by J. M. Walker
She laughed, wrapping her arms around him. “Thank you for the flowers.”
I looked away, not wanting to intrude on their private moment. I gave myself a shake and went back to my cup of coffee.
“Hey, Lucas.”
My gaze popped up from the cup I was about to take a sip out of and found Toby coming toward me. “Hey.”
“How’s it going?” he asked, clapping my shoulder.
“Not too bad.” I hadn’t seen Lily in a few days but other than that, life was fucking perfect. I bit back a scoff at that.
“You sure?”
I rolled my eyes.
“How’s everything else going?”
“What are you asking me, Toby?” I liked the guy but with him being my sponsor, he got a little too personal at times and it drove me crazy. Although, I wasn’t always easy to get along with, especially in the beginning, but it still didn’t mean I wanted to tell him all of my shit.
“Are you and Lily seeing each other?” He made a coffee for himself and grabbed a cookie from the tray on the table before popping it into his mouth.
“I’m not sure that’s any of your business.” I wasn’t telling him anything more about Lily. He was aware that we knew each other but that was it. And that was all I wanted at the moment. We already had issues with Killian. I didn’t need to add another man to the mix. Even though Toby was married, he was still a man and Lily was beautiful. She just didn’t know it which made her even more attractive.
“It is my business when both of you are recovering addicts. You can either support one another or drag each other down. I’m your friend but I’m also your sponsor and as your sponsor, I want to know what you could be dealing with.”
“I…” I rubbed the back of my neck. “I appreciate that.”
“Just be careful is all I’m saying.” A dark shadow passed over Toby’s face.
My chest tightened. “I will.”
“Are you sharing tonight?” he asked, looking out at the crowd gathering.
“Don’t I always?” Although I hated talking, telling these people about my life was almost like a cleansing in a way. They didn’t know everything, but they knew enough where it felt like some of the weight from my demons had been lifted off my shoulders. It wasn’t a lot, but it would have to do. Because if Lily found out everything that had happened to me and what I was forced to do to others, especially to Mel, I wasn’t sure if she would be able to handle it.
Lily
AFTER GETTING OFF OF work late because one of my grandmother’s friends wanted me to play a game of Bridge with him, I rushed to the church that held the meetings I frequented. But when I reached the door and saw that it was still closed due to renovations, I swallowed a curse and quickly made my way to the center instead. I had been so damn distracted, I forgot to head to the right place.
It was pushing eight at night. The sun was setting over the city. It was later in the summer, so the evening was cooler than usual, but it was warm enough that a light sweater would do.
I should have driven but living in the city, everything was close together, so I didn’t think anything of it and walked instead.
Once I rounded the corner, the lights from the center came into view. I picked up my pace. As soon as I walked by an alleyway, I was grabbed from behind.
My heart jumped to my throat, my stomach dropping to the ground beneath me.
I was shoved forward, pushed to the ground and a heavy weight landed on top of me. “Please,” I pleaded. “Please stop.”
But the person didn’t say anything. Their hot breath fanned over the side of my head. The scent of stale alcohol wafted into my nose, forcing bile to my throat.
I struggled beneath them, trying with everything that I was made of to get away from whoever was on top of me. “Stop. I don’t have any money.”
Hands ripped at my clothes, a heavy fist landed against the side of my face. My head was pulled back and slammed hard into the ground.
Spots danced in my vision, a metallic taste coating my tongue. Agony erupted through my face and my head rang. This was it. I was going to die.
“Please stop,” I whimpered.
The person towered over me, the stench of their breath made my stomach churn.
A bang erupted in the distance, followed by a cat screaming. Sirens sounded not too long after that. The person lifted off of me and kicked me hard in the stomach.
I cried out, curling into a ball, pain exploding through my ribs.
They did it again before running down the alleyway.
A sob escaped me. Rising onto shaky arms, I pushed to my feet. My legs wobbled. Every inch of me hurt. I couldn’t go home like this.
Lucas.
***
(Lucas)
After the meeting, I made my way home. It had been close enough to my place that I could always just walk. It was a nice summer night. Not too hot. Not too cold. It was perfect if you asked me. It was my favorite time of year. Even though there were no beaches in the area, I still enjoyed the summer weather.
A sound off in the distance interrupted my thoughts about sand, sun, and water. My hackles rose the closer I got to my car that was parked in the alleyway by my apartment.
A whimper sounded, followed by a soft curse.
I walked around my car, finding a bundled-up heap at the base of my door. “What the hell?”
“Lucas?”
“Lily?” I rushed to her. Her hair was a mess, dirt and debris coated her face. Her clothes were torn. Her nose was off center. She was holding her sweater against it, the material soaked with blood. “What happened?”
