Chapter 19 Tigerlily
Chapter Nineteen: Tigerlily
I stare into the void of his garage, imagining what my dad will do when he finds out where I am.
There’s a slight chance he doesn’t check my location. On a normal night, he’d go to his room and not come back out until morning. It’s early—past midnight, pushing into the dead hours where normal people sleep.
I bet he’s already in bed.
But the fear in me knows better.
He’s not normal. He’s been watching me like a hawk lately. I bet he has cameras everywhere. And I need to stay one step ahead of the inevitable.
I exhale, hoping that Jax is right, hoping that my dad won’t check my location within the next few hours.
My passenger door opens, bringing me back to reality.
“Tiger,” he says.
I turn my head and wonder why he’s using the same nickname as Callum.
“Come inside and we’ll talk,” he says, eyes locked on mine.
I nod automatically like I have no control over my own body anymore.
I step out of the car and follow him into the house.
The door opens. I hear Zephyr say something from inside, but he falls silent the moment he sees me.
“Tiger?”
Great. The nickname’s rubbed off on all of them.
He walks toward me, concern written all over his face. “Are you hurt?”
I shake my head. Jax closes the door behind me with a soft click.
Zephyr doesn’t wait for more explanation. He just pulls me into his chest.
God, he’s so tall.
I hear his heartbeat through his shirt. Steady. Strong. It grounds me in a way I didn’t know I needed.
I step back, catching Jax’s eyes.
“Are you staying?” Zephyr asks. “We have a game in Minnesota, but we’ll be back tomorrow night.”
I shake my head, taking in Zephyr’s tired face—pale skin, thick eyebrows, brown eyes that look almost black in the dim light. He has this European look to him. Sharp features. Strong jaw.
“Stay,” he says quietly. “You’re safe here.”
“Thank you,” I mumble, a bit embarrassed to be here.
He hugs me again briefly, then pulls back. “I’m heading to bed.”
“Good night.”
“Good night, Tiger.” He disappears down the hall.
Jax nods his head toward the hallway, so I follow him to the guest bedroom. The second I step inside, memories of Callum flood back—his bare ass walking across the room, how his penis hung when he turned around, the warmth of the bed after he left.
“Jax,” I say before he can close the door behind him. He pauses as I whisper, “I don’t want to be alone.”
He pauses, hesitating as he looks at me. Then he steps back inside the room and closes the door behind him.
I scoot over on the bed, relieved he’s not making this weird.
He lies down next to me and pulls out his phone to set a few alarms. Then he turns to face me.
I’m already on my side, watching him. I take in his features through the dark. The sharp line of his jaw. The way his eyes hold mine even in the shadows.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
He stares back at me like he’s taking me in, memorizing every detail. My stomach fills with butterflies—the kind only he seems to give me.
He’s not just looking. He’s seeing me.
And I think he knows more about how I feel than I do.
“Like Zeff said,” he finally murmurs. “You’re safe here, Tiger.”
I blink, trying to push away the swarm of butterflies in my belly. I didn’t know I could feel like I’m flying without moving a single inch.
I inhale and readjust myself onto my back. I can’t take the tension any longer.
I close my eyes for a moment, trying to sleep.
Curiosity wins for a second because I open my eyes and turn my head toward him. And he’s in the same position, his eyes still on me.
“I didn’t know you were watching my house every day,” I mutter.
I snuggle my head deeper into the pillow, closing my eyes again.
I can feel the heat of his stare, but something is calming about it.
I know in my heart that in this bed next to Jax, I’m safe.
The safest I’ve ever been.
Sleep pulls me under.
The alarm screams about ten minutes after I fall asleep.
I jolt awake, heart hammering, body already tense and ready to run.
Where am I? What time is it? Did he find me?
“Hey.” Jax’s voice cuts through the panic. Soft. Steady. “You’re okay.”
He reaches over and silences his phone. The room falls quiet again.
I’m breathing too fast. My hands are shaking.
“You’re at my place,” he says, turning to face me. “Remember?”
I nod, forcing myself to breathe slower.
Right. His place. I left my house. I climbed out the window. I fall back on the pillow, exhaling.
“What time is it?” I whisper.
“Four-thirty.”
It’s dark outside. The world hasn’t woken up yet.
Jax sits up and runs a hand through his hair. “I need to shower and get ready. Are you good?”
I nod again.
He stands and glances back at me before disappearing into the hallway.
The bathroom door closes.
I lie staring at the ceiling, trying to calm my racing heart.
A soft knock at the door makes me sit up.
“Tiger?” Zephyr’s voice. He opens the door just enough to lean in. “You awake?”
“Yeah.”
“Can I come in?”
I pull the blanket up to my chest. “Yeah.”
He steps inside, leaving the door cracked. He sits on the edge of the bed, giving me space.
“Are you okay?”
I nod.
“What happened last night?” he asks quietly.
I don’t answer right away. Just look at him—dark eyebrows drawn together in concern, brown eyes soft in the dim light from the kitchen down the hall.
The way he watches me makes my stomach flip.
“My dad knows that you guys have been watching the house,” I admit.
“Did he hurt you?” he asks again like he didn’t believe last night’s answer.
“No.”
Zephyr’s jaw tightens.
I look down at my hands. “He threw a cup. It shattered against the wall.”
Zephyr’s quiet for a moment. Then he says, “I’m happy you’re here. It’s been eating at me.”
I’m not sure what to say to that, but it makes the butterflies in my stomach come alive again.
Movement in the hallway catches my eye. Jax is standing at the door, fresh from the shower, hair still damp and watching us.
I inhale sharply at the sight of him.
I don’t understand what’s happening to me. I don’t understand why all three of them make me feel like this—safe and terrified and wanted all at once.
Zephyr stands. “We need to head out soon. Are you staying until we get back?”
I shake my head.
He frowns. “You sure?”
I hate that the logical choice is the lonely option. I want to stay. I want to hide here where it’s safe and warm and no one’s throwing things at walls.
But I can’t.
Zinnia’s still there. My things are still there. And if I don’t get back in time, my dad will know I snuck out, and then all hell’s going to break loose. It’ll only get worse, so I nod. I’m sure.
I look at Jax. Then at Zephyr. Then back at Jax.
“Drop me off at home before you go to the airport,” I say.
They don’t try to convince me to stay.
Jax just nods. “Be ready in five.”
They park behind my house where the cameras can’t see.
It’s still dark. The sky’s just starting to lighten at the edges—that pale gray that comes before sunrise.
I reach for the car door handle and hesitate.
“Thank you,” I say. “And good luck with your game.”
Jax nods. Zephyr gives me a small smile.
I slip out of the car and close the door as quietly as I can.
They don’t leave until I’m across the neighbor’s yard and out of sight.
I move through the shadows, heart pounding, terrified of being caught.
But when I reach my window, it’s still unlocked. It’s still cracked open the way I left it.
I climb through and land softly on my bedroom floor. I try my best to do the screen. Finally, after fidgeting with it, it clicks into place.
The house is silent.
My door’s still locked from the inside. Everything’s exactly how I left it.
For a minute, I stand frozen. I’m waiting for footsteps, for my dad’s voice, for a bang against the door, and my dad’s voice to appear, telling me how awful I am. How much of a liar I am.
But there’s nothing.
I toe off my sneakers and peel off my hoodie. I put everything back where it belongs.
Then I climb into bed.
And I smile at the thought of Jax, Zephyr, and Callum.
Because I have people who care about me.
And that means everything.