Chapter 13 Lily
THIRTEEN
LILY
“Miss Papas, when is home time?” An adorable little girl looks up at me with puppy-dog eyes.
Rolling away from the desk of the teacher I’m substituting for, I face her. “Less than one hour. Isn’t that so exciting?”
Her tiny fist is thrown into the air as she yelps. I was just like her up until the last day of high school. I would stare down the clock all day.
“What do we need to do before we start packing up for home?”
Her adorable face tilts in confusion.
“We need to clean up our desks and make sure the classroom is all tidy.”
“Okay!” She twirls and skips away.
As I resume writing the teacher a letter of how they all behaved for the day, I spot her pushing her classmates’ seats in.
I push the door open as the bell rings. The sound of squeals bounces through the air as they jump into their parents’ awaiting arms.
The little girl in me cries.
Tears cloud my vision as I start picking up after the kids.
“Miss P?” is said so softly that I barely hear it whispered.
I thought everyone had left, but I find the same little girl who has been attached to my hip all day. “Yes, honey?”
Her mom lingers in the doorway, smiling at her daughter.
“I hope you come back and teach me.”
Without giving me enough time to reply, she runs out of the classroom. Her light-up shoes sparkle as her pink dress flows behind her.
Just like that, I’m given hope again.
Just as I finish smothering my clean-shaven legs with my favorite vanilla body lotion, I hear the doorbell ring from downstairs.
Not looking decent at all in my boy shorts that barely cover my butt and the matching crop top, I rush down the stairs, fully expecting it to be another one of my best friend’s random drop-bys, but freeze when I’m met with Elijah’s thrilled face when the door swings open.
“Now, this is something I could get used to.” He doesn’t even let me move out of the way as he walks around me and into my house.
I close the door, urgently begging my brain to catch up with what’s happening. “Hello to you too,” I mumble more to myself. “What are you even talking about?”
“You opened the door so happily. It was like your celebrity crush was on the other side.” He pauses, blushing in embarrassment. “I was going to say, which had better be me, but that would be weird, wouldn’t it?”
I laugh, breaking the tension. “You think?”
“Being back here makes me forget everything.” Nostalgia sparkles in his eyes as he gazes around, exploring my house in wonder.
“This must feel strange for you.” I follow him and almost bump into him as he abruptly stops.
“Why do you say that?”
I have to hold back the urge to take a deeper sniff as the faint smell of his woodsy, citrus scent lingers in the air.
“I imagine this feels like traveling back to your old life, the one before all the craziness that came with Hollywood.”
Leaning back on the kitchen counter with his ankles crossed so casually, he assesses me. “Honestly, I thought I’d be really triggered, coming back here, but I feel the most relaxed I’ve been in years.”
I hop onto the island in front of him, and he watches my bare legs as I cross them. He snaps his gaze back up to mine, which makes my cheeks blush from the obvious fact that he just realized I’m half naked. I’m not even wearing a bra.
“Did you come here for anything specific?”
A sudden intensity fills the room.
He nods his head with a small smile. “Oh, yes. Are you still looking for a job by any chance?”
“We talked just a week ago. What do you think?” I frown, wishing life were that easy.
He throws his hands up. “Just making sure you haven’t found anything before I bring this up.”
Oh God.
“I have a job proposition for you.”
Yay …
“I can’t wait to hear this.” My voice drips with sarcasm, which he tsks at.
“Now, now, let me explain before you start acting like a little diva.”
“Your privilege of calling me names without me getting mad has been taken away from you.” I try to look threatening as I point at him with an “evil” glint in my eye.
“I will always have that privilege. But back to what I was saying, I found you the perfect job.”
“Care to enlighten me?”
“Our new album comes out in two weeks—”
I interrupt him, “I know that.”
His lips, the perfect shade of pink, twitch up. “I’m assuming you know about our tour then?”
I nod, swinging my legs back and forth in a nervous twitch.
“Great. Well, we leave for that in a month. A member in our opening act has a little sister who will be touring with us. A big problem we’re facing is finding a teacher for her.”
“And you’re telling me this why?”
“Duh, you’re a teacher, and we need one for Stella.”
My body locks up under his eyes. “Let me get this straight. You want me to travel on tour with you guys to teach a little girl. What grade?”
His voice remains calm and collected, unlike me currently. “First grade.”
“No, absolutely not. I can’t do that, Elijah.” I jump off the counter and start pacing in front of him.
“And why not?”
Is he trying to get on my nerves?
“If you haven’t realized … I am not a rock star like you. I’m used to this boring everyday life, not being on the road, dealing with fans and the media,” I rant, stopping in front of him and giving him a look like he’s crazy to even suggest this.
“You might punch me for this.” He straightens up, and his close proximity does something to my head. “But it doesn’t seem like you have anything more to lose.”
My mouth drops open, and he reaches out and pushes it back closed.
“That’s a bold statement.” I tilt my head. “And rude.”
He shrugs nonchalantly. “I warned you that you might want to punch me in the face.”
When I crack my knuckles for the added dramatic effect, he booms out a laugh.
“Calm down, woman. Jeez, when did you get this scary? I know everyone involved in a tour sacrifices a lot, but this opportunity is rare. Put aside what happened to us and remember what this could bring. The money you’ll make will pay off the mortgage of this house, you’ll be working with such a sweet girl, and you will see the world while you do it. ”
I purse my lips, taking in everything he’s saying.
“Just think about it, okay? Levi, her brother, is willing to meet with you personally after I talked you up with him.”
“Elijah—”
His finger smashes into my lips.
“Don’t make any decisions now. Here, text me.” Dropping a piece of folded paper, he backs away like I’m a wild animal he isn’t trying to threaten.
He winks and literally runs out of my house and slams the door.