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Her mom’s pleading causes Lily’s lip to wobble, but her back is still ramrod straight, and there’s a determined set to her shoulders.
Officer Liu is ranting in the background about how irresponsible Lily is and how he can’t believe she’s done this.
Ignoring her father, Lily tells her mom, “I’m sorry, Mama, I still need some time to figure things out. And I think it’s best if I give Bàba time to cool off and process everything. I’m really,reallysorry for scaring you guys.
Please call off the search for me.”
Sensing the conversation coming to an end, Lily’s mom rushes to say, “Please call us again tomorrow, okay, Lily?”
“I will. I love you.”
Lily’s mom repeats the sentiment, but her father is still ranting in the background. I know how pissed I was when I found out, so he must be feeling that times a million, and part of me can’t blame him. It’s a weird sensation, to feel like I understand Officer Liu when we’ve spent so much time on opposite sides.
Lily ends the call and releases the grip she had on my hand, which I completely forgot about. Now that she’s not holding my hand, I realize just how hard she was squeezing it.
Lily blows out a breath, shutting her phone off again and shaking the tension from her arms and shoulders.
“That was both better and worse than I thought it would be,” she says.
I take a deep breath too, an overwhelming feeling of relief hitting me. It’s over. Lily’s fine, and her parents know it too. Soon everyone will, and they’ll all feel the same relief as I do. Does this mean it’s over with Officer Liu? He’ll leave me and Jason alone?
“Thanks for being here with me, Siena,” Lily says.
“You didn’t have to do that, especially since my dad has been making your life miserable. Warren never told me.”
The admission is like a stab of betrayal in my gut. Did he ever think about it? Did he not care? Did he think it wasn’t a big deal or that I was exaggerating?
Lily wraps her arms around herself. “I’m in so much shit. That stuff with my parents was just the tip of it, I’m sure. Even though it’s going to be hard now, part of me is glad you caught us today, because it forced me to come clean. While I’ve been enjoying my time away from home, how I went about it has been weighing on me. I never would’ve called my parents if you didn’t make me.”
She heaves out a sigh. “But now it’s over, and I’ll just deal with whatever comes the best I can.”
“I’m just glad that you’re really okay and that they know the truth. Honestly, I was convinced Brandon was involved somehow. He’s an . . .” How do I accurately describe Brandon?
“Asshole?” Lily finishes for me.
“That’s putting it nicely.”
She laughs humorlessly. “Brandon’s a prick, and he’s always been that way. He’s so obsessed with me, even more every time I turn him down for a date. It’s like he thinks being turned down is a challenge to work harder to get me to say yes, but I’llneversay yes. He only wants to date because he thinks we’d look good together, the quarterback and the model, but he doesn’t even know me, just keeps blowing up my phone with propositions.
But despite how forceful he is, I don’t think he’d kidnap me.”
“He forced himself on me, and Gia,” I admit, still pissed about it.
Lily’s eyes widen as she stares at me. “Fuck. I’m sorry.
He’s such a piece of shit.”
“Hey.”
Lily and I turn at Warren’s voice, and he enters the room, looking equal parts nervous and guilty. Jason walks in behind him. His eyes meet mine first, and the tension I didn’t realize I was holding melts off just seeing him here with me. Jason always makes everything better.
The moment he notices Lily, he freezes where he is, like he hit an invisible brick wall while he was walking.
His jaw drops open as he processes, looking from her to me and back again.
“Lily?”
She gives a timid wave. “Hey.”
