Page 8

The bar was dimly lit, the warm golden hues casting an intimate glow over the chatter and clinking glasses.

Lilith was tipsy—giggly, warm, and barely holding onto her sense of balance as she and Gabrielle ordered another drink.

Just as the bartender handed them their glasses, a voice cut through the noise.

A voice Lilith recognized instantly.

Valentina Salvatore.

She turned around and there she was, still in her work attire, a glass of deep red wine in hand. Her fingers circled the rim absentmindedly, and she listened to the woman sitting across from her. The woman was laughing, talking animatedly.

But Lilith wasn't focused on her. No, she was focused on Valentina. The way her lips curved into a small smile, the way her eyes seemed softer than usual.

Why was she smiling?

"Look, look," she whispered dramatically. "That's the mean CEO."

Gabrielle turned her gaze towards the two women, eyes scanning over Valentina before smirking. "Oh god, she's hot."

Lilith blushed, nodding as she let out another giggle. "I forgot to tell you," she confessed. "I bought her flowers."

She hadn't really planned on telling anyone—partly because she thought she'd never see the woman again, and partly because she was too shy. But things like that always had a way of slipping out when she wasn't completely sober.

Gabrielle whipped her head towards Lilith and smacked her hand. "And you didn't tell me? Lili, you need to tell me everything after."

Lilith frowned. "After what?"

Gabrielle smirked, grabbing her arm. "After this."

Before Lilith could protest, Gabrielle was already leading them towards the women. Lilith felt her stomach twist.

Gabrielle was relentless. Lilith had never been good at these things.

Gabrielle was the devil on her shoulder, pushing her into situations she'd never walk into on her own.

And tonight was no different. She wouldn't be pulling Lilith towards these women if she hadn't known about the flowers—if she didn't assume the situation had already been smoothed over.

"Gabi, no." Lilith whispered, eyes widening. But Gabrielle was already taking control of the situation because, simply put, Lilith was a pussy.

Without hesitation, Gabrielle said something with a playful smirk, and the red-haired woman laughed, tilting her head in easy agreement. Just like that, she followed, drawn in without a second thought. Flirting was effortless for Gabrielle, and the woman seemed just as quick to play along.

As Amber turned to leave, she caught a glimpse of Valentina's unwavering stare fixed on the blonde girl left behind. Then, in seconds, she and Gabrielle melted into the hum of the bar, leaving Lilith standing there—awkward and small.

Lilith murmured a soft "I'm sorry."

Valentina tilted her head, brows furrowing slightly. "Look at you. It's your second time apologizing. Next time, I might not forgive you."

The blonde haired girl was going to kill Gabrielle.

Lilith whined, flopping onto the stool beside Valentina and dropping her head onto the bar counter. "Why does it keep happening?" she mumbled.

A laugh. Not just any laugh. A real one. Deep, genuine, rich. Lilith lifted her head just to see Valentina laughing—really laughing.

She was beautiful.

Lilith, tipsy and lacking a filter, immediately asked "Was it your friend?" referring to the red-haired woman.

No matter how much Lilith embarrassed herself, her mouth never knew when to shut up, and the alcohol only made it worse.

Valentina raised a brow. "Why would I tell you?"

There was no real reason for her to answer, but she found the blonde girl's curiosity oddly endearing. It wasn't the first time, either—she remembered the way Lilith had looked around her office with the same quiet fascination, taking in every detail like she was trying to piece something together.

Lilith pouted. "Because..." she trailed off, trying to come up with a reason.

Valentina sighed. "Yes. She's my friend.''

Then silence settled between them—not an awkward one, but something strangely comfortable.

Out of nowhere, Lilith started giggling again. She probably looked insane, she thought, but she couldn't stop. "So" she said, tilting her head. "How's playing The Sims in real life going?"

Valentina blinked. "The Sims?" she echoed before smirking. "It's going great, but it would be better if I could put you in a room without any doors."

Lilith smiled at first, delighted that Valentina understood her reference-then her expression changed as she processed the words. "Not very nice of you. Isolation ward?"

Valentina leaned in slightly. "Is that where you're planning on putting your future patients?"

Lilith blinked, momentarily caught off guard.

A flicker of surprise crossed her face before she glanced away, suddenly feeling a little shy under Valentina's knowing gaze.

"Were you spying on me?" she mumbled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as if the motion could hide the warmth creeping up her neck.

Valentina took another sip of her wine, unbothered. "I had to do a background check in advance. I needed to know who I should be mean to for breaking my vase."

Lilith gasped, hand dramatically pressing against her chest. "Come on, we like each other now, right?" She tilted her head cutely, hoping to soften Valentina up. "And I'm not planning on working in a mental hospital." she muttered. "I'd rather analyze women who are mean to sweet girls like me."

Valentina chuckled, taking in the sight of the blonde girl. "Maybe those women should be the ones analyzing you."