Her breath hitched, her eyes shining.
“Alright, Lily Pad. I got you.” I picked her up in my arms, cradling her against my chest. Unlocking the door to my apartment, I kicked it closed, relocked it, and carried her inside. Throwing the keys on a table sitting by the wall, I brought her to the bathroom.
When we reached the smaller room, I sat her on the counter and turned on the light. Her light brown curly hair fell in front of her face. It had leaves and sticks in it.
“Look at me,” I demanded, my voice rougher than I would have liked.
Bright green eyes met mine.
A growl escaped me. I cupped her cheek.
Her eyes fluttered closed.
“Tell me what happened.” Checking her nose, I took the sweater from her when I noticed that the bleeding had stopped.
“I was on my way to a meeting. I stopped off at the church because we were told the renovations would be done but when I got there, I realized that they aren’t. I forgot that they were running into problems that delayed them a bit. So I started walking to the center, went past an alleyway and got…I got…” Her chin wobbled. “I was attacked. I don’t know by who. I didn’t see them.”
My vision clouded. “You should go to the hospital.”
“No.” She shook her head, wincing at the movement. “They’re just going to ask me questions that I don’t know the answers to and then they’ll get the police involved. Like you, I’m trying to be a good girl and stay away from the police. I…”
“Alright, sweet girl. I understand. But you’re going to explain that last part to me later.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“I have to make a call but let’s get this nose taken care of first.” I tilted her head back. “If a doctor does this, it’ll look prettier.”
“I trust you, Lucas,” she murmured.
My heart jumped. “Okay, baby. This is going to hurt.”
“Just do it.” She grabbed onto my waist. “Okay. Go.”
“One. Two.” Pop.
She screamed, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry.” I cupped her face, kissing her forehead. “I’m so fucking sorry.” I was going to kill the bastard who attacked her.
“It’s fine.” She took a breath and then another. “How does it look?”
I stared down at her. Although she was dirty, bloody, and bruised,
with her freckles and dark green eyes staring up at me, she was absolutely perfect.
***
(Lily)
I hurt. God, I hurt everywhere. Even spots that weren’t hit or broken by that bastard, hurt.
“How are you feeling?” Lucas asked, wiping a cloth over my cheek.
“I’m sore in spots I didn’t even know could be sore.”
He gave me a soft smile. “It’s adrenaline.”
“Oh.” I frowned. “How did you know what to do for my nose?”
“I’ve broken many bones in my life, Lily. I didn’t have access to proper medical care at times, so I had to do it all on my own.”
“Oh.” My chest ached. Everywhere fucking ached. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I’m just glad you’re okay. But I need you to clear the air for me.” His dark eye met mine, his jaw clenching. “Did anything else happen?”
“It never got that far. Something spooked him. Or I’m assuming it was a man. They were strong.” I touched Lucas’s arm. “I wasn’t raped.”
“Fuck.” He leaned his forehead against mine. “Thank God.”
“Yes. I’ve been through a lot of shit in my life but that…” I swallowed hard. “Anyway. I’m sorry if I ruined your night.”
“You could never ruin my night.” Lucas helped me off the counter and out of my dirty clothes. “I didn’t have any plans anyway.”
“Oh. Okay.” I held onto his hand as he started a bath for me. “I can do this myself.”
“Not happening,” he bit out, helping me step into the tub.
“Lucas.” I cupped his cheek. “Hey.”
“I’m having a hard time, Lily. A real fucking hard time. I don’t see or hear from you for days and then I come home and find you at my door, broken and fucking beaten.” His gaze snapped to mine. “So forgive me for wanting to kill the motherfucker who laid a hand on you.”
“I thought…I felt like something was off the last time I saw you. I didn’t want to become clingy. I thought maybe you would want me to stay away. I know we started out having trust issues but that’s in the past. I do trust you, Lucas. But I…I’m sorry. I just…” I took a deep breath. “I’m new to this.”
“So am I. And I trust you too, Lily. I’ve never had a relationship before. I know I’m new to this.” He lowered me into the tub, kneeling on the floor beside me. “But please don’t go days again without at least texting me. Alright?”
“Okay. I’m sorry.” I leaned over, placing a soft peck on his mouth. “Forgive me?”
He let out a huff. “Yeah, baby. I forgive you. If you weren’t broken and bloody, I’d spank your ass for scaring me.”
“Give me a few days to heal.” I gently patted his cheek. “Then you can do all the spanking you want.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Lay back.”
I did as I was told when a sharp pain screamed through my abdomen. I had been so focused on my nose, that I forgot I had been kicked in the ribs. “Oh God.”
“What?” Lucas pushed his fingers against my ribs under my left breast.
