Shout out to last chapter's voters: @Grace_greys13 @Nupursachdeva_11 @Amiva0402 @kjlawler @jueka1 @themckenziefrenzy @blairriskool

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'Lily-duty' Tristan was calling it. Each day on my way home from work, I made sure to drop in to check on her. She had kicked me out, stating she'd be fine, after the first night I had stayed with her when Cory left.

A week on, the spark was still gone from her eyes, which is why I insisted seeing her once a day.

We didn't do much. I'd bring her a chocolate frappe from Maccas and tell her every stupid story from work that day while she'd nod and smile every now and then. But ghosts haunted her gaze as I knew she continued to beat herself up for what happened.

Just after Cory had left and I walked into that house, she was curled up on the floor. I could almost see her heart laying on the ground as she sobbed out her pain.

"I need to fix this," Lily had said to me. "I need to bring him back."

I nodded and told her we'd get there, but for now she just needed to reflect and feel the ramifications of her actions.

Today, I knew I was earlier than she'd expect me. Feeling a little nauseous, I had asked to go home early. But the moment I got in my car, the feeling had passed, so I headed straight to Lily's, not wanting to go back into work.

What I didn't expect when I turned into her driveway was someone else's car to be parked there.

Gaze going over the beat-up 2005 Mitsubishi Outlander, I narrowed my eyes at the unrecognisable number plate.

Heading straight up to the door, I didn't even knock as I jiggled it open.

"Hey, Lils, whose car—" But my voice caught in my throat as they pulled apart from each other.

A boy with short brown hair and the most handsomest face I had ever seen stared back at me.

"Who's..." I stupidly started to ask, but then it kicked in. Who else would Lily be kissing if it wasn't Cory? "Tyler, I presume?" I asked, voice flat.

"You must be Casey," he replied, grin spreading across his face. And my gosh, that boy could melt any heart with that smile. His charm oozed off him, bouncing around the small space, even making my heart flicker a moment.

Shaking my head, I hissed in my mind, Casey! Get a grip on yourself and remember you're with Tristan!

But then he held a hand out to me to shake. As I slipped my hand in his and his eyes met mine, a flash of locking my own lips to his plush ones entered my mind and—

I immediately retracted my hand from his, shaking my head once more. I was starting to understand how Lily had been tempted...

Remembering where I was and what I had walked into, I accusingly turned my stare to Lily, who looked up at me sheepishly.

"Mind explaining what's going on here?" I demanded.

"Please don't tell him," Lily whispered.

"By him I assume you mean the father of those babies?" My eyes flickered to Tyler, as though to warn him. But the tinge of sadness in his eyes caused by Lily's sudden worry for Cory stopped my heart. I wanted to make Tyler's pain go away. I wanted to pull him into my arms and—

CASEY! my conscience screamed at me.

"Please," Lily pleaded.

I gave her a short nod then turned back to Tyler, this time not caving in those dreamy eyes that blinked back at me. "You should leave. We need to talk about you."

Biting his lip, he turned back to Lily. She shook her head at him and he nodded. Then he picked up his bag and exited the house.

Walking over to the window, I peered through the blinds as I watched him start his car, not turning back to face my best friend until his vehicle had disappeared from my sight.

"Seriously, Lily?" I accused as I turned back to her. "I guess you changed your mind on winning Cory back?"

The vacant stare I had seen in her eyes the past week returned, as she looked up at me. "I have to win him back."

I scoffed. "Really? And do you think you'll achieve that by sticking your tongue down that devilishly handsome man's... I mean, some other dude's throat?"

A flicker of amusement passed her face as she realised I too saw the charm in him. But I wasn't letting her off. I had assigned myself as Lily's reality check enforcer and if she was certain on fixing things with Cory, then this was certainly not going to achieve that.

"Why was he here?" I pressed, sitting down next to her.

"He, um... Noticed I wasn't in class today because I was at the ultrasound."

"So let me get this straight. You go check up on those babies in you with Cory by your side, then the moment you get home you hook up with some other guy?"

