Chapter 18
LILY
Icontinue arranging the flowers, ignoring Lorenzo as he places the iced tea at the edge of the counter.
He hasn’t commented on my silence. I don’t think clearly around him.
Whenever we interact, I lose all common sense.
I’m still furious with him for bugging my hairpin and barging into my family's dinner last week. And yet that same night, I let him get me off, and he paid for all the stuff I bought. It doesn’t make any sense.
I watch him from the corner of my eye as he walks into the back of the shop.
I have no understanding of his financial circumstances, but he's obviously got more money than the average bodyguard if he can purchase those items for me without batting an eye. It only further confuses me as to who he actually is. And it’s not something I should be showing any interest in.
We’ve fallen into a weird pattern. He comes to the shop with me, silently helping me when I haven’t asked him, then goes in the back, often taking phone calls or working on his laptop. He looks more like a receptionist than a man involved with the Mafia.
I haven’t heard from either of my parents since the night of the dinner, and it's got me concerned. I wish Lorenzo hadn't seen any of that. I don’t have any loyalty to my father to cover up his secret, but for my mother's sake, I remain quiet.
She practically denied everything I said to her in the garden that night, the memory infuriating me.
“Has he had any… outbursts lately?” I asked her, and her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at me as if I’d gone mad. Using the word "outburst" seems easier for her to comprehend what I’m really asking.
“Don’t be silly, Lily.” She tried to laugh it off. “Everything is fine.”
“Don’t do that to me,” I gritted out. “Don’t pretend like it’s okay when it’s not. Leave him, Mom. I’ll help you.”
She looked abashed as she pulled me closer.
“I don’t want to leave your father.” She hushed me as if we were being spied on.
When I looked up at the door, I noticed Vince and Lorenzo watching us.
It was unnerving to see Lorenzo fill the doorframe to the home I’d forsaken for so long.
He seemed out of place, and it was unsettling because I’m sure he saw more than he let on—more than I’d willingly let anyone see before.
“Everything is fine,” my mother lied. “Your father is stressed with work as usual, but we’re okay. Nothing to worry about here. Though you really should visit me more often. I miss you,” she said, placing her hand on my cheek.
A lump lodged in my throat. Her denial hurt, but the way I so willingly compromised myself so I could remain close to her, even if at a distance, cut deeper.
It’s not my role as the child to look after her.
I know that, but I worry that something will happen to her, and so I’ve always abided by my father's rules, too scared of the consequences, not only forced on me but on my mother as well. That and he’ll cut all contact between my mother and me if I ever do decide to leave.
“They’re blooming beautifully, aren’t they?” she said, admiring the flowers.
“Mom, Dad's going crazy. He can’t seriously expect me to date and marry some stranger just because he says so.”
Her hand froze on the flower, and she tried to smile. “You know how determined your father can be. He only wants the best for you, Lily.”
I scoffed. “You can’t seriously believe that, can you?” I hate how it hurts, that her denial and unwillingness to face the truth unintentionally slice deeper than anything my father might ever say to me.
“Maybe Lorenzo will win him over,” she said with a smirk.
“You know Dad hates him.” That was when I saw the twinkle of mischief in my mother's eyes—something I hadn't seen for quite some time.
“But isn’t that why you brought him? Don’t worry about me, Lily. Make your own choices and embrace them with conviction. I’m okay, really,” she said, squeezing my arm.
But I know better than anyone else that she’s not.
The bell above the door tinkles, and I jump, brought back to the now in my store.
“Welcome.” The greeting falls flat as Tania, my father's assistant, walks in with a smile. “Tania. Wow, it’s good to see you,” I lie.
I have nothing against her personally, but I know she’s here on my father’s orders.
I haven’t heard from him since the dinner.
My brother, however, sent me a text saying he liked Lorenzo.
“I thought I’d drop by and see how things are going with the shop,” she says, looking around. “Oh, and I have this to drop off as well.” She rummages through her handbag and pulls out a red velvet box, holding it out to me.
“What’s this for?” I ask, confused.
“It’s a gift from Riley Timber. He looks forward to your meeting. I encourage you to wear it.”
My blood runs cold. I didn’t think my father would have given up, but to have received something directly from a man I don’t even know creeps me out.
“Aren’t you going to open it?”
I glance over my shoulder in Lorenzo’s direction.
He's on the phone, looking furious at whoever he’s speaking with.
