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I block him out, my gut telling me that this is all an act, and when I look over at Lily, it’s confirmed by the way her shoulders are pulled up to her ears, her leg bouncing up and down and knocking against mine every couple of seconds.
“There’s a bible camp I’m considering sending Liliana to, what with the trouble she seems to be getting into lately.”
“Trouble?” Mom asks, voicing exactly what I’m thinking.
Looking up, I concentrate all of my attention on Brendan and the way he looks over at his daughter, something flaring in his eyes.
How the hell am I sitting here and not diving across the table? I know he’s doing something, whether that be control or… fuck, I can’t sit here and watch this happen I have to—no. I’ve been there, I’ve seen what it’s like for someone to be under someone else’s control, under their rule. It doesn’t matter how many times you say something to them, they’re not going to listen.
All I can do now is do what I do best… collect intel and make a rational decision on where to go from here.
He chews on his mouthful of food, tilting his head as he stares at Lily. “Well for starters, she’s trying to tempt a boy.”
“I’m not—”
“Did I tell you that you could talk?” he fires at Lily, his eyes widening in warning. “You’re sending off the wrong kinds of vibes. You only need to look at a male in a certain way and you’re telling them you’re available.” He flicks his gaze to me. “Isn’t that right, Luke?”
I tamp down the rage burning inside me. “With all due respect, sir.” I make a mental note to wash my mouth out later after calling him that. “I don’t think that’s true.”
He raises a brow. “Really now?”
“Yeah.” I lean back in my seat, feeling Lily’s knee knocking against mine again before reaching out and placing my palm over it. I feel her stiffen and then relax, but when she’s stopped, I don’t move my hand. I should, but I don't. No one can see me touching her, and after several seconds, I start rubbing my thumb back and forth against the soft fabric of her skirt.
“I believe a woman can’t send the wrong kind of signals to a man. Not only that, but it’s not the woman’s fault if she gains the attention of a man.”
“Hmmm.” He leans back in his seat, running his finger over his lips in thought, but his attention is all on me. And if I can keep it that way for even a little while, it’s better than it being on Lily. “What did you say you do for work?”
“I didn’t.” I raise a brow. “I was in the Marines and I currently work for a security company, assisting the police and closing cases they can’t.”
“So you’re a brute force of a man?”
I feel Lily stiffen so I squeeze her knee gently, trying to silently communicate something I’m not even sure of.
“When I need to be, but never unnecessarily.”
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He smirks, seeming to be pleased with himself as he picks his knife up, pointing it at me and saying, “I think we’re going to get along, Luke.”
I think fucking not.
LILY
I wait at the edge of the alley, watching as an SUV drives past—an SUV I know all too well. Jumping back into the darkness when Luke pulls into the driveway, I hold my hands against my chest, closing my eyes and breathing deeply.
My mind takes me back to two days ago when Luke turned up at Kim’s, his hand on my knee feeling so different to how Jonah’s did only hours before that.
My skin breaks out into goose bumps, but I tell myself it’s the cold as the wind whips around the side of the wall currently hiding me and not reliving those moments.
Maybe I should message him and tell him I can’t come? I wouldn’t have to face him without a buffer there. Although Kim will be with us so…
Dammit, why do I have to feel like this? Why do I not know what to do, or how to react? If only my mom was here, she’d have the answers.
Opening my eyes, I turn around, staring at the field. She’d tell me to turn around and get my ass to Kim’s house, but when my gaze catches my house, I have serious doubts.
I don’t know what was worse on Sunday; my dad telling me to stay away from Jonah—which I’m more than happy to do—or him ignoring me since leaving Kim’s after grilling Luke.
“Can’t hide here forever.”
