17. Lily
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
lily
T he morning flew by as we explored downtown. I loved getting to see all the unique things Seattle had to offer, but the hustle and bustle of the city solidified my decision to move to the mountains. There’s no serenity in all the chaos, like there is alone in the woods. Thoren’s hand never left mine as we looked through the little shops at Pike Place and walked on the pier below. We even got to see the iconic gum wall, which I was more grossed out with than anything.
River told us to meet him at noon, and we parked at the stadium right on time. The Rainier’s stadium is newer and open at the top. I’ve never been to a professional sports game, so to get to see behind the scenes for my first one is wild. He meets us at the entrance and ushers us in. We walk the halls as he tells me about his typical game day routine which varies depending on the start time of the game, but seems generally consistent. He eats the same general foods, stretches the same way, and plays the same playlist. I didn’t bring my binder, but I have my notepad out, writing down every tidbit of information that I can.
“This is our locker room. I told the guys you were coming and to behave, but I’m going to peek in and make sure everyone is decent,” River says, opening a door letting loud chatter filter out into the hall.
Thoren has given me space so far, mostly to give me room to write while we walked, but is pressed up against me now. “Marking your territory?” I joke.
“Claiming what’s mine,” he quips back, placing his hand on my hip. Goosebumps erupt down my arms as his hand splays wide over my hip bone. I turn to look up at him, a smile on my face. He leans down, placing a soft kiss on my lips when River pops back through the door. Thoren doesn’t rush to pull away, lingering just a touch before nodding at his brother and giving my hip a squeeze.
We follow River into the locker room, which is a lot cleaner and nicer smelling than I expected. There are half-dressed men everywhere, but they all at least have their baseball pants on. I try not to let my looks linger, but I think I might enjoy watching baseball if these are the pants they wear. I glance to my side at Thoren’s tree trunk legs and ass that is molded to his jeans and now all I want is to see him in baseball pants.
“We each have our own locker space,” River points, walking us around the open room. Wooden shelves line the room, each filled with jerseys, bags, and photos. In the center, there’s a couch and some chairs spread out, filled with guys relaxing before the game. “There’s a room here for PT and for us to get worked on. We have some bikes over here to get our bodies moving, some mats and tools for stretching here,” he continues, pointing as we move along.
“Damnnn, she looks good in a jersey. Want my last name instead, sweetheart?” someone calls from behind us.
“She’d look even better in just the jersey,” another guy calls out, high-fiving the first.
“Hey River, you letting your brother take the hot ones now? Does he share?” comes from the other side of the room.
Thoren’s jaw ticks, and I don’t miss the smirk on River’s face. I have a feeling he told them to heckle me to mess with his brother. After some of his comments last night, hinting at us being a cute couple, and asking when Thoren was going to lock me down, this seems like something he’d do. He gives me a wink before he elbows Thoren’s side. “Sorry bud, they asked if Lily was single and I didn’t want to lie.”
Before Thoren can respond, a player moves in front of me, holding out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Lily. I’m Case, number nine. Watch me out there, and I might just hit a home run for you. Stick around after the game and I’ll give you my real number,” he winks.
I shake his hand, smiling kindly, “Nice to meet you. I have plans after the game, thanks though.” I lean further into Thoren’s side, his hand on my lower back flexing. I’m all for a little harmless taunting, but Thoren’s anxiety is palpable. Part of me wants him to claim me as his right here and now, but the other part of me loves that he’s allowing me to make my own choices.
“Case,” Thoren nods to the man still in front of us. “Wanna get your boys in check? They will talk to her with respect or they won’t be talking at all.”
Case’s laugh is loud, catching the attention of those around us. “Yes sir,” he mock salutes. “It’s your brother’s fault.”
“Hey, hey now, all I said was that Lily is single and to be respectful,” River turns to the rest of the room, speaking loudly. “Which we will need to cover the parameters of being respectful again.”
