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Maddison stopped dead in her tracks when we were halfway down the driveway.
“I know about Amberbay.” She stared directly into my eyes. “You hurt her, Ethan, but I also know you are the one person that can help put her together. I don’t know what your current situation with her is, and I don’t care to know. But what I want to know is, can I count on you to just be there for her today? She doesn’t need a lover or complications right now. She needs people who will care for her.”
“I wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.”
She looked at me like she didn’t believe me, but that was fine. We left the house and made our way to our vehicles. I had no idea where I was even going to begin to look for her. But I knew that eventually I would find her.
I peeled out of the drive way and made my way down the street. What an absolute shit show. I knew thanksgiving dinner was a mistake.
I circled the town. I went to the park, the gym, and I even tried the practice, but I came up short. I sat in the parking lot thinking.
“Come on, Lily.” I tapped my finger against the steering wheel. “Where are you?”
She had flipped a switch when she saw Jade wearing the ring. I had wanted to say something, but Marcus’ words echoed through my head. I couldn’t play hero but now, here I was regretting it. I should have stood up for her. I should have run after her when she left.
I couldn’t get the image of her out of my head. I saw all her pain, and it broke me. I wanted nothing more than to wrap her in my arms and hold her until all the pain subsided.
Then it hit me. I knew where she was. I started my engine and peeled out of the parking lot.
It was only a ten-minute drive to the cemetery. I came to a stop in the parking lot and got out. This was a Hail Mary decision, but I had a gut feeling that I would find her here.
I couldn’t remember the exact place her father had been buried, but I tried my luck anyway. The wind had picked up, and the temperature had dropped drastically. I clutched her coat firmer in my hand and picked up my pace.
After a few short minutes of searching, I found her kneeling at her father’s tombstone with her hands around herself like she was trying to cocoon herself. I could see her shaking against the cold, and I didn’t hesitate to make my way toward her.
As I drew closer to her, I heard the sound of her crying. It wasn’t loud. It was slow and gentle, but I knew it was filled with great pain.
She didn’t turn at the sound of my footsteps drawing closer to her. She didn’t move when she felt me putting her coat over her shoulders. She allowed me to pick her up bridal style and walk her back to the car.
Her arms found their way around my neck, and she nestled her head in the crook of my neck. She didn’t utter a single word when I placed her into the car.
When I placed the car into park and got out of it, she didn’t move. I went to her door and pulled her out, carrying her once more. Maddison’s car wasn’t in the driveway, so I knew she was still out looking for Lily.
Luckily the door was open, and I made my way upstairs.
“Second door.” She mumbled in my arms.
I nodded and went to her room. I opened the door and walked her to her bed. I placed her gently on the bed and slowly began to pull away, but her arms around my neck tightened.
“No,” she whispered. “Please.”
“What is it, Lils? What do you need?”
At first, she didn’t move but then after a few moments, she pulled back and crashed her lips to mine. Instantly, I returned her kiss. Our lips molded with one another in this tug of war game. Her tongue licked my bottom lip and moaned in pleasure allowing her the access she wanted. But then, as quickly as I let her in, I retracted.
Her arms kept me close to her, so I couldn’t pull back.
“Lily, I can’t. Please don’t make me do this.”
Her blue eyes stared up into mine, and I could see all the vulnerability swimming in them.
“Please, Ethan, you are the only one that can fix this for me. Please. I need this.”
I was torn between the woman that I care about and doing the right thing by walking away. I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about her in that way since our first time. I had thought about her constantly.
Her body had crossed my mind once or twice while I was in the shower. And a few more times in the morning when I woke up hard a rock.
She brought my forehead up against hers. “Please, Ethan. Please.”
