Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Lily
After the short flight home, Jaxon dropped our luggage in his bedroom, grabbed a duffel bag, threw in some clean clothes, and led me to the garage, where I slung the straps over my shoulder like a backpack and climbed onto the back of his Ducati.
When we were teenagers, Jaxon always talked about wanting a motorcycle, but I’d never ridden on one until I came back here.
The thought of them used to unsettle me when I lived outside Toronto, especially after finishing my emergency room rotations and seeing firsthand the carnage they could cause.
But here, the town was quiet, and the country roads were mostly empty.
The pace of life was drastically different, with no traffic congestion, no tight spaces to navigate, and with Jaxon driving, I felt safe.
The adrenaline rush with each twist and turn in the road was mesmerizing. Vibrations from the engine rumbled between my legs as the crisp air whipped by, with a steady reminder I was alive and living in the moment.
I wasn’t hiding.
There were no more secrets or shadows taunting me, just me, breathing and seeing life through a fresh new lens.
When we arrived at the lake house, we fell into a comfortable silence.
The past twenty-four hours had been a lot to digest, and we both seemed to be in our heads, processing.
I knew the fear of someone recognizing me would still linger, waiting for the least opportune moment to strike.
But knowing the material was gone, and that I could type in the username for the account Aiden had created under false pretenses and find nothing, felt incredibly liberating.
At his sentencing, the judge found him guilty of all the charges presented to the court: voyeurism and the unlawful distribution of intimate images and video sold for profit.
Aiden received a sentence of seven years minus time served, and the court seized his bank accounts.
The funds were eventually awarded to me and helped pay for my lawyer’s fees, student loans, and my subsequent relocation across the border to California.
What Aiden did was unforgivable. Finding out he filmed me without my consent and put all the material online was humiliating. If it hadn’t been for Anna from victim services, I would have faced it all alone.
My relationship with my parents had been strained since we left Sutton River, and it only got worse after I learned the real reason behind why we left.
They didn’t offer any emotional support after my car accident, and even went as far as ridiculing me after everything with Aiden came to light.
Their lack of care only deepened the loneliness and was the last straw.
I knew I had to protect myself and finally walk away.
After all, my parents had spent years putting their needs above everything else. It was about time I learned to do the same. It was during that painful realization that I knew I had to make a choice: let it break me or pick up the broken pieces and fight for the happiness I deserved.
I refused to be anyone’s victim, and with that came change.
Moving to another country and returning to my roots was the first step in taking back my life. Reconnecting with Arizona had been a godsend. I’ll never forget the moment we saw each other again.
The tears, hugs, laughter, and comfort.
She filled my soul with so much light that I knew I’d made the right decision. I loved her something fierce. She was the sister I never had, and to know I hadn’t broken our bond—it meant the world to me.
Choosing Rockwood as my landing spot felt safe. I knew I needed time and space to heal and get re-situated in my career. While I wasn’t hiding myself from the world per se, which was next to impossible when you worked in a hospital, I was, nonetheless, consciously hiding from Jaxon.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about him every day.
I kept imagining all the ways he might react to my return, and it was overwhelming.
Living one day at a time and not looking too far ahead was what got me through, but as the days slowly turned into weeks, then months, and time kept moving forward, I found myself growing more and more afraid.
I built up a wall of assumptions, brick by layered brick of emotions he had likely felt toward me: anger, betrayal, disappointment, confusion, sadness, grief, bitterness, and heartbreak. Eventually, just the thought of seeing him again was enough to send me into a full-blown panic.
My stomach growling stirred me up from a nap I hadn’t realized I’d taken.
Waves of heat pulsed through the air while I arched my back and stretched out across the large porch swing that was more the size of a bed than a traditional swing.
When I sat up, I noticed an outdoor space heater plugged in a few feet away, and it made me smile.
My eyes then traveled toward the lake, where I spotted Jaxon sitting on the edge of the dock.
Feeling the need to be close to him, I slipped on my running shoes and made my way across the property.
The closer I got, the more my smile dimmed.
I could tell by the way his shoulders slumped forward and how his head hung low, directed aimlessly at the water, that he was internally beating himself up.
