Chapter 5 #2
The admission hangs in the air between us, heavy with possibility. I wanna kiss her so badly it physically hurts, but I can feel her walls rebuilding even as she touches me.
“Lily…”
She’s already moving. “We should finish this before it melts.”
But the damage is done. The careful distance we’ve been maintaining has cracked, and now we’re both pretending we can’t feel the heat bleeding through the fractures.
We finish the ice cream in charged silence, every accidental touch and lingering glance adding fuel to the fire we’re both trying not to acknowledge.
And when the container is empty and there’s no reason for me to stay, I find myself searching for excuses to hang out just a little longer.
I push away from the counter, inching closer to her. “Lily, you need to know something.”
“What?”
“I’m standing in front of the person I wanna build a life with.” I shrug. “That’s all.”
She studies me, something unreadable easing in her eyes.
She leans in and gives me a hug. “Okay. We’ll see where this goes.”
It’s a yes shaped like a vow without the ceremony. I rest my palms on her waist, feel them press against her like an unadorned anchor, and I do the only thing I know to do. I wait.
The kiss sits under my ribs like a small animal I don’t wanna scare. She’s in my arms for a beat longer than I deserve, and then she lets go. The world realigns into its old halves. The part I can touch and the part I can’t.
She leads me out by the hand, and it takes everything in me to hold myself back from her. I want her, and it’s hell not being with her. But she needs to be the one who decides.
The drive to my place feels longer than it should; my hands gripping the steering wheel while her words echo in my head.
We’ll see where this goes.
It’s hope boxed in caution, and I can’t decide if that’s enough or if it’s killing me. I pull into my garage and sit in the dark for a moment, the engine ticking as it cools.
The taste of cookie dough ice cream is still on my tongue, mixed with the memory of her thumb against my cheek. She’s so close to letting me in, but there’s something stopping her. Or I should say someone?
Before I can talk myself out of it, I pull out my phone and hit Guns’ number.
“Cash, what’s up?” His voice is relaxed, probably kicked back with a beer and whatever girl he’s seeing this week.
“I need to ask you something, and I need you to be straight with me.”
The tone in my voice must register because he immediately shifts gears. “Shoot.”
“The Malibu house where I saw Livianna go to meet that guy…”
“Ah, bro, not this again. Why are you so obsessed with it?”
“How long have you known she was living there?”
“Um—”
“You know I saw her there with him. And the night I took her to Nobu, she had me pick her up there and invited me in.”
“No shit?”
“None. I need to know who owns that house.”
“Why? What does it matter? She’s living in her new place, and she’s going on dates with you. Seems like you’re looking for issues that don’t need to be found.”
I get out of the car and stomp into my house. “If I know what I’m up against, I’ll have a fighting chance. If not…”
There’s a pause. Long enough that my stomach starts to churn.
Bren’s voice comes in resignation. “Why are you asking?”
“She says it’s hers, but something doesn’t add up. The way she acted there, it was like she was performing. It was like she was afraid someone would catch us.” I drag my hand through my hair. “That house holds all the answers to my questions.”
Another pause. Longer this time.
“Guns?”
“Fuck.” He exhales hard. “Cash, she’s gonna kill me for this, but… She told me she was seeing someone. The guy who owns that place. She said it was casual and wouldn’t give me details.”
My chest caves in. There it is. The confirmation I was dreading and expecting in equal measure.
“So, you knew she was living there, and the guy I saw her with is the owner, and you didn’t think to tell me that?”
“Cash, it could’ve been another guy she was seeing. I don’t know who you saw her with.”
“The fuck you don’t. We both know they’ve been playing house if he’s been staying with her.” I throw my keys on the side table in my living room. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter now, but tell me what you know.”
“She’s my sister, Cash. I’ve already told you too much.”
“Who is he?”
“I don’t know much about him. She said he travels a lot for business and has a few homes, so she could stay there for a while. Sounded pretty harmless to me.”
“Why would she tell me it’s her place?”
Silence stretches between us.
Guns starts in again. “She definitely said it belonged to some guy she’s seeing. Said it was convenient because he’s never around, and she didn’t have to live with our parents anymore. I don’t know why she would tell you that.”
“She wouldn’t lie about that, would she?”
“Damn. I don’t think so, but I know that’s not her mansion.”
“How are you so sure?”
“Fuck, bro. She doesn’t have that kind of money. She just dropped millions on her home.”
“Would your pops help her?”
“It’s possible. Why? What are you thinking?”
I gaze around my place and can picture her living here too easily. “I’m thinking I need to find out exactly who this guy is and what he means to her.”