The Weight of Love

Chapter 18

The next day, the skies decided to open, and Lila found herself walking beneath her umbrella in the rain to the coffee shop in the square to meet Emily.

They took their usual table, and Lila looked forlornly at the spot that Victoria usually occupied on the bench next to Emily.

"I miss her too," Emily said with a roll of her eyes, returning with their coffee. "I never thought I'd miss the brat! What can I say, she makes us complete."

"How are things with James?" Lila asked, sipping on her cappuccino.

Emily shrugged.

"They're fine. I'm thinking we should break it off before the fall. What do you think?"

"Em, you spent so long wanting to be with him! Why would you start something just to break it off like that?" Lila asked.

"Because we're going away to college, and he's going to be in Philadelphia, and I'm going to be in Amherst." Emily took a sip of her own coffee, eyeing Lila over the rim of the mug. "Why, do you think we'd be able to do the long distance thing?"

"If any two people could, it would be the two of you," Lila said. "You're both so... quiet and civil. Besides, I think he really likes you. It's worth a shot."

Emily shrugged again.

"We'll see how the rest of the summer goes. You know what Tori will say, though."

"Yeah, yeah, that you should party and live it up and have sex with as many guys -- no, with as many people as you can." Lila grinned. "Of course. But you don't have to listen to her."

"Says the one who seems to pretty well have listened to her," said Emily. She gave Lila a long look. "So, how are things with Cameron? Or should I call him Prince Charming?"

"Nooo," Lila said. "Please don't. Things are all right, I guess."

She could feel herself blushing.

"Oh, come on." Emily slapped her hand down on the tabletop. "It's clearly more than all right. You've barely told me anything. I'm supposed to be your best friend!"

"You are," Lila said softly. She bit her lip, her hair falling across her face. "It's just..."

"You're worried I'm going to disapprove. Jesus, Lila, I'm not your mother. Even if I were, I think the time for disapproval has passed and gone. So give me the dirty details."

"Well, we kissed," Lila said. "But I already told you that. He came to the soup kitchen with me."

"He went to the soup kitchen?" Emily raised her eyebrows. "Jeez, the guy must be really into you. Or really desperate to get into your pants."

"Or he's just a good guy," Lila said, jumping to Cameron's defense. "You should've seen it. There's this woman I've been trying to help out named June. She has a baby boy, and they've been living in the women's shelter down the street from the soup kitchen. Well, he gave her a stack of cash."

"A stack of cash?" Emily's eyes had widened. "How fat?"

"Fat. He counted it out and put it in an envelope. I didn't even see, but the other ladies did." Lila felt a pang. "I don't know, Emily. Maybe he's too good for you."

"Nonsense," Emily scoffed. "This is Lila speaking, the girl who needs to rescue every wounded animal and feels the urge to heal every scarred heart. No one is too good for you."

"No, I mean too good in other ways, too." Lila looked down at her coffee. "I mean, he's filthy rich. He took me to his house the other day, out in Weston. You should've seen it."

Emily rolled her brown eyes.

"Earth to Lila, these were all things you knew before you started seeing him," she said.

"Okay, I'm worried about my mom and Robert finding out," Lila admitted. She bit her lip again, looking across the table at her best friend. "It seems like things might be getting more serious, and I don't know what to do. There's already one person who knows, a lady from church, and there are another two who might, and it feels like it's only a matter of time before it gets back to them. They might be oblivious now, but they'll never accept it. Never."

"Maybe you should tell them first, before they hear about it through the grapevine," Emily said with a shrug. She took a sip of her coffee. "I'm sorry. It does complicate things, dating a billionaire twice your own age. Ha ha. Sorry, but not sorry. If things go south with them, I'm sure he can make some kind of arrangements for you. It's not as if you'll go hungry."

"I'm not trying to be dependent on the man," Lila said hotly. "I don't even like being dependent on Robert, and he's my own stepfather."

"I think you're just being stubborn," Emily said. She made an indication toward Lila. "Look at you. You're glowing. This man is the best thing that's ever happened to you."

"It's only been a month, Em," Lila whispered. "And we're not even together together. We're just... seeing each other. Secretly seeing each other. Or at least we have been. He wants me to go out with him in public this Friday, to some party at a fancy hotel. That's half the reason I needed to see you today. I'm sorry. I need you to cover for me again."

"It's okay. What fancy hotel?" Emily asked, her curiosity obviously piqued.

"The Langley. I've never heard of it."

"I have! It's a five star hotel in a historic building. You better take plenty of pictures." Emily smiled across the table at Lila. "Anyway, that's good news. He wants to be out in the open with you. So he doesn't just want you for your body."

"It's not like I have much of one, anyway," Lila said, wrapping her arms around herself self-consciously.

Emily shook her head at her.

"Someday I hope you'll see what all the rest of us see in you," she said. "It's sad, really. No one ever told you you were beautiful."

"No, not until he came around," Lila said.

They lapsed into silence. Outside, the skies had begun to clear, and people walked up and down the rain-washed street, bikes zipping by.

"I really wish Tori were here," said Lila momentarily.

"Me too," Emily said. "She'd probably have better tips for you, and I wouldn't be jealous. But when she gets back, I've gotta give her an earful about all the shit she did in Bali."

"You don't have to," Lila said.

"Sure I do." Emily sipped on her coffee, turning once again to regard the scene outside the windows. "That's my role in this trio. Mother hen."