Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
E than
She trusts me. My God, she trusts me. Enough to let me cuddle with her during the night without pulling away.
The thought alone is like a drug pumping through my veins. It’s even more potent than the pleasure of waking up with her soft body in my arms last night, for the brief moment I indulged in it before pulling away.
Should I be this exhilarated? Gaining her trust was supposed to be for her sake, not mine. I was called by God to help her because she’s in a dark place. Mason hurt her. I know he did. I need her to open up to me so that I can help her take action. To protect herself from being hurt by him in the future.
But her trust feels like so much more somehow. Like the beginning of something bright and beautiful.
When I glance over at Lily, she’s nibbling on her burrito, looking lost in thought. I lean back onto the lawn, letting the afternoon sunlight warm my face. The breeze toys with her fiery-red hair that seems almost too intense to be real, too vivid.
Just like her.
“Is that your natural hair color?” I ask.
Lily raises an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging on her lips. “Is that a roundabout way of asking me if the carpets match the drapes?”
I grimace, though my gut clenches. “Gross. I’d never ask a question like that, which you well know.”
It is a gross question, but the image that floods into my mind isn’t. I see her sitting with her legs spread. I’ll bet she has a beautiful pussy—pink and glistening…
I have to stop thinking this way. I’m going to lose my mind.
Lily twists a lock of her hair around her finger. “I’m actually more of a reddish-blond naturally. But I started dyeing it bright red in high school. I think it fits my personality.”
I chuckle. “You’re right about that. You’re a firecracker.”
“Do you like that I’m a firecracker, Ethan?”
“You know I do.” The words flow out of my mouth, as if they have a will of their own.
Our eyes lock, and my heart thumps against my chest. This is a dangerous conversation, teasing words to my lips that I can never utter.
You make it seem worth it to throw my whole religion away and worship you instead.
God, forgive me for that wicked thought.
“I just remembered something,” Lily says. “You should know that the carpets don’t match the drapes because you’ve seen me naked before. Remember? I took all my clothes off at that beer pong tournament.”
Heat suffuses my skin. As if I’d ever forget. Except I don’t have a clear image of her body. I forced myself to keep my eyes fixed on her face when I scolded her.
I regretted that when I reflected back on it later. In fact, I’ve called that fuzzy image of her bare, delicate curves to mind, straining to remember every blurred detail.
That should have been a sign that my body was secretly burning for her, but I’ve been in deep denial.
Lily giggles. “You were ready to kill me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so pissed off.”
“I was pissed off. You put me in a really awkward position. No one wants to be caught staring at his best friend’s sister’s naked body.”
Or being caught in a jealous rage because of all the other guys staring at her naked body.
Her bright-gray eyes grow huge. “You were staring at me?”
My pulse speeds up. How much should I tell her? I suppose only the truth.
“I forced myself not to look, but it was difficult.”
Her smile is a little naughty. Fuck, she’s so cute.
“It was?” she asks.
I snort. “Of course. You’re a beautiful girl.”
“I wanted you to see me,” she says with a hint of defiance. “I’m pretty sure I fell in the toilet just to piss you off.”
I grin, shaking my head. That night, she told everyone she fell in the toilet and got so wet she had to take off all her clothes. I knew it was a lie. Lily loves to cause trouble.
But I had no idea it was for me. Even if it was only to tease me, I don’t care. She’s revealing something about herself whether she knows it or not.
We’re both drawn to each other. There’s an undeniable pull between us, an electric current that ignites whenever we’re together. Our personalities clash and blend in ways that feel almost…inevitable.
Lily’s head jerks up as she stares over my shoulder. Her face grows white and taut, and the hairs on my arms stand up.
“So the two of you are a couple now?” a grating voice asks from behind me.
When I twist around, there stands Mason. His eyes are narrowed, and his jaw is clenched so tightly it looks like it might crack.
I’m on my feet in an instant. “Do you have a death wish?” I hover over him, mimicking his aggressive posture. “Don’t you ever come near her again.”
“Death wish,” Mason mutters, his gaze scanning my face. “What did she tell you?” His head jerks in Lily’s direction. “If I find out…” His mouth tightens, his whole body vibrating with tension. “You’d better keep your mouth shut, Lily. I told you my family has a lawyer.”
My head grows fuzzy. “Lawyer?” I murmur.
What the hell is he talking about? I already know that he grabbed her by the wrists. I saw him do it. Why is he worried that she told me something?
He must be talking about something else. Something much worse than grabbing her wrists.
A thought comes to mind, something so ugly I want to push it away. Lily’s been acting differently these past several months. Withdrawn. Anxious. Unable to focus. Aren’t those signs of someone who was…
Oh, fuck.
My face drains of heat, and time seems to slow. When I glance at Lily, my focus narrows, like I’m on the field. Every tiny movement is somehow bigger. Her hands are shaking, and the pulse at her neck is flickering madly.
My God, she’s terrified of him.
I inhale a shaky breath. “If you don’t leave right the fuck now. I will break your nose, my football career be damned.”
He must sense the seriousness in my words, because he backs up several steps. “Lily,” he calls out. “You’d better not have told him anything. I promise it won’t end well for you.”
Lily scoffs, but I can see that it took effort. Her lips are trembling. “You’re calling yourself out, Mason, not me. And I don’t think you understand how lawyers work.”
Mason scowls. “You can go to jail for slander.”
Lily’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “No, you can’t, dumbass. Slander is a civil offense. A single Google search could have told you that.”
Mason’s face grows hesitant for the first time. “You can’t… There’s no way you can prove anything happened.”
“Get the fuck out of here,” Lily says, her voice shaking. “Just looking at you is ruining my appetite.” She drops her burrito onto the paper plate in front of her.
Mason hesitates and then turns on his heel and walks away with stiff, angry strides.
My heart races, panic vibrating through my entire body. “What the hell was that about?”
My eyes scan her face for clues, for anything that might unravel the knot in my stomach.
Lily’s lips tremble, and she bites down hard. A single tear escapes, rolling down her cheek. She quickly wipes it away, but more follow, and her shoulders start to shake.
Slowly, she crumbles, burying her face in her hands as silent sobs wrack her body. A knife twists deep into my heart. The sight of her crying is an agony I’ve never known.
Oh God, he really hurt her. He hurt her, and I’m going to make him pay.
And if that’s not enough to keep her safe, I’ll sell my soul to the fucking devil.