CHAPTER TWENTY LILLAH
CHAPTER TWENTY
LILLAH
It had been two months since our reconciliation on the kitchen island.
Things between us seemed to have changed overnight from that point.
My career was thriving, and I was in the last phase of the Andersen project.
The brownstone looked stunning. I'd been referred to two more clients, and Mr. Andersen had introduced me to three of his neighbors.
I now had six projects in my pipeline, two of them because of Marshall's post, but four were from pure word of mouth.
Winters Design was becoming a name that people would recognize.
Marshall was on fire. The Enforcers had clinched a playoff spot with only four games left in the regular season, and he was now being mentioned in serious conversations for the Most Valuable Player award.
He finalized his contract extension last week, which meant he'd be here at least three more years with the Enforcers, with a pay raise that made my eyes water when he told me over breakfast.
Then there was us.
We had settled into something peaceful. Something steady.
We spent most nights together, either at my place or his.
We cooked together, walked Cooper together through the neighborhood, and every night we fell asleep tangled together and woke when his alarm went off at four thirty.
I had learned to love early mornings because it meant I could spend extra time with him.
He'd moved more things into my place: a toothbrush, clothes, sneakers for his morning runs that Cooper had tried to eat twice.
My things were at his place. My robe, one of my favorite coffee mugs he'd gotten me when he was gone for an away game, and one of my favorite plush blankets had a home on the back of his couch.
Tonight was special; Mila was coming for dinner, and I was going to introduce her to Marshall. I knew she was going to be watching him, performing her best-friend assessment to see if Marshall was everything I said.
I was nervous, and not because I doubted Marshall.
I was past waiting for the next shoe to drop.
I was nervous because Mila's opinion mattered to me.
She was the first person I'd called when I'd left Brett.
She was the one on the phone with me in the middle of the night and the one who'd driven across the country to get me from her mother's house. Her approval was a requirement.
I wanted her to see what I saw. The man under the hockey player. The one who loved Cooper so much that he always came home with duck jerky and the occasional toy, and the one who gave me space when I needed it, which was now becoming less and less.
Marshall arrived at five to help me set things up. He knocked once and walked in wearing jeans and the dark henley I loved; it fit him in a way that should have been illegal. He carried a bottle of wine and a new bag of duck jerky in the other hand.
"You didn't need to bring any wine. I already have three bottles." I said, pressing my lips against his.
"Well, it's not for you. It's for Mila. Tara recommended it, she told me it's the one you bring when you're trying to impress your girl's best friend and you value your life."
I laughed. "You asked Tara for wine advice?"
"I asked Tara, Chelsea, and Margaux. All three of them said the same thing. They also told me not to screw this up. They like you."
"Sounds like they like you too," I said, watching as Marshall opened the bag of jerky and pulled out a piece.
"They tolerate me, but they love you."
I laughed and kissed him quickly and put the wine in the fridge to chill as he whistled at Cooper. Cooper looked over, and Marshall tossed the piece of jerky to him.
While I worked on dinner, Marshall set the table and then headed into the backyard to set up the lights we'd gotten for the patio.
I watched him through the window, stringing the lights along the fence.
Then, without complaint, or me having to ask, he scooped up all the dog waste he could find in the backyard.
I could still see his face the night we first met after he'd pounded on my door late at night, furious, thinking Cooper had made the deposit in his front yard, which brought a smile to my face.
If someone had told me that the angry neighbor who'd shown up at my door blaming my dog would be outside right now, voluntarily cleaning up after the same dog after stringing lights for a dinner party with my best friend, I'd have told them they were crazy.
Once he had finished, he came inside and washed his hands.
"That dog produces an unreasonable amount of…"
"Don't finish that sentence, you'll hurt his feelings." I whispered.
"I'm saying for an animal who eats grain free human grade duck jerky by the pound, you'd think the output would be…"
"Marshall."
He held up his hands in surrender.
"The yard is clean, babe."
Cooper let out a bark as I pressed a kiss to his lips.
"Told you."
We both looked over at Cooper and laughed.
The doorbell rang at seven, and when I opened the door, Mila stood there. She was wearing a burgundy jumpsuit and heeled boots, her dark hair falling in large curls. She carried a bottle of champagne in one hand and a gift in the other.
"This is the moment." She said, stepping inside. "Where's the hockey player?" She asked, looking around the living room.
Marshall appeared from the kitchen. He stepped forward, extending his hand.
"Marshall Hayes. I have heard so much about you."
Mila looked at his hand, then at him, evaluating everything. Then she looked at me and pulled him into a hug.
"You bought treats for Cooper. I think I already love you." She said.
The tension I'd been carrying dissolved, and we moved into the kitchen, where Marshall poured us some wine and handed Cooper another piece of jerky.
