Chapter Seventeen #2
Lilah straightens, her eyes flicking between us.
“Seein’ y’all come into my town… it’s a little hard to swallow.
Knowin’ Kaden’s moved on to bigger and brighter things…
better things. Yeah, it’s hard. While I stayed here, doin’ the same old stuff, bein’ the same old Lilah.
My life has become stagnant while Kaden moved forward.
And seein’ y’all happy, and together… it hurts.
But seein’ the way you look at Effa, I know ya never looked at me that way, even when we were totally serious ‘bout one another. It’s just…
I wanted my life to be somethin’, too… and well, I’m nothin’ more than a diner girl.
You got out there, Kaden. You did what you said you were gonna do.
You found someone special, and I’m left here bein’ borin’ and serially single.
I thought you were the love of my life, and I monumentally screwed that up.
I have to live with that now. I’m jealous of the life you’ve created, and the amazin’ people you’ve met.
I mean fuck! Effa, you just proved how amazin’ y’all are, by talkin’ to me like that.
I’m sorry if I’ve made things awkward for you guys.
I promise I’ll try not to be so utterly jealous of y’all from now on, though.
” There’s no venom in her voice, only regret.
“I think I realize now I don’t have feelin’s, just regrets,” she adds quietly. “But I see the way he looks at you. Honey, he never looked at me like that.”
The honesty knocks some of the fight right out of me.
I shift forward, gaining Lilah’s attention. “You deserve someone who looks at you like that. Shane does… you know he does.”
She blinks rapidly. “Maybe.”
“You don’t owe me distance,” I continue. “If there’s something there, explore it. I’m not in the way.”
She exhales slowly. “I made my choices. I’m the one who has to fix them.”
Effa squeezes her hand. “You’re stronger than you think, Liliah.”
Donny nods. “Small town doesn’t have to mean small life.”
Lilah looks at all of us like she didn’t expect this response. “Thank you,” she says finally. “If you’re sure you’re okay with it, Kaden… I’ll talk to Shane.”
I smile at her genuinely. “Yeah, Liliah, I’m more than sure. You both deserve to be happy. Stop letting me get in the way of you two being happy together. We were never going to work, Liliah… but you and Shane… that I can see working, if you put me in your rearview.”
She grimaces. “Let’s not use car puns when it involves the three of us.”
And for the first time, when talking about her and Shane fucking in my car, I don’t feel anger, pain, and resentment—I feel closure. A small smile lights my lips, and I nod. “Deal… be happy, Liliah. That’s all I want for you.”
Her eyes glisten, as if that is the release she needed. She doesn’t say anything else, just simply turns and heads back to the counter. When she walks away, something lifts off my shoulders.
Not everything.
But enough.
Effa looks at me, grinning.
“You,” I murmur.
“You’re welcome.”
She kisses me, quick and warm.
Donny beams. “That’s my girl. Always making peace.”
Effa shrugs. “Life’s too short to waste it on tension.” She digs into her pie like nothing monumental just happened, moaning dramatically over the sweetness, and we all laugh.
For a moment, it feels easy.
Normal.
Then Lettie asks about the tour, and Effa hesitates before answering. She wants to go back sooner than the doctor suggested… November or December.
My jaw tightens.
Donny voices exactly what I’m thinking. “Don’t rush it.”
Effa listens, really listens. “We’ll reassess in a few weeks,” she says finally, and I relax slightly.
Then she drops something new.
“I’ve been thinking,” she says, more measured now. “Not just a foundation. Something bigger. Something that stays in the music world.”
My brow furrows. “Bigger how?”
“A Safe Stage Initiative.” The words come steadier as she says them, like she’s already rehearsed this in her head. “A touring-based program. We partner with venues. Implement anti-drugging protocols. Train bar staff and security to recognise the signs of drink spiking before it escalates.”
She pauses, watching my reaction.
“We create designated safe spaces backstage or onsite. Somewhere victims can go immediately. And we bring in on-call counselors. Real support. Not just someone handing out water and pretending it’s handled.”
We all go quiet.
“It keeps it connected to us,” she adds. “To music. To touring. To where it actually happens.”
There’s fire behind her eyes now.
“And if I’m going to speak publicly, if I’m going to put my name on something… I want it to matter. I want venues to be held accountable for it. Even if they don’t like the attention.”
I stare at her.
Of course, she would turn this into something bigger than herself.
“That’s incredible,” I say honestly, pulling her closer. “You’d be perfect for that.”
Her eyes search mine. “You think so?”
“I know so.”
I kiss her softly with pride swelling in my chest.
She’s extraordinary.
There’s a reason she’s called Effervescent.
She doesn’t just survive things…
She transforms them.
The whole table buzzes with excitement about the idea, with plans and possibilities. And while they talk, my phone vibrates in my pocket, and I don’t need to look to know who it is.
Vex.
The message burns against my thigh like a goddamn warning.
Tour money would solve it, but that would also mean Effa would need to go back sooner, and I won’t rush her recovery because of my mistake.
I won’t take more of her money either.
Jett’s voice still echoes in my head—about being a kept man, about riding her success.
I’d rather bleed than become that, even if it costs me.
Even if Vex comes knocking.
This is the one thing I will not let Effa carry.
This secret is mine.
And I’ll fix it.
One way or another.