Secretly Lying | UNDER EDITING |

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 2: 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴

While driving I got a text from Emma

Ems <3 : Hey are you coming soon?

I replied

I am parking in now,see ya in 2 mins

We were supposed to meet at this new coffee shop that just opened up a couple of streets away. Everyone's been hyping it up on Instagram, so obviously, Emma wanted to check it out.

As I parked my car, I sent her a quick message letting her know I was here. I spotted her through the window, already sitting at a table and scrolling on her phone. Typical Emma—always early. I locked the car and walked inside, the faint smell of coffee and pastries hitting me instantly.

As soon as I stepped in, she looked up, smiled, and waved like a little kid. "Hiii, Lil!" she practically yelled, jumping up to hug me. Emma's the only one who calls me Lil. At first, I found it kinda annoying, but seeing how excited she gets every time, I've never had the heart to tell her to stop.

"Hey, Em," I said, hugging her back before plopping down into the chair across from her.

"Sooo," she started with a grin, "how are youuu? And how's your dad? Haven't seen him in, like, forever."

I laughed, grabbing a menu. "I'm good! Actually, I went shopping yesterday with Lara and Noa. We found some really cute summer dresses—they're, like, 50% off this weekend, so obviously, I had to grab a few." I paused, glancing up at her. "And my dad? Same old, same old. Just working nonstop. What about you? How are your parents?"

Emma's eyes lit up as she took a bite of her donut. "Oh my god, I'm SO excited. My parents are planning a trip to the Maldives! Like, how cool is that? I've already started packing in my head."

"Shut up!" I said, leaning back in my chair. "That's amazing, Em. I'm so happy for you. You're gonna have the best time."

She nodded, still chewing, and I reached for my croissant. But before I could even take a bite, I remembered what my dad had said earlier.

"Oh, wait, I didn't tell you," I started, setting the croissant down. "My dad said he needs to talk to me about something later. He made it sound super serious, like I have to be back by three. No idea what it's about, though."

Emma tilted her head, curious. "Oooh, maybe he's planning a trip too! Imagine—Lil in Paris or something fancy like that," she teased, laughing.

"Yeah, right," I said, laughing along. "We'll see. Probably something boring about work."

As I sat there watching Emma, I couldn't help but feel lucky. She's always been there for me, through literally everything. When my mom died, I didn't leave my room for days. I didn't want to eat, talk, or even exist. But Emma? She'd show up at my house every day, leaving little notes, snacks, or even just sitting outside my door to remind me she was there. I don't think I'll ever be able to thank her enough for that.

We talked for a while longer before finally getting up to grab some coffee.

"Can we please go now? I need caffeine if I don't plan on murdering someone today," I joked, rubbing my temples dramatically.

Emma let out a small laugh, rolling her eyes. "Fine, drama queen. Let's go!"