Lillian
I stood there not knowing what to do. The man I had given my heart to the man I fell for was trying to kill me. Trying to kill Maxwell. I turned to run as the tears spilled from my eyes.
“Lilly, wait!”
I hear Adonis yells to me, but I keep running not wanting to look back at this man who just ripped my heart apart. I turn the corner when I feel him grab my wrist.
“Let go of me.”
I yell at him and pull my hand free from his grasp.
“You lied to me.”
I cry.
“I know”
“You played with my heart; you told me things I wanted to hear for what? To use me and get to Maxwell?” I can feel the tears coming uncontrollably. I look him in the eyes, and they are pleading with me begging me not to say what I am going to, begging me not to leave him.
“I can’t believe I trusted you!”
“Please Lillypad don’t-”
He reaches for me, but I slap his hand away.
“Don’t- don’t ever fucking call me that again. I don’t even know who you are! I don’t know what to believe!”
I yelled at him.
“I don’t even know what's real anymore! Everything you’ve given me isn’t real!”
I look at him again and he has a painful expression on his face.
“No, everything was real Lillypad.”
He says to me softly.
“I said don’t fucking call me that. God just give me something that I know is real! Because right now nothing up until this point has been real.”
I tell him through the sobs and heaves. Suddenly like a thread snapping I hear him in a low growl.
“You want something real? Fine. I don’t remember the last time I had a real relationship; I don’t even remember the last time I had a genuine friend who wasn’t a target or even had a real family who weren’t using each other for information. Everything in my life has been nothing but a lie. But then you came into my life and suddenly I wanted nothing more than to be the real me, so you could fall in love with the real me just like I fell in love with the real you.”
He says to me in a pleading tone.
“Yes, it started as a ploy as a way to use you and get what we needed to get. Then I saw you in that dress at the Renaissance fair and how you were with the little girl and in that moment, I knew this was no longer a ruse. , I fell in love with you right then and there.”
My heart stops as I listen to this, tears continue to flow from my eyes. He steps closer to me bringing a hand to my cheek.
“I knew what I was feeling for you was real because you are real Lillypad. I know I fucked up God help me I know. Please Lillypad, believe me when I say you mean everything to me. You are my ruin, and I want you to ruin me until my last breath.”
I want to scream I want nothing more than to punch him and hurt him the way he hurt me. But I can’t bring myself to do it.
I pulled away from his touch, where he placed his hand on my face. It is warm but it burns with regret.
“You expect me to believe you?”
I tell him as tears still flow and my blood boils.
“I’ve always been the girl you sleep with to feel something again, the girl you take on midnight rides and show your hidden spots to.”
The tears are hot burning streaks on my face.
“But I’m the girl who never gets the guy.”
He steps forward but I step back.
“Lillypad don’t-”
He reaches for my face but again I slap his hand away.
“Don’t what Adonis? You used me, you told me things you’ve never told anyone else. Yet all I was to you was a pawn in your game.”
He looks more hurt than me right now and I can’t help but scoff.
“You can tell me all this when we are alone, but when it comes to your friends you can’t say it to them? No, all you can tell them is how I am a pig and how I am nothing more than what? A means to an end. I know my worth and God knows why but you showed me my worth. I won’t let you break that. I won't let anyone break that.”
He looks at me wanting to reach out and touch me.
I see him clench his fist and suddenly I’m brought back to Maxwell.
“What happened to him?”
“To whom?”
“Maxwell, where is he?”
He looks away from me and I see him clench his jaw.
“No. He can’t be. You didn’t”
I say and he turns to me.
“I had to. There are things I have to do to protect you-”
“Protect me? PROTECT ME! I don’t need you to protect me!”
I look up at him and slap him.
“You killed him and now you’re going to kill me! You said so yourself.”
I can feel the pain in my throat. It stings.
“Lillypad please I lo-”
I smacked him again, feeling the sting lingering on my palm. I can feel regret building in my stomach.
“Don’t you dare tell me you love me,”
I start to walk away and then look back at him with my final words to him.
“How dare you, how dare you let me fall in love with you.”
I say to him clenching my fist harder.
“I wish I had never fallen in love with you.”
With that I leave the man I thought I loved behind.
Adonis
“Hey, she’s ok, we took her back to my palace.” Elizabeth tells me. I let out a long sigh.
“Can I talk to her?”
She hesitated before she responded.
“I think you need to give her some time. You are too deep in Adonis. Your father won’t let this go; we both know that.”
I can’t help but agree with her, my father would never let a target live.
“She’s not safe with you.”
My blood runs cold. I know she is right, but I can’t let her go. Images of her flash in my head, her crying the slap she gave me.
“Look, get some rest, I’ll take care of her.”
Before she gets off, she tells me something that makes me regret everything.
“She really does love you. I just thought you wouldn’t hurt her. Not like this. I don’t think she will ever forgive you.”
She ends the call, and I am left there with my thoughts. I hear a knock at my door.
“Go away.”
I tell them but my door opens anyway.
“Hey man.”
I see Liam and Noah standing there with a twelve-pack of beer and two pizzas.
“What do you two want?”
I ask them with a sneer.
“I fucked up Adonis.”
Noah says.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you or , she really is a cool person and super kind. Honestly, she’s one of the rare ones, she was always kind to us, and we repaid her by-”
“Ripping her heart out into a million pieces.”
I finish his sentence for him, and he nods.
“I shouldn’t have pushed you the way I did. I was only trying to finish this mission, I was so blinded by that, that I didn’t realize” he pauses for a moment as if hesitating to say the next words.
“We didn’t realize how much she truly meant to you.”
Liam chimes in.
“We hadn’t seen you smile or laugh the way you did with her in so long that it worried us.”
He says rubbing the back of his neck.
“Well not like any of this matters anymore. She hates me.”
They both look at each other than to me.
“Well, what are you going to do about it?”
Noah asks and I look up at him.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you love her, right? You’ve never actually loved someone since your mom died. brings out the best in you. So, what are you going to do?”
I look at them and sigh. I know I can’t do anything. I have to kill her. I have to with my own two hands bring her life to an end. But I can’t bring myself to live without her. I get up from my bed and walk out the door.
“Adonis?”
I hear them call for me, but I keep walking. I don’t know why I’m doing this, but I have to.
“Father.”
I walked all the way to his study. In a daze I couldn’t comprehend how fast I got here.
“Ah son, is it done?”
He asks me not looking up from his paperwork.
“No sir, I-I can’t do it.”
Suddenly his head snaps up, the blood begins to drain from my face, but I won’t back down. No, I have to do this for her.
“What do you mean you can’t do it?”
He asks me as he gets up from his desk to look out the window.
“I can’t kill her. I won’t kill her. Maxwell is dead, that was the main objective, killing her is too much.”
I tell him balling my hands up behind my back.
“You’ve fallen in love with her, haven’t you?”
He tells me through gritted teeth, and I can feel my pulse quicken with dread. But again, I will not back down.
“Yes, sir I have. I will not kill her. I-ehem I love her more than you could possibly imagine sir.”
He turns to walk to me and stands in front of me.
“Well, who am I to stand in my son's way then?”
He says patting my cheek.
“Very well son, go to her. Keep her safe.”
He tells me and I am taken aback.
“You’re ok with this?”
“Who am I to deny my son of loving someone?”
He says as he turns to sit back at his desk. I look at him and can’t say anything. I am in shock.
“Was there anything else?”
he asked me.
“No sir, I’ll leave now.”
I tell him as I nod and walk away. As I close the doors, I see him gripping his pen so hard his knuckles turn white and smirk.