Nikolas

CHAPTER TWENTY

"Hey June! I'm so glad you've decided to come!" Lilah is a beautiful woman. She seems to be in her mid-thirties, but from the research I've done, she was almost fifty. With silky smooth blonde hair and light brown eyes that looked green when the light hit it, she looked like she belonged on a movie screen. She was a tall woman, a little bit taller than me and had a smile that could melt you on the inside.

She was wearing an over-sized sweater and a long, tight skirt that gave her that motherly look. I didn't know if that was my delusional self placing her in that empty spot I had for a motherly figure, or if she purposely painted herself in that way.

I hoped it was the latter.

"Yeah," I say awkwardly, leaning on the door frame of her office. A very colorful office. She had white walls lined up with different paintings, a red couch, and a bright blue coffee table.

Looking around, I wringing my hands together, not knowing what to do.

She sees me hesitating at the door and throws me a big smile, "It's okay, honey, come in and get comfortable," she waves me inside. I shut the door behind me and take a seat on the plush couch. It way more comfortable than what I'd expected.

Since I didn't have time to change once I got home, I was still in my uniform and had my bag slung behind my shoulder. Hugging my bag close to my chest, I continue to run my eyes over the different posters she had hung up in her room. There was so much bullshit about how talking fixes everything, but there was also band posters and beautiful water-color paintings that gave the room life. 

She takes a seat in front of me in a purple sofa chair, and put her glasses on.

"So, how was your day?" She starts.

I shrug, "It was normal." I look at everything other than her, not wanting to make eye contact. She made me uncomfortable. The way she could just act so comfortable around me didn't sit right with me. I still didn't want to talk to her, I just thought she was a sweet, beautiful woman that reminded me of a mother. It was starting to scare me. 

"Have you eaten dinner, yet? My assistant is just about to go get sandwiches," she asks suddenly.

I frown, "Um, I haven't eaten but you don't have to..." I get cut off.

"Nonsense, here," she hands me what looks like a menu, with a smile. I take it shyly, thanking her.  Looking over the different sandwiches, my stomach growls loudly, filling the silence.

A blush covers my cheek as humiliation sets in. I then realize that the last meal I had was the small piece of toast yesterday morning. I'd been too busy to notice I wasn't eating.

She throws me a warm look, "Order as much as you'd like, my treat."

Though she doesn't make me feel like I'd owe her later, I make sure to order the cheapest thing on the menu, which was a simple BLT sandwich. That, too, looked mouth-watering my delicious. I had been so hungry but too distracted to notice. Now everything looked delicious and even when I hated bacon, I was happy with my order. The sandwich was four dollars, which I'd leave on the couch when I left later, and looked so boring compared to the other crazy sandwiches. But I needed to save up for a car, so that when I get my license, I could immdeiately get a used one and give myself and Summer rides instead of relying on Jonas. 

"Thanks," I say, awkwardly fiddling with my fingers, avoiding eye contact with her. She has an intense stare that shook me to the core when I met it. 

"No worries, now, let's get started, shall we?" 

For the next hour, no matter how hard I try to keep my mouth shut, Lilah coaxes me out of whatever shy-spell I was under. It was like she was hypnotizing me with her motherly smile and warm words. I tell her about the fact that I still think about my father even when it feels like everyone else around me pretends he never existed, I tell her about the fact that my heart breaks every time I see Summer get close with my mother, I tell her about the way I felt betrayed when my mother married Jonas.