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The last time I saw him was a year ago for Lily’s twenty-third birthday in Nashville, but the truth was that Dylan had been trying for years to talk to me and help me. Always sending emails that I had to keep deleting out of fear that Jeremy would find them, always trying to call even though I never picked up, always offering help, lists of shelters and ways to help myself.
I always ignored him.
Lily just took off one day and moved to the Music City in Nashville. She had been living there since her mom died. She worked at a bar as their entertainment. Which didn’t surprise me, Lily was always singing, a talent way beyond her years. To my surprise Jeremy said we could go, but I should have known better. He never did anything for me, even though he claimed everything he did was for me.
We were late for our flight since he was hungover from the night before. He proceeded to blame me for it. Screaming at me like a damn kid that I didn’t wake him up early enough, that I didn’t give him an ibuprofen the night before. Hell, he blamed me for the heavy traffic. Alex and Lucas were getting suspicious. I lived ten minutes down the road from their house and hardly ever saw them. That’s one of the reasons why Jeremy agreed to go in the first place. Like the stupid woman I was, I jumped at the chance to see him.
Dylan.
Which was a waste since we didn’t talk at all. Jeremy wouldn’t let me out of his sight for more than a few seconds, making it nearly impossible to talk to anyone that much. Lily followed me into the bathroom at her bar to have a word. What she said would forever haunt me.
“Not everyone gets their happily ever after, Lily.” I tore the paper towel from her hand and looked back at the mirror, wiping the blood from my lip. Another wound from Jeremy’s handiwork for not paying enough attention to him.
“You’re wrong, Aubrey,” she stated, washing her hands in the sink next to me.
I looked at her through the mirror.
“You couldn’t be any more wrong. I hope by the time you realize that… it won’t be too late,” she spoke with conviction. She didn’t beat around the bush.
Hearing her say that was a tough pill to swallow.
I was still trying to get it down one year later.
At the end of the day I don’t know why we went. It was a huge mistake on my part.
The time wasn’t completely shitty for everyone. After three years of trying, Alex finally got pregnant that weekend. I couldn’t have been happier for them. Her blissful vacation was my very own hell.
They gave Alex’s stepson Mason a brother three months ago and named him Bo, her childhood nickname for Lucas. The day he was born I was getting ready to go to the hospital, but Jeremy put an end to that. He punched me so hard in the stomach. I spent the entire day in bed from the consequences of him not being happy with how I made his breakfast. He blamed it on me being in a rush to go meet my best friend’s newborn son.
Alex was so hurt that I wasn’t there for her. She hardly talked to me these last three months. I couldn’t blame her, I was an awful friend. When we got the invitation in the mail for a party at Alex and Bo’s house to celebrate the birth of Bo, and Jacob and Austin moving back to Oak Island, I was relieved that she still included me in her life.
“Jesus Christ, baby, I barely fucking touched you,” Jeremy said, reaching his hand up to my face.
I flinched when he caressed my cheek.
“Go get dressed so we can go to this stupid party. Do you see how much I love you? No one loves you like I do. No one.”
Bile rose up my throat.
I nodded as he tapped his cheek for me to kiss. I did, resisting the urge to fight back.
Which had been happening a lot more lately.
DYLAN
“Jesus Christ, man. If you want her so fucking bad, then just tell her,” Jacob argued.
I glanced at him. “What the fuck are you talking about?” I asked, knowing damn well what he meant, but I wanted him to say it.
“You’re staring at Jeremy like you’re ready to kill him. They’ve been together for years, bro, I don’t know if you have a chance anymore, but you’re never going to know unless you try.”
I cocked my head to the side with a shit-eating grin. “Oh,” I mocked. “So now that you’re permanently attached to Lily’s pussy, you’re an expert on relationships, are you?” I busted out laughing.
He jerked back, stunned that I was calling him out on what no one had yet to figure out. “I’m a Detective Jacob, I read people for a living. You do remember that right?”
“How long have you known?”
“Since she was ten?” I laughed again. “Always knew you liked little girls, I should arrest your sorry ass,” I chuckled, nudging his shoulder.
