Chapter 20 - Dean
Dean
Less than a week into October. It shouldn’t be this cold.
The front door closed behind Lily, leaving me alone with my memories.
The dark place where my old house stood wasn’t far. Had the new owners fixed it up, or was it still a rundown pile of shit begging for a bulldozer? That house baked me in the summers and froze me in the winters. I cried myself to sleep and mourned my mother in that house.
Lily called me unbothered once. If she saw inside my head, I doubted she’d use that description now. My head throbbed from the comet’s impact the moment we crossed the town line.
I smiled up at the beam of light shining through her bedroom window.
I’d once said Deer Lake contained no positive memories for me. That was wrong. She waited upstairs for me. With a sigh, I leaned back so the raindrops splashed against my eyes, blinding me.
Nothing had changed for me. Whether the next part took place now or tomorrow didn’t matter. Lily would understand why I did what I did.
I stepped into the open garage for one final task. Ryan’s old motorbike rested against the far wall. I hid it behind the lawnmower and a few unlabeled cardboard boxes. A person would miss the bike unless they knew what to look for. I doubted anyone in town remembered it existed.
Lily waited upstairs, sitting cross-legged on her bed, with a photo album in her lap and a flashlight in one hand. She smiled at my entrance. “You found me.”
I removed my wet shoes and approached. “What do you have?”
“A photo album. My mom did scrapbooking, and Mrs. Willoughby continued the tradition for us. It’s memories of our family.
It was sweet of her, don’t you think?” She leaned over the album, allowing me to see the pictures.
“Look at these. Do you remember? It’s the Fourth of July. How old were you then? Ten? Eleven?”
I studied the picture. Lily held a sparkler in one hand and a chunk of watermelon in the other. She grinned at whoever took the photo, probably Ryan. My silhouette appeared in the picture: an arm, part of my chest, and one pant leg.
“I remember. Your brother invited me over for fireworks. His photography skills never improved.”
“If you need a portrait with half your head cut off, call my brother. Did you know he once wanted to be a news photographer? Travel into war zones and tornadoes, that sort of thing.”
I snorted. “Glad he chose a different career.”
“You looked miserable. Were you?” Her finger landed on a hole in the shirt I’d worn that day. Long sleeves in July. Her voice weakened. “This can wait until daylight. I’m wasting the battery, aren’t I?” She closed the album and shoved it under her bed. “How are you?”
“I wasn’t miserable,” I said, avoiding her second question.
“Liar.”
“Not the first time I’ve been accused. It was a perfectly acceptable holiday.”
“A perfectly acceptable holiday. Do you know how that sounds? Gloomy, that’s how.”
“In contrast to my usual bubbly personality.” I lit one of our candles and swiped the flashlight from her hand. “You don’t need this tonight. If you want more candles, let me know, and I’ll get them for you.”
“Did I embarrass you?”
Her question confused me. “Over an old picture? No.” That didn’t mean I wanted to exchange childhood stories either. Those served no purpose. “That was a long time ago. As for popsicles, I used to make them.”
“That’s such an odd thing to remember.”
I laughed at her expression. “Fresh fruit juice and sugar. It’s delicious.”
“Violet and I made huge batches of cookie dough that we’d split in half. One part to bake and the other part to eat raw. We made ourselves sick a couple of times.” Her voice eased the longer she spoke.
“Also delicious and smart.”
“Dean.”
“What is it, sweetheart?” I removed the rest of my clothes and stretched. Lily suggested I raid her brother’s wardrobe, and it might come to that. I often wore ill-fitting clothes. These circumstances were no different.
She whispered, despite the lack of people to overhear. “I focused on our homecoming all this time, and now I feel dread. Is that the rain messing with my emotions or genuine intuition?”
I sat beside her, scooting so my back rested against the far wall, and moved her legs so they lay over mine. “You feel alone right now, when you shouldn’t. I can’t replace your dad or Ryan.”
“Thank goodness.”
We both chuckled.
“You aren’t alone. I’m here next to you.”
“Where would you be if my brother hadn’t called you before the comet landed?”