“Hey.” I sat beside him, tucking my arm through his, leaning my head on his shoulder.
“Hey,” he echoed.
“How are you?”
“I should be asking you that.”
“I’m worried about you.”
“I’ll be good, promise.” He kissed my forehead.
“I know, but I’d still like it if you’d talk to me. I know all too well the toll it can take bottling things up.”
“I’m in awe of you, you know that?” he murmured against my skin.
“Me?” I pulled back from him.
“Yes, you. I can’t even begin to imagine the hell you went through, and yet, here you are, present and not running. You’re a fighter, Lily. You’re resilient, and I couldn’t be prouder.”
“I wasn’t always those things,” I painfully admitted.
“Maybe not, but you had a choice. We all do in life. You bet on yourself, put value in your worth, and took control back.”
“Thank you.” I felt a lump in my throat. No one had ever said something so powerful to me before.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course, anything.”
“Who was he to you? Boyfriend, friend, neighbor?”
“It was my ex-boyfriend, Aiden . . . He started out as my physical therapist after my car accident,” I said timidly, staring out at the lake.
“As time went on, we began spending time together outside of the clinic’s hours.
Things progressed, but I was never fully invested, and I think he knew that. ”
“How did you discover you were being filmed?”
I exhaled a heavy breath, remembering the shock and numbness I felt when I learned the truth.
“A girl I went to school with had been hanging out with her boyfriend and his group of friends. One of them made a comment about this account he’d come across on the site where a girl was being filmed, Truman style, in her home.”
“Wow.”
“Tell me about it,” I said, letting out a soft exhale. “I mean, what were the odds?”
“Likely one in a million.”
“Exactly.”
“Then what happened?”
“I went to the police. My home was torn apart to collect evidence, and all my electronics were seized. The saving grace was that my digital footprint revealed no evidence of ever accessing or uploading any material. The live feeds were connected to a different internet account listed under my address that he’d set up and accessed remotely from an IP address that was traced back to his home.
The bank account receiving the payments was also directly tied to him. ”
“For such an elaborate plan, I’m thankful he wasn’t the brightest. Sounds like it was an open-and-closed case?”
“It was, all things considered. I hope that by the time he’s out he—”
“Which is when?”
“Five years this August.”
“I know what Cameron said, but I, too, will take care of making sure he isn’t a threat. You have my promise.”
“Thank you, and I know you will.”
I turned and bent my legs so I could face him.
“I’m really sorry for not telling you sooner about my past.” I paused, summing the words needed to explain.
“When I first moved to Rockwood, it was a lot to handle. Everything felt fragile, and between changing countries and starting at a new hospital, I could only take things one step at a time. But then I fully admit that the longer I took to process and adjust, the more I convinced myself I had to stay away from you. I was so afraid you’d hate me, and I couldn’t live with that. ”
“I know I asked this before, and at the time you weren’t ready, but what forced your hand to come back here on New Year’s?”
When he asked me that the last time, I wasn’t ready. I asked if we could save that story for another day. But today I was ready. I was done avoiding my past.
“I’d come home from my shift to find the front door to my condo wide open.”
“Did you think someone who had seen you online was after you? Is that why you have the extra locks?” he asked.
“It’s crossed my mind more than once that’s for sure.” I nodded, tired of always feeling afraid. “I’m very protective of my space.”
“That’s understandable given what happened to you.”
“But that night, I didn’t stop to think or check inside; heck, I didn’t even call the police to report a break-in. I just panicked, assumed the worst, and ran to my car with what I had on me. I needed a friend.”
“That’s when you called my brother?”
“In my defense, I did try Ari first. I was frantic.”
“Did she know about him, your ex?”
“Yes and no. She suspected I dated someone, but I never talked about it. She definitely didn’t know what he’d done or anything.”
“That’s a lot to shoulder yourself,” he pressed his lips together, while sadness settled over him when he realized how alone I’d been all this time.
“I just wanted a clean slate here, if that makes sense. I wanted to leave it all in the past as much as I could, but New Year’s spooked me.”
“Did you have a support system back before you moved?”
