8. Apologies

Lily woke up on her own the next morning at 8:00. After freshening up, she quietly made her way down to the dining hall. The sound of her footsteps drew the attention of everyone at the table.

Xander leaned back in his chair with a teasing smile.
Xander: “Well, well… our princess decided to join us without our usual wake-up session.”

Lily: “I don’t need that.” she replied flatly, sliding into her seat.

Xavier’s sharp eyes fixed on her immediately, but before he could say anything, Ethan gave her a gentle smile.
Ethan: “Good morning, Lily.”
Lily: “Morning.”

She began eating quietly. Sitting beside her, Luca spoke in a neutral tone.
Luca: “Sorry.”

Lily furrowed her brows, only humming in response. Luca, unwilling to let the silence linger, tried to start a conversation.

Luca (to Alex): “When is she going back to school?”

At his words, Lily stiffened. Xavier smirked, already anticipating what was about to unfold.
Xavier: “In ten days. Her friends have also transferred here. They’ll be going together.”

Luca let out a derisive snort.
Luca: “Friends.”

Xander, enjoying the storm that was brewing, added with a smirk:
Xander: “Yes.”

Luca’s voice hardened.
Luca: “Names?”

Xander smirked wider, knowing exactly what would happen next.
Luca (turning to Lily): “Lily, I asked you—names?”

Lily hesitated, her voice trembling.
Lily: “R… Rose, Bella… Da–David.”

The name snapped the last thread of Luca’s control. He shot up from his chair, fury blazing in his eyes.
Luca (yelling): “What?!”

Lily flinched violently, her eyes watering.
Luca: “What is this, Lily? Didn’t Alex make the rules clear? You are to cut off all ties with that boy!”

Lily (whispering): “No.”

Luca’s tone dropped, dangerous and sharp.
Luca: “What did you just say?”

Before he could advance further, Alex stood abruptly.
Alex: “Luca. Sit. Down.”

At the same moment, Ethan stepped forward, placing himself between Luca and Lily.
Ethan: “Luca, calm down.”

Luca (snapping): “No! No fucking way!” His shout made Lily flinch again, and she gripped Ethan’s shirt tightly, hiding behind him.

Ethan’s voice turned cold.
Ethan: “You’re scaring her. Do you even realize? If you keep this up, she’ll only ever fear you.”

Luca: “Why should she—”

Lily (voice breaking): “Because they’re my friends! They’re important to me! When I feel alone, they’re the ones who comfort me… not you.”

The words cut deeper than knives. Luca froze, shock flashing in his eyes.

Xavier (darkly): “Dare you finish that sentence, Lily.”

Lily (tears streaming): “But it’s the truth.”

The room fell into suffocating silence. Finally, Alex’s deep voice broke through.
Alex: “Lily… we know we made mistakes. We should never have left you. But we had no choice. We’re sorry… please, give us another chance.”

Lily shook her head, voice trembling with anger and hurt.
Lily: “I don’t want to. I don’t want to give you another chance.”

The words shattered them. Ethan’s face twisted with pain.
Ethan: “Lily…”

Lily: “I’m going to my room.”

She pushed her chair back and stood, her movements sharp with finality. Luca’s temper, already on edge, snapped completely.
Luca (snarling): “You’re such a spoiled brat!”

Lily flinched violently again, her tears spilling over. Before she could respond, Xander slammed his hand on the table, his rare serious tone cutting through the tension.
Xander: “Luca! Mind your damn words.”

Lily broke down, sobbing.
Lily (shouting through tears): “Yes, I am! I am!”

She turned and ran upstairs, locking herself in her room. Her cries echoed faintly:
“Why me? Why always me?”

The dining hall was silent, suffocating with guilt and anger. Alex’s gaze snapped to Luca.
Alex (cold, lethal): “In my office. Five minutes.”

Luca stared back, unflinching. Alex’s tone dropped further, deadly calm.
Alex: “You know who I am, Luca. I’m your capo. Stare at me like that again, and I’ll take your eyes myself. Office. Now.”

He left without another word.

Xander’s sharp gaze locked on Luca.
Xander: “I swear, if you can’t control your temper, stay the hell away from her. Or else.”

Xavier: “You did wrong. She cried because of you.” He snapped, his voice laced with disappointment, before walking out.

Luca stiffened, guilt crashing over him.

Finally, Ethan spoke, his voice stern but heavy with disappointment.
Ethan: “I warned you, Luca. I expected better. Apologize to her. Properly. Or you’ll lose her for good.”

He turned and left Luca alone in the hall.

Luca ran a frustrated hand through his hair, the weight of his actions crashing down on him. For the first time, he realized just how badly he had hurt the very sister he swore to protect.

________________________________________

Lily lay sprawled on her bed, phone in hand, aimlessly scrolling through reels. Each clip played without really sinking in—her mind was still replaying the dining hall chaos.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. She sighed in annoyance and called out, “Coming.”

The door creaked open and Ethan stepped in, his usual calm aura filling the room.
Ethan (softly): “Lily… are you alright?”

Her reply was flat, clipped.
Lily: “Yes.”

Ethan let out a quiet sigh and sat down at the edge of her bed, keeping a careful distance.
Ethan: “I’m sorry… for what happened downstairs. For what Luca did. We’re not trying to control your life, Lily—we’re trying to protect you.”

Lily’s eyes flicked up from her phone, cold and questioning.
Lily: “Protect me? Who even are you guys, huh? You just suddenly show up and act like you have the right to tell me how to live.”

The words stung, but Ethan didn’t flinch. He nodded slowly, as though he’d been expecting them.
Ethan: “I know… I know how it must feel. But, Lily… you’re part of our family now.”

Her lips curled bitterly.
Lily: “This isn’t family.”

The words cut deep. Ethan’s chest tightened, but he forced a faint smile to mask the hurt. Lily noticed the flicker of pain in his eyes, and guilt tugged at her.

After a long silence, she whispered, “Can I ask you something?”

Ethan: “Anything.”

Lily: “Why do you act like you care about me?”

Ethan’s gaze softened, his lips curving into a gentle smile.
Ethan: “Because we really do. Lily… Luca doesn’t know how to control his anger. After you left, he… changed. He doesn’t know how to show love the right way. But believe me, he loves you more than anything. Not just Luca—we all do. He just shows it in the only way he knows, and that comes out as anger. He’s terrified of losing you again. Because if you ever leave one more time…”

Ethan’s voice faltered, his eyes shadowed with fear. “…then he’ll break even more. Not just him—all of us.”

Lily’s fingers tightened around her phone. Her heart wavered, but doubt still clouded her trust. Ethan noticed the hesitation in her eyes, the invisible wall she still held up.

He leaned closer, his voice quiet but steady.
Ethan: “Don’t worry. We won’t rush you. We’ll earn your trust, piece by piece. Whatever it takes.”

For a moment, silence hung between them—fragile, uncertain. Then Ethan hesitated, almost unsure if he should speak.
Ethan: “Lily… can I hug you?”

Her body stiffened instantly. She shook her head quickly.
Lily: “…No.”

Ethan’s smile faltered, but he caught himself, forcing a gentle laugh to soften the rejection.
Ethan: “Alright. You’re torturing me, you know that?” he teased weakly, though his voice carried a faint sadness.

He stood, smoothing his shirt, and gave her a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Ethan: “Call me if you need anything… anything at all.”

Lily only nodded. Ethan lingered for a second longer before walking out, the soft click of the door leaving her in silence.

Alone again, Lily dropped her phone onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. A knot of guilt tightened in her chest. She replayed his expression—the way his smile had dimmed when she refused.