Liar

Chapter 2 - Liar

Lilith

A light knock at my bedroom door stirred me from my sleep. My eyes felt heavy, and my body content as I wrapped myself up like a cocoon in my blankets, keeping the warmth around me. I let out a grunt of an acknowledgement as another knock at the door filled the silence of my room.

"Lil, time to get up. We have to leave soon." My father said softly, his deep voice vibrating through the door. Suddenly I remembered where I was and what today meant for me. I burrowed myself further into the blankets wondering why I decided to come at all.

'Because it was the right thing to do.' The tiny voice in my head answered.

But was it, though? Was it okay for me to attend the funeral of someone I didn't like? Was it alright to pretend to be mournful when in reality, I felt angry at my sister for dying and leaving me to clean up her mess and try to fill her shoes? 

"Lilith," My father said more sternly this time. I let out a sigh, flinging my comforter off of myself. I instantly regretted the action as the cold air wrapped around me, making my skin pebble. I fought a shiver as I placed my bare feet on the fur rug, my toes curling into the soft fabric. 

I pushed myself off of my bed and opened my bedroom door. My father stood in front of me, leaning against the door frame, a fresh cup of coffee in his hand, the steam swirling around the brim of the mug calling to me.

My father's onyx hair was perfectly styled, his face freshly shaven. He looked almost normal, like his old self. If it weren't for the dark circle under his green eyes, then he would have had everyone fooled. I was the spitting image of my father, right down to the freckles, long black hair and green eyes. Eve and I were like night and day; she took after my mother, blonde hair, brown eyes, and. A beauty that everyone aimed for. 

My father's eyes roamed over me as he forced a smile on his lips, taking in my dishevelled hair and the mess of a bed behind me.

"Seems you slept well," He teased, trying his hardest to lighten the mood. That was my dad though even in the worst of circumstances, he still tried to make everyone else smile. I couldn't shame him for it; it was one of the many things I loved about him, despite all the times he chose Eve's side instead of my own. 

I rolled my eyes, grabbing the cup of coffee from his hand and taking a large gulp. The flavour made my tastebuds stand on end as the sweet taste of caffeine was absorbed into my bloodstream, instantly making me feel a little warmer as the hot liquid travelled down my throat. 

"Black just like my soul, thanks, dad." I joked. He huffed out a laugh, shaking his head. His hands moved to the cufflinks of his suit as he adjusted them. 

"Get dressed, Lil. We leave in an hour." 

The church was packed, everyone in town coming together to mourn the loss of an important pinnacle member of the community. 

If only they really knew what she was like. I thought to myself.

'Not the time.' The little voice inside warned.

I stood at the front of the room, my hands tightly gripping the edges of the podium, turning my knuckle white. Sniffling and muffled cries filled the otherwise silent room. All eyes were focused on me. My mouth felt dry; no matter how much water I drank, I couldn't get rid of that tight feeling inside my chest.

Why I had agreed to speak for my sister was a question I would never have the answer to. Maybe it was because it was supposed to be the right thing to do or because even though I hated my sister, I knew my parents needed this; the people needed to believe that I loved her. But, even with that reasoning, it still felt wrong.

I let out a deep breath, my eyes flickering to the photo of Eve sitting on an easel covered in white roses in front of her casket. She wore her graduation cap in the photo, her blonde hair perfectly styled, and a smile spread across her tanned skin, making her eyes that much more enchanting. 

I turned my attention back to the crowd, letting out another deep breath.

"Eve was someone many people looked up to." I started, my voice coming out shaky.

'Not me, though.' I thought to myself.

"She lit up any room she entered, instantly brightening everyone's mood. She worked hard at everything she did."

'Including making my life a living hell.' I added to my internal thoughts. I turned to look at my sister's casket again, just wanting to get out of here and get away from this place.

"You will be greatly missed by everyone." I paused, the lie burning my throat like acid.

"But most of all… most of all, I will miss you. I love you, Eve, and I hope you are watching over all of us." I moved away from the podium and took my seat beside my parents. My mother grabbed my hand and squeezed it as an act of support. I squeezed hers back, knowing she needed it more than I did.

The priest closed the ceremony, and we all followed behind Eve's casket as it was brought outside. The cold air whipped around us as we all huddled together, as her casket was lowered into her final resting place. My mother threw her white rose on top of my sister's casket. My father doing the same, and then myself. Everyone gave their last goodbye before walking away. 

"Everyone is heading back to our house for food and drinks." My mother said as she moved beside me; I nodded. 

"I think I might walk back home, to just get a moment to myself before being surrounded by more people." My mother gave me a tight-lipped smile, eyeing my father for backup, but he just shook his head. 

"They still haven't caught the person responsible-" My mother tried to argue.

"It's the middle of the day, mom. I'll be fine, I promise." I retorted, her eyes were red and puffy, but still, she managed to narrow them at me.

"We will meet you back at the house. Call if you change your mind and I'll come pick you up." My father cut in. I nodded, not saying anything else, as I turned away from my parents and headed further into the small town that had been part of my life for so long. 

I rounded the corner, my eyes down casted as I looked at the leaves crunching beneath my boots. The cold air made my cheeks sting, and my nose turn pink. I stuffed my hands in my coat pocket, shielding them from the cold. 

Only two more days and I would be home. I could handle two more days.

I felt like I collided with a wall as I smashed headfirst into something. My arms pulling out to catch myself just as a large hand wrapped around the small of my back, supporting me. I gasped, looking up at a god of man before me. It was truly sinful how beautiful he was. His sharp jawline and perfect skin looked almost unnatural, a lock of his dark brown hair falling across his forehead. I swore his eyes were red before he blinked down at me, returning to their golden brown. The corner of his mouth tipped up into a dangerous smile, revealing his perfectly white teeth.

"You should really watch where you're going, Lilith. You never know what kind of monsters you might run into if you aren't careful." My heart stopped in my chest as I stepped back from this man, a person I had never met before.

How did he know my name?

'He was clearly at the funeral,' The voice reminded me, and I decided to agree with it for one. It was a small town, and he would have run into Eve at some point. He was clearly a newer resident of Teveil.

His hand dropped to his side before he shoved it back into his pant pocket. He wore a simple suit, but it was tailored to fit his body perfectly, outlining every single muscle. I cleared my throat, trying to remember what he had said to me just moments ago.

"Monsters aren't real," I whispered. His eyes lit up with amusement as he watched me, something about his gaze seeming all too animalistic. He looked at me as if I was his prey, his next meal. He let out a deep chuckle, sending a thrill up my spine.

"Oh love, monsters are real, and they look like people."