Elizabeth
I woke up the next morning, pulled on some clothes, and got ready for class.
It’s my final year here, and I’m so close to graduating with my Master’s in Zoological Science.
I’ve always dreamed of becoming an animal care specialist, but growing up, I never really had the luxury to just be myself.
So, in secret, I decided to go to college.
Lilly graduated a year ahead of me since she’s two years older, and Mare and I are finally about to walk the stage together.
After my last class, I stepped out of the building, and my phone buzzed to life.
“Hey Lills, what’s up?” I asked, catching her giggles on the other end.
“Hey Liz! Aurora and I are heading out for some mommy-daughter mani-pedis. Want to grab Mare and meet us there?”
A smile crept onto my face.
“Sure! How about we grab lunch afterward?”
Suddenly, I heard Aurora chime in,
“Yes, Aunt Listh!”
I chuckled and ended the call. Lillian and Adonis had Aurora, and she was the spitting image of her dad. Lillian was a bit bummed about that, but she definitely got her mom’s kind eyes—those same gentle eyes that once pulled me from the dark place I was in when we first met.
I remember meeting Lillian back in school when I was seven.
I was getting picked on, but a Delacroix never backs down from a fight.
One day, as I was about to throw down with another kid, I took a hard hit, and just when I thought it was game over, she stepped in front of me, refusing to back down.
No one had ever stood up for me before; no one had cared enough to defend my honor.
When she turned to me and reached out her hand, I knew she was meant to be in my life. I loved her—not in a romantic way, but in a way that made me want to protect her at all costs.
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I shot a quick text to Mare, asking her to meet us at the salon, and wouldn’t you know it, we both arrived at the same time.
“Liz!”
She shrieked, sprinting toward me and wrapping me in a warm hug.
Mary had always been the sweetest of our trio, the one who stood by us no matter what, always ready to lend an ear when life decided to throw us a curveball.
As I hugged her back, my eyes caught something on her shoulder—was that a gash?
“Oh my god, Mary, what happened?”
A surge of anger bubbled up inside me. If someone had laid a hand on her, especially if it was Liam, I’d lose it. She took my hands in hers, grounding me.
“It’s not what you think, Liz, I promise. I was just clumsy—I went for a run and tripped over a branch.”
She said it with such conviction that I wanted to believe her, but deep down, a nagging doubt lingered.
I sighed, feeling defeated. Lately, she’d been sporting a few too many cuts on her legs and arms, each with its own excuse.
I nodded, knowing I wasn’t going to win this battle.
She flashed a smile, and we waited for Lillian to arrive.
When we saw her pull up, she hopped out of the car with a wave.
“Hey girls!”
She called out as she rounded the vehicle, and that’s when Aurora burst out, her little voice squealing,
“Aunty Listh! Auntie Mare!”
She dashed toward us, and we scooped her up in a hug, laughter spilling out like sunshine. We made our way into the salon and were led to a private room. Adonis was adamant about treating Lillian like royalty. Settling into our chairs, we shared our wishes for the day and began to unwind.
“So, Liz, I heard you had an assignment with Noah?”
I shot a panicked look at Lillian, who wore a knowing smile.
“How did you… Did Adonis tell you?”
I was ready to call him up and demand to know why he’d spilled the beans.
“Come on, Liz, you know he’d never tell me anything. I just heard it from a little bird, that’s all.”
Her mischievous grin made me groan.
“Lills, you weren’t supposed to know anything.”
But she just shushed me.
“Not the point here, Liz. Tell me what happened with Noah.”
I groaned again, my mind drifting back to last night—the way his hands had gripped my hips, how he pulled me in close, that low growl in my ear that had left me feeling all sorts of flustered.
“Liz?”
Lillian’s voice pulled me back to reality, and I met her gaze.
“Well, I kissed him.”
And just like that, time froze.
“YOU DID WHAT?”
Both Lillian and Mary exclaimed in unison, and I flinched a little at their excitement.
“Liz, you know he likes you. He’s always chatting with Liam, asking questions whenever you guys go on those special trips.”
Mary pointed out, her air quotes making me roll my eyes. Apparently, we hadn’t been as discreet as we thought.
“Liz, why don’t you give him a—”
I shot Lillian a panicked look.
“No, Lills, I can’t. He hurt you, and I won’t ever forgive him for that.”
“Uncy Noah hurt you, Mommy?”
Aurora chimed in, and I froze under Lillian’s sharp gaze. I glanced at her, apologetic.
“Yes, sweetie, he did, but—”
Lillian seemed to weigh her next words.
“Uncle Noah knows he was wrong. He came to Mommy and asked for her forgiveness. I didn’t want to at first, but sometimes people hurt others because they want the truth to come out.”
She said this while looking straight at me, and I recoiled at the thought. If it hadn’t been for that night, Lillian would never have discovered my own secret.
“So, it’s okay to forgive someone for making a mistake,”
She added, and my shoulders slumped. Maybe it was time to forgive Noah. Maybe it was time to move on.
“So uncy Noah hurt auntie Listh 'cause he wuvs her?”
Aurora piped up, and I shot Lillian a glance. She shrugged.
“Who knows? Auntie Liz will never know if she doesn’t forgive him, will she?”
Aurora beamed at me.
“Auntie Listh, you have to forgive uncy or else I will hold my bweath.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Well, we can’t have you turning blue now, can we?”
I replied, and she grinned. After our salon appointment, we headed to our favorite Korean barbecue spot for lunch.
“Don’t forget, Aurora’s recital is tonight.”
Lillian reminded us as we settled into our seats.
“Yeah, we can just head over there after lunch. How about we swing by the bookstore first?”
Mary suggested, and we all agreed. I glanced at my friends, then sneakily peeked at my phone. Noah’s name glared back at me. I almost clicked it but stopped myself. Shaking my head, I reminded myself,
No, I can’t message him. I don’t want to know the truth because the truth can be messy.
I tucked my phone back into my purse. If I knew the truth, what would happen to us? The familiar tug in my chest returned, and I resolved not to let myself succumb to it.