𝐷𝐸𝐿𝐼𝐶𝐴𝑇𝐸 | 𝙜𝙞𝙡𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙩 𝙗𝙡𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙚

| ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴇɴ

{ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ }

| Lily |

"Why are you working backstage, shouldn't you be playing music or something?" Gilbert asks me as we take a break from working on the rigging for the Christmas Pantomime. We lean against the wall backstage, chatting. We've gotten barely any work done, but I'm definitely not complaining. Having Gilbert back has changed everything, it's as if the world has become a little brighter somehow. Things aren't the way they used to be, but they're better, and my feelings for Gilbert have only grown, which, if I'm being honest, scares me.

"Well, Racheal gave out the assignments and besides, I don't play the violin anymore," I tell him, half-lying. I couldn't tell him that I asked Racheal to put me backstage so I could spend time with him, or maybe I could? Gosh, I wasn't this confused when he wasn't here.

"Really, why?"

"It's just not who I am anymore."

"Oh," he sighs. He knows me, he knows that I'm doing everything in my power not to become the person my parents wanted me to be. However, the air between us goes stale, I can tell that he's getting angry, his mind buzzing. He looks away from me and towards the floor before meeting my eyes again.

"Why aren't they in jail?" He questions, and now it's time for me to look down awkwardly. Although Gilbert has been back for a month now, there are still so many gaps in his knowledge of the events of this past year. And I want to tell him everything, I really do, but I was just starting to move on, to forget, and his return has led everything to flood back in again.

"No one except the Cuthberts, Diana and I know the truth, we decided just to tell everyone that I was cured to avoid a scandal," I tell him truthfully, my words coming out fast and jumbled, "Diana only knows because she found me and of course Anne and the Cuthberts. And then there's you." I stop talking upon feeling his touch on my arm.

"You had to know the truth," I say as he encases my hand in his, I didn't realize that my hands were shaking until now, I try so hard to bottle up thoughts of my parents and everything that happened, and when they come out I don't know what to do with myself.

"I mean who are they going to believe?" I say with a smile, looking up at him, trying to lighten the mood we've created.

"I shouldn't have brought it up," he comments somberly.

"No it's okay," my words come out with a slight laugh and I take a step closer to him, "you deserve to know, I want you to know... everything." His hand is warm in mine, and a soft blush makes its way onto my cheeks, but I tense up the moment I hear footsteps nearby. I turn to see no one other than Billy Andrews who is making his way into the wings and sending a harsh glare towards Gilbert and me.

I retract from Gilbert, releasing my hand from his and backing away, sinking further into the darkness of the wings. He notices this of course and eyes Billy questionably, more unanswered questions probably popping up in his head. Billy grabs what he came backstage for before scoffing and leaving us be. The tension in the air is unbearable, and the annoyed look I'm wearing ties the mood up in a perfect bow.