Chapter 27 Lilly
TWENTY-SEVEN
LILLY
The next morning, Ian and I walk side by side down the hall before waiting for the elevator to meet his parents in the dining room.
Some other guests occupy the seats around the long table, and he introduces me as Lilly, a dear friend, with a clenched jaw.
I offer him an encouraging smile, and his facial features relax. We know. That’s what matters.
Amanda is a sweetheart, fussing over me as she ensures I am comfortable.
Rufus eyes me with a warm expression. I feel as if I have been a part of their family forever.
All my nerves vanish. I am grateful for their approval.
It must be hard for Ian not to receive it from my father. Yet, because he will.
I am thinking about giving my father an ultimatum. He either accepts us or not. Ian will be the man at my side, in my life. It’s him or no one else.
When breakfast ends, I excuse myself, pointing at the garden to show Ian where I am going.
I take out my phone to call Amelie, thinking they must be on their way. The conversation I had with Ian yesterday and meeting Eric made me think of a good push.
Sitting down on the bench, I pull my hair into a high ponytail—too warm to let it hang down my back.
Amelie answers, and I put her on speaker. I know she loves Levi, but her hurt goes deep, so I tell her all about Eric.
She forces a giggle, doing that fake cheer on purpose to provoke Levi.
“Are you sure you want to hook me up with him?” she says playfully, and a groan rumbles behind me. Ian takes the phone from my hand, and after a quick talk, he hangs up.
He lifts a brow, expectancy sharpening his features.
“It’s not what you think,” I hurry to say.
In one swift move, he cages me in, backing me into the bench.
He cocks his head, his deep eyes boring into mine. “Do you want to date someone else?”
My lips tingle with the heat behind his gaze.
I shake my head, and he brushes his nose against my cheek. I grip the edges of the bench—the intensity making me all dizzy.
“Who will you date?”
My heart clamors in my chest, pumping a wild rhythm. “You.”
His hot breath fans my neck, burning me up as he whispers in my ear, “Whose are you?”
Goose bumps pepper my skin and my breath hitches. “Yours.”
“Exactly.”
He pulls away, and I can finally expel the breath lodged in my lungs. “And you?”
“I have been yours ever since the first night,” he says with conviction.
Heart, don’t liquefy in my chest. I need you because I want to grow old with him. So, you trying to dissolve in my stomach is a no-go.
And Ian, being the absolute best, says, “I booked you a massage.”
He kisses my forehead, and I clutch his shirt in mine. “You’re a dream man…”
“Anything for my woman.”
His. Only his. Only ever his.
“What will you do in the meantime?”
“Hit the gym,” he says, accompanying me to the spa section.
The sixty-minute massage rejuvenates me. At some point, I think I fell asleep.
I catch my reflection in the mirror as I get dressed. I look just like I feel, invigorated, but I miss my man.
I thank the masseuse, and when I exit, Ian is waiting for me. He pushes himself off the wall he was leaning on and strides to me.
“That was perfect. Thank you.”
“It’s my job to pamper you.” He winks and my heart overgrows my chest. That’s nothing new, though. “They’re about to arrive.”
We pass through the lobby and wait outside.
An SUV pulls up, and I give them a few moments before I run to greet Amelie and Levi.
“I missed you,” I tell her, and we hug some more.
A tight expression stiffens her features.
“How was the drive?”
Amelie huffs and steals a glance at Levi. He and Ian hug each other, clapping their backs.
Inside the lobby, I drag her to the side once I notice Eric. I introduce them, sticking to my role of giving them a push. The tension between her and Levi is thick enough that no power tool could slice it.
Letting them check in, Ian and I head to the terrace, ordering two cups of coffee.
I sigh. “They don’t seem fine.”
“No.”
Ian’s features tighten, and we exchange a worried look.
It’s the tension I feel first before they appear.
When the waiter comes by, they also order coffee.
“So, how have you been?” I ask them, wishing to break some of the heaviness.
