Coffee Date Round Two

Lily looked up at the cafe name above the door, "The Brew Haven." It was the same place she had asked Emilia to meet before all of this craziness started. They both loved this place and it had become a common meeting spot for them. She wondered if Zach had actually met Emilia here that day. She never heard anything from Emilia about missing it so she figured he must have. It annoyed her that Zach had stolen that whole week of her life from her but she couldn't do anything about that now.

She sighed as she walked into the small coffee shop. It's was a charming, vintage-inspired space with a warm and inviting atmosphere. The walls are adorned with exposed brick and reclaimed wood, giving it a rustic, cozy feel. Soft, mismatched lighting hangs from the ceiling, casting a warm glow over the worn, leather sofas and armchairs scattered throughout the shop. The aroma of freshly ground coffee beans fills Lily's nose along with the sweet scent of pastries displayed in a glass case.

Lily ordered her usual, a large chai latte with almond milk and extra sugar, along with Emilia's much more bland medium chai latte no sweetener at all and whole milk. Bleh.

She found a nice open table by the window and sat down waiting for Emilia. She couldn't help but moan in delight as she took her first sip of her latte, the warmth and sweetness enveloping her senses. She loved this place, the atmosphere, the comfort. It was almost like a small home away from home. It gave Lily a nice sense of normalcy, something she craved after the past few weeks.

As if on cue, Emilia walked through the door, her face lighting up with a smile when she saw Lily. She hurried over to the table, her heels clicking on the wooden floor. "Hey sis, still can't get enough of this spot? Had to come right back even though we met here last time?" Emilia asked, draping her coat over the back of her chair before sitting down across from Lily. "Oh, looks like you got my favorite. Thanks so much!" Emilia practically squealed looking at the chai latte sitting in front of her.

Lily smiled, noting how normal Emilia seemed. No signs of Zach at all, no odd facial expressions or strange mannerisms. Just her sister, cheerful and full of life. But Lily had picked the window seat for a reason. Very nonchalantly, she turned her head to look out the window, getting a good view of her sister's reflection in the glass. There she was; Emilia, smiling, sipping her latte, her eyes sparkling with joy. And thankfully, her face was her own. No sign of Zach's grotesque grin or cold, dead eyes.

Lily sighed in relief, turning her attention back to her sister. "Yeah, I just really love this place. It's like a little haven away from the crazy world," she said, taking another sip of her latte. She knew she had to be careful, to not let Emilia think anything was off. It broke her heart to hold back everything from her sister, but she knew Emilia had to discover everything on her own. That was the only way she'd ever believe Lily.

"So, how have you been, Lil? I don't think I've seen you since last time we were here," Emilia said, stirring her chai latte with the tiny spoon provided. She looked up at Lily, her eyes filled with genuine interest. Lily looked down at her own latte very clearly remembering the last time she saw Emilia.

But she **** a smile, her mind racing with all the things she couldn't say. The two sisters had in fact been around each other, multiple times aparently, but both times one of them had been serving as Zach's mount. "I've been okay, just busy with work and stuff," she said, trying to keep her voice light. "What about you? How have things been with you and Ethan?" Lily asked, trying to sound casual.

"Really good, actually. I mean, we've been a little busy but it's been good. And I'm so glad that you two are getting along better," Emilia said.

"What do you mean?" Lily asked, suddenly feeling thrown off guard.

Emilia just looked slightly puzzled. "What? That's what you said last time we were here. That you and Ethan had been working through your differences. That is still a thing right?"

Lily felt a pang of uncertainty and annoyance as she realized Zach must have come up with that bullshit when he met Emilia last time. It was so strange to Lily that she kept forgetting that. She may have been gone that entire week but her body was very much present. Zach had been her, talking, laughing, eating as her. Hell, he'd even been shitting as her.

