#lula|interaction.

"can we put aside everything for a second and just talk like normal people?"

"you should know before this goes any further that i can't commit to anything serious — much less a relationship."

“when were you going to tell me you were seeing someone? i thought i was the first person you told about that stuff.” lula tries, and fails, not to sound hurt as she asks the question. pulls her lower lip between her teeth and rubs it back and forth for a moment before shrugging. “i was just surprised, is all.”

“gabi…” lula felt an awful lot like someone approaching a cornered dog, even if she was the one who’d been effectively jumped in this situation. “what was i supposed to do? keep in touch and give myself away?” she knew that she’d been lucky in getting away and wasn’t willing to do anything to jeopardise that. including reaching out for friendly chit-chat with gabi. "of course i wondered about you this whole time..."

lula doesn’t know what to do, evidently underprepared for the ambush. “i didn’t think i’d ever see you again,” she admits, since really she’s tried to do her best to make sure that would be the case. she didn’t need her past trying to haunt her. briar feels like a ghost sat in her living room. “i couldn’t keep in touch. it would’ve been suspicious.”

“the party…” forgive lula for the vacant look that she gives him, but behind the glazed look in her eyes her entire world is imploding. she’s been so careful. so meticulous. curating the picture perfect life that she feels she deserves to live. sleeping with someone her fiancé knows (and is likely related to given this is mostly a family meet-n-greet)? it has the potential to ruin everything. “christ—” she raises a hand up to her forehead, temples already starting to throb. “how do you know him?” better get the logistics out of the way quickly, right?

"—and that's why i'm never letting you set me up with one of your friends again. what a total fucking bust," lula sighed, draining off the last of her drink before tapping her fingers against the side of her glass. a stray drop of the liquor had made it to the outside, which she promptly swiped up and brought the digit to her mouth. "seriously, where do you find these people?"

“and what happens after the date, kian? you tell me how great of a time you’ve had, how you’d love to see me again?” presumptuous, sure. however lula feels like she could have a good idea about what might happen. to stop things becoming weird she decides to take it from a teasing angle. “come on, don’t you like what we have? aren’t you worried about bringing dates into the mix and ruining it? i’m a high maintenance girl, you know. i wouldn’t want to put you off me.”