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Clearly, I was wrong. But I’m starting to think it’s for a much bigger reason that I don’t quite understand.
“Lilly!” Bishop rushes over to me and away from my dad when he sees me. I must look like a mess right now, my eyes red and swollen from crying. A wave of guilt hits me. I just fucked Toby when I’m crushing hard on Bishop, and he was waiting for me out here. I don’t feel like I’m in the wrong or that I should feel bad about it, but I don’t want to play with Bishop’s emotions either. I should have talked to him about everything, seen where he and I stood before I slept with someone else.
It’s not like I planned on any of that happening, though.
“Lilly, what happened?” Brody asks me, his eyes wild with concern. “Toby just took off like a bat out of hell. What did he do to you?”
Jax, Chase, and Brody all look pissed. Theo looks torn. My mom and Rain join us, and I stare them all down.
“What is going on with Toby?” I ask. “The man I’ve come to know the past few weeks, hell, the past two years, isn’t the boy I grew up with. I get it, people change as they get older. But not like that.” They all look at each other with guilty expressions. Instinct has my stomach turning. “You all know something that I don’t!” I shout. “What is it? What's going on with him?”
So many different things come to mind. Is he sick? Is he dying? What is it? The questions in my head have me thinking the worst and it makes me start to panic.
My mom speaks, tears in her eyes. “It’s not our place to tell you, Lillypad. It’s Toby’s life, Toby’s health. He should be the one to tell you.”
“His health?” My eyes widen. “Is he sick?”
“No.” Theo clears his throat. “Not like that.”
“Then like what!” my voice breaks as tears fall down my cheeks again. “Why would you all be in on a secret so serious and keep it from me?”
“He didn’t want you to see him differently. It’s... I think you need to talk to him about it, okay?” Rain suggests. She steps closer, putting her hands on my shoulders. “Remember when I told you not to give up on him, even after everything he’s done?” I nod my head, sniffling. “It’s because he doesn’t always mean the things that he does.”
“What does that even mean?” I ask helplessly.
“I’m telling her,” Brody growls.
“No, you’re not.” Theo steps forward. “He is my son. And this is his medical history. If he does not want it disclosed to anyone, then he has the right.”
“It’s Lilly!” Chase snaps. “They’re best friends. And he’s kept this from her for years. Asked us to lie to our daughter. We did it because we thought it was best for her, but clearly it’s doing more harm than good now!”
“Stop!” my mom cuts through everyone yelling. “Enough. We are not going to turn on each other.” She looks at me. “Talk to him. Ask him. Make him tell you. And if he doesn’t—” she looks up at Theo and back to me. “—then I will.”
“Ellie.” Theo looks so broken right now.
“You saw him tonight. He needs help. And I will not put our daughter at risk. Not to mention our son, Theo. Do you think getting into fistfights and high-tailing it out of here is good for him? Keeping this secret is doing him more harm than good and I will not stand by only to watch my kids crash and burn. Do you understand me?” My mom is a sweet woman, with a heart of gold. But when it comes to her kids, I’ve never seen her more fierce.
Theo nods and looks away. “I’m going to keep calling him.”
“Is he okay?” I ask again, because I don’t know what else to do.
“I don’t know, baby.” My mom cups my cheek, giving me a sad smile. “I’m hoping he is.”
“What happened in there?” Jax asks me.
I chew on my lip as I think of an answer. “We fought. He was mad about the loss, and he thought I lied to him about Ryan.” I’m sure as hell not telling them that my stepbrother fucked me like an animal in the hockey locker room, claiming my virginity as his own.
I’m tired, my head hurts, my stomach aches, and all I want to do is cry. “I want to go home.”
“I’ll take you,” Bishop offers, putting his arm around me. Needing him so damn bad, I turn around and step into his embrace, letting him wrap his arms around me. I bite the inside of my cheeks to keep myself from breaking. Not here.
“Both of you come back to the house for the night, okay?” Mom says, rubbing my back. I nod my head, not trusting myself to speak as tears sting the back of my eyes.
I forget Jonas and Bee are here until they are telling me goodbye and that they’ll text me later.
“Come on, il mio cuore.” Bishop guides me to his Jeep, opening the door for me and helping me in.
The ride is quiet. I spend it with my eyes closed, silent tears falling with my head against the door. But Bishop? He has his hand on my thigh the whole way home, being the strength I so desperately need right now. If I wasn’t falling for this man before, I sure as hell am now.
