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Chapter 19 - Ethan: One Moment
The dining room was eerily quiet. We all heard the front door open and close, and I knew Lily had left the house, but I also knew she wouldn’t get very far. It was almost winter, and she couldn’t brave the Riverroad air without a coat.
Nora cleared her throat. “I am so sorry you all had to witness that. I honestly don’t know what got into that girl. Please, may we all just continue with the rest of the night.”
No one moved.
She couldn’t be serious right now. She had called her daughter unlovable in front of some people she barely knew. Any child in their right mind would have reacted the way Lily reacted. To be honest, Lily’s reaction was better than what most would have been.
My eyes moved to Grayson who looked like he was torn.
“What the hell was that, Grayson?” I said into the thick silence. Everyone stood still, turning their gaze to me.
“Stay out of this, Ethan. These are family issues that don’t concern you.” He was throwing my words back in my face. I was about to move to go to him, but Marcus placed his hand on my shoulder. I shrugged him off and made my way to my best friend until we were toe to toe.
“Well I care about Lily, so this definitely concerns me. That stunt that you just pulled was uncalled for and heartless. You are meant to be her brother and her protector, yet here you are bashing her like she is some random on the street.”
“She hurt my fiancée.”
“By accident. I could even see from where I stood that she didn’t even mean to do it. You of all people should know Lily would never hurt a fly let alone another person.”
“Look, Ethan, you may think you know Lily, but you don’t. She is impulsive, and she destroys everything she touches.”
“Okay, I’ve heard enough,” Maddison joined into the conversation. “I have known Lily for almost two months now, and I already know that Lily is one of the good ones. Her heart is open and pure, and she is a good person. The Lily you are talking about might as well be a made-up character.
“Dinner was lovely, Mrs. Masters, but your company sucked. Next time, how about not insulting your daughter to boost your own self-esteem. And you Mr. Big Strong Brother Protector, with the way Lily spoke of you, you would have thought you had hung the sun in the sky. You are a disgrace to all big brothers everywhere. Just because you found a new piece of ass to lockdown—no offense—doesn’t mean you just stop being there for your sister. If you had stopped to listen and analyze her words, you would know that her breaking down the way she did was her screaming for help.”
Maddison walked toward the archway of the living room, but before she disappeared, she turned and faced us again. Her eyes scanned over the room until they landed on Marcus who stood behind me.
She pulled the finger at him. “Kiss my ass, Anderson. Hope you fall into acid.”
Nora gasped, and Marcus let out a low chuckle. Maddison exited the room and made her way to the exit probably to go and speak to Lily. I wanted, more than anything, to run out to Lily and pull her into my arms, but I knew that that was not a viable option. I needed to keep the boundaries.
I opened my mouth to speak but the slam of the door drew attention to the foyer. Maddison came into the room with a look of fury on her face.
“She’s gone.”
My blood chilled.
“Did you try and call her?” I asked, already feeling my heart hammering.
Maddison pointed to the seat where Lily had been sitting. Her phone and handbag were both there. Dammit.
“Did she take a coat?”
Maddison shook her head. “She just up and left and now we have no way of contacting her.”
“Come now, stop being dramatic. She is a grown woman, and she knows how to handle herself. She will be back in no time at all.”
Maddison rolled her eyes at Nora. “If you knew your daughter at all, you would know that, after what you two just did to her, she will never be returning to this house ever again.”
She was right. Lily was prideful, and she would much rather brave negative degree weather than face her brother and mother again.
“I’m going to go out and look for her. Ethan, help me please?”
I nodded without hesitation and made my way to the coatroom. I grabbed my coat, and the one I presumed to be Lily’s.
We walked out of the house and headed toward our respective cars.
