She turns her back to me to decorate the cupcakes and Olivia hops up on the table. Her mom throws her a dissatisfied look, but she doesn’t say anything.

“How did you guys meet?”

And that’s the first question of many. Fortunately, I have an answer for all of them and Lorelai seems happy. Our relationship must seem like a love story from their point of view. And that’s how I’m presenting it to her.

I feel sad that there will come a time when she’ll find out the truth. I guess it’s good that I won’t be here when it happens.

The day passes quickly after we finish decorating the cupcakes. I even learn how to play Mortal Kombat. I lost the first three matches and I won the fourth. I think Elias let me beat him. Mortal Kombat is not my cup of tea.

As the fun fades away, Elias and I get closer to being left alone. We say goodnight to the others, I grab my overnight bag from the hallway and Elias guides me to a room upstairs. He opens the door and flicks the lights on.

I’m surprised to see his childhood bedroom looks like this. It’s not childish at all. His bed is centered, leaving space for a vast wardrobe and a couple of tables that are mostly covered in plants. It looks aesthetically pleasing.

Clean and white with a bit of green.

He clears his throat and I realize I’m standing in his way. I step aside. As soon as he enters the room, he grabs a pillow and a blanket from the closet and puts them on the floor beside the bed.

I don’t know how to react to that or what to make of it, so I just gesture with my thumb that I’m going to the bathroom to change. He nods, continuing to arrange his improvised bed.

I remove my makeup and lenses, strip off my clothes, take my pills, and put on my Winnie the Pooh pajamas. In the mirror, I see a completely broken girl. She looks so tired.

Shaking everything off with a fuck it to my reflection, I open the bathroom door. Elias is already on the floor, tucked under the blanket, his arms below his head, gazing at the ceiling.

“Hi,” he says, without looking at me.

“Hi.”

I sit on the enormous bed and wrap myself in the cover.

“I think this is big enough for both of us if you want to sleep here,” I suggest. The floor looks uncomfortable and the bed is huge.

“Nah. I’m good. I want you to sleep comfortably.”

I open my mouth to say something, but change my mind. It seems like all my words are getting caught in my throat, blocking anything from getting out.