There are groans around the room and I hear more than one muttered, “sorry, dad.” I try to hide my chuckle at how River commands the group. Seeing Thoren in protective mode is hot, and watching his brother be a menace is fun. I want to push myself to be more bold, but now I want Thoren to be the bold one. I want to poke him until he brings out the side that straddled me this morning, telling me how often he strokes his cock to thoughts of me.
River leads us out of a side door into another hall and points us to the exit that leads to the stadium seats. He pulls out his phone and takes a quick selfie with the three of us before slipping it back into his pocket. He hands Thoren two tickets with our seat numbers and pulls him in for a bro hug. I don’t miss a whispered exchange between them, but it’s not loud enough to hear.
River pulls me into a hug next, squeezing me tight. “Sorry about the guys. It’s just too fun riling him up. Take care of him, Lily. He’s a good man,” he whispers in my ear.
“I will,” I mutter before stepping out of his embrace. “Thank you for everything, River. Better make some big plays today or I might make my next book about hockey again.”
He groans, “Get out of here, trouble. You two have fun.” With that, he disappears back into the locker room, leaving Thoren and I alone in the hall.
I turn to Thoren, trying to plaster an innocent look on my face. “Do you think Case will really give me his number?”
THOREN
What did she just say? There’s no way I heard her right. Not after last night or this morning. This sweet, shy woman did not just ask that. I was going to wait until we got home, with a nice home cooked meal and candles, to ask her to be my girlfriend. Was it cheesy, and maybe a little elementary? Probably, but Lily deserves to have all the stops pulled out for her.
There’s no way in hell I’m waiting now though. I stalk her like she’s my prey, crowding her until her back is flush with the wall. “Lily, if I didn’t make myself clear enough before, I’m sorry. Let me make it very clear now. You are beautiful, kind, selfless, funny, strong, and I could go on forever. I like everything about you, and I’ve become a man obsessed. I had a whole speech planned to tell you every little thing about you that has captivated me, but you are pushing my buttons,” I put one hand under her chin, drawing her face even closer to mine, the other hand landing on the wall above her head to hold me up.
“I will be patient if you still aren’t ready, but I want you to be mine. I want to care for you, cherish you, and support you. I will be everything you need, but I will not stand around and let another man have my girl. If you keep pushing me, I will bend you over my knee and spank that perfect ass raw. Am I clear enough now?”
Lily’s chin slowly lowers as she nods, her chest heaving against mine. “Good,” I continue. “Will you be my girlfriend, Lily?”
She barely gets out a whispered “yes” before my mouth crashes down on hers. I part her lips with mine, licking her sweet taste from her lips before sliding my tongue in. My hand moves to stroke her jaw as her soft lips follow my lead. The kiss with her last night felt unlike any kiss I’ve had before, but this one? This one is even better because this stunning woman in front of me agreed to be mine.
There’s a commotion somewhere behind us that I try to ignore until the whistles and cheers start. A mix of catcalls, “get some,” and a very familiar sounding “that’s my brother!” has me pulling back from Lily. Children, the whole lot of them. Her cheeks are flushed, her pupils blown, and her lips swollen from the kiss. I don’t want anyone else seeing her like this, so keeping my body poised in front of hers, I turn to see the locker room door open with half of the team trying to look out of it at us.
Lily’s light giggle pulls my attention back to her, and I can’t help but shake my head at my brother’s antics. “I’m sorry,” I whisper to her, but she just shrugs and leans into my chest.
“Alright, show’s over,” I hear my brother say, and with the closing of a door, silence sweeps the hallway again. I wrap my arms around Lily’s small frame, letting our breaths even out and will my throbbing dick to stand down.
When it’s half on board, I reach down, making a quick adjustment before taking her hand. “Shall we go get some snacks before we find our seats?”
Unsurprisingly, River got us some of the best seats in the house. Our seats are directly behind home plate, allowing us a perfect view of the game. I know for some, baseball can be a slow game, but Lily stays engaged the whole time. She asks questions about each throw, and cheers every time one of the Rainiers takes a base. For a little payback, she even heckled River every time he was up at bat.
