What Is Love? | My Inner Demons x Reader

Chapter 32: Late Night Talks {Lorelai's Route}

~(Y/n)'s PoV~

After a while of lingering in the pool with Pierce and Ava, I felt a bit guilty in the back of my mind. Ava and I had really made Asch upset earlier. Maybe it would be best to give them some space.

I slowly push myself up from where I was seated in the pool. "I-I'm gonna turn in for the night." I say, looking back towards Pierce and Ava, those Ava's eyes are closed she looks just barely conscious. I look at her for a moment before locking eyes with Pierce. "Take care of her for me, okay?"

Pierce gives a firm nod as I gather my clothes from the edges of the pool. "Of course."

"Thank you..." I hum back to him as I turn away and start to make my way back to where the palace meets the living room wall. "Have a nice night..."

I wander back through the entrance of the palace, trying to be as quiet as I can manage; I really don't want to disturb the boys more than I may have already. Luckily for me, I make it back to the apartment without any interruptions and I duck into my room.

I toss the clump of clothing in my arms off to my hamper and just barely have my pajamas on when my phone begins to ring. My eyes dart to the time, wondering who would call me so late in the evening, and for a moment I'm hopeful that it's mom.

But when I walk over and see the caller ID, it's none other than Lorelai. My brows furrow. Since when does Lorelai call me and not Ava? Curious, I decide to answer. "Hello?"

"Hey, (Y/n)!" She chirps on the other end, and I can just tell she's smiling by the tone of her voice.

"Uh, hey..." I reply, trying not to sound too awkward. I never really talk to her one-on-one like this. "Wh-What's up?"

I sit down on my bed, curling up on my pillows as she responds. "Oh nothing, just checking in! Are you busy right now?"

I let out a small sigh that I hope she didn't hear. Of course she'd be trying to drag me out of the house. "I'm not going out, Lorelai, I'm tired..."

There's a small pause. "Actually, I was wondering if you just wanted to talk for a bit." The usual giddy tone that her voice possess falters and my eyes soften.

"Uh, yeah, sure..." I muttered. "I-Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, totally!" Lorelai replies. I don't need to be with her to see the doubt I know is on her face. I can hear it in her voice, washed out with a fake cheerfulness. "I just wanted to... talk about something..."

I frown. "Do you mean just talk or like... vent?"

There's a long pause and for a moment, I think she hung up, but she finally speaks up. "Vent... it's about Steve."

"O-Oh..." I suddenly wake up a bit, knowing I should probably be more focused for this talk. I never really liked Steve anyways...

"We had another fight," she begins. "We keep having them. I know it's normal for couples to fight, but it's usually over petty stuff like directions to a party or dirty laundry on the floor but... he can just be so insensitive sometimes, it's like he doesn't think."

I rub the back of my neck. "I-I'm really sorry, Lorelai..." I mutter. I knew that Steve could be a jerk but even to his own friends and partner. I had never been a huge fan or Lorelai but I still knew we'll enough the she was too good for him. "Th-That really... sucks..."

Lorelai let's out a dry laugh, far from what I normally hear from her. "Y-Yeah, it kinda does..." She sighs. "I-I don't know... maybe I'm just being overdramatic. I mean, I really want for him to be... th-the one, y'know? Maybe I just need to toughen up."

"No, Lorelai..." I interject. "Y-You shouldn't have to settle for someone who treats you so bad, there are plenty of fish in the sea." I take a small breath. "Y-You can stay with him and keep giving him chances, but if he doesn't change, you already know what you should do... If he's not making you happy, don't force yourself to stay with him..."

"W-Well, I know that..." Lorelai replied, quietly. "But he does make me happy... and sometimes couples just have rough patches. That's totally normal."

"I may have not had a ton of relationships, but I don't think that most couples fight that frequently. A-At the least, I'd consider taking a break from each other to see where you stand. Sometimes people aren't right for each other." I shift in my position on my bed. "Y-You could find someone better for you so easily if you tried, I-I already know it..."

When she speaks up again, I can hear the smile in her voice. "Thanks so much, (Y/n). That really helped, you give great advice!"

I small laugh escapes me. "I-It's really no problem, I'm always around to talk."

"I'll hold you to that." She hums back in a joking tone. "But enough about me, how are you and Ava doing with your friends from out of town?"

I look down, thinking back at tonight. It had actually been... kind of fun. "It's going pretty good. The guys are kind of a handful sometimes but... I think I'm warming up to them."

"That's so nice!" She replies. "I'm so glad you're coming out of your shell, (Y/n)! You were always so quiet back in high school."

Her words hit me a bit harder than they probably should. She called me quiet. Not sad, not desperate, not annoying or attention-seeking. Just... quiet. It's such a simple word but it sends a wave of emotion through me and for a moment I feel... emotional. "Y-Yeah well... it was a different time. I think I'm happier with myself now..."

"That's so great! Good for you!" Lorelai beams. "We should totally go out sometimes and talk more. I want to get to know you better."

All of her invitations from before were so easy to pass, maybe because of the way Ava's view of her shaped mine. But after tonight, after hearing her doubts and her own anxieties, I'm seeing her in a different lights "I-I'd like to get to know you better too."

She giggles in response. "Let's make plans really soon, yeah?"

"S-Sounds good with me..."

"Yay! It's gonna be so fun!" She squeals. "Now I'll let you get your sleep. Have a good night, (Y/n)! Sweet dreams."

"Y-You too, Lore..." I get out, and before I know what happened, the call is over and I'm laying back in my bed again. For a moment I think about going to sleep but I still have the brunette girl in my head. Her kind demeanor both soothed me and kept me awake.

There was so much behind Lorelai's pretty smile.