Finally, Clarity

Emilia didn't bother knocking, instead simply using the spare key Lily bestowed upon her and walking right in. She wasn't even sure if Lily was functioning enough to get up and open the door. But to her surprise, Lily was up. Sitting on the edge of her bed. Emilia's heart ached as she took in the sight of her sister. Lily had put on a basic white tank top, it's fabric hugging her abused curves. She was the embodiment of the typical morning after look. Her hair was a mess of tangled curls, and her makeup was smeared across her face, giving her a raccoon-like appearance around her eyes. But even with all that, she still managed to look stunning.

Emilia walked over to the bed, her heels clicking against the hardwood floor. She sat down next to her sister, her eyes scanning over Lily's body, taking in all the subtle signs of the night's events. The red mark on her neck, the faint bruises on her thighs, the lingering scent of sex that clung to her skin.

"Sup, sis," Lily croaked, breaking the silence but not looking at her sister in the eyes. Emilia didn't hesitate, wrapping her arms around Lily and pulling her into a tight hug. She could feel her sister's body tense under the touch, but she held on anyway.

"Are you okay?" Emilia asked softly, her voice tight with emotion. Lily pulled away, her eyes finally meeting Emilia's. She saw the concern there, the pain, and the anger. Emilia saw concentration in her sister's eyes. Clearly Lily wasn't sure what she'd seen or how she would react. "Lily, I saw everything. I know you'd never do any of that willingly. Are you okay?"

Emilia watched as the stress behind Lily's eyes washed away, only to be replaced with pure sadness. It was like a dam of stress, lies, and secrets had finally been broken and the tears poured out.

"No, I'm not okay," Lily admitted quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked down at her hands, which were fidgeting with the hem of her tank top. "I'm so not okay. I'm so, so sorry, Emilia."

Emilia reached out, cupping Lily's cheek in her hand. She **** her sister to look up at her, their eyes locking. "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to apologize," Emilia said softly, her thumb brushing away a tear that had spilled over onto Lily's cheek. "I should be the one apologizing. I'm so sorry that this happened to you, Lil. I ignored the signs."

Lily shook her head, her eyes filled with tears. "It's not your fault, Em. You can't control what he does. But I should have told you sooner. I should have told you when I first found out. I just...I knew you wouldn't believe me unless you saw it for yourself," Lily said, her voice shaking with emotion. "I'm just so sorry that you had to see that, Em. That you had to see... me like that." Emilia's heart ached for her sister. She pulled Lily into another hug, holding her tightly as they both cried.

The two sisters sat like that for some time. Emilia let Lily cry it out, her tears soaking into the shoulder of Emilia's blouse. She murmured soothing words into her sister's ear, stroking her hair gently. "It's okay, Lil. I've got you."

Eventually, Lily's sobs quieted down to hiccups, and she pulled away, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. Her eyes red and swollen. "So ummm, your husband's kind of a dick," Lily mustered, a weak smile crossed her face.

Emilia chuckled softly, pulling Lily into another hug. "Yeah, no shit. But we'll get through this together, okay? Now let's get you cleaned up," Emilia said, her voice filled with determination. Lily nodded, sniffling softly.

***********

Lily stepped out of the bathroom and back into her apartment. She had once again had to clean herself up after being used as a chew toy by Ethan and Zach. She didn't want to think about it. But maybe this time had been worth it. Emilia was finally in the loop. While she had to exlplain some of the details, for the most part, Emilia had connected most of the dots on her own. Call it older sister intuition or maybe just a lifetime of dealing with Ethan, but it had not taken much for Lily to get Emilia up to speed. And it appeared to her like Emilia was taking it well. Lily loved her sister for that. There wasn't a hint of weakness or pity in Emilia's eyes, only strength and support.

Emilia had tried to tell Lily what she saw on the camera but Lily had stopped her. She really didn't need to know. She could feel the....residue of last night's events still leaking out of her. She didn't want to know, didn't need to know. Emilia was here and that's all that mattered.

"So what now," Lily asked, feeling relieved that she wasn't alone in this fight anymore. Emilia sat at the kitchen table with two cups of freshly brewed coffee.

"Well, honestly I don't know. But I've got a few ideas," Emilia said, as she pulled the chair out next to her and beckoned Lily to have a seat.

Lily sat down next to her sister, the warm glow of her open style apartment filling the room. She took a sip of her coffee, letting the warmth of the liquid coursing through her body. It was helping to soothe her frayed nerves. She couldn't help but smile as she saw just how determined Emilia was to end all of this. And for the first time in months Lily felt like she wasn't alone.