beyond the veil

chapter 35

Dorian wokeup at to open the door at morning while neon was still sleeping in his arms ... Dorian opened the door to find Lilly standing there, her eyes widening in surprise as she took in his appearance.

Dorian opened the door to find Lilly standing there, her eyes widening in surprise at the sight of him in just a towel. "Uh, hi," Dorian greeted awkwardly, feeling a bit self-conscious under Lilly's gaze.

Lilly's eyes darted between Dorian and the sleeping Neon on the couch, her confusion evident. "Um, hi... Who are you?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady despite her growing curiosity.

Dorian cleared his throat, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the situation. "I'm Dorian," he replied, offering a polite smile. "Neon's... friend."

Lilly's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Friend?" she echoed, skepticism lacing her tone. "I've never seen you before."

Dorian shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how to explain their connection to Lilly without revealing too much. "Well, we... uh, met recently," he hedged, not wanting to give away too much information.

Lilly nodded slowly, still eyeing Dorian suspiciously. "Right..." she said, trailing off as she glanced back at Neon, who was now awake and looking equally embarrassed.

Neon sat up on the couch, pulling the blanket around her as she tried to compose herself. "Lilly, hi," she greeted, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I, um, didn't expect you to drop by."

Lilly gave Neon a knowing look, her curiosity piqued by the awkward atmosphere in the room. "Yeah, I can see that," she said, her tone laced with amusement. "So, who's your... friend?"

Neon hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal to Lilly. "Um, Dorian," she replied, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "He's... just a friend."

Dorian and Neon exchanged a glance, both knowing that their relationship was far more complicated than that. But for now, they would keep their secrets hidden, at least until they figured out how to explain their connection to Lilly.

Dorian shifted uncomfortably under Lilly's scrutinizing gaze, feeling the weight of the unspoken truth hanging in the air. "Yeah, just a friend," he echoed, his tone a tad strained.

Lilly raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced by their vague responses. "Right..." she said skeptically, glancing between them. "Well, I won't pry. I just came by to see how you're doing, Neon. It's been a while since we've caught up."

Neon nodded, grateful for the change of subject. "Yeah, it has," she agreed, offering Lilly a small smile. "I've been... busy."

Lilly's eyes flickered to the scattered paintings of Dorian around the apartment, a hint of curiosity returning to her expression. "Busy with what, exactly?" she asked, her gaze lingering on the artwork.

Neon's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she followed Lilly's gaze, realizing just how obvious her obsession with painting Dorian had become. "Oh, um, just... work," she stammered, trying to brush off the question.

Dorian shifted uncomfortably, feeling a pang of guilt for causing Neon to feel embarrassed. "I should probably get dressed," he interjected, breaking the awkward silence. "It was nice meeting you, Lilly."

Lilly nodded, though her curiosity remained unsatisfied. "Yeah, nice meeting you too," she replied, offering Dorian a polite smile before turning back to Neon. "We should catch up sometime soon, okay?"

Neon smiled gratefully, relieved that Lilly was willing to let the matter drop for now. "Definitely," she agreed, feeling a sense of gratitude for her friend's understanding.