Dinner was amazing. I'd perfected the roast chicken and vegetables I'd been practicing.
Wine flowed, as did the conversation, even though Mila had started by grilling Marshall.
She asked about his childhood, his career, and whether he could handle the attention that came with professional sports without letting it change who he was.
He answered everything without hesitation, telling her all about his childhood. Then she looked at me and asked him how he felt about my past. Marshall looked at me and then back to Mila.
"She is the strongest person I know. What she went through would have broken most people. It didn't break her. She rebuilt from the ground up, and I plan to spend every day proving to her she made the right choice by letting me in."
Mila sat there, stunned by his answer. Then she looked over at me. She didn't say a word, didn't need to. Her eyes said it all.
He's the one.
After dinner, Mila and I made our way out to the back patio while Marshall loaded the dishwasher and fed Cooper. The fairy lights added a warmth to the backyard that had been missing.
"You look happy." Mila said, standing beside me. "Genuinely happy, not that fake happy you used to have, trying to convince me and everyone else that you were fine."
I looked out at the backyard. "I am happy.
I love my life and my career. I adore spending my time with these difficult clients and crazy deadlines.
I love my house and my dog, and I love him.
" I said, looking back at the house to Marshall in the kitchen window.
"It's weird. I never thought I'd be able to love again after what happened. "
Mila put her glass down on the patio table and hugged me tight.
"You deserve this." She whispered. "Every single piece of it. You deserve to be loved by someone who wants to build you up. You deserve to wake up in the morning and not be afraid of the day's events."
"Thank you."
"Now, I hate to bring up a bad subject on a wonderful night, but have you heard from Brett?"
I looked out over the backyard.
"Well, after that player on the opposing team went after Marshall, I contacted a lawyer.
I had them send a cease-and-desist letter, and I put a restraining order in place.
Because he is in the public eye, I also had the lawyer send that to the general manager of the ball team.
His lawyer responded to mine with an apology, and he has been suspended from the team. Sweet justice."
Mila wrapped her arms around me again and we stood there for a long moment, hugging one another. When Mila pulled back she wiped her eyes.
"If you tell anyone that I cried, I will deny it. I am so glad you stood up for yourself and fought him."
"Well, I can't have him showing up here again, nor harassing Marshall, and I will only tell some people you cried."
We both laughed and made our way back inside to find Marshall in the living room on the couch with Cooper, scrolling through his phone.
He looked up and smiled as we walked in.
"How come you didn't come out and join us?" I questioned.
"Nah, thought I'd give you two some time to talk." He said, putting his phone down.
"I should get going. It's late." Mila said, making her way over and hugging Marshall, then giving Cooper a pat on the head. Then she leaned down and whispered something in Marshall's ear that made him smile.
"Call me tomorrow, I want to hear how the rest of the night goes." She whispered to me, winking in my direction.
"Mila!" I said, blushing.
"What? What can I say? I'm invested." She giggled.
Marshall and I waited at the door, waving as she drove away. Once her taillights disappeared around the corner, I closed the door and locked it for the night.
Marshall had returned to the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table in front of him. I crawled into his lap now that Cooper had moved to the floor and looked up at him.
"She likes you." I said.
"I know. She told me she'd hurt me if I hurt you. The tone of her voice scared me."
I giggled, "That would be Mila."
"I respect anyone who loves you that much."
I pressed a kiss to his lips and then placed my head on his chest. We sat there for a while, the TV on low, cuddling while I listened to his heartbeat through his chest. The sound was becoming one of my favorites, replacing the silence I once treasured because silence meant safety. He was now my safety.
I thought about who I was before I met him. I'd been afraid of everything. Afraid of men, of trust, and of vulnerability. I'd promised myself I'd never need anyone again, but I'd been wrong.
Shutting people out didn't make me whole.
It kept me small. Allowing myself to be vulnerable had felt like weakness, an invitation for someone to hurt me.
Marshall had shown me that letting someone in meant getting bigger, and that vulnerability was the courage to stand in front of someone with your scars showing and trust them not to add new ones.
I kissed his jaw, the stubble on his chin grazing against my lips. He turned his head and caught my mouth and delivered a kiss that was slow and sweet.
"Marshall."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you for being patient with me and for not giving up on us when I pushed you away. Thank you for showing me that not all men are the same, nor are all athletes, and for teaching me I could be loved without being owned."
I rested my head in the space between his neck and shoulder as he pulled me closer.
"No need to thank me. I love you. I value you, and I’m lucky to be here with you right now.” He whispered, kissing my forehead.
I closed my eyes and relaxed against him, knowing I was completely safe in his arms. I was excited to see where tomorrow was going to lead us, and I knew no matter what obstacles lay in front of us, we would tackle them together.