Tania waves her hand. “I wouldn’t worry about that.
Although I can understand why you went there,” she says, her gaze roaming him appreciatively.
“It never hurts to have a side piece in place. Marriage isn’t for everyone, but it certainly offers security. ” She winks.
Precisely the reason why she’s been my father’s assistant for more than twenty years.
She’s in her mid-forties now, but I’m positive they were having an affair at some point.
When I was a child, they spent many evenings together.
I’m sure my mother knows too, which saddens me.
So many secrets swept under the rug. I wonder how many times my father had to pay people off just to keep their mouths closed.
I open the red box to reveal a beautiful silver necklace encrusted with diamonds. It’s not to my liking. I prefer simple elegance over something so… flashy.
“It’s stunning!” Tania gushes, looking over my shoulder. I pull out the small note hidden inside—a location and time for Friday night. “Wow, he’s very interested. How lovely for you.”
When I glance up, she’s looking through the bouquets. “I can take any one I want, right?”
“No, you’ll pay,” Lorenzo says.
I turn, not even noticing when he’d finished on the phone.
Tania’s stunned as she turns to face him. “Oh, I understand you’re new here, but we have an arrangement—”
“This is a business. Her time and expertise are to be paid for,” Lorenzo says in that no-nonsense tone.
On reflex, I go to say it’s okay, but I look back down at the red velvet box in my hand instead, realizing I’m getting pushed further into a corner.
“Lily?” Tania says, smiling in disbelief.
I put the red box to the side. “They all have their price tags on them,” I say simply.
She chokes on a laugh until she realizes I’m serious. “Well, I’m rather busy today. So, I’ll come in another time,” she says dismissively, turning to walk away. I’m not surprised she’s not willing to pay for the flowers, but it only makes my blood boil hotter.
Once she’s gone, I glare at Lorenzo. “You don’t need to intervene.”
He shakes his head. “Stop fighting me, Sunshine. You’ll only exhaust yourself. What’s in the box?” he asks.
I hide it behind my back, raising my nose in the air. “Stop asking questions. You’ll only exhaust yourself,” I bite back. For some reason, I’m nervous about how Lorenzo will react. Or maybe I’m more scared of the fact that he won’t react at all, which lacks any logical sense.
“Are you hiding something from me?” A devilish smile appears, and I’m too stunned to move because it’s breathtaking.
It’s the first time I’ve seen him with a full smile, and warmth floods my core, though I know too well nothing good will come from it.
He’s in my space within seconds, and I squeal as I try to hold the box away from him.
He pins me between his body and the counter, and we freeze as the vase on the corner crashes to the floor, exploding into pieces, water splashing everywhere, with a heap of flowers spilling out.
“Now look what you’ve done. You’ve—” The words die on my lips as I look up at him, acutely aware of everywhere our bodies touch. My chest rises and falls faster at the way he’s staring at me. The way his dark gaze devours me.
It’s been a week since he last touched me, and the way he's looking at me, it’s as if he’s thinking the same.
The bell chimes, and Romi walks through the front door, holding an iced tea in one hand and her roommate's long-haired terrier in the other. “Can you believe this little shit gave up on his walk two blocks up?” She huffs and freezes when she sees us. I shove Lorenzo away, as if I’ve been caught doing something inappropriate.
“Oh, did I walk in on some hanky-panky time?” She raises an eyebrow. “Didn’t think you’d have it in you to fuck in the middle of your shop while still open.”
“Stop!” I raise my hand to her, not wanting to hear any more, and noticing the distinct heat that blooms over my cheeks. I slide the red velvet box under the counter as Lorenzo heads into the back room and then comes back with a dust pan and broom.
“Don’t pick up the pieces. I’ll get those.” He practically pushes me out of the way. I don’t know where to look as Romi smirks at me. She then hooks a thumb over her shoulder.
"The evil assistant that just walked out of here? We don’t like her, Borris. She’s a bit of a bitch,” she says to the dog.
“Borris?” Lorenzo questions, finishing picking up most of the pieces and scraping them into the nearby trash can.
“Yeah. This is Borris.” Romi dumps the dog in Lorenzo’s hands. He looks like he doesn’t know what to do with it as she throws the red leash over his shoulder. I bite my bottom lip and try not to laugh at the awkward-looking scene.
“Lorraine’s traveling at the moment?” I ask, taking the dustpan and broom to clean the remains of the mess.