AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“The way to show her I have feelings for her—”
Jamie.
“I’m not in love with her. The way to show her I care about her is to get the fuck out of her life.”
The breeze picks up, rustling through the leaves, the sand, my hair. It’s not a strong wind. Nothing like the storm that came through. It can still pick up grains of sand and brush them against my face. It can still make the water ripple out on the lake. My heart does a horrible twist.
“Are you still here?”
Just sitting with you.
“Are you going to answer me?”
I don’t think the way to show you care is by leaving Lily, but I’ll be with you either way.
“You know…” I swipe ineffectually at my eyes. The tears are going to keep coming until they’re done. “All I wanted was for you to be here.”
A pause.That would be a little awkward, given the circumstances.
“I meant alive, Mom, not at the cabin.”
It’s a nice cabin. I like what you did with my teacup.
“I smashed the rest. I didn’t want anyone else to touch it.”
Good.
“Good?” I look out at the lake and pretend she’s here, just out of sight. “I thought you’d be disappointed.”
I appreciate the sentiment. It should’ve been yours, and I’m glad you didn’t give it to anyone else.
“It’s so awful that I don’t get to know you now.”
You know me.
I take a deep breath. “I can’t go to sleep tonight. Can you stay?”
Of course I’ll stay.
Another breeze in my hair. “Tell me who I’m supposed to be.”
You’ve always been exactly yourself.
“Tell me every good memory you have.”
That would take all night.
“I have all night. Just don’t stop talking, okay?”
She doesn’t.
22
LILY
Sunlight on my eyelids wakes me up in the world’s most peaceful alarm clock. I can count on one hand the number of times I woke up without an alarm from the time I started college to when Jameson kidnapped me, and I have to be honest. It feels great.
I don’t think I’ve slept too long, either. I have some sore muscles from the sex.