Lilith blushed, and for the first time that night, she felt warm for a reason other than the alcohol.

She was about to respond when her phone vibrated. A text from Gabrielle.

Gabi: Me and the redhead went outside. Don't wait up.

Lilith stared at the message, confused for a second before realizing that if this were a hookup situation, Gabrielle would have sent something wildly inappropriate instead—something along the lines of "I'll have her in my bed tonight.''

She sighed, tucking her phone away. "They left us alone." she mumbled, pouting.

Valentina smirked. "Scared to be alone with me?"

Lilith widened her eyes dramatically. "Terrified."

Valentina's smirk deepened. "Good."

Lilith huffed. "You enjoy scaring people too much. I knew you were sadistic."

Valentina tilted her head slightly, eyes gleaming. "So now you're analyzing me like a good, smart psychology student you are?"

Lilith grinned, swirling the last of her drink in her glass. "Mhm. And my professional diagnosis is that you're an evil lady."

She knew well enough that Valentina was far from evil—just sharp, sometimes unnecessarily mean, like she enjoyed testing people to see how they'd react. It wasn't cruelty, not really, just a kind of detached amusement, like watching someone squirm was more interesting than being openly kind.

Valentina let out a soft chuckle, finishing her wine. "And you? What does your diagnosis say about you?"

Lilith sighed dramatically. "That I'm embarrassing myself way too fucking much lately and making a fool of myself in front of a woman who is way too mean?"

Valentina didn't respond immediately, but the ghost of a smirk tugged at her lips. She raised an eyebrow, her reaction soft to the cursing, as if it didn't sit quite right with her. "At least you're self aware."

?

An hour had passed, slipping away like sand through Lilith's fingers, and instead of sobering up, she only sank deeper into the warm haze of alcohol.

She had bought a few drinks herself, but Valentina, with effortless ease, had kept her from spending too much—covering the cost with the kind of casual generosity that made Lilith's poor little student wallet breathe a sigh of relief.

The fruity cocktails were sweet and deceptive, going down too easily, blurring the edges of the night.

"You really shouldn't drink more," Valentina had murmured at some point, lips curving slightly.

Lilith had pouted in response, her bottom lip jutting out in exaggerated betrayal. "You're so mean" she'd whined, tilting her head against the bar dramatically.

And, strangely enough, Valentina had found that... cute.

She wasn't sure why she found it cute—maybe it was the way the girl's soft features scrunched up in a drunk pout or how her slightly whiny voice carried a hint of stubbornness, as if she actually stood a chance at challenging her.

Objectively, she was adorable, in that effortless way some people just were—soft features, wide eyes, and an unguarded expressiveness that made every emotion clear as day.

And yet, Valentina couldn't quite place why she felt the need to take care of her tonight. It wasn't obligation, not in the tiring, burdensome sense. No, it felt natural—like something unspoken had quietly settled between them, nudging her to make sure the girl was okay.

Basic humanity? Or something else?

Lilith, completely unaware of Valentina's internal debate, was still rambling about something—something about Gabrielle, something about an old statistics professor she hated, something about how unfair it was that drinks cost too much.

She kept talking, maybe because she was drunk or maybe because she felt surprisingly comfortable around the woman.

The soft nods, the occasional little smile from Valentina, made her feel like she wasn't being annoying, something Lilith feared more than anything.

It was the one thing she worried about in almost every conversation—being too much.

And then-

"Okay, get up. Come on."

Valentina's voice cut through Lilith's drunk ramble, gentle but firm. The woman pulled on her beige coat with the same elegance she did everything else, her expression unreadable.

Lilith blinked. "Huh?"

"You're done for tonight" Valentina stated simply. She gestured with a smooth motion of her hand, signaling for the blonde girl to stand up.

It wasn't because she was tired of Lilith—quite the opposite.

Valentina felt relaxed, enjoying listening to the girl.

But when she glanced at the time on her watch, she figured getting the blonde girl home would be a good idea.

She wasn't sure what plans she had for tomorrow, but this seemed like the sensible thing to do.

Lilith huffed, but somehow—somehow—she managed to stand without instantly toppling over.

Valentina gave a single nod. "Good girl."

And that was it.

That was Lilith's breaking point. The praise hit her like a wave, a rush of warmth flooding her chest, making her want to do anything the woman asked, just to hear her say it again.

For a moment, Lilith's mind buzzed with questions.

Did Valentina call girls like that often?

Was she always staying late with women at a bar?

Her knees buckled, and just as she was about to completely lose her balance, Valentina's hand shot out, wrapping around her wrist in a strong, steady grip.

The blonde haired girl inhaled sharply.

The hold was firm, grounding, and for some reason—God—her mind went places it absolutely shouldn't.

Lilith was an absolute mess right now.

The world around them blurred for a moment, leaving only the warmth of Valentina's skin against hers, the press of fingertips against her pulse.

Valentina sighed, clearly unimpressed. "Let's get you home."