After planting a deep and passionate kiss on Elijah's lips, Meredith got out of bed – his bed. She looked at the messy sheets, unable to suppress her smile. They'd just had wild sex.

She loved having sex – with him. She felt practically addicted to fucking him.

“I wish you could stay longer,” he whispered, nibbling on her shoulder as she picked up her clothes. She grimaced when she found her thong hanging on the lampshade.

She held her breath.

She felt the same.

She wanted to be with him the whole night and wake with him the next morning. She thought it would feel so damn good to be in his arms.

“Me too,” she answered, blushing. She was embarrassed at the confession, but she thought it wouldn't be so bad to be more vocal about her feelings. They’d seen each other naked, what more was there to hide?

When Elijah nibbled her earlobe, she moaned as the sensations started overwhelming her. It was almost three in the morning and she needed to get out of there while everybody else was still asleep.

She knew she couldn't be seen.

“Elijah,” she whimpered in protest as she started melting in his arms again. “Please, I have to go. I’m afraid people will see me if I leave a little late.”

“I’m sorry,” she murmured apologetically.

“No, Meredith. I’m sorry. All of this sneaking around is because of me,” he said before walking toward the bathroom door. “I’ll just take a shower. I don’t want to see you leave. Be careful when you go out.”

She nodded in response and continued getting dressed.

Checking her reflection in the mirror, she made sure she didn’t look too disheveled. Because no matter what happened, she wouldn't let her appearance give her away.

She couldn't afford to be found out.

When she finally thought she looked respectable, she headed out. She was careful to look at her surroundings first before darting out of Elijah's room. She moved rapidly at first, but slowed her pace when she thought she was far enough away. Walking too fast would surely look suspicious.

“Meredith?” said a familiar voice, making her close her eyes and hold her breath. What was she doing up at this hour?

Turning on her heels, she saw Ava. She didn't bother asking her why she was still up. Her gym clothes were explanation enough.

“Ava!” she said, feigning surprise.

“What are you doing up? It’s late,” Ava asked, eyeing her from head to toe.

Her heart raced, but she controlled her breathing. She didn’t need to feel nervous. She knew she looked normal.

“I went for a walk,” she lied with a smile.

“At this hour?” Ava’s eyes narrowed.

“Yeah,” she answered with a nod, leading the way toward their bedrooms. They were in the same wing of the hotel.

“Is something bothering you?” Ava looked worried.

Meredith shrugged, feeling guilty for lying to her friend. But she didn’t have a choice. She had to do it to protect Elijah’s image.

“Just family stuff,” she lied again.

“Oh, I wish I could be of more help.”

“It’s okay,” she murmured, stopping in front of her door. “You should rest, too. It’s getting late.”

“Nah, I don’t think I can sleep. I’ll just read some good stuff. You rest,” Ava said, waving goodbye.

“Okay, good night,” Meredith answered.

“Good morning,” Ava replied with a smile.

The moment she got inside her room, she released a loud and heavy sigh. She was so freaking nervous. But at the back of her mind, she regretted lying. She was never a good liar. She wished she could stop telling lies.

After getting a quick shower, she got in her pajamas and then lay on her bed while staring at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to claim her. But an hour passed, and she was still wide awake. Her mind was filled with questions and what ifs.

She groaned in frustration when her phone started ringing, making her frown. But her expression quickly changed when she saw Lily’s name on the screen.

“What’s up?” she greeted Lily.

“Oh my god! I’ve started to think you’ve forgotten about me! How come you never called me?” Lily squeaked, then pouted.

“I'm sorry. I've been so busy lately,” she replied with a heavy sigh. “How's Bali?” she asked, feeling a momentary pang of regret for the summer she could have had if she'd gone traveling with Lily instead.

“It's so boring here. I'm heading to Ibiza in three days. I hear the party scene is better there anyway,” Lily said, rolling her eyes.

“Oh, I see,” Meredith responded, not the least bit excited about it.

What happened to you? You should be more ecstatic that there’s another place where you can party ‘till you drop!

“What’s up with you?” Lily asked, narrowing her eyes.

Meredith tried to play dumb. “What?”

“You’re not acting like your usual self, Mer. Come on, you can tell me anything.”

“There’s nothing to tell, really.”

Lily pursed her lips. It was obvious from her expression that Meredith had failed to convince her of this.

“This is about Elijah Scott, right? Go on, spill the beans.”

Meredith froze. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell Lily about everything. It was just that she wasn't sure where to start.

She took a deep breath.

“Something is going on between us,” she said slowly, feeling a lump growing in her throat. “And… Actually, I just snuck out of his room.”

Lily gasped, genuinely shocked. Meredith instantly regretted telling her, at least like this. She'd wanted to talk about this in person.

“Really?” Lily asked with gleaming eyes.

“Really,” she repeated in affirmation.

“You slut! I can't believe you finally gave up your V-card!”

Meredith blushed. She was still embarrassed.

“Y-Yeah, I did.”

“And?” Lily urged, wanting to get a few more juicy details.

“It was worth the wait, Lily,” she answered honestly.

In fact, she thought it had been a whole lot better than what she had expected. It was not just a night to remember. It was – and would always be – a cherished moment.

Her first time had been a blast!

“You think you guys could be an item? Am I going to see you in the paper soon?” Lily asked excitedly. She was acting like a giddy teenager, anticipating the next episode of her favorite romantic sitcom.

Meredith swallowed hard.

“I… We haven’t really talked about that. I don’t know,” she spoke in almost a whisper.

Lily gasped.

“Wait, so you two are doing it in secret?” the woman asked with an eyebrow raised.

“You make it sound so tawdry, Lily,” she answered defensively.

“I'm just concerned for you, that's all. You waited all this time because you wanted it to be special and perfect, but now what? I don't like the idea of you being some politician's dirty little secret, Mer.”

Meredith was taken aback. She hadn't expected Lily to be so blunt.

Was she going about this the wrong way?

Shrugging off the idea, Meredith shook her head. “It’s not exactly like that.”

“Well, what is it then?” Lily challenged.

“It’s still so new. I don’t want anything to disturb it,” she muttered while pulling a face. She hated it when her best friend had a point.

Lily rolled her eyes like she'd just heard the stupidest joke of the year. She was openly showing her dislike of the situation.

“Whatever you say,” the woman spoke dryly.

Meredith sighed.

“Listen… you never told me about that party on the yacht. How was it?” she asked, trying to change the subject.

As much as Meredith wanted to catch up with her best friend a little longer, she couldn't stop thinking about Lily’s words. She knew Lily only wanted the best for her. And she knew the woman was right.

Sooner or later, she and Eli would have to put a label on whatever they were doing. And she didn’t have the slightest idea how that would even happen.

But the real question was, would they even reach that part?

Dirty little secret.

Lily's words echoed in her mind until they said goodbye. She couldn't deny she was bothered by them. But she hoped things would get better soon.