In Omnia Paratus (AU) - Book 2

The Storm.

"Jenna!" Lily shrieked at the top of her voice and I've never been so damn scared of anything in my life. Okay maybe that was an over exaggeration but I was shocked.

"Lil I can explain--" I said scrambling away from Richard and we darted to either end of the room In fear of even being near each other in this moment.

"You snuck away from our party to do this? I thought you were sick or something." Oliver appeared by her side and I felt like the most idotic person ever.

We stood there in this awkward silence of not sure what to say next.

"Did you just decide you felt like a fuck and Richards the first person you think of?" Lily sighed not sure how she was processing this.

"No, Lily this isn't a fling or a quick thing--" I took a deep breath trying to gain some confidence while speaking. Richard looked at me as if to say 'don't you dare. Don't tell her.'

"So what? Are you like dating?" She mumbled shrugging her shoulders and going shy.

I looked over at Richard then back at Lily. "Yes." I spat out closing my eyes briefly. "Nearly four months now I guess." I half smiled at her hoping to get a nice reaction. I saw Oliver step back and laugh to himself and I just shook my head at his response.

"Four months?" She said and I wasn't sure whether she was angry or not, she just looked pained and shocked.

"Uh yes." I hummed sharing a look with Richard. It went silent again and we all weren't sure of each other's feelings again.

"I'm sorry, I'm just going over all your excuses you made these last couple of months." Lily chuckled to herself.

"Lily--"

"No, she has a point. You lied, to all of us. In fact you lied to me today! You were meeting a boyfriend." Oliver shook his head and looked at Lily. I wasn't sure what they were doing together, they must of been checking up on me or getting themselves a jumper or something from dorm.

"How many times did you lie to me? Not only that but how many times did you look me in the eye and say you had no interest in him?" Lily went sour with every word.

Again it fell silent except for Lily's inappropriate chuckling to herself and she was thinking. "How did I miss the Paris thing?" She scoffed.

"Lil, I--"

"No, no. I don't want any explanation yet. Let me think..." She hummed sitting down on the arm chair nearest to her.

"I think you should go." Richard said to Oliver seeing him stood awkwardly in the corner.

"Yeah whatever." Ollie huffed holding up his hands as if to declare he had done nothing wrong.

"You too Richard." I said nodding at him. Richard edged towards the door and left alongside Ollie, I was pretty concerned about what they'd say to each other but I'd cross that bridge when I come to it.

Lily was important at the moment.

"Was it hard lying to my face? Or was it just hard the first time and then you got so good at it that it became your natural thing." Lily asked me as I sat down on the sofa.

"I didn't always lie." I said quietly. "But I'm sorry lil, it started as just casual dating and we didn't tell anybody then after we saw him with Molly in town we became boyfriend and girlfriend again." I explained to her.

"So you couldn't of told me then?"

"No, because things were so easy." I hummed thinking about it. "Everyone thought I was single and didn't judge me when I wanted to go out do things. I got to talk to guys and not get judged."

"But you lied Jenna. Don't you see that? Is that not a bad thing in your world or something?" She frowned across at me.

"I'm sorry, but hey you know now and it's fine. It is fine, isn't it? You always said that you think we should be together." I laughed lightly hoping to turn the conversation around.

"Oh god, Jen. You have no idea do you?" She scoffed turning away from me. "It doesn't matter that you're with him, I have no problem with that, in fact I think it's about time and you're damn cute together. I have a problem with the fact that it was so easy for you to lie to me for 4 months?"

"It wasn't easy, it was far from. I was worried all the time, in Paris I was sick because I was so worried." I shouted back at her.

"You weren't sick with worry you were sick because you are fucking sick." Lily yelled.

"Every time I lied to you I felt bad, I didn't like doing any of this stuff but I did it because some part of me found a thrill from it." I frowned.

"You could of told me! I was your best friend, I can keep secrets." She mumbled.

"You tell Matt everything." I scoffed.

"No I don't." She argued.

"Wait a second, lets back track, I was your best friend?" I paused thinking about what she said previously.

"Yeah I don't think we can use that status anymore." Lily mumbled to herself I could see the hurt on her face when she looked at me. Which she hardly did because she couldn't look at my face at the moment.

"I've been a shit friend. I know I have but I'm sorry, I was delusional I though lying would make things easier. Turns out it just made it a lot harder." I said to her as we both sat down and I fought the urge to cry.

"Were you ever going to tell me or just wait until six months? Or a year?" She looked up slightly.

"Of course I was going to tell you. Soon." I hummed as my eyes closed just for a second and tear let slip.

There was a long silence where Lily sat with her head in her hands and I wasn't sure whether she was crying or just staring down at the ground. It must of been a good 10 minute before either of us spoke.

"I'm going to bed." She sniffed standing up and turning towards her room.

"Lily--"

"No, uh...just no." She shook her head and disappeared behind her bedroom door where I assumed she went to bed, stressed out or upset because that's exactly how I felt.

I went to my bed and considered phoning someone to have a chat, whether that was Richard or Lucy or Olivia. But I didn't, instead I hit the pillow and dissolved in a messy sob. Though I kept quiet in case Lily was listening. I didn't want to appear weak in situations like this.