My favorite part though, was when Case did indeed hit a home run, he pointed at Lily and winked as he tagged in at home plate. She smiled at him, then turned to me and gave me a soft kiss. Her claiming of me, in front of my brother’s entire team, settled something in me. She truly wanted me, and not a stepping stone to more.
Around the end of the ninth inning, my phone pings.
Bros and Hoe Group Chat
River :
*selfie of River Thoren and Lily*
River :
You’re missing out Jake.
Jake :
Where was my invite, dickbags?
Thoren :
… I wanted alone time with Lily.
River :
*picture of Thoren kissing Lily in the hallway*
River :
“alone time”
Jake :
Damn. I guess you didn’t screw it up.
Thoren :
*middle finger emoji* that picture gets my dick hard
Jake :
…mine too.
River :
GAG I’m out. Happy for you bro, glad you could make it and drive home safe. Jake, stop by next time you go to your showroom, bud. I miss you.
Jake :
Will do.
Those two are absolute hooligans, but damn, I love them. I save the photo of Lily and me in the hallway because I wasn’t lying; it’s fucking hot. By the time I get my phone back in my pocket, the game is over. Hand in hand, Lily and I shuffle our way out with the rest of the fans and head to Freya for the drive home.
“I still can’t believe my truck has a girl's name.”
“Hey, don’t hurt her feelings. She’s a warrior and deserves respect,” she chastises me. I open her door, helping her in, and buckling her seatbelt.
“Maybe her name should be Lily then.” Her cheeks heat, and I love that I have that effect on her. “Are you hungry for dinner, or do you want to head straight home?”
“I had so many snacks there. I’m good with going home. A long shower after sweating in the sun all day sounds amazing.”
I do just that, taking us home after our perfect little getaway. A long shower is calling my name, too, but after I drop Lily off, I have to get Shadow from my parents and I know my mom will bombard me with questions. No doubt River has already told her that Lily and I are together now. I still am a little shocked that Lily is willing to take a chance on me, but I won’t waste it. Tyler treated her like a doormat, and I intend to treat her like the queen that she is.
Lily’s phone dings, and she slips it from her purse, checking the message. In my peripherals, I watch her face light up, only to quickly shut down again. Her cheeks turn red and her hands tremble as she turns away from me.
“What is it?”
“It’s nothing,” her subdued voice says with a slight tremor.
“Baby, please don’t lie to me. What’s going on?”
She slowly turns back to me, silent tears tracking down her face. “It was my mom. She hasn’t talked to me in months, and she only reached out to criticize me.”
I flex my hands on the steering wheel, gripping tight as my anxiety bleeds into anger. “What did she say?”
“I guess the cameras at the game caught the interaction with Case and then me kissing you. Her friend called her to ask about it. She said I’m embarrassing her, and asked that if I’m going to continue making these choices, that I at least do it in private.” Her lower lip trembles as she squeezes her fingers together. “I don’t even know what choices I’m making that she’s talking about. Living my life? Having a relationship? What am I doing that’s so wrong?”
I reach over, grabbing her hand into mine, pressing a light kiss to her knuckles. “Nothing, baby. You are doing absolutely nothing wrong. You are not responsible for her feelings or how she chooses to respond to things. I’m so sorry that she is making you feel this way.”
I have a lot of things that I want to say, but none of them would be productive right now. She doesn’t need me to tell her that her mom is being selfish. That her mom has her own life to live, and that Lily gets to be her own person and choose her own path. She’s a successful and published author, for God’s sake, and she owns her own home at twenty-six. She should feel nothing but pride for those facts alone. Add in the fact that she is selfless, caring, and brave, and it puts Lily leagues above everyone else. I let our joined hands fall and rest in her lap, trying to give her my support and not my anger.