The question never occurred to me before. I’d been focused on her since my phone rang all those days ago, and couldn’t imagine behaving any other way. “With you. Four hours from Deer Lake instead of here in your bedroom. Either that, or dead.”
“With me? Four hours.” Her breath hitched as she connected my response to our timeline. “You’d have come for me.”
“Or died trying. If you feel dread, we’ll listen to it and decide what to do. You called us partners, correct? We’ll partnership the problem.”
For a little longer. With that ring on her finger, I’d bind her in public with no way for her to back out. I warned her brother first, and he accepted it. So would she.
And if her intuition pointed to future struggles, we’d leave again.
She snorted. “I think you’re trying to make me feel better.”
I fiddled with her sweatshirt’s hem. “Incorrect. I’m trying to improve your mood, so I don’t feel guilty.”
“Guilty of what?”
I lowered my voice, wanting her to hear the threat and the promise. “Did you think one time satisfied me?”
“I think you enjoy control.” Lily swiveled, moving until she sat astride my hips. “And right now, I’m okay with that. Take it from me. I’m giving it to you.”
She nuzzled against me, rubbing her face on my neck and cheek.
I refused to give her more false hope regarding her father or Deer Lake. We didn’t know what either would bring us, though I had suspicions. For now, Lily wanted comfort, so I took what she offered. I’d give her that. “Then kiss me and prove it.”
She grabbed the back of my neck and smashed her lips against mine. Lily’s ferocity showed her inner turmoil as much as it did her desire.
I kissed her back, taking the lead, forcing her mouth’s surrender. Her grip loosened on my neck as she tugged off her sweatshirt.
I threw it to the ground and worked at her neck, kissing my way down her chest as Lily ground her hips into mine.
Our bodies twisted one more time as I held her, so she lay beneath me. “Is this what you wanted?”
Lily answered with another kiss. The fierceness weakened as she relaxed, inviting me in.
I took over, not wanting to rush, as she kneaded my shoulders, needing the same skin-to-skin contact I craved. “Slow down. Let me savor you.”
“You make me sound like a meal.”
My mouth left hers with a smile as I bit down on her upper breast. “You’ll be covered with evidence of me in the morning. Everyone will know what I did to you.” I traced the line of her jaw as she tilted her head, allowing me access. My tongue licked her pulse before I sucked the tender skin.
“That is exactly what I want,” she whispered as my mouth lingered on her throat.
I rose, palms pressed on either side of her, trapping her beneath me. “Then I’ll give you more. Spread your legs.” Lily did as told, though not as much as I required. “More. Enough to take me.” Her hips pressed against mine as I settled between her. “Should I keep going?”
“Yes,” she said. Certain, with no hint of doubt or recklessness.
I took both her hands in one of mine and rubbed my cock against her slick entrance. “Last chance. I won’t stop once I’m inside you.”
“Don’t stop,” she breathed against my lips.
I entered her with a single sharp thrust, enjoying her shocked gasp of air.
She stared up at me, eyes wide and glistening as she cradled my face.
I pulled myself up, keeping my cock buried in her depths, and released her hands. She wanted to forget about her missing family and the outside world. I’d give her that.
“You feel perfect. Perfect for me. Only me.” I increased my rhythm, fucking her in earnest, taking the control she willingly gave. “For me. Only mine.”
“Oh, God, Dean. Don’t stop.” Her sharp keening echoed in my ears.
Lily’s hips rose to meet me, bucking against me with desperate cries. I matched her, using my strength to press her down into the mattress.
Discipline fled. Lily’s body fell apart under mine. My groan changed to a shout as my rhythm broke. I thrust one last time and spilled into her. My lungs stuttered as I fought to take a breath.
“Are you hurt?” I asked once life returned to my body.
“Not hurt. Deliciously used.”
I climbed off her to get the cup of water and aspirin I’d set on the dresser earlier. “Take these.”
She drank all but the last sip. “Some for you.”
“What else do you need?”
“You next to me.” After Lily burrowed into my side, wrapping both of my arms around her body to keep us warm. “You planned all that.”
“Yes, I did.” Sweat beaded along my back. “Now you’re listening.”
“Tomorrow. You’ll fulfill your promise tomorrow,” she said.
Not in the way she meant. “Yes, I will.”