Amelie crosses her arms over her chest. “Terrific until someone intruded on my peacefulness with his presence.”
Levi runs a hand down his face. “Amelie…” he says with a hint of despondency.
Their eyes meet, locked in a battle of wills.
Their parents arrive next, and Amelie and Levi plaster big smiles on their faces as if nothing’s wrong.
“So glad to see you together,” Amanda raves.
Various family members and friends also congregate outside, forming small groups. Amelie mouths Help and I excuse myself, going to her rescue.
“Sorry, but can I steal her for a few moments?”
I don’t give the elderly couple time to answer. Looping my elbow around her, I drag her away.
She groans. “If I have to answer one more question about when we’re getting married, I’ll lose it. I need a drink.”
At the bar, she smiles my way. “So, you and my brother are still just friends?”
I elbow her playfully. “Stop with that smug look.”
She rolls her eyes. “You’re just friends like I am over Levi.”
Eric draws closer, and we start an easygoing conversation, but I need to use the bathroom, so I excuse myself. When I return, Levi occupies my seat.
“Are you causing trouble?” Ian asks, appearing by my side.
“No, just pushing them in the right direction,” I say innocently, and our eyes lock.
“He’s a jealous man.” The intensity burning in his gaze has me sucking in a breath.
“You have that in common.”
He chuckles and watches Eric flush for a moment and then take off in the next.
“Poor guy, what do you think happened?” I ask, genuinely curious.
“Levi is staking his claim.” His finger glides down my back, eliciting a tremor.
He’s a force on the field, but he’s just as proficient playing my body.
“Maybe I should check on him. I feel bad,” I rasp.
Right. It has nothing to do with the fact that I am one touch away from jumping him like a female in heat. In my horniness, I don’t care about the consequences.
“You’re not moving your sweet, round ass from my side to comfort another man.” His voice drips with unapologetic possessiveness.
His arm snakes around me, his palm splaying over my stomach. Trapped in a sexual haze, I give in to the seduction game. “What will the guests think if they hear or see you now?”
He pulls me flush to him. I feel his hard cock straining behind his pants as if wanting to dig a hole to get inside me. So freaking hot that my thighs clench together.
“What they already suspect. That I’m mad about you and have no clue why we’re just friends,” he groans. “Let’s go get some fresh air before I say fuck it.”
We walk until we find a secluded spot. On the grass, I rest my cheek on his arm as we stargaze, enjoying the serene atmosphere.
Two shadowy figures disappear behind the pool house.
I squint my eyes. “Isn’t that…?”
“Yep, my sister and best friend are not able to stay away from each other.”
One moment, he smiles, the next, his face scrunches up. “Let’s leave before I witness something that will make me throw up.”
We pass more guests on the way back to the hotel who engage us in small talk. But Ian notices I am getting tired, so he excuses us quickly.
Tomorrow will be the vow renewal and anniversary party, and I want to be well rested for the event.
After I shower, I climb into bed, glancing at the door. Longing spreads through my chest, wishing for his presence. As if I conjured him, he comes inside, joining me in bed.
In his arms, everything is right—my cocoon of safety and love.
“Do you think they’ll be all right?” I ask, draped on his front as he plays with strands of my hair.
“They love each other. That’s more powerful than anything else.”
I trace my finger over his sharp nose, then along his defined cheekbones.
“You’re so beautiful, Ian. Do you know that? The night we met, you completely fascinated me. Forgot my own name.”
“The same for me.” His brows furrow as if replaying the events of that night. “I saw you and needed to know you. Never experienced something like that. Football was all I had in my mind and then you took center stage. I’m sorry I behaved like a dick when I saw you again.”
“I was so mad. I honestly thought you forgot about me. I felt insignificant,” my voice shakes at the end.
Palming my face, he kisses my forehead. “No, I was just hurt, confused, and then the big revelation happened,” he sighs.