"He's not some other guy... he's Tyler," she whispered. But that was the only excuse she seemed to have for me. Groaning, she fell back against the couch, pregnant stomach protruding from her shirt slightly. Nothing against Lily because she was gorgeous, but how does a guy who looks like that want to be with a pregnant lady?

"Are you addicted to him or something? Does his saliva have some form of drug in it?"

"I think so... I keep telling myself this will be the last time and then he looks at me like that and..." She groaned.

"Wait, wait, wait... Keep telling yourself?"

Biting her lip, she refused to meet my eyes.

"How often have you seen him since Cory left, Lily?"

She shook her head.

"Tell me. You know we talked about how you can't bottle these things up. How you need someone to remind you—"

"He's been here every day, okay? Before you show up..."

"Everyday? Just before I... My gosh, Lily. So are you sad when I come here because you've lost Cory or just because you miss Tyler?"

"Both?"

I clenched my jaw as I took steady breaths, trying to not shout my next sentence at her. "You know you have to pick, right? You can't make it up to Cory and be making out with Tyler."

"I pick Cory," she whispered.

"Yeah? Because that's not what it looked like when I walked in."

"I just..."

"Lily. End it with Tyler today. If you don't, I will tell Cory. I won't hide this for you. As I've told you, Tristan is my boyfriend and he's Cory's best friend and I can't—"

"I know," she whispered. "I know. I'll end it," she said. But I could hear the lack of conviction in her tone.

"How was she today?" Tristan asked.

My heart squeezed tightly at his question. I didn't want to lie to Tristan. Our relationship was built on our trust and we hadn't broken it yet. As he wove his arms around me, pulling me close for a hug, I felt another throb in my chest before I squeezed out, "Yeah... good and bad."

As long as I avoided mentioning what I saw... it wouldn't be lying, right? If I told him, he'd certainly tell Cory.

Apparently I was convincing enough. As he pulled back and pushed my hair behind my ears, kissing the tip of nose, he said, "And how was the ultrasound? Cory said he and Lily had a good moment today."

Fucking Lily... I thought, mad that she left that part out.

"Yeah, she said it was good."

Tristan's brows furrowed as my wall of lies began to crack. "Everything okay, Case?"

I nodded. "Never better."

"And there's nothing you need to tell me about Lily?"

I opened my mouth to shut it down, but then clamped shut. I couldn't lie to him. But I couldn't tell him the truth because Lily was my best friend.

"It's okay," he said after a while of me opening and closing my mouth. "If you can't tell me then you can't. I trust you. Just... don't let her hurt my friend while making sure her heart doesn't hurt."

I nodded, burying myself back into his chest. How did he always get what was bothering me? How did we fit together so perfectly? "I just don't know how to support her while dealing with what I think is right and wrong," I admitted. "While knowing that Cory is our friend too..."

I knew he wanted to press further, but instead he took a deep breath and avoided whatever question burned behind his eyes as he looked at me. "You just need to be there for her, Case. Lily started all this because she feels lonely and like everyone just sees her as mother-to-be, right?"

Shrugging, I replied, "That's what she said."

"Then just be the friend there for her. Don't think about the kids. Don't think about me and Cory. Just be there so she can unashamedly confess her thoughts and feelings without having to be judged or fear it will get out."

"Okay," I whispered. But a part of me wasn't just feeling guilty because I was hiding what Lily was doing from people who'd get hurt. Another part of me was worried that I myself would hurt Tristan. Because why had my heart moved like that over Tyler?

Happy Monday and 1st of November everyone! (Still Halloween right now for most of you I presume).

Because I'm curious, in-line vote here: Do you want Cory and Lily back together?

Fun announcement: I just uploaded the cover and blurb for my Christmas story so you can add it to your reading lists. 31 Days of Christmas will have one chapter coming out each day of December and will focus on the story of Zara (who we met in Jojo's chapter), but also contains our beloved Jojo as a side character. There may be some easter eggs hinting to this story in that one ;) I'm avoiding 'spoilers' but it is set a year and a half on from where we are at now in Positive 2: The Bump. Make sure you check out the blurb of my new story and add it to your reading list so you know when it's updated! (I'll leave a link in the in-line comment here)

Anyway, next chapter of Positive 2 will be out Friday (my time).