Chapter 7 - The Confession.

                                    

                                          
Lily's mum said her goodbyes as she needed to head home, before she went, she had one request,
"Can we get a picture together?"
Lily's mom asked, her voice full of warmth. Demi nodded eagerly, stepping closer to the older woman. They both posed, smiling brightly for the camera. As soon as the flash went off, Lily's mom gave them both a quick hug and kiss on the cheek before heading out the door. Demi needed to do one more thing,
"Wait up!" Demi shouted, running out of the door,
"What? Have I left something." Lily's mum turned around with a curious expression on her face. Demi smiled, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.
"I noticed you were wearing some of my merch and I happen to have a pen on me!" Demi said, holding up a black sharpie. Lily's mom smiled and accepted it, Demi writing her signature on the shirt.
"That's so sweet of you, dear. You take good care of my Lily, you hear?" she said, giving Demi's hand a gentle squeeze. Demi nodded, feeling a warmth spread through her chest.
Back inside the apartment, Lily was pouring them both a cup of tea. "So, what do you want to do now?" she asked, sitting down on the couch next to Demi. The two of them sipped their tea in comfortable silence for a moment, enjoying each other's company.
As Demi took another sip of her tea, she felt a lump forming in her throat. She didn't want to tell Lily this thought yet, but she needed to. She needed her best friend to know. She took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled. "There's something I need to tell you, Lil," she said, her voice slightly shaky.
Lily set her tea down on the coffee table and turned to face Demi. "What is it? You can tell me anything, you know that."
Demi swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry. She wanted to say it, but the words seemed to catch in her throat. Finally, she forced them out: "I um.. I might be umm.. yknow like... umm... what's the word... Bi?"
Lily's eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment she didn't say anything. Then, she reached out and took Demi's hand in hers. "Oh, Demi," she said softly.
Demi felt a mix of emotions: relief that she'd finally said it, fear of what Lily's reaction might be, and hope that her best friend would understand. She squeezed Lily's hand back, grateful for her friend's support.
Lily took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Oh, Demi," she repeated, her voice full of warmth and understanding. "I'm so glad you told me." She paused, thinking for a moment. "And... I mean, I'm a lesbian, so you know I'd take it well." She trailed off, blushing a little.
Demi felt a wave of relief wash over her. Of course Lily would understand. They'd been through so much together, they knew each other inside and out. She squeezed Lily's hand, feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude for her friend. "I'm so glad you understand," she said, her voice shaking with emotion. "I mean, I know you're lesbian and everything, but I just... I wanted you to know. I don't want anything to change between us."
"Like I've been thinking about it for a bit. I'm still not fully sure, still kinda in denial yknow.."
Lily smiled, squeezing Demi's hand reassuringly. "That's okay. Take your time. I'm here for you, no matter what." She paused, then added, "And... if you ever want to talk about it more, or just talk about how you're feeling... I'm here for that too."
They sat in silence for a moment, lost in their own thoughts, before Lily spoke up. "So, what do you want to do tonight? I've got some alcohol." They both smirked at each other, the two used to drink together when they were 18.
"You know I can't drink as much as I used to," Demi said with a laugh, remembering the countless times they had gotten wasted together. "I need to be careful now. I'm in the best shape of my life, after all."