Chapter Twenty-Eight
APOLLO
Ipress the button on the side of my phone to turn it off. My agent started calling first thing this morning and I’ve been actively ignoring her. Sending all her calls to voicemail.
I’m sick of it. And I’m not changing my mind. And I’m not telling her I’ve finally decided to stay. For good. Not before I tell Lily.
This is the only thing in my life I haven’t acted on impulse about. I’m not going to cheapen it by telling the agent I’m about to fire before I tell the woman I love.
Yeah. I love Lily. Completely. I knew it the second I woke up this morning and she wasn’t there. I’d never felt so alone and empty in all my life. I don’t want to be without her. Leave and either never see her again or only see her on occasion. She deserves better than that. She deserves someone to love and take care of her. She deserves me, damn it. I don’t care how arrogant it sounds. It’s fucking true.
A lot of people have tried to claim me. Make me their bitch. Use me. I don’t deserve to be treated like that. Those people… That place doesn’t deserve me.
Lily does.
We deserve each other.
Lily shouldn’t be gone long. I’m extra excited this is the last time she’ll have to go without me. I’m officially becoming a resident of Towering Pines. I want to be as in it as Lily is. Meet the people. Help out any way I can. Lily has been a true inspiration. Through taking care of her, I’ve found a new passion. Something good to do with my time and money.
I didn’t make any effort to decorate or set something up in the house because we’re going out to celebrate.
We’ll still have to deal with the looks and requests for autographs and getting pestered by reporters. But it will fade. Over time, the people around here will get used to me. Then the only thing we’ll have to worry about are the tourists.
Maybe we can stay home during those peak times. Give us a chance to relive these last few weeks. If I’ve learned nothing else, I know I can take being under house arrest now and again if I have Lily to keep me company.
This is it. The last time I have to wait for her to come home. After today, I’ll never have to worry about her getting called away and coming home late. Or that something bad will happen and she’ll come home upset or crying. After today, we’ll face the world and all the shit it has to throw at us, together.
