry, I've had a lot on my mind..." I trailed off.

"Yeah? Spill it then," she grinned back at me.

Piper waved her off, objecting, "Look, if Mattie doesn't want to talk about it, she doesn't want to talk about it. We won't force her."

I turned a blinding smile on my surrogate older sister, "Thank you."

"So, um...what seems to be going on with you and Chris then?" she suddenly asked innocently.

"Piper!" I groaned and the girls broke into laughter at the reddening of my cheeks that must have been apparent, even under the fluorescent lighting of the club.

"Seriously though, what's up with you and our Whitelighter? Because when we got to that cave, you seemed to be holding onto him a little too tightly, if you know what I mean," Paige wiggled her eyebrows and I restrained the urge to punch her on the arm for that one.

A sigh escaped my lips and I shook my head, "I honestly don't know. Things are just...different between us lately. Not a bad different but I...well, I think I might..."

"You might..." Paige encouraged me, her red hair catching in the light.

"Might be falling for him, I guess..." I said quietly, feeling the blush return to my cheeks at the confession.