He'd been here. In this exact spot, sitting across from Emilia discussing how much "better" things had gotten between her and Ethan that day. It was a feeling Lily could not get used to but she had to keep reminding herself that it was all in the past. "Oh, right," Lily said, forcing a smile. "No, Ethan and I are good. Just working on our....communication and stuff." She took a sip of her latte, the sweet liquid coating her throat and tasting like comfort.

Emilia smiled, her eyes softening. "I'm glad to hear that. And hey you look a lot better now then you did then too. Baggy clothes don't suit you, girl."

Lily needed to change the topic, she could only deal with learning about the details of Zach's time in her body. "Yeah, I was feeling a little different last time. But don't worry, I'm back to my old self now," Lily said, giving her sister a reassuring smile.

They spent the next few minutes catching up on each other's lives, discussing work and friends and everything in between. Emilia talked about a new class she was excited to teach at the university, and Lily talked about a new project she was starting at work. It felt normal, just two sisters catching up over coffee, with no dark secrets lurking in the shadows. But Lily knew she needed to get to the point, at least keep her plan moving forward. Then they could go back to regular old girl talk.

"So listen, Em. I need to ask a favor from you," Lily began, lowering her voice to let her sister know this was serious.

Emilia raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "Of course, anything. What's up?" she asked, her voice soft but eager.

Lily took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest. "Look, I decided to install security cameras in my apartment. You know, for safety and all that. But more specifically I keep feeling like things aren't in the place I left them. Like someone's moved them. But the doors are always locked when I get back and there's no sign of **** entry" Lily said, trying to keep her voice casual. "I figured the cameras would let me check in on the place every now and then while I am gone to make sure everything is normal, you know? I downloaded this app that lets me watch the cameras live from my phone, but work has kept me so busy that I barely ever do. And then I'm exhausted when I get home and never watch the recordings. Would you mind checking in on them every now and then? I'll give you the password. I just want an extra set of eyes but it has to be someone I trust."

Emilia waved her hand dismissively. "Of course, Lil. I don't mind at all. I'm glad you're taking security seriously. But that's pretty weird that things are getting moved around in your place," Emilia said, a hint of concern in her voice.

Lily gave her sister a small smile, playing up the worried act. She knew adding this extra bit of detail would get Emilia to take it seriously. "Yeah I know, right? It's been really weird. I've been finding things in weird places, like my kitchen salt was in the fridge the other day. Who does that? And the weirdest part is, I swear I'm not the one doing it. I mean, maybe I'm sleepwalking or something."

Emilia's eyebrows furrowed, and she leaned in closer. "That is really weird, Lil. Have you talked to anyone about this?"

Lily shook her head. "I mean I just now noticed and I guess that's why I'm talking to you," Lily shrugged. "Oddly enough, it seems like it happens more after a night of drinking."

Emilia arched her eyebrows in the typical big sister way. "Seriously, you had me worried for a second. You're probably just getting drunk as hell and can't remember rearranging your kitchen. I keep telling you to take it a little easier," Emilia said, a hint of relief in her voice.

Lily **** a laugh, trying to sound as if she was joking. "Yeah, probably. I mean, who knows what I get up to when I'm drunk, right?" She shook her head, as if shaking off the thought. "But hey, that's why I want you to check the cameras. Actually, my friend's 30th is this friday. We're probably going to be drinking pretty heavy. Would you mind logging in that night to see if I am actually just sleep walking? Maybe you'll catch my drunken antics on film. It could be entertaining," she added, trying to lighten the mood. But Lily knew what Emilia would find and it would be much much worse than her sister simply just stumbling around from a heavy night of drinking.

Emilia rolled her eyes. "Yes of course, you dim witted drunk. I'll check the cameras on Friday. But if I see you doing anything weird, I'm sending the footage straight to Mom," Emilia teased, grinning at her sister.

Lily laughed, grateful for the lighthearted banter. "Deal. But hey, can you make sure to check in around 11 PM or so? I'm usually back by then," Lily said, trying to keep her voice casual.

Emilia nodded. "Got it. 11 PM on Friday."