After speaking to Miles, Lilith re-entered the dining room with her eyes carefully focused on the floor beneath her. As everyone around her chit chatted and caught up on the last few years of their lives, Lilith slipped into the bathroom and quickly locked herself into one of the available stalls before allowing herself to fall apart.
Sitting down on the toilet lid, the young woman began to sob.
Lilith’s life had always come with its ups and downs - just like everyone else’s. This last month, however, had been abnormally horrible. This morning just happened to be the cherry on the cake. As she sat there crying as quietly as possible, Lilith did the best that she could to regain her composure as her mind ran wild.
Was Carlisle trying to admit to her what she thought? Why did he want to do it this morning, of all mornings, with a nearly broken nose? Why did Miles choose not to ignore her? Lilith had done everything in her power for the last three years to avoid Miles - and now she had no choice but to face him. The thought nearly made her stomach flip as her right fist connected with the wall of the bathroom stall. Pain danced up her arm, only frustrating her further. Wanting to scream, Lilith controlled her urges and continued to sit there for what felt like a lifetime. Unlocking the bathroom stall, the young woman checked her reflection in the mirror. She focused on her breathing, wiping her face clean.
Once out of the bathroom, Lilith looped back around to the entrance of the dining room. Standing outside of the doorway where hopefully no one could see her, Lilith listened to see if there was any more information given on the Wards before the search party headed out. She didn’t want to face anyone in that room right now - but she did want to be in on what was happening. Hearing Carlisle announce the party, Lilith rolled her eyes, a small scoff escaping from between her lips. That was the absolute last thing that Lilith wanted right now. Unfortunately, she didn’t have a choice on whether she was going to attend or not - all due to her last name. Accepting defeat, Lilith exited the Coven house and quickly climbed into her car.
The trip back to the ranch was quick - Lilith had made sure of that. Speeding down the roads and straightening the curves, the young woman hadn’t even bothered to start her playlist up. Her brain was absolute mush. What she needed right now was someone to talk to. Someone like her mother. The thought sent Lilith speeding even faster down the road, her knuckles white as she gripped the steering wheel. Pulling into the gravel drive, Lilith took another deep breath as she settled on the idea of talking to Grandpa John. He was going to ask her questions about her day anyway.
Parking her car, Lilith approached the front door to the house, her hands shaking. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she made another attempt to gain her composure before walking in to see her grandfather sitting at the mahogany dining room table - cleaning his rifle.
The scene made Lilith gulp as she walked across the room to join Grandpa John. Sitting down on his right, she couldn’t help but notice that he was already drinking - seeing as there was a bottle of whiskey and half-empty glass already on the table.
”So,” the old man inquired simply, his voice deep.
”You already know about the meating details,” Lilith began. ”Carlisle announced a party tonight, at seven.” Taking another deep breath, Lilith leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table and she interlocked her fingers, placing her chin on her hands. ”And before that, I’m pretty sure he tried to say he had like…. Feelings for me or something.”
Now putting the rifle back together, John chuckled. ”That String Bean who never brushes his hair and followed you around like a lost puppy all summer?”
Nearly laughing herself, Lilith forced back a small smirk. ”Yeah, that one.”
While Lilith did want to talk to her grandfather about her problems, she also wouldn’t have a problem with just keeping the conversation light hearted. Grandpa John had always had a way of making Lilith feel better - rather it be by cooking for her, or making her laugh. He was always there, without fail.
”What about you?”
”Well,” John responded slowly, taking a drink from his glass. ”One of the damn cows decided to go into labour while you were gone, and well,” waving his hand in the air defeatedly, the older man sighed. ”Them ranch hands we hired ain’t worth a shit, and it was breach - so of course I had to go out there and handle it myself.”
There was a long silence as Lilith allowed John to settle into his frustration and pour herself a glass of whiskey. Taking a large gulp from the cup, the young woman focused on the slight burning sensation in her throat for a moment before speaking again.
”Well Gramps,” she sighed. ”I see your breach calf and I raise you… Miles.” Taking another drink from her glass, Lilith sat the whiskey down on the table with a soft thud as she watched John's brow furrow.
”You mean to tell me that the first time that bastard see’s you, he forces you into a conversation?” Lilith could have sworn she saw her grandfather's hand twitch towards his rifle as he spoke.
”It was my choice to stand there and respond,” she retorted. The defensiveness in her voice for Miles pissed her off nearly just as much as it had John.
”I can’t believe you,” he replied, staring at her in awe. Ms. Mary and I have done nothin’ but help you avoid that boy ever since he came back from college. And now you’re gallivantin’ around with the…. With that.” Obviously now frustrated, it was now John's turn to take a drink from his glass.
