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april 8, 2023
agreeing to let daniel stay the night with her, the two had gone to bed in arlo's bedroom since liberty didn't want to think about her boyfriend, like she thought she would've if she slept in her own bed. plus she liked the comfort she felt sleeping in her late brother's room.
although on this particular night, she kept waking up, and she was finding it hard to sleep. trying to slowly roll onto her other side and get comfortable again without distributing her best friend with his arm wrapped around her body.
but all she could think about was everything she had going on in her life, which had brought her to tears.
"lib.." daniel softly whispered as subtly rubbed his thumb where his hand laid on her stomach.
she glanced over her shoulder before wiping her tears away with her hand, "sorry.."
"come here.."
he slipped one arm underneath her pillow as she rolled back to face him again, wrapping his arms around her body whilst they just laid there in comfortable silence for a minute.
"you'll be okay libby.."
daniel continued to softly run his hand over her hair as the dim nightlight on the bedside table lit up the room just enough to gently stare into her eyes.
his hand moved down to her cheek as he hesitantly leant in, connecting his lips onto her's causing her to slightly pull away after a short couple seconds in confusion.
"what.. what are you doing..?" she furrowed, stuttering her words, her eyes still watery. "you.. you have a girlfriend.."
"her and i aren't anything official," he shrugged. "but i just wanted to distract you.. i know how your mind is.."
she stared at him for a moment, debating, before slowly leaning back in towards him reconnecting their lip. her hand softly being placed on the back of his head as her hips slightly grinded towards his body and they moved their lips in sync.
"stop, stop, stop," she snapped into reality, pushing him away from her as she quickly turning back onto her other side. hugging her teddy bear as she shuffled over to the edge of the bed — the furthest she could get from him without actually leaving.
"i'd end things with vi-"
"no! shut up! i don't care!" she quickly interrupted before he could even finish. "we're not in an appropriate space for the thoughts i'm thinking so just shut up," she muttered, soon shrugging his arm off of herself as he tried to cuddle with her. "stay away from me."
"i'm sorry lib.." he whispered as he got comfortable, leaving some space between them so she could move over from the edge of the bed, but continuing to face her. "i mean it.."
she didn't reply. she just laid there blankly staring out as she was still stuck i her head except this time about what just happened.
and as did he, she eventually managed to fall back asleep. although waking up the next morning was the difficult part about it. she felt awkward. and most importantly, she was upset that she broke the promise she made with his girlfriend.
the promise that she'll never get in the way of what her and daniel could be.
so it didn't take long for her to get out of bed and start the day, going to have a shower before heading downstairs to make herself breakfast. basically trying to find anything she can do to avoid facing the reality of the previous night.
"how are you this morning, honey?" kate questioned, sending the girl a small comforting smile as she entered into the kitchen space where her daughter was washing up her dishes.
"i'm fine," she slightly mumbled as she grabbed her phone from her pocket and read the message she just received.
"where's daniel at?"
"in bed still, i guess.."
"mh, have you spoken to aj yet since last night?"
"um he just messaged me," liberty admitted. "i'll probably call him in a bit.."
"okay.. but you're smart enough to know you shouldn't let a guy talk or try to control you to you the way he was last night.." she mentioned, the girl reluctantly nodding. "look at the way daniel treats you, you should be dating-"
"mom!" she interrupted in slight annoyance. "can you just move on from this idea that daniel and i should date. he has a girlfriend."
"daniel?! daniel has a girlfriend?!" eden, her step-sister chimed in, shifting her headphone away from her ear as she quickly looked up from her phone. "the boy that you slept with last night, what does she think about that-"
"we just slept in the same bed! nothing else happened!"
"don't you think you're getting a little defensive there lilli," her youngest brother then laughed from the living room couch.
"just shut up!" she raised her voice as her breaths then became shaky, dropping to the floor and quickly wrapping her arms around her knees as she bursted out in tears.
"you two.. cut it out," kate glanced between the two youngest kids, before crouching down to her daughter. "i'm too old to be getting down here now," she joked as she sat beside her, slightly hugging the girl. "i'm sorry if what i said hurt your feelings.."
liberty just sniffled as she refused to lift her head up.
"do you want to go somewhere and talk about what's upsetting you?" she more so suggested.
she shook her head.
"would you like me to go get daniel..?"
she repeated the action.
"okay, honey," kate subtly nodded although she knew the girl wasn't looking at her, and instead just stay sat there on the floor in the middle of the kitchen with her in silence.
she had never seen her daughter this upset in a long time — even when all the past easter weekends had rolled around, she's never expressed her expressed her emotions or broken down completely like she was right now.
"hey eden.. where's lilli?" daniel softly spoke as he entered into the kitchen and diner area.
she pointed over to the island counter which prompted a furrow in response and a cautious, small walk around to the other side. sharing a weak smile with kate, he held out his hand and helped her up then sat down himself.
"libby.." he gently laid his arm around her back, slowly rubbing his thumb on her skin.
glancing up at her mother, she mouthed a 'thank you' before wandering away and letting the two have some space.
"i'm sorry about last night.." daniel whispered. "let's just pretend it never happened.."
"i don't care about that," she finally muttered.
"what are you upset about then?" he softly furrowed.
"everything."
"we'll get it all.. worked out.. you'll be okay.."
