blame it on the timing // d.s

CH 42

A bit later the two were back at Drew's apartment, Lili was changing into some comfy clothes, picking out a matching black sweat set, they were planning to have a chill night so she didn't have to look good.

At the moment Lili stood in Drew's bathroom brushing her hair up into a ponytail, in just her sweats and a black sports bra when Drew walked in.

Drew watched her from the door frame for a second, the first thing he noticed was how small she looked, his eyes scanned over her, he could almost count her ribs, her collar bone popping off her chest, her jaw more prominent than normal, this wasn't the Lili he left in LA. He shook his head focusing back on what he had come to ask her.

"Hey, Chase is gonna bring pizza, what kind do you want?" Drew asked.

"I'm good with whatever," she smiled at him through the mirror.

"Are you sure? They have bar-b-que chicken," he offered knowing that was her favorite.

"I'm okay, I'll eat whatever he brings"

He knew that was a lie, she hadn't had anything but a smoothie and a coffee since she had gotten there that morning.

"M'kay," Drew hummed before turning way from the bathroom.

Lili finished getting ready then went to sit on Drew's couch until everyone got there.

She found him on his phone, a very focused look on his face as he typed, standing in the kitchen.

"Hey," she said softly, "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just texting Maddie," which wasn't a lie, he was, he didn't know who else to reach out to right now, he was worried about Lili and knew Madelyn had a history with this kind of thing, he just wanted to know what to do.

"Oh," Lili brushed it off, turning her attention to her own screen.

"Oh my god," Lili's jaw dropped at the headline she read.

"What?" Drew leaned over, now sitting beside her, looking down at her screen reading the headline: Lili Chase Mathews seen hugging mystery boy in Charleston Airport.

"Can you tell it's me?" he asked, watching her finger scroll fast to try and find the photos.

She stopped on the photo, using her fingers to zoom in on the phone.

"Kinda," she studied the photo.

"I mean most people already assume we're together," he shrugged leaning back to look at his own phone screen.

"I know but I just don't want this to become the only thing anyone ever talks about," she sighed.

"We can stay private but not secret," he looked over at her.

"Isn't that what we already kinda are?" she scrunched her nose.

"Kinda," he kissed her cheek.

"Private but not secret," she smiled reaching over for his hand, tangling their fingers together her thumb rubbing the back of his hand as she leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder.