Where Siren Lake Lies

Chapter 5: A Familiar Darkness

                           I found Emilio in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed, looking tired. I swallowed, feeling the weight of last night settling hard on my shoulders.

"Hey," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "I'm... I'm sorry for being such a bitch last night. You shouldn't have had to step in like that."

He sighed, glancing at me with a mix of frustration and something softer. "Lila, I get it. But you can't just take a swing at Noah because you're hurting."

I winced, wrapping my arms around myself. "I know. I lost control, and you shouldn't have to... you shouldn't have to keep pulling me back from the edge. I hate that you have to see me like that."

Emilio uncrossed his arms and took a step closer, his expression softening. "Look, I'd rather step in than watch you burn everything down. But you've got to let me help before it gets to that point. Promise?"

I nodded, guilt pressing heavy in my chest. "I'm just... I'm sorry, Emilio. For last night. For dragging you into it all the time."

He pulled me into a quick, firm hug, like he was trying to hold me together, just for a moment. "Just... try to not hit anyone next time, alright?" he murmured.

"Alright," I whispered back, letting myself lean into his steadiness.

Emilio was already at the stove when I shuffled into the kitchen, bleary-eyed and nursing a hangover. The smell of eggs sizzling in butter and sausage filling the air was enough to make my stomach growl.

I eased myself onto a stool at the counter, watching as he plated up eggs, arranged them with herbs I didn't even know he had. The man knew his way around a skillet, I'd give him that.

"A very late breakfast fit for a queen," he said, setting the plate in front of me, but his eyes held something else—something more guarded. He leaned against the counter, crossing his arms, watching me pick at the food.

After a moment, he broke the silence. "Listen, about Noah..." He trailed off, his tone shifting, heavy with something I couldn't quite place.

I glanced up, surprised. "What about him?"

Emilio looked down, fidgeting with a spoon on the counter. "Just... be careful around him, Lila. There's more to him than what you remember." He paused, as if weighing how much to say. "People don't disappear for seven years and come back unchanged."

I frowned, swallowing a mouthful of eggs. "You're acting like he's dangerous or something."

"Maybe he is. Or maybe he's just—" Emilio hesitated, eyes flickering with something almost like regret, or maybe it was frustration. "Look, I know I don't get to tell you who to trust. I'm just saying... don't let him pull you back down with him."

His words settled over me like a shadow, cold despite the warmth of the food. I wanted to ask him what he knew, why he was so sure. But the look in his eyes told me he'd already said more than he wanted to. He's afraid I'll fall back into my addiction.

"I'll be careful," I murmured, even as my mind churned, wondering what secrets Emilio was holding—and if I even wanted to know.

Noah's return felt like a disruption, like something dark crawling out from the past. And Emilio's words echoed in my head, each one sticking to me, making me wonder if I was already too far down the rabbit hole to see the truth.

But I couldn't shake the feeling that Emilio might be right—Noah had always been a mystery, even back when we were younger. And if anyone would know how to manipulate me, it would be him.

As I was taking a bite of the eggs Emilio had made, savoring the richness of it, there was a knock at the door. I froze, fork halfway to my mouth, the familiar ache of anticipation settling into my chest.