Bonus Epilogue
LILY
M y fingers fly over the keys, playing Chopin’s Fantasie-Impromptu. It’s considered one of the most difficult pieces to master on the piano, and I’ve got it down. That’s what eleven months in isolation will do for a pianist.
The elevator doors open to my side, but I don’t bother looking over. I know who it is. Henry, Luna, Adam, and Isabelle said they wanted to visit today. They’re the only visitors I’ve had, so it’s no surprise. Father is reading a book on the couch while I play the piano, and he stands to greet them, giving me the time I need to finish playing my piece.
I hear their murmured voices behind me, but I concentrate on the music. There’s nothing worse than playing perfectly, only to mess up the last few bars before the end. My day could be ruined until I attempt it again.
Thankfully, I finish it in peace, only making a few slip-ups that I notice, but nothing audible to my audience. They clap for me, and I stand from the bench. “Thank you, thank you,” I say, taking a mock bow. My long, blonde braid falls to the side. It’s longer than ever, since I haven’t left home to get a haircut in almost a year. I can actually sit on my hair now .
The light streams through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the perfect golden-hour sun illuminating our home. We’ve lived in this penthouse since I was born, and it’s the only home I’ve known. Unfortunately, I’ve gotten to know it way too well over the last year. The polished concrete and natural wood interior used to feel like home, but now it feels like a prison. Sometimes I get to spend a few hours on the wraparound balcony and soak in the sun, smelling the flowers that my mother loved to decorate along the edges, but most of my time is spent inside these days. And, of course, all the state-of-the-art technology to ensure that no one will enter…and that I don’t leave.
“Maybe I can perform for a real audience one of these days,” I say to the small group, raising a brow.
My brothers exchange a glance.
“Well, that’s not encouraging,” I say.
“Sit, Lily,” Henry says, gesturing at the couch.
I watch them warily as I lower myself to sitting. Father sits in the wingback chair next to the couch, and my brothers sit on either side of me, their fiancées on their other sides.
Fiancées. The word reminds me that I haven’t seen Isabelle’s ring yet. I reach around Adam and grab Isabelle’s hand, admiring the antique setting and perfect stones he chose for her. “It’s gorgeous,” I say.
She grins at me, then glances at Adam. “Thanks, Lily. He did a good job picking it out.”
These girls have no idea how much I’ve helped my brothers pick out their rings. The boys video chatted with me from the jewelry stores, asking my opinion and thankfully listening when I told them not to go with a traditional princess cut diamond. But I like to let my brothers have the credit. After all, they’re the ones who are smart enough to ask for my opinion.
Henry and Luna were supposed to get married this summer. But Luna, the sweetheart she is, wanted to postpone the wedding. It won’t be a tiny, private affair, since everyone loves the two of them, so they wanted to wait for me so I could be there.
Maybe that’s why they’re here.
“Have you set a date?” I ask them. “Is the wedding happening soon?”
Henry and Luna exchange a glance. “Uh, not quite,” Henry replies.
“Oh.” I slump down in my seat. “Well, spit it out, then. Don’t leave me hanging.”
Adam’s phone starts ringing. “Finally,” he mutters and answers it. On the screen, I see our brother, Peter, in some tropical location with a drink in his hand.
“Hey, everyone!” he calls, his voice loud and cheerful. “Lily, is that you?”
“Peter!” I grab the phone from Adam. “Where are you?”
“I’m in the Maldives! It’s so fantastic. You’ll have to come visit!”
Adam snatches the phone from me. “Peter, we’ve already discussed this.”
“Oh, right.” Peter sets down his drink and fixes the camera with a mock glare. “This is a very serious conversation,” he says, lowering his voice.
“Is it?” I ask. “No one will tell me anything.”
Adam sets the phone down on the coffee table so we can all see Peter, the side of his mouth turned up in a grin. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him take anything seriously. The sounds of people partying at the pool behind him are an interesting backdrop to what’s supposed to be a serious conversation.
Henry clears his throat to begin. “As you know, the video you posted created…quite a stir.”
“Isabelle’s father says he’s fielding requests for interviews from you left and right,” Adam adds .
I shrug. “Okay, so? That’s nothing new. Just keep telling them no. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
“Yes, he’s been doing that,” Adam says. “But we’re getting to a point where we’re concerned.”
I furrow my brow. “Concerned? About what? I’ve been up here for almost a year now. I think it’s about time you let me out again.”
Henry clears his throat. “There have been rumors that Tristan is upset about the video.”
I snort. “As he should be.”
“He’s suing you,” Adam finally says. “For defamation of character.”
I bite my lip, managing a little, “Oh.”
