〖 Love is an Illusion 〗➻❥ LYNEY × READER

♦ Chapter 7 ♦

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"...Huh?"

Your father looks at you with regret. "I didn't know what to do...whether I told you now or later, you would have found out eventually. I figured it's best to give you as much time to cope as possible." He looks down at his bowl, its contents melted.

The feeling brewing inside of you is of a complex nature, clashing against itself in a million different ways. On one hand, you feel how any child would when they find out their mother is dead. Dejected... depressed... demoralized...

But the passage of time has buried her memory farther down than any other, leaving you with little to grasp. You feel desolate, like a piece of you has been ripped away and into shreds, and you feel angry at your mother, part of the reason why that piece is gone.

"What happened to her?" You ask quietly, looking down at your lap. A heavy silence ensued, weighing on your shoulders like bricks.

"The authorities..." your father exhales. "They told me, she committed suicide."

"What?" You feel the tears pooling once again. "That's... bullshit. She... she wouldn't have..." Your father walks over and embraces you. You hug him back, your hands shaking. "I don't understand, she..."

"They wouldn't elaborate." He tightens his embrace. "But I know, y/n..." He lets go and looks at you.

"...they're hiding something."

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You sit on your bed, staring at the wall as the breeze whispers calmly through your screen door. After a while, you stand up and look in the mirror. Your face, stained with tears, stares back. In a messed up sort of way, you want the reflection to start distorting again, just so you don't have to see your own face. But it never happens.

You silently drag the palms of your hands down your face. You don't want to believe it. You never knew your mother for that long, but you know she wouldn't kill herself. You face the mirror once again with a stubborn look.

...they're hiding something...

Your father's words echo in your mind, repeating over and over again. That's right, you think. They have to be hiding something... You recall the many stories you've read in which a character's death is deemed a suicide because the police are too damn lazy to investigate; because it's easier that way. Your eyebrows furrow as you stare yourself down. 

Suddenly, you get a text from Lyney. You look at your phone's screen. I'll pick you up in ten, mon ange.

You had completely forgotten about your date with Lyney. Rushing to get ready, you pick out a white sweater and a pair of thin slacks that fall like water down to your ankles. You're picking at your teeth and fiddling with your hair when you hear the doorbell ring soundly throughout the house. Falling over your own feet, you rush to the front door and open it, and outside stands an affectionate magician. He smiles in a pair of black jean-shorts and a cable-knit sweater vest.

"You look lovely as ever." He holds both of his hands out and reveals a rainbow rose from within them. You chuckle softly and take the flower, thanking him.

Following Lyney, you ask, "So where are you taking us today?"

Lyney looks at you and winks with a smile. "You'll see." He looks back forward. "I think you'll like this place."

Eventually, he leads you out of the city and into a giant garden. You look around, letting out a breath of amazement. The walls, made of bush, are covered in flowers of many colors. The ground is flushed with more foliage, only interrupted by a path of stone swirling throughout the area. There's a small, grey bridge arching over a miniature river. The river is topped with small lily pads and lined with stones at the edges.

Lyney motions for you to sit down at a bench with him. Once you sit down, he leans forward onto his thighs. "So?" He smiles. "What do you think?"

You smile back warmly and match his position. "It's beautiful. Really."

"I'm glad you think so. I thought about you when I came across it the other day."

You look away, laughing softly. "You thought about me?"

"How could I not?" You feel his gaze on you, but you can't bring yourself to look at him. "You're practically all I can think about," he says, chuckling nervously.

"Really?" You ask doubtingly. He's as busy as a magician can get; brainstorming tricks, practicing performances... he seldom has any free time, let alone thoughts.

"You may not believe me," Lyney sighs, leaning back. "But I truly can't get you out of my mind. It's almost eerie." You look at him and your eyes lock. "I'm completely captivated by you," he says quietly, almost whispering.

You feel your face flush as his eyes stare you down.

Laughing nervously, you wave your hands in front of you. "You flatter me, really..." After calming down, you sit cross-legged and lean your face into your palm. "I can't deny that I feel the same about you, though."

Lyney smiles wholeheartedly, glad you responded positively. He stands up and brushes himself off, then holds a hand out to you, retaining his smile. "Let's take a walk."