”I am not gallivanting,” Lilith replied, rolling her eyes. ”Things just… happen, sometimes.”
”Things just happen sometimes,” John mimicked her in a high pitched tone. ”All I have heard from you for years now is ‘I don’t want to talk to him. I don’t want to see him. Blah blah blah.’ I sw–”
”Do you want to hear how it went or not,” Lilith retorted, cutting the man off mid sentence.
Huffing, John took another sip of his drink, rolling his eyes as he did so. ”Well, I guess.”
”He tried to defend Carlisle. Apparently their friends now or something.” Waving her hand dismissively, Lilith took a moment to figure out how to articulate her words as it was now her turn to take a drink. She could see her grandfather growing more angry and curious by the second. ”It seemed like Miles knew more about how Carlisle felt than I did. He was trying to tell me that it was okay to let go of him, and how all he wanted was to see me happy and all of this other shit.” As she spoke, the young woman continued to drink from the glass in front of her. ”I… seeing him was weird.”
”Lot’s of old feelings and such, hm?”
”Yeah,” she sighed, finishing the last of her whiskey.
John pursed his lips in response, taking a deep breath as he focused on swirling the ice cubes around his glass. ”Well,” he began slowly ”I think you’re the only one who didn’t know Carlton -”
”Carlisle.”
”Yeah, whatever,” John grumbled, taking another drink. ”You’re the only one who didn’t know he was in love with ya. As for Miles…. Just stay the hell away from that boy.”
Hesitating for a moment, Lilith nearly laughed as a small smirk crept upon her face. ”He’s uh…” Hesitating for a moment, Lilith cut her eyes towards her grandfather. ”He’s coming for Sunday dinner.”
Watching as John’s jaw dropped to the floor in a flabbergasted expression, Lilith quickly reached across the table to snatch the rifle before John could grab it himself. Leaning it up against the side of her chair, the young woman reached for the bottle of whiskey and began drinking from the contents of the container directly as she listened to her grandfather process his thoughts and emotions.
”Like hell he is!” John shouted, standing up from the dining room chair as he threw his hands in the air, defeated. ”He has the audacity to invite himself to my home and -”
”If you’d just let me expl–”
”And expects me to just welcome him back like we never missed a beat,” he continued, ignoring Lilith. ”Has Mary even approved this? He’s just gonna walk in here like he owns the goddamn place and expect me to make his plate? Stupid goofy ass walking STD motherfucker will be lucky if he gets a glass to drink his water out of, I swear.”
”Gramps I—”
”No, Lilly, you listen to me,” John shouted, stopping in place to point a finger at his granddaughter. ”You don’t get to sit there and ask me to welcome him back and try n’ make me feel sorry for him or tell me that you love him. I am the one who had to pick you up after he left for college, so excuse me for wanting to protect you.” Taking a deep breath, John sat back down beside Lilith as he grabbed the bottle back from her and took a drink himself. Passing it back to her he quickly added: ”He’s not welcome here, do you understand me?”
”I don’t see why Mary would have a problem with it, I’ve already agreed to it, and it’s the most convenient thing for us all. No matter what happens this weekend - you and Ms. Mary won’t have to help me avoid him anymore,” the brunette responded, her tone ever so slightly pleading.
”Fine,” he sighed. ”But one wrong move, and I’ll lay him flat out on his ass.” Taking a gulp of Jack Daniel’s, John handed the bottle back to his granddaughter. “I can promise you he’d rather play checkers on a leopard's ass than mess with me.”
”I know, Pop,” Lilith responded, laughing quietly as the front door opened.
In walked a tall, worried looking young man, a rope in his hands.
”Mr. Montgomery,” he spoke, his voice frantic. ”One of the claves is caught up in the fence again, and well….”
”Spit it out, boy,” John grumbled once more, raising his voice slightly.
”Well, Sir, we can’t get her out of the barbed wire and she’s scratchin’ herself all up. It’s a mess. She keeps kicking and Billy just -”
”I swear, Cody,” John sighed, standing up as he grabbed his jacket off of the back of the chair. ”You’re about as useless as a screen door on a submarine. Come on.”
Walking out with his ranch hand - the conversation beforehand nearly all but forgotten - John left Lilith sitting there alone, a half empty bottle of whiskey still in hand.
Looking around at the silent, empty house before her, Lilith stood up from the table as she took the bottle of whiskey with her up the stairs. Taking another drink as she flopped down onto her bed, the young woman set alarms on her phone for later in the evening.
Lilith had to be at the Coven Party tonight - rather she liked it or not.
For now, however, she decided to drink in peace.
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