Limerence • Auli'i Cravalho (gxg)

Soulmate*

Lilette walks you home. And after kissing you goodbye while still down the street, she doesn't leave but instead hung around, watching you walk up your porch and enter your house. You had a hand in your pocket, gripping onto your phone as you walked into the house, shutting the front door behind yourself.

"Where were you?" Your Mom asks you immediately, her voice was harsh.

"School." You answered simply.

"School? Don't lie to me. Who are you kidding. At this hour?"

"I was at school." You repeated.

She glared at you, eyes filled with what seemed like anger- which was something you found familiar. You backed up an inch, she stood up from her seat on the couch, walking over to the dining room table, pulling out a chair noisily, just to startle you.

"I had rehearsals."

"Who gave you permission to be in a play?"

"It's required by the school-"

"After all I've done for you...I told you not to join any clubs, just focus on your studies. You don't listen." She scoffs, "That's all I ask of you. You're going to regret going against me when I die...you're going to regret all of it."

You were angry, you wanted to scoff, you wanted to scream at her. But all that came out where quiet sobs that you silenced.

"Quit the play." She demanded.

You kept quiet, having half a mind to run away and half a mind to give up and just cry. You were tired. Tired of her guilt-tripping you for as long as you could remember.

She smacks a glass off the table, and it shatters, eliciting a gasp from you. "You hate that, don't you? Don't talk and I'll do that again."

'No matter what she says or how nice she says it, don't listen to her. Turn around, walk away. I'll be right there waiting for you.' Lilette's voice rang through your mind.

Your Mom wanted to play this game? Fine, you've learnt a thing or two. You made yourself cry, and while she's going off on a tangent about how you're such a crybaby, you turned and left the house while she was focused on her rant.

"Hey! You ungrateful bitch!" You heard her scream when the door slam. You ran down your porch, down the path on your front yard and took a left to get to where Lilette said she'd be waiting for you. Through your clouded vision, you looked around trying to spot Lilette to no avail. You began to panic, anxiously watching over your shoulder to see if your Mom caught up to you or not. You shakily fished your phone out from your pocket and clicked on Lilette's name on your call log.

"I see you, honey. I'm headed towards you right now." She says, then hangs up. Seconds later, you saw her jogging towards you. "You okay?"

"I guess."

You fell asleep on the drive back to Lilette's. You felt safe, despite knowing she's been through some shit of her own with her Mom. But last you heard, they'd worked it out. Also, Lilette managed to move out after graduating from Staton High. She lived on college campus at first, but eventually moved out to a humble studio apartment nearby.

Forty-five minutes later, she shook you to wake you up. You got scared, gasping and your heart raced, until your eyes came into focus and saw that it was your girlfriend. "We're here."

"Oh, okay." You blinked profusely, shaking your heads as if to get rid of those thoughts before you opened the car door to get out.

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"Does she know you packed your clothes with your school bag this morning?" Lilette asks.

"Probably. But I don't care- I got out and she doesn't know where you live." You answered her question coldly. "This is the daughter she raised- one that plays her fucking game with her."

"But you got out. You did it." She smiled, brushing her thumb across your knuckles soothingly, noting that the time on the clock said 11:11.

"What the hell am I supposed to do now? You're working two part-time jobs. I've got none."

"Right now, just worry about getting some sleep." She reminded you, "Everything else doesn't matter."

"You've been working your butt off to pay for everything. I can't just-"

She caresses your cheek, watching your teary eyes, "y/n, listen to me. It's very late- past 11. Let's just brush our teeth and get to bed for tonight, okay? We both have class tomorrow."

You agreed wordlessly, trailing behind her to her bathroom where you both brushed your teeth and washed your face, then, went to bed. You got under the covers first while she turned a nightlight on, knowing that you didn't like sleeping in complete darkness.

You laid with your back facing her, but then she does something you didn't exactly expect- she spooned you ; her chin resting on your shoulder, fitting into the space like a piece of a puzzle. You wouldn't tell her you want a hug from her, but she seems to always know, anyway. Fighting a forming smile, a sob gets caught in your throat painfully as you furiously blinked your tears away.

She decides to sing you to sleep, and you calmed down soon enough, forgetting about why you were even wanting to cry again in the first place. Your breathing evens out, and Lilette slowly removes herself from you, allowing herself to fall asleep. She catches a glimpse of the timing on the clock, it'd just struck 12. 00:00. Angel numbers- something Lilette strongly believed in. And these ones could signify a fresh start. Definitely for you. The number 1 has repeatedly shown up all around you throughout the course of knowing each other, and Lilette's always taken that to heart- that it meant something ; that you were her soulmate. You didn't believe in that, but you didn't stop her. It was nice to have someone in your life who believed. Someone who believes in the good things, someone who believes in you. Well, you do believe in one thing. That you met her for a reason- Lilette Suarez entered your life for a reason. She was the reason you didn't give up and continued living, encouraging you to fight for what you deserved...and tonight, you finally did it. All thanks to her, whom you believe is your soulmate.

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Unedited. Published: Friday, 29 March 2024, Tumblr.