Chapter 4

LILY

The first empty room he could find, Taser pushed me into. A little too roughly, but I couldn’t complain since it meant he was angry. Exactly what I wanted.

I smoothed my unwrinkled gown, lifted my chin up and looked at him.

“What the hell was that? What do you mean he’s been asking you out? Have you been cheating on me? After all the times I’ve been there for you-“

I barked out a laugh in surprise, “did you really just accuse me of cheating? When I walked in on you with my best friend a few minutes ago? You’re impossible.

He clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowed at me. “And I explained why that happened. Is this some kind of payback tantrum? Fine, you’ve publicly embarrassed me, and unlike you, I won’t hold this mistake against you, we can move on.”

“Move on with what?”

“The bracepass!” Ihe looked at me like I was the dumbest woman on the planet and it dawned on me that he looked at me like that a lot.

Like I was an idiot whose tantrums he tolerated.

“Timothy…” I called him his real name because I knew he hated it. “I don’t know if you noticed, but I am in a relationship with Jace now. Publicly.”

“You can’t be in a relationship with him, you’re dating me!”

“Well obviously we’re through.” I shrugged. “You know, I felt guilty about all the times Jace asked me out.” I lied. “I felt I had to be loyal to you. But you’ve shown me that you’re nothing but a dog and so I won’t be pity dating you anymore-”

“Pity dating me!” He growled, “I’m pity dating you.”

I stepped back in shock.

While I had obviously lied about the pity dating, Taser response didn’t seem like just a ploy to hurt me. It sounded like the truth.

His anger morphed into pleasure before he slid both emotions under a mask, after seeing that he had the upperhand now. “Remember the moments after we met? How you broke down about what you did to your mother…all the secrets that you were hiding from your sister…how much of a coward you were.” I shut my eyes and backed away from him.

“No…”

“I felt so bad for you, that I wanted to help you. Even though it meant breaking up with Evie. She only came back because you needed a friend, a real friend. You were always attached to me by the hip, alone without me. She didn’t want to do it but I made her. I convinced her for you. I am the best thing that happened to you babe, and you know it.”

He grabbed my wrist and I opened my eyes. “No one knows you like I do. You think your sister would be here if she knew the real you? You think Jace would want to be with a fuckup like you?”

I shook my head. Maybe to deny his words or prevent them from taking roots in my head. The latter was too late. I could feel my eyes burning again as my body trembled. Things would be easier if his words were lies.

“I’m the only one still here after everything.” He whispered, his hands cupping my cheeks. “So fix that shitshow outside, while I’m still willing to forgive you.”

“You have five seconds to let go of her and get out.” A low voice growled behind me. Taser backed away from me, his eyes on Jace, and I used the opportunity to move further into the room, away from Jace before tears streamed down my cheeks.

“Mr Whitmore! I was just having a talk with my girlfriend.” He stammered.

“No.” Jace answered cooly, “my girlfriend. And again, I recommend you get the fuck out, while you can still walk.”

I didn’t turn away from the window, not even when I heard Taser’s retreating footsteps. I sucked in air into my lungs and blinked away my tears as I wondered how much of the conversation Jace had heard. His words…the way he spoke to me…

I knew he was probably wondering how I dated someone like him.

“He wasn’t always like this.” I defended myself. “This is the first time he’s ever…” my words trailed off.

No. He was always like this.

I just didn’t care, because like he said, he was the only person that knew me. Every evil thing I had done. I let him talk down on me. Belittle my style, the way I looked, my interests…

“God, I’m such an idiot.” I sniffed, feeling another bout of tears on my face.

“Lily, I’m…sor-“

“-No.” i wiped my eyes as I spoke. “I’ve had the worst day already, I’m not going to add asshole Jace comforting me to the crazy list of things that have happened today.”

“Good idea.” His signature frown was back in place when I turned.

“Where’s my sister?”

“Car.”

“Okay. We can head out through the back.”

Jace said nothing all the way to the parking lot. Nothing about the conversation I was still hoping he hadn’t heard. Myra saw my teary eyes and Jace’s steely one, and even though she looked like she had a lot to say, she remained silent.

Not until we reached her home.

Angie, my brother-in-law’s nanny since he was a child, and designated grandmother to all, was the person who opened the door. The woman’s eyes which were normally a cold blank stare softened as soon as they landed on my sister. She stepped away and let us into the chaos that was the living room.

The television was playing low in the corner, I spied Jace’s face on the screen and internally cringed. My brother-in-law, Pierce paced the room, a phone to his ear as he bounced his year old son in his other arm. Eleven year old Heidi and four year Maxwell were nowhere to be found, which meant they were probably in bed.

Pierce stopped pacing when he saw us. His eyes followed his wife as she moved to him, kissed him, and collected the baby from his arms. Her eyes were fixed on Ianni as he babbled at her happily.

“Now, can someone tell me why the Blackwoods and Whitmores made the evening news?” Pierce thundered.