AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He didn’t acknowledge my promise, as he already knew me to be the liar that I was. “If anything happens again, don’t hesitate to call me. You don’t have to date me or be my friend for me to help you.”
Too late.
“Thanks. I better go now,” I choked.
“What’s wrong, Lily?” Ian asked.
I took in a few short breaths. “Nothing. I’m about to workout.”
I cursed myself internally. I had almost made it off the phone, but my weakness rose up and had to show itself so he could get involved and maybe pity me.
“You’ve been doing that a lot lately, huh? Every day at lunch, too?” he asked.
“How do you know that?” I chewed my bottom lip.
“David mentioned it to Dani,” he said.
“Really?” I asked. “I told him he didn’t need to drive me anymore.”
“I guess Dani wants to have him keep an eye out anyway,” Ian said.
“Does she now?” I asked and coughed. “Excuse me. Well, please tell her I’m fine.”
“Avoiding her, too?” he asked with irritation. “You don’t have to answer that. I apologize. I’m just worried about you.”
I closed my eyes. “I’m fine. I’m about—”
“To workout,” he finished my sentence for me. “Alright. Take care, Lily. And please remember what I said.”
Ian hung up.
That went alright, I thought as I attempted to block out a wave of self-loathing. I was on my way to ending these thoughts racing through my mind. My routine.
I jogged, crunched, and squatted over and over again. Until everything stopped, and I was exhausted and ready for sleep.
Afterward, I sluggishly went to the shower and turned it on for a quick rinse. As I lathered, I noticed the hair growth on my body coming back in and my chipped nail polish. I grimaced. No waxing this month. It didn’t matter. No one would be seeing me naked any time soon.
I climbed out and dried off, then went to the living room and unfolded the blanket and pillow on the couch. I walked over and checked the locks on the doors, then collected my phone again. Once the lights were out, I settled down on the couch for sleep, readying myself for that one piece of my routine that showed the chink in my armor of solitude. The one thing I couldn’t bring myself to erase from my life just yet. In fact, it too had become part of my routine.
I held the phone to my ear and re-played my saved message from Jonas.
“Lily. This is my tenth call. I… This will be the last one. Friendships, companionships, anything—it all needs two to work. I accept you’ve changed your mind. As always, I’m here if ever you need a friend, Tiger Lily.”
Jonas may be a minefield of rules and agreements, but I loved him. Still, love wasn’t enough. Declan had taught me that, surely.
I didn’t change my mind, Jonas. It was changed for me.
I wasn’t ready to erase Jonas. My heart still craved him, wanted more than anything to be swept away into a life with him, but that was no longer a possibility. So I curled up in a ball, and pressed replay again. I focused not on the words, but his voice as it carried us where we could be together in my dreams.
The doorbell rings. Not a second later, the door flies open and my heart stops. It’s Jonas, dressed in a navy business suit. My pulse increases with every step he takes as he strolls over to the couch.
“Strip and come to me,” he commands.
My mouth forms a perfect “O.”
“We’ll get to that later,” he muses.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
