Lily stood up before anyone noticed she had stopped eating.
Her chair made a soft sound against the polished floor—too loud for how small she felt. Conversations continued around the table, voices overlapping, laughter rising and falling like she wasn't there at all. Plates clinked. Glasses touched. No one looked at her.
She swallowed, her throat tight, and turned toward her mother.
"Mom," she said quietly.
Her mother glanced at her, eyes quick and distracted, already halfway elsewhere. Lily folded her hands together so they wouldn't shake.
"I… I should leave soon," Lily said. "I have a university lecture early tomorrow."
For a second, her mother only stared—then her eyes shifted, scanning the room, the guest, the table, the image of the family being watched.
"It's late," her mother replied, her tone flat. "And we have guests. What will they think?"
Lily's shoulders dropped slightly. She nodded once, the way she always did when she understood she wasn't being heard.
"I'll be quiet," she said. "I just—"
Before she could finish, another voice entered the space.
"I'll give her a ride."
Julian stood near the doorway, tall and relaxed, his jacket slung casually over one arm. His hair was slightly messy, like he hadn't bothered fixing it too carefully, and his expression was warm in a way this house rarely allowed.
"It's dark outside," he added, smiling. "I'll take her home."
The room paused—not long, just enough.
Her gaze moved Julian to Lily, then to the guest, measured, deliberate, weighing each one.
"…Alright," she said at last.
She stood and stepped toward Lily, placing her arms around her shoulders. The embrace was soft and short, carrying the weight of expectation, not comfort.
After a pause, Lily wrapped her arms around her mother, resting her cheek where it used to feel safe. She inhaled, searching for something familiar.
But There was nothing.
But Lily still held on for a second longer before letting go.
Julian picked up his keys, glancing at Lily. "Come on."
She stepped away, her back to them, and did not look back even once.
The night air felt real against her skin. Above them, the moon stayed hidden, as if it understood the art of disappearing.
The house loomed behind them, all lights and glass and shadows. Lily didn't turn around.
Julian stepped ahead and held the door open.
Lily paused. "Thank you," she murmured before getting into the car.
Inside the car, the silence was different. For once, the silence didn't weigh on her. It was quiet in a way that felt safe.
The engine hummed softly as Julian drove. Streetlights passed in slow intervals, painting brief lines of gold across the dashboard—and across Lily's face. She sat with her hands folded in her lap, fingers worrying the fabric of her dress.
"…Thank you," she said after a while. Her voice was small but steady.
"You don't have to do this. Really."
Julian glanced at her, his eyes gentle.
"It's fine, Lily," he said. "You're my sister, after all."
The words were quiet, but they stirred something deep inside her.
Sister.
Lily looked out the window quickly, afraid he might see how her eyes softened, how her lips pressed together to hold something in.
"Oh," she said, almost to herself.
Warmth crept in not loud, not overwhelming.Just enough to tell her she wasn't empty.That someone in that family saw her.
Ethan crossed her mind. They were close in years, yet worlds apart. It hurt, but she didn't hold onto it.
When they reached her place, Julian parked near the gate. He turned off the engine and reached into his pocket, pulling out some folded bills.
"Here," he said, holding them out to her.
Lily blinked. "Julian, no—"
"Just take it," he said gently. "Buy something you like."
Her fingers hesitated before closing around the money. Her smile came slowly—small, genuine, fragile.
"…Thank you."
Julian chuckled softly and reached out, patting her head once, the way an older brother might. It was brief. Awkward. Kind.
"If you ever need anything," he said, his voice low but certain,
"I'm always with you, Lily."
She nodded. "I know."
"Also," Julian added gently, unaware of how Theo treated her, "Theo's going to the same university as you. If you ever need help, you can ask him."
Lily nodded. She didn't say anything else.
He waited until she was inside the gate before driving away.
She went inside and opened the door.
The house she lived in was quiet when she entered. Simple. A little messy. Warm in ways money couldn't buy.
Max was already there ,sitting by the door, tail thumping the moment he saw her.
"Hey," she whispered, dropping her bag.
He ran to her, paws skidding slightly on the floor, pressing himself against her legs like he'd been waiting all night just for this moment.
Lily knelt down and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his fur. Her breath shook—just a little.
"After all," she murmured, voice breaking softly,
"you're the only one who loves me truly, my baby."
Max licked her cheek, warm and real and uncomplicated.
And for the first time that night, Lily felt like she had come home.
Morning returned the same way it always did , unsoft, unfeeling. Birds stirred, sunlight crept in, and the world woke far too easily.
The alarm cut through the room with its sharp, mechanical insistence, dragging Lily out of sleep piece by piece. Her eyes stayed closed for a few seconds longer than usual. Her body felt heavy — not sore, just tired in a way that sat deeper than muscles.
Last night felt far away already.
Like something she had lived through, not something she was allowed to feel.
She rolled onto her side, blanket tangled around her legs, and that was when warmth brushed her cheek.
A wet nose.
A soft tongue.
"Hey," she murmured, her voice still half-asleep.
Max's tail thumped against the mattress as if he'd been waiting all night for this moment. He licked her face again, slower this time, like a careful greeting.
Lily laughed quietly, breathy and small. The sound surprised her.
"Good morning, baby."
Her fingers slid into his fur, warm and familiar. For a moment, nothing else existed — not last night, not that house, not the feeling of being tolerated instead of loved.
Just this.
End of chapter 17