Chapter 16
Lily
All Too Well
Taylor Swift
“Not here though.” I sniffle loudly, so many emotions swirling inside of me right now that I don’t know which one to deal with first. I yank open drawers in my desk until I find a pack of tissues, pull several out of the package, then use them to wipe under my eyes.
“Okay.” His raspy voice sounds just a few feet from me, causing me to shift my gaze up to him.
I should have known. The minute I looked at his eyes. They are all I ever see. They’re squinting at me now, assessing me with concern. Which is warranted. I am acting a little like a crazy person.
“Let me get a key to a room that’s free.” I pull my purse from under my desk then stand. “We’ll have more privacy that way.”
“I have a room.” He states firmly. “We can go there.”
I shake my head as I walk past him, motioning for him to follow me. “I’d rather not if that’s okay.”
“Whatever.” He mumbles as he trails behind. “Doesn’t really seem like I have much of a say in this.”
I pause in the hallway, twisting to face him. “I know this is strange. I promise I’ll explain everything. Just, please, give me a little grace here.”
His lips purse in a tight line, but he nods his acceptance at my plea. “Fine.”
I stop in front of the door that opens into the check-in area. “You can wait here if you want. This will only take a second, and I understand now why you want to keep a low profile.”
“Sure.” He tips his forehead in acknowledgement. “Appreciate that.”
“I’ll be right back.” I assure him before pulling the door open to walk through.
I keep my head down, moving directly to one of the computers, working quickly to find an available room. I secure it for myself, process the key, and without a word to anyone, slip back through the door to find Luc leaning against the wall.
His sunglasses are hanging from the collar of his shirt, his hands tucked into his pockets, one booted foot crossed over the other. He’s turned his cap around so that the bill is facing backwards, tufts of his brown hair curling out from under the rim.
I didn’t take the time to absorb anything about him earlier, but he’s stunning. It’s when I shift my gaze back up to his eyes that I almost suffocate on the breath I inhale. I’ve wondered about those eyes for so damn long. I know I’m staring but I can’t seem to make myself look away.
“See something you like, Kitten?” He practically growls, and something about the way he says it causes my skin to break out in goosebumps, the hairs on the back of my neck rising.
“It’s Lily.” I retort, my voice a little shaky, even though I’m attempting to appear unaffected.
“Yeah, I know.” He scoffs as he pushes himself off the wall. “I’m not the one who doesn’t remember.”
I close my eyes for a brief second, the implications of what’s about to happen hitting me like a tsunami. Nothing will ever be the same after this. I take a deep breath, steel my spine, and force my feet to move. “There’s an elevator down here we can use.”
I sigh in relief when his heavy footsteps sound behind me, my pulse misfiring when he’s suddenly beside me, matching my stride. He keeps looking over at me, contempt clearly displayed in his features. I know what I’m going to tell him is only going to increase those feelings ten-fold.
We reach the elevator, and I press the button to call it. When the doors slide open, we step inside, and I swipe the room key over the access reader, before selecting twenty-three.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” He chuffs loudly.
My eyebrows squish together as I swing my gaze to him. “What?”
“You expect me to believe that’s a coincidence?” His long finger points to the number I pressed.
I assess where he’s indicating, then glare over at him. “I have absolutely no idea what you’re referring to.”
“This just keeps getting better and better.” He grumbles, his hand gripping the back of his neck as he shoots daggers toward the ceiling.
If he only knew how frustrating this was for me as well. Not having a single clue what he keeps making references to. Knowing this man holds the answers to things I didn’t think I would ever know. He has so much more power over me than he even could guess.
“I’ll explain everything.” I promise again.
“Only reason I’m still here.” He declares, one hand against the now open elevator door, as he motions for me to proceed.
I lead us to the room I procured, 2320. It’s one of our suites, but it was empty, and I figured having a table and chairs, or at least any other space besides a bedroom, would be better.
“You have no idea the irony of this at all, do you?” He chuckles again, but it’s not humorous. In fact, it’s full of disdain.
“No one wishes I did more than you.” I volley back, frustration bleeding into my tone as I toss the room key onto a side table.