I place my cheek in my palm, confessing, “I thought so often about you, but I was so hell bent on not dating an athlete, I sabotaged myself. I guess the universe had to put you literally next door to get my head out of the gutter. What would you have done if I had contacted you?”
His fingers move up and down my back absentmindedly. “You’d be wearing my ring by now, and I’d definitely be on another team. Yet, San Diego is what brought us back together.”
I close my eyes for a moment to push through the onslaught of emotions.
He kisses the tip of my nose. “It’s just a hiccup, one chapter in the book of our lives.”
The next morning, it’s a rush of getting ready.
I wear a green satin maxi dress with a cowl neck and Ian comes in, looking incredible in his suit. I rummage through my luggage and offer him a green pocket square.
“I knew something was missing.” He arranges it in his pocket with utter care. I move to his side.
“We look…” My chest inflates with this uncontainable love and genuine pride. “Like we’re a couple.”
“Because we are. An unconventional one, but still one.”
I giggle. Sounds like us.
Downstairs, we walk through an arch of flowers that leads to a red carpet, delineating the two rows. Taking our seats, I notice, in front of us, the ceremony table decked out with flowers. An officiant waits there.
Amelie and Levi sit next to us, a reverent murmur echoing all around us.
As their parents move to the archway, Ian and Amelie share a look that brims with familial love and memories.
It’s an intimate ceremony as Amanda and Rufus renew their vows.
I steal a glance at Ian. I vividly imagine saying those two simple words to him that make the biggest impact on your life.
He winks at me and as our eyes lock, it’s like we both think the same.
The ceremony ends, and we congratulate them.
When his mother hugs me, she says, “Welcome to the family, my dear. I’m so happy you rounded it out.”
My eyes brim with tears. Through the chokehold of emotions, I murmur, “Thank you so much.”
Inside the ballroom, decorated especially for the happy event, we take our seats at a round table for four. His mother’s words meant so much to me, but this is proof that she considers me a part of the family, because this table is reserved for just their children and their partners.
Levi raises a glass for his toast, gently clicking a knife on it, and the guests’ attention shifts to him. He delivers a heartfelt speech, and I cover Amelie’s hand with mine.
“He looked at you when…”
She closes her eyes for a moment, but not before I saw unfiltered sadness. “I can’t go there with him, round and round.”
“Listen to your heart,” I offer, but she shakes her head.
“You’re afraid of giving him another chance. Talk to him, tell him,” I insist, wishing to encourage her.
“I would never put that pressure on anyone.”
“If he’s the right person, he won’t feel the pressure at all.
It’s a lie to say someone is self-sufficient.
It’s survival. But life is not meant to be spent alone, building towers and cutting bridges.
We’re part of something greater than us from birth.
We need love, we need support, and we need others in our lives.
Plain and simple. That’s all that counts.
If he’s your person, that won’t disappear.
” I just wish I had accepted that sooner.
She nudges my side. “That was quite the speech. Maybe you should do it instead of me.”
I snort a laugh. “Shut up, I’m wasting my wisdom on you.”
She bursts into laughter and stands up, pointing her champagne flute in Amanda and Rufus’s direction.
It’s Amelie’s turn to speak. Her speech is riddled with crumbs for Levi to pick up. I’d like to hold her and hug her until she stops hurting. Glancing at Levi, he has eyes only for her. I have no doubt they will find their way back to each other permanently.
After the toasts end and couples move to the dance floor, I go to the bar. Ordering a glass of wine, I slip outside, needing a moment.
I amble toward the rose garden and sit down on the bench, sipping from my glass.
It’s a clear night with stars peppering the sky. The vow renewal ceremony was a beautiful event, making me nostalgic.
I hear footsteps approaching. I feel Ian in my quickening heartbeat—picking up his scent, awakening my senses, so I don’t open my eyes.
“Here you are,” he says, clear relief laced in his words.
“Have you been looking for me?” I breathe out, suddenly emotional.
“For a long time.” His answer has a haunting note to it.
“You found me now,” I say, opening my eyes to see my future in his.