Chapter Fourteen Lily
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Lily
T elling my mom about my secret relationship with Lorenzo first thing the next morning goes worse than I expected. Her simple but significant “I’m disappointed in you” feels like I took a dagger to the heart, so I call Lorenzo in a panic once I’m locked away in my bedroom.
“I don’t think I can do this,” I blurt out as soon as he answers the phone.
“Can’t do what ?”
“Lie to my family. My mom is upset, and my sister is pissed.”
The speaker crackles with his loud exhale. “Isn’t that something you should’ve considered last night?”
My chest puffs with my restrained breath. “Of course I did, but it isn’t so easy.”
“And how will telling them about our fake relationship help matters?”
“They won’t have a reason to be angry at me anymore.”
“Are you sure about that? Your mom doesn’t seem too fond of liars, and your sister would probably be upset you turned to me for help instead of her.”
“They’d understand.” I don’t sound confident, and I blame Lorenzo for planting those valid concerns in my head.
“But what if they don’t?” he asks.
“I…” Don’t know.
Lorenzo continues when I go silent. “And if you told Dahlia, would you be okay with asking her to keep it a secret from Julian? Because there is no way in hell I’m trusting him.”
I can’t ask Dahlia to hide the truth from Julian. “If he understood the circumstances—”
Lorenzo doesn’t let me finish the thought. “Am I going to hedge my entire campaign on Julian Lopez—a man who can’t stand me? Because if word gets out, whether it be on purpose or by accident, it could ruin the entire campaign and make both of us look terrible.”
The pit in my stomach grows. “I…I get it.”
He exhales loudly. “You volunteered knowing the stakes. If you want to risk everything because you can’t handle your choice, then so be it, but give me a warning before you destroy everything I’ve worked toward.”
I fall back on my bed with an unceremonious oomph . “You’re still giving me the option? Why?”
“Because we’re a team, whether we like it or not. That means I have to trust that you’ll make the best choice for us, even if it feels like the wrong one for you right now.”
I hate him for making sense—but not nearly as much as I hate myself for the flutter in my stomach at him using the word we .
Despite my conversation with Lorenzo, I still question everything when my mom leaves the house without giving me a hug goodbye.
I didn’t even find out she went to Mass until Josefina sent us a text in the Lopez-Munoz group chat letting us know that it went on longer than usual, so Sunday lunch is going to be pushed back an hour.
I’ve never felt more disconnected from my family, and the recent Kids’ Table texts I missed adds to the growing emotional divide between us.
RAFA
I come back home and less than 24 hours later there’s already drama?
JULIAN
If you’re referring to Lily’s secret relationship with Lorenzo, then yes, it’s true.
RAFA
Shit.
RAFA
Does that mean we’re supposed to be nice to him now?
JULIAN
Nope. Carry on like usual.
DAHLIA
Julian. We talked about this.
Okay, at least my sister is trying to help me out.
JULIAN
No. You talked about it. I only listened and decided I’m not being nice just because Lily likes him.
RAFA
It could be a good test.
JULIAN
Exactly. Let’s see if he has what it takes to fit in with us.
RAFA
I meant for you, not him.
JULIAN
And what am I being tested on exactly?
RAFA
I’m curious how long it takes before you throw the first punch.
JULIAN
I’d never lay a hand on another person.
RAFA
Wanna bet?
Dahlia responds with a face-palm emoji.
Since everyone is ragging on Lorenzo, I decide the most girlfriend thing I can do is jump to his defense.
ME
Don’t you dare punch my boyfriend. You hear me?
JULIAN
I’d only be doing you a favor since that broken nose of his could use some realignment.
And my mom thinks I’m disappointing?
Filled with instant rage, I become a keyboard warrior, rapid-fire texting without thinking twice about divulging something Laurence once told me during one of our midnight conversations.
ME
Oh, you mean the fracture he got after his uncle punched him in the face and never got him proper medical attention?
Lorenzo would kill me if he knew I told Julian, Rafa, and Dahlia about that story, but I rarely get this angry, so I don’t know how to process the feeling before acting on instinct.
My phone vibrates, so I check what else my family has to say.
RAFA
Well. I don’t know about Julian, but I feel like a dick, and I didn’t even comment on his nose.
JULIAN
Of course I feel like a dick.
JULIAN
I had no idea his uncle hit him.
ME
For the record, next time you question why I kept our entire relationship a secret, refer to this chat.
Everyone might still be upset with me for my lies , and their emotions are valid, but I’m putting my foot down. Either they can accept that this relationship is happening or they can learn to live with my absence.