His brow arches, the same side of his mouth frowning as he glances in my direction. “Where do you want to do this?”
“Table?” I suggest, pulling out one of the chairs before falling into it. He drags out the chair opposite me, settling himself across from me.
“Do you want anything?” I blurt out, realizing this could be a lengthy conversation.
“Just answers sweetheart.” His response curt, all patience evaporated.
I stare across at him a moment. Wishing – wanting so badly that doing so would trigger something. Anything. But all I see, all I ever see, are his eyes. They haunt me daily, and now at least I know why.
I slide my purse off my shoulder and pull my phone out. I open my photo app, scroll a few minutes until I find what I’m looking for, and then turn the picture so he can see it. “Is this you? Us?”
His face is utterly still. His attention completely transfixed on the image I have displayed.
I’ve looked at this picture over a thousand times.
It’s obviously me in the picture. My face is clear, my cheek pressed up against another.
But the other person’s face is hooded. Shadowed in a way that the only thing I can really see are the eyes; liquid, warm, and whiskey brown in color.
When his gaze finally shifts away, it’s not to look at me, but past me, a haunted look on his face.
“That was from the last time the band played in Vegas. You walked with me to the stage. We stopped on the way, and I took this selfie so you could prove to your friend that you had been hanging out with me.”
“Except, you can’t really see your face.” I state quietly. “Even when we tried to use filter adjustments to try and lighten it.”
“Are you telling me that you don’t remember hanging out with me? Going to that concert with me? The day we spent together, the night after?” He fists his hands together on the table, his knuckles turning white. “Because I kind of thought our time together was pretty fucking special.”
“Luc?” I sigh heavily. “Is that what I called you? Is it okay if I call you that?”
“That’s my fucking name, darling.” He snaps.
“I don’t remember any of that.” I take a deep breath and then words just spill out of me.
“I was hit by a car the morning of October 13th, 2023. I was walking across Las Vegas Boulevard, and was hit by someone who ran the red light. I was in a coma for three weeks. It took me two weeks after that to even be able to talk again. When I could speak again, and tried to put the pieces together of what had happened, it was discovered that I had no memory of the accident.”
I blow out another breath, noting the shock on his face, knowing it’s only going to get worse from here.
“As time went on, we realized I also had no memory of the three weeks prior to the accident. Nothing. It’s completely gone.
No matter what we try to do, nothing triggers my memories from that time.
The only clues I have of what I had done, or where I had gone, were pictures on my phone, people I worked with and friends I had hung out with during that time. ”
I hold my phone up, the picture of us still open. “This picture, it’s dated the night before my accident. So, I knew I was with someone. Doing something. But with who, and what, and where, I had no idea.” I stare across the table at him. “Until now. Until you.”
“Fucking hell.” He exclaims, a hand scraping the hat off his head, his hair somehow still looking incredible. “You really don’t remember.” He shakes his head in disbelief. “All this time I thought…” His voice trails off, his hat a crumbled mess between his fingers as he stares down at it.
“We slept together then?” I probe, even though just a short time ago he had pretty clearly stated we fucked, but I needed him to say it now that he had more information from me.
His eyes dart up to mine. “Yeah.” He frowns. Begins again. “Yes. Six times. If you want exact numbers. Over thirty-six hours. That’s how much time we were together.”
I feel my face heat at the number he just told me. Six times? Either I’d lost my mind or found religion between the sheets. And with a rock star? That didn’t sound like me at all.
“I know what you’re thinking.” His gaze boring into me as I stare across at him. “It wasn’t like that.” His fingers unclench from his hat and slide across the table to rest over mine. “It was special.”
“How did I end up with you? Did you stay at this hotel? Is that how we met? Why didn’t we exchange numbers? How could you not know my full name?” I toss questions at him faster than he can respond, but I’ve waited so long for these answers.
His fingers squeeze mine before he releases them and pulls them back to his side of the table. “You know that offer of something earlier? I could really use a drink.”
I scoot back so fast my chair almost topples over. I’m nervous. Even more so now that I know who this man is. “Sure, of course. What do you want?”
“A bottle of tequila would be fan-fucking-tastic right now, but seeing how I have to be on stage later, how about some beer?”