Heavy silence fills the rest of the drive, broken only by Lily’s quiet sniffles echoing through the car. My hand moves back and forth between holding hers to rubbing her leg. I want nothing more than to pull over and wrap her in my arms, but she needs the reprieve of a shower and to crawl into bed, so I stay the course. When we finally pull up in front of her house, I help her out and grab her bag while she unlocks her door. Setting her things inside the front door, I pull her into me. I hold her tight as her shoulders shake in silent sobs, trying to bleed my strength into her.
She settles, drying her eyes to look at me. “Thank you for the amazing trip. I’m sorry it ended like this.”
Cupping her jaw, I rub my thumb over her tear-stained cheeks. “Don’t be sorry. I’m going to pick up Shadow and get her home, then I’m coming back to check on you. I’d like to tuck you in and hold you until you fall asleep, if that’s okay?”
Her chin trembles again, and my heart breaks for her. “Okay. See you soon.” With a gentle kiss on her forehead, I leave for my parents’ house. My mind is a mess, just wanting to be with her. How her mother can speak to her like that blows my mind. As I pull up to my parents, I put my truck in park and pull out my phone. I want to see the video her mom is freaking out over in case I’m missing something.
I don’t even have to search. River already sent it to me but with a heart emoji followed by a gagging emoji. It’s a brief clip where the camera pans out from Case as he rounds home plate and turns to point and wink at Lily. She turns red immediately, but smiles sweetly at him before leaning over and placing a swift kiss on my lips. That’s it; that’s the whole video that her mom is upset over.
Barking steals my attention as my mom opens the front door and Shadow bursts out, running straight for my truck. Hopping out, I kneel down and give her my love before following her toward the house.
My mom is waiting with a glowing smile, a knowing glint in her eyes. “How was your trip, honey?”
Settling in the kitchen, I tell her and my dad about the trip, leaving out a few details. They ask about River and Vanessa, and how Lily is doing with everything. I break and divulge to them about the text from her mom today and how much it hurt her. The more I talk, the quieter my mom gets, until I catch a tear dripping down her cheek. My dad silently reaches over, rubbing her back. I love my mom even more at this moment, for feeling so deeply for a woman she has never even met.
We move on to discuss how Shadow behaved when my phone rings on the counter. Lily’s name flashes on my screen, drawing my attention. I utter an apology to my parents before answering the call.
“Hey ba- Lily, what’s wrong?” Her soft cries are all I can hear through the phone.
“I wanted,” sniffle, “to unpack first… I uh, I like order, but then,” more incoherent sobs echo. “My shower, half the tiles fell,” she gets out between her sobs. “I can’t shower and I know it’s stupid, but I just really needed a cry in the shower. But half the wall is broken in the tub.”
“Lily, baby, take a breath for me.” I don’t continue until I hear her suck in a deep breath. “Good girl. You’re going to drive over to my house, okay? There is a spare key taped under the third railing on the front porch. Go draw yourself a hot bath, there are bubbles under the sink. I’m heading back home right now. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Okay,” her voice sounds dejected. “Thank you.”
I hang up, gathering my things to leave. My mom, the saint that she is, hands me a bag and a glass container. “The bag is Shadow’s things, and the container has dinner with enough for you both. Go take care of your girl, we’ll talk soon.”
With a hug to both mom and dad, I rush out the door with Shadow and race home. The house is quiet when we enter, but Shadow runs straight upstairs. I’m halfway up them when I hear Lily’s soft laugh drifting down.
I drop my bags in my bedroom and knock on the partly open bathroom door. “You doing okay?” I call in.
“Might as well come in and make it a party,” Lily laughs. When I pop my head in, I see Shadow poking around the edge of the tub, trying to find the best place to climb in.
“Out,” I motion to her and she whines, but listens, jumping on my bed. I shut the door behind her, kneeling at the edge of the tub by Lily’s head. She looks beautiful with her hair in a bun on her head, resting on the edge, red-rimmed eyes and all. The bubbles she has in the tub are popping, giving me the barest glimpses of her naked body. All my blood travels to my dick the longer I look, so I turn back to her face.
“What do you need right now?” I ask, stroking my thumb down her cheek.
“For you to join me.”