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Lilly wrapped her arms around Mom, and they both lost their battle against the waterfall of tears. When Lilly calmed down enough, she disentangled herself from Mom and pushed off the chair. She rounded the table to where Dad was sitting and sank down in the empty chair next to him.
Placing her hand on his on the table, she said, "Thank you." Her face was still wet, and a fresh tear ran down her cheek again.
Dad's eyebrows drew together in confusion, and she smiled. "Because of you, I got a childhood I will never forget. You and Mom"—her gaze swiveled to my mother—"are the best parents I could've wished for. So...thank you. For everything." She peered over at me with glossy eyes, and her meaning was clear. They also brought us together again. Who knew what would've happened if Lilly had stayed with Emily? I was sure Henry would've done his best, but we'd never find out—which I was fucking glad about.
Emily visiting my mother during that conference had set a chain of events in motion no one could’ve ever anticipated.
By the time Lilly finished her sentence, Dad was bawling and hugging her to him. I stood up and opened my arms for my mother, who dived in and clung to me, her shoulders shaking.
It took a long time before anyone was calmed down enough for me to ask the question. I wasn't sure if Lilly forgot about it or didn't want to ask, but I had to.
"Are you going to turn Nate in?"
Lilly flipped in my direction in shock, but I kept my eyes on my father.
"No," my mother spoke up, and I jerked my gaze to her.
"You aren’t?" Lilly was as surprised as I was.
"No," Dad confirmed. "Your mother and I spoke about it at length last night after Nate approached us."
He came to them?
"Nate will turn himself in. He laid out his plan to us but left it up to us whether we would give him the time he needs to get everything in order."
And here we are,three months later, in the penthouse suite of the Altman Hotel.
A hand touchesthe side of my face, and I'm pulled out of the memory. I dip my chin. My girl is awake, and her hazel eyes look at me with concern.
"What are you thinking about?" Her thumb moves over my cheekbone.
I lean into the contact, loving the feeling of her skin on mine.
"Just remembering."
She understands the meaning behind my vague answer and nods, continuing her caress. I don't insult her by pretending it's all good. That's not who we are. We've been through too much to disrespect one another by putting on a façade.
"The alarm hasn't gone off yet," she states.
I loosen my hold and trail my hands down her arms, letting my gaze follow the motion. Goosebumps erupt where my fingers make contact with her skin, and seeing her reaction to me stirs a flutter in my chest. Reaching her elbow, I tug until she's on top of me. Her breathing increases.
"No, it hasn't," I confirm, locking eyes with her again and brushing my lips over hers.
The memory is forgotten. All I see is her. The now. The future.
She pulls back slightly, scanning my face. Her eyes darken, and I know what's going through her mind. My dick knows it, too, and stands at instant attention. No matter where in my fucked-up headspace I am, what situation we're in—or with whom—one look, one touch, and I lose all control over my body (part).
In those moments, we're like your typical couple in a new relationship—horny all the time. Lilly can feel my response as well. She rocks into me, and I groan, regretting that I had put on briefs after the last time she sat on top of me just a few hours ago.
You could already be inside, the voice in my head whines.
As if reading my mind, her mouth quirks at the corner. "I told you not to get dressed."
We haven't spent a night apart since we found her on that bloody mattress, and I don't intend on being away from her anytime soon. I no longer have panic attacks when she leaves the room, but the need to be close to her—and inside of her—is as overpowering as ever.
Lilly leans in and bites at my bottom lip, followed by her tongue soothing away the sting. Heat shoots to my toes. "Fuck, Calla."
She knows exactly what this does to me but enjoys the torture. She starts trailing kisses down my neck, over my torso, until she reaches the unwanted barrier between us. My chest heaves as Lilly continues her exploration. She studies me through her lashes, a devilish grin spreading across her face.
