Chapter 13
thirteen
Damon
After the other night, I decided to check on Lily again.
Well, what I really meant was that I called her office and discovered she had gone out to lunch and couldn’t show me another property I might or might not purchase.
I kind of felt bad for showing her the properties. I mean, I’m sure we can purchase them and find a way to make money, but really, I just wanted to see her again.
A nice lady named Jennifer told me that Lily was out on a much-deserved lunch date.
The word, date, had war raging inside of me. So, I did what any sane man would do: I called my PI and had him obtain Lily’s location from her cell phone records. Was I crossing a line?
Sure.
Did I care?
Fuck no.
I parked my car across from a small deli and spotted Lily immediately.
She was a ray of sunshine. Smiling and laughing as she sat with her friend, whom she had ventured to Shadow with. And, there was a tall, skinny douche bag sitting across from Lily, giving her puppy dog eyes.
I knew that look. He wanted her. I feel an unsettling flicker of jealousy coil within me as I watch their laughter mix with the warm afternoon air.
He has no idea how fragile she is, how desperately I wish to shield her from every threat, every moment that might take her away.
Each passing moment reinforces the realization that what I feel is far more complex than the lines I’ve drawn.
It’s a dangerous game I’m playing, flirting with the edge of possessiveness, with a growing impulse to take her into my life fully.
I remind myself that this obsession, twisted as it may seem, is wrapped in the guise of devotion, a need to keep her close while fending off the chaos threatening to invade.
Just as I start to lose my thoughts in this maelstrom, I catch a glimpse of Lily laughing at something the man says, the sunlight bathing her in warmth, igniting a soft glow that wraps around her like an angelic halo.
I inhale sharply, feeling the prickling tendrils of jealousy tighten around my heart.
Suddenly, I realize I cannot let another man disrupt the delicate equilibrium I’ve forged; I must act before the urge to claim her overwhelms me completely.
Stepping from the shadows, I move closer, each stride echoing the heartbeat that quickens at the thought of finally engaging with her in this mundane world we navigate, of introducing myself as more than a spectator to her life.
Too bad. She is mine.
As I watch her, I can’t help but think how vastly different our worlds are. What if she discovers the truth about who I really am, the blood that runs through my hands? I can’t let this world taint her, but the temptation lingers as I find myself drawn further into my feelings for her.
But then I remember what she said when we first met, how she had craved the danger of doing something bad and unknown. She was giving in to her own temptations. Were her desires any different from mine?
I wonder if the growing sense of obsession I feel towards her is love. All of my life, I’ve wanted to find someone to love and love me back. It could be Lily.
I feel my phone vibrate and I quickly check the message.
Warren: Where are you?
Me: Out.
Warren: Xavier wants to talk about business.
Me: Too bad.
Warren: Don’t be an asshole.
I chuckle to myself. Then, I have an idea.
Me: Tell Xavier we need to host another night at Shadow.
Warren: This soon after the last one?
Me: Yes. We want to make money, right?
Warren: I’ll call him. We need to meet in an hour.
I throw my phone on the passenger seat and continue watching Lily.
I’m going to make her mine no matter what.