It’s totally unexpected, but hearing that he’s finally taking some kind of action makes my heart rate pick up a little bit. I know in my head that I shouldn’t care about him. But when there’s someone out there who wishes you harm, it’s a little hard to swallow, especially for a people-pleaser like me.
“We want to move you,” Father says gently. “To live with Agatha in Brookhaven.”
It takes a couple of beats for that to sink in. They want to move me from here to live with crazy Aunt Agatha? Well, she is crazy, but I do adore her. It might not be terrible.
“I guess that’s okay,” I reply slowly. “For how long?”
My brothers and dad exchange a glance. “We’re not sure,” Henry replies. “We want to keep you safe a little longer, at the very least until the lawyers can get a look at everything and see what they can do for the case.”
A tiny spark of hope flares in me. “But I can go out, right? Brookhaven is tiny. There’s no way anything bad would happen to me there. It’s not a big city like here in Silver Lake.”
Henry doesn’t look at me. Father presses his lips together .
“Not yet,” Adam says. “We don’t know what kind of tactics Tristan could use.”
“Come on ,” I plead. “He’s not like that.”
“Oh?” Adam says. “What is he like? Tell me, Lily. Did you think he was the type of person who could convince you to run off to Vegas, only to?—”
Isabelle places a gentle hand on his arm, and Adam stops talking. He takes in a cleansing breath and exhales.
“Wow. Impressive,” I say to Isabelle.
She smiles softly at me.
Adam reaches into her bag, pulling out a picture frame. “I want you to have this.”
I take the frame from him, a picture of our family when we were whole. Father, Mom, my three brothers, and me. It’s about fifteen years old, so I was only four there, but I can still feel the love like it was yesterday. My mother’s death wrecked us all…possibly me the most.
But the frame has a crack in it. I touch it lightly with my fingers. “Why is it broken?”
“That’s my fault,” Isabelle says. “I knocked it down while I was at the castle.”
“It was quite a first impression,” Adam says, giving her a tender glance I don’t think I ever expected to come from him. “But it brought that picture to the forefront, and it helped guide me back to where I am now.” He touches my shoulder lightly. “I think Mom would have wanted you to be safe, Lily. And Aunt Agatha is happy to take you in. Besides, you could really use a change of scenery, right?”
I sniff and blink away my tears. While I’m not sure that Mom would have been completely on board with the way I’ve been locked up for the last year, I want our family to be whole again. I want to be back to the way we were in the picture .
The tender moment is broken by a loud voice from Adam’s phone. “Heyyyyy, Peter!”
We all turn our heads and see Peter giving a bro-handshake/hug to another man.
“Ryder!” Peter points at the phone. “Hey, I’m on a call right now but let’s get some drinks later!”
Ryder looks into the camera, and I have to suck in a breath. Dark hair swooping over his forehead, gray eyes, and a smile that could melt an iceberg.
No, Lily. Don’t get sucked in by attractive looks and a charismatic smile. That was exactly where you went wrong with Tristan.
“Is that your family?” Ryder asks. He waves at the camera. “Hey, everyone!”
“Do you guys remember Ryder?” Peter asks. “He’s Wendi–I mean Gwen Darling’s cousin.”
“Peter, this is not the time,” Adam growls.
“Right, right.” Peter mumbles something to Ryder, who walks out of view of the camera. But we still hear him say, “Your sister is cute.”
My cheeks flame with heat. Adam’s hands clench into fists, and Henry sits forward in his seat. On screen, Peter looks over at Ryder and scowls. “Don’t even think about it.”
Okay, there’s that. I guess I should’ve expected my brothers to panic at the sign of a man having any kind of reaction to me. I exhale, a little shaken at semi-interacting with an attractive man for the first time in nearly a year, and I’m admittedly flattered. No wonder I’m a mess. If I’m not careful, I’m going to fall for the first man with a charming grin.
“Okay, so Brookhaven,” I say, eager to turn the conversation back to where we left off. “You want me to live with Agatha.”
“Yes,” Father replies. “You know she has that tower in her home.”
“That’s right. What’s the tower for exactly?” I ask .
The men all shake their heads. “We don’t question Agatha,” Henry finally says.
“Does she have a piano?” I ask. “That’s non-negotiable.”
“Yes,” Adam says quickly. “She reassured me that she does.”
“Okay.” I sit and think, but really, what choice do I have? I’ve proven myself unworthy of making my own decisions. No one trusts my judgment anymore. I’m not sure what option I have other than to go along with the plan.
“Fine, I’ll go,” I say.
Everyone smiles, and Henry wraps me in a hug. “I promise it’s for your benefit.”
I nod into his shoulder and pray that he’s right.
Besides, it’s only temporary.