Chapter 51
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
Lily
The door flies open before I’m even out of Drago’s car. My hand is still on the handle when he clears his throat beside me.
He showed me the panic room before we left, and I swear the air was being sucked out of the room when we were inside.
“Have a nice day, Lily.” His voice is quiet. Careful.
“Thanks. You too.”
The words feel wrong in my mouth. Too polite. Too distant. Like Monaco didn’t happen. Like I didn’t fall apart in his arms and feel happy in a way that scared the hell out of me.
I step out of the car but don’t move away straight away. I just stand there, looking at him. Like my body is programmed not to leave him.
“So, do I need you to take me to the gallery? Or can someone else?” I hate how unsure I sound.
“I’ll be your primary bodyguard.” His hands tighten around the steering wheel.
“If for some reason I’m tied up with something else, either the twins or one of the Quinns will take my place if you have to leave Decadence.” He pauses, jaw flexing. “But, I anticipate this all being rectified fairly soon. So, I’m hoping it doesn’t impact your life too much.”
I blow out a slow breath. He has no idea. “Okay. Well, I’ve told Roxy to schedule Marco’s gallery for the end of the year just in case.”
My fingers curl tighter around the door, using it to steady myself as I meet his eyes.
“I won’t let anything ruin your business. You’ll always remain my top priority.”
I drop my gaze to the stones beneath my boots. It could have been so much more. “Cool. I’ll see you later.”
I shut the door and hurry toward Bella, who’s waiting with a smile that softens when she sees my face. The twins are behind her, kissing her cheeks. It takes a second before I clock the difference between them—Rowan’s grin gives him away. Reggie’s quieter. Sharper.
“Hi Lily,” Rowan chirps.
Reggie nods once.
“Hey!” I squeak.
“You two behave at work!” Bella calls after them, laughing as they head toward Drago’s car.
“Come on, in you get.” She ushers me inside.
Her place is stunning—pink artwork, chandeliers, warmth everywhere. Her cat, Sassy, winds herself around my ankles.
“Hey you,” I murmur, crouching to scratch behind her ears until she purrs.
“Coffee or stronger?” Bella calls from the kitchen.
“Uh. I don’t even know what time it is. Coffee, please.” I perch on the barstool while she works.
“Hey, do you like caramel syrup? I’ve got a new one, and it is fucking gorgeous.”
“Sure. Sounds nice.”
She turns, eyes narrowing, hands on her hips. “Lily… Spill.”
“Honestly, there isn’t much to spill.”
She rounds the counter and stops beside me. “I know you well enough now to know when you’re upset.”
I sigh, resting my chin in my hand. “I thought he was different, Bels. Actually, I was delusional to think he was ‘the one’. After one weekend together. How ridiculous is that?!”
She doesn’t laugh. “You’re falling for Drago?”
“I was. Yeah. He makes me feel…”
“Safe? Happy? Loved?”
I nod. “All of them. Or so I thought.”
“What happened?”
Tears slip free before I can stop them. I swipe at my cheek, but Bella’s already pulling me into her arms.
“Oh, come here.”
I sob into her shoulder, and for once, I don’t feel stupid for it.
“It’s okay to be upset, Lily. I’m your friend. Cry whenever you want.”
I pull back, scrubbing at my eyes. “How could I be so stupid and get this so wrong?”
She chews on her lip. “I don’t think you did get it wrong. From what you told me in Monaco, he has it just as bad as you, probably worse. Like… Drago the gentleman?”
A small smile tugs at my lips. “He opened every damn door for me. Carried my bags. Took me on dates.”
“And went down on you?”
“Yes. Really went to town there.”
She wiggles her brows. “Nice. So what went wrong? Why are we not celebrating?”
I draw in a shaky breath. “Because none of it was real. Last night, I woke up, and he wasn’t next to me. I was a little drunk. Anyway, I opened my bedroom door and saw another woman in our penthouse.”
Her mouth falls open. “Drago doesn’t seem the type? He is not a player at all.”
“I wasn’t drunk enough to hallucinate. She kissed him, Bella. And he didn’t stop it.” I flinch as I say it.
The words physically hurt to say out loud.
Her expression tightens. “What were they talking about before the kiss?”
“I don’t know. It sounded heated. Like it was about to be a hate fuck on the couch.”
“Have you asked him?”
My stomach sinks. I feel like a coward. Like I’m letting my insecurities win. I deserve to know the truth, I know that. Every woman does.
But, deep down, something tells me that Drago will have an answer. And that pushing him away keeps him safe. It stops a big fallout with my father. It stops me from getting hurt in the long run.
I’m protecting myself.
“He wanted to explain… I told him not to bother because we were just a fling.”
She gasps. Loudly. “A fling? You called Drago a fling?”
I wince. “Yeah. A vacation fling.”
“Jesus Christ.” She rubs her temples, then looks back at me.
“Okay. A year ago, I would have done the same thing. But what I have learned, the fucking hard way, is in this life, you always hear them out. If you don’t like the answer, punch him in the balls and walk away.
But men like Drago, men like mine, they don’t cheat. ”
I swallow hard.
“I think it’s for the best. What is my dad going to say? Drago is like a son to him. They’re best friends. It just makes it awkward.”
“That’s a good excuse,” she counters gently. “Wouldn’t your dad want you both to be happy?”
“I really don’t know if he’d like Drago being the man to make me happy.”
I don’t know my father that well, but I know he respects Drago. And that knowing about us could shatter that.
“Love is worth the risk.”
It lands heavy in my chest, mirroring words Drago said to me before. “This is a mess. I keep pushing people away, it’s what I do, Bella.”
I take a deep breath, realizing that actually, this isn’t making me weak. That letting my feelings out to someone I trust isn’t a bad thing. Not like my anxious brain told me it would be. It’s a relief.
“You can change your mind,” she says softly. “I bet you never pushed anyone that far away and burned the bridges.”
“I even turned my own mother down the other day. All she wanted was a coffee and to apologize.” I scrub my hands over my face.
“Only you can decide what you want in your life.” She gives a dramatic pause, “Well, actually, you aren’t getting rid of me; there is no choice there.
But everyone else?” She shrugs, “For what it’s worth, it sounds like Drago is really into you and willing to risk his relationship with your father for you.
That’s kinda a big deal. Maybe hear him out? ”
I rest my forehead on the counter. “I don’t know, Bels. This is a mess. I don’t like mess. It makes me run.”
She rubs my back softly. “I’m not letting you run. I’m going to be right beside you, no matter what, Lily.”
I pull her into a hug.
“I appreciate you, you know that, right?” I whisper, trying to smile.
“You’re the first friend I’ve ever had who was real, Lily. I’m here for you, always. Now let me make this damn coffee.”
I laugh, wiping my cheeks.
After years of being lost, I’m starting to find myself. Where I belong.
And that also includes Drago.
I can’t let him go.
And maybe I should give my mom a chance. Seeing as I’m channeling the spirit of forgiveness and not pushing people away, perhaps she deserves a shot, too.