I exit the Kids’ Table group chat and open up a new message from Willow.
WILLOW
Hey, hey! How do you feel about Italian food?
ME
If I ever say no to wanting some, please alert the authorities because I must’ve been kidnapped.
WILLOW
HAHA. Will do!!
WILLOW
Do you want to meet up at Lorenzo’s for a late lunch and strategize?
I never skip a Sunday lunch, in part because I have nothing better to do, but the idea of sitting at a table with my family after everything feels like too much.
ME
Sure. Tell me the time and I’ll be there.
Lorenzo’s house reminds me of Julian’s, most likely because it was built by Lopez Luxury prior to Julian restoring older homes with Dahlia. I won’t deny that the mid-century modern mansion is a work of art, full of sharp lines and glass windows that showcase design elements inspired by the 1950s.
It’s stunning, grandiose, and lacking in personality given the limited desert landscaping, but it’s still breathtaking to those who appreciate this kind of aesthetic.
I’d much rather have a little bungalow like Willow’s any day of the week, with painted siding, a wraparound porch, a bee sanctuary, and a garden with unlimited access to flowers, but hey, if Lorenzo enjoys a house to match his cold heart, then it’s his money. He should do whatever he wants with it.
Speaking of the devil, Lorenzo opens the door in nothing but a black T-shirt and jeans. It’s rare to see him looking so casual, and the sight of his thick arms and the faintest hint of abs test my heart rate.
“Ran out of clean suits to wear?” I say coolly as I step inside, only to lose my footing when I glance at his entry table.
I’ve never had the nerve to ask Lorenzo what he does with the flowers he orders, and I’ve spent way too many hours wondering why he bothered if he clearly wasn’t dating anyone.
Or at least that’s what I told myself to feel better about making his bouquets because there is no way I would’ve fulfilled the order any other way.
To see one of them in his home, located right by the stairs so he walks by them every day…
Who’s to say he didn’t put them there this morning to look like a good boyfriend?
The thought sours whatever little happiness I felt.
I ignore the emotion clogging my throat. “Never expected you to be the kind of guy who likes fresh flowers in his house.”
He shuts the door behind me without answering.
“Where’s the other one?” I ask because I can’t resist.
“Somewhere.”
I roll my eyes at his vague response and step toward the table to remove a few dead leaves, only to stop when he asks, “Do you mind taking off your shoes?”
I look down at my sandaled feet and grimace.
“Floors were cleaned this morning,” he says when I don’t move right away.
With the way it gleams, I’m inclined to believe him, but that’s not my issue. “But my feet get cold.”
“Let me get you some socks.” He heads upstairs and disappears without waiting for me to deny his request.
“Hey!” Willow pops out of a room and heads over to greet me. “Happy you made it.” She pulls me into a hug.
“Anything sounded better than hanging out with my family today.”
She winces. “How’s that going?”
“About as good as expected.”
“Should I bring out the wine?”
“Uh…”
Willow laughs.
“No wine,” Lorenzo grunts from the staircase landing. I look up to see his bare feet slapping against the stairs.
“Catch.” He tosses a pair of black ankle socks my way.
I look at them with a scrunched nose.
He frowns. “What’s that look for?”
“Nothing.” I kick off my first sandal and slip a sock on.
“Is there something wrong with them?” he asks.
“Do I need another reason besides them being yours?”
He crosses his arms.
Tough crowd today.
I place my sandals neatly beside a new pair of male running shoes and Willow’s flats. “I’m more of a ruffled-sock kind of girl.”
“A what?”
“You know, cute little socks with ruffles? I’ll show you a photo later.”
“Ruffles…on socks?”
“Bonus if they have bows or something fun embroidered on them.” The comment slips out before I remember myself.
“Noted for next time.”
Something flutters in my stomach at his use of next time .
You’re going to have a hard time adjusting to this whole fake relationship if you get all hot and bothered at the mere idea of spending more time with him.
Willow is about to say something before all our noses twitch from the scent of something burning.
“The bread!” She takes off toward what I assume is the kitchen.
Lorenzo plugs his nose. “I swear that woman would burn water if it was possible.”
I rub my rumbling stomach. “Now I’m wishing I had eaten before.”
“I’d never let her cook me a meal.” He turns and heads down the same walkway as Willow, silently ordering me to follow.
The extravagant interior is everything I’d expect from a Lopez Luxury build. From the conversation pit and stone fireplace to the imported marble floors, I can’t help noting all the little details that make Julian’s homes so popular among the rich.