Chapter 14
Lily
“You okay?” Aaron asks. I look back at him with a smile, hoping it seems genuine.
“Yeah, of course.” He doesn’t look convinced, but that’s probably because I’m not even convincing myself.
“Lily.” Sutton pulls my attention toward her, and I’m happy for the reprieve because I don’t want Aaron to ask about any further details right now. I don’t have the answers. “I don’t think I know how you and Aaron met.”
Now my smile is genuine at the memory. I bounce on the balls of my feet. “Oh, that’s such a funny story. Get this, he saved my life.”
“Really?” Sutton smiles.
“Oh, yeah,” I say excitedly. “I came home one day from class and there was the biggest, scariest, poisonous bug on my door practically holding me hostage. I debated fleeing the country. It was just staring me down and wouldn’t move.
” I wave my arms around as I recall the terrifying experience.
“I took my shoe off to throw it, and he didn’t even care.
I thought I was a goner. That’s it. RIP to me because this is how I’m going to go out. ”
Aaron mumbles something from behind me, but I continue.
“But then, my own knight in shining armor comes out of his place across the street. I think he could sense I was a bad bitch in need of some assistance, and there he was. He slayed the dragon like it was nothing, and the rest is history.”
“Aw, that’s so sweet.” Sutton smiles widely at us.
“That’s a bit dramatic, Lily. You were screeching and throwing shoes, so I helped kill a beetle for you,” Aaron deadpans.
I deflate slightly at his tone but try to keep the smile on my face. Sutton must notice because I can see her try and hide her own reaction.
“Well,” Sutton says brightly, “it’s still a sweet story.”
I give her a close-lipped smile, and nod.
“Want to tell the story about how we met?” Parker’s voice appears out of nowhere like a thief in the night.
“Why are you always just around?” I snap at him, all while trying to control my racing heart.
“Because you want me to be. I’m just following your energy.” He winks, and I scrunch my nose.
“My energy is trying to tell you to fuck off, but you just keep coming around anyway,” I grumble.
“How did you two meet?” Sutton asks. I glare at her, but she just shrugs.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m sure Aaron doesn’t want to hear about that.” I try to use him as an excuse, but he’s just standing there quietly with his arm around my shoulder. I dare a look up to him, and he seems like he’s sizing up Parker.
Parker doesn’t seem to care about whatever energy is being emitted in his direction by either myself or Aaron and starts talking anyway.
“Our moms have been best friends forever, so we’ve known each other our whole lives. That’s not the interesting story. How Lily finally admitted she was in love with me, now that’s the story.”
“I did not,” I screech.
“Pretty sure you did.”
“Pretty sure you have brain damage from smoke inhalation.”
“Let’s get other opinions then, shall we?” He smirks. I shake my head, but he doesn’t stop. “It was a normal day in high school. I was with a couple of my friends at the end of the day. When all of a sudden, I’m being trampled by this little blonde right here, and she—”
“That’s not what happened, oh my God,” I huff.
“How do you remember it then?” he goads.
I speak faster than necessary just so I can get this story over with. “After school one day we were each with our respective friends. Mine were playing a dumb game that had to do with smash or pass or something. I yelled my answer loudly. Parker’s nosy, that’s it.”
Sutton is trying to bite back her laughter as she nods, and Parker looks way too smug for his own good.
“Maybe we should get going,” Aaron suggests, and I can feel how uncomfortable he is with the way this conversation has shifted.
“You sure? We were just getting to the good part of Lil’s history. Make sure she tells you about how I found her piglet Miss Waddles in her bed one night,” Parker shares.
I pull Aaron away. “Goodbye Sutton, we’ll hang out another time when there isn’t my weird stalker hovering.”
I turn away but can hear Parker’s laughter booming from behind me as we leave. Once we get back to Aaron’s car I slump in the passenger seat.
Aaron sits and won’t look at me when he asks, “What’s that guy’s deal with you?”
“Parker? He’s obsessed with me, obviously,” I try to joke, but he looks over at me like he doesn’t find it very funny and my smile drops.
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“You seem to entertain him in this supposed one-sided obsession.”
“I don’t entertain him. I can start keeping track of how many times I tell him to go away, if you’d like,” I suggest sarcastically. I also can’t help but think about the way he cornered me in the kitchen the other day, and how I didn’t immediately push him away.
I did tell him to go away…eventually.
“You know, Lily, not everything is a joke all the fucking time,” he snaps.
I rear back, shocked at his outburst. It’s not the first time it’s happened, but something about this time feels different.
I swallow roughly. “Sorry.”
“If you want to go back to your old life here, get back with your high school boyfriend, and be stuck back in this shitty little town, then be my guest.”
I flinch like he hit me because his words may have at this point. “I never said I wanted any of that.”
“Well it’s sure how you’re acting.”
He starts the car, and I keep my eyes locked out the window because I can’t look at him right now. I don’t even know what I would say. One of the rare times in my life I’m genuinely speechless.
Except one thing.
I whisper, not even sure if he can hear me, but I say it anyway, “This town isn’t shitty.”
I know Aaron is working hard to help my Aunt Trish.
I know he gave up a lot to come move here with me for the time being.
I know he can get frustrated. But it’s been becoming clearer just how much he hates it here.
I’m sure my family can see it, but they haven’t said anything to me.
My mom sends me small smiles, but I can tell she’s holding back her comments.
Ethan is a bit more outspoken, like Jerry Lee.
Though, he isn’t as outspoken as Jerry Lee.
Aaron was not happy to hear the first “asshole Aaron” that came from the bird.
I tried to explain it was a misunderstanding.
A simple miscommunication between human, and bird, but he didn’t care to hear my explanation.
My nights at work have become somewhat of a reprieve and it’s not a great feeling. Because when I’m at home I’m looking forward to being surrounded by people complaining about stomach pains and exaggerating their pain level. We all know they’ve never experienced a “ten” pain in their life.
Looking forward to something so bleak is not what I had on my bingo card for my life. But here we are. I’m on the extra shift I took, even though I’m exhausted. I just wanted to get out of the house again.
Of course, tonight is on the slower end of things, so my mind isn’t as distracted as it usually is when I have a lot to do. Luckily, I’m the queen of distraction, and swing around on the rolling chair I’m in to face my coworker, Lexi.
“Do you ever think about how many random people’s pictures you’re in, and you’ll never know about?”
Lexi laughs. “I can’t say I’ve ever thought about that actually.”
“Really? I’ve thought about it a lot. Especially because in college my friends and I would have a competition to see how many we could end up in on our nights out.”
“Let me guess, you usually would win.”
“You’d think, but no actually, my roommate Anna was the crazy one and she would usually win.”
“I’m a little surprised to hear someone is crazier than you,” she teases.
“I’m not sure if I should be honored or offended. I’ll prove it to you. Let me tell you about the duck man she ducked because that was crazy.”
“I don’t know if I want to know.” She shakes her head.
“Trust me. You do.”