“Not really. I kept in touch with a few girls from nursing school, but I pretty much kept to myself. After everything happened, I was assigned a counselor from Victim Services, Anna. She was an angel, but I now recognize the need to have someone here.”
“Are you not still in touch with her?”
“No, unfortunately.”
“I’ve got a list at the office with contacts if you’d like?”
“While I appreciate the offer, I do have someone in mind at the hospital.”
“That’s really admirable. It’s a big step. Again, I’m so proud of you.” A tender smile spread across his face.
“And I’m lucky to have you by my side.” I grinned ear to ear.
“Always. I love you.”
“It’s because of your love for me that I know in my head it’s the right decision.
Last night was a wake-up call. I thought I’d moved past it for the most part, but when in reality, I think I just found new ways of coping without really addressing and healing from the trauma on a deeper level.
I still carry an RF detector in my purse at all times. ”
“You do?” His eyes widened in surprise.
“Yes, and I’m not ashamed to admit I checked your bathroom that first night.”
“I’m glad you did. I wish more girls took those kinds of precautions.”
“So, you’re not mad?”
“Of course not.” He scoffed. “Even if it brought you an ounce of peace and made you feel safe, then how could I?”
“Can you sit back a bit?” I asked suddenly, having an idea.
“Ah, sure.” He eyed me with suspicion in his brows.
I couldn’t help but admire the way his biceps tightened beneath his long-sleeved shirt, the thick cords of muscle shifting as he eased his weight back on the dock.
Once he was in a better position, and I had enough room to not land myself in the lake, I reached for his shoulders and straddled his strong thighs.
“Lily.” His fingers immediately curled around my hips.
“Jaxon.” I coyly smiled. “So, I did something when we were in Vegas.”
“Oh? Do tell.” His voice was edged with intrigue.
I couldn’t stop staring at his eyes as they sparkled with a playful glint. The varying golden-brown hues smoldered with a heat so expressive it was intoxicating.
“I think I’d rather you remove my sweater.”
“That I can definitely do.” His magnetic smirk elicited a rush of endorphins, awakening every cell in my body.
I appreciated how he followed my lead and didn’t stop to question if I was sure, since we were out in the open. But I had no reservations, not here, where I knew we were safe in our own little private bubble with no other homes or cottages for miles.
Jaxon slipped his hands under my crewneck sweater and, maddeningly slow, danced his fingers up the sides of my ribs, sending a tingle of anticipation down my spine.
When he got as far as he could go, I lifted my arms and held my breath, waiting for his reaction after the fabric cleared my head and fell to the wooden planks beside us.
“Hmm, braless, I like it.” He wasted no time pressing his lips against my collarbone. It wasn’t until his hands slid over my breasts to cup them that he stopped and pulled back. “Did you cut yourself?”
I’d forgotten that the tan-colored bandage blended in against my skin, concealing my surprise.
“Why don’t you remove the bandage and tell me?”
The tip of his finger picked carefully at the corner until he had enough of it to grab. I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth and waited with bated breath.
“Holy shit.” His stunned eyes lifted to mine in shock before dropping back down to take in the tattoo again. “Just when I thought you couldn’t get any sexier, you went and tattooed my name under your breast.”
“Do you like it?” I wiggled my hips.
“Fuck, yes!” He pulled me flush to his chest and ground the hardness of his cock right where I wanted him. “Do you feel that, Lily-Bee? I’m so damn hard for you. Everything you do makes me want you more.”
“You don’t happen to have those handcuffs you used on me the first night lying around here, do you?”
“Regrettably, no, but point taken. It’s a mistake I ensure won’t happen again.”
“Maybe we can improvise?”
“Oh, baby, you have no idea what you’re about to unleash.”
“Bring it on, Fisher.”
Before I knew it, he picked me up, flung me over his shoulder, and marched across the lawn, into the house, and straight upstairs. Once we were there, he made me gasp and see more stars than I could count, all the while fulfilling fantasies I didn’t even know I had.
Suffice it to say, Jaxon, seeing his name tattooed on my body, brought out another side of him that brought us even closer.
In the end, the tattoo wasn’t just ink embedded in my skin; it was a declaration of love and a promise. My love for him would stay with me for eternity, and that was something no one could ever take from me.