I cried out, my eyes welling at the slice of agony erupting through me.
“I think your ribs are broken or at least bruised. Fuck. I’m going to kill him.” When Lucas went to pull away, I latched on to his arm.
“No. I need you here with me. Please, Lucas.”
“I’m here.” He pulled his hand from mine and cupped my cheek instead. “I promise I’m not going anywhere.”
“Okay.” I blew out a slow breath. “Okay.”
After Lucas cleaned me up and helped me into a pair of his boxers and a t-shirt, he led me out into his living room and sat me on the couch. He came back a moment later with two plates and two glasses.
I laughed. “Another peanut butter and jelly sandwich?”
“Only the best for my girl.” He kissed my head and sat down beside me. He placed the glasses of milk on the table in front of us.
“Thank you.” Although I was in pain, I felt better. He had given me pain meds, rubbed a cream over my skin that would help soothe the ache in my muscles, and fed me. My grandmother was going to lose her shit when she saw me but for now, I would keep what happened tonight just between Lucas and I. I sent her a quick text, letting her know that I was with him and that I was out for the night.
She didn’t even hesitate and told me to have fun. God, I loved her.
“I think you should set up a security system at your grandmother’s house.”
I looked up at Lucas. “You think?”
“Yeah. Something’s off with Killian and then you get attacked tonight. I just think it would be best.”
I nodded. “I’ll get some supplies tomorrow morning and set it up.”
“Good.” Lucas blew out a slow breath, his big body relaxing. “Good. I need to make that call but I’ll be back in just a moment.”
“Okay.”
He handed me the remote and kissed the top of my head.
I turned on the TV.
Lucas left the living room.
While I ate my sandwich, I couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened tonight if my attacker had never been spooked. I shivered at the thought.
“Lily.”
I jumped, finding Lucas standing a few feet away.
“Don’t think about it. You’re safe.”
“I…how did you know?” I asked.
“You had a far off look on your face.” He sat beside me. “I’ve been there. I get it. But you’re safe. I promise you that you are safe.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, leaning against him and handed him the remote.
Lucas went through the channels until we came across a comedy. Every so often, we would laugh at something stupid the actors did or said but no conversation fell between us. It didn’t need to. It was perfect.
Once I was done my sandwich, I drank my milk and placed the dirty dishes on the table. Laying on my side, I winced through the pain and rested my head on Lucas’s lap.
“Sleep, Lily. I got you.” Lucas covered me in a blanket, inching his hand beneath it and the shirt I wore. He ran light touches over my throbbing ribs.
“Who did you call?” I asked, laying down.
“Just a friend. I have him looking into shit.”
“Okay.” I yawned, a thought crossing my mind. I sat up.
“What’s wrong?” Lucas asked, a deep frown settling between his brows.
“The person who attacked me was spooked by a noise. It was in the alleyway between two businesses. They might have cameras. It was dark but maybe we can see something.”
Lucas’s jaw clenched. “I’ll work on that. You need to rest.”
“But I can help.”
“No,” he snapped, shoving to his feet.
I pushed off the couch, crying out at the agony tearing through my ribs.
“Shit.” Lucas gripped my arms, forcing me back onto the couch. “You need to rest.”
“Let me help you. I just…” My body shook. “I don’t want to be alone.”
“I wasn’t going to leave you. I have my friend looking into things but I was going to see if I could find out anything as well.” Lucas cupped the back of my neck. “Come with me.” He held out his hand.
I slid my fingers in his, letting him help me to my feet.
We walked to a door that stood off to the side, close to the kitchen. I hadn’t seen it before now.
“I’ve never shown anyone this room before, Lily.” He brushed his fingers down my cheek. “But I trust you. Don’t make me regret this.”
“I won’t.” A shiver rippled down my spine at the threat hidden beneath his words. “Show me, Lucas.”
He unlocked the door and pushed it open before pulling me in front of him. Flicking on the light, he cupped my shoulders and moved me farther into the room.
My eyes widened at what lay before me. I knew Lucas was a hacker and had gotten in trouble for it, but I still wasn’t expecting to see the four screen
s staring back at me.
“I do all of my work in here. I have a laptop that I can use when I need to be more mobile. But this has all of the shit we need to find out what we can on Lena’s ex and your attacker. If we can see their face.”
“I forgot about Lena’s ex.” God, I had promised her, and I forgot.
“Hey, don’t worry about it.” He grabbed my hand, pulling me to the chair in front of the desk and sat before tugging me onto his lap. “Do your thing, Lily Pad.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve played with a set up like this,” I told him. “I usually just work from my laptop.”
“Did you get caught?”
I nodded, chewing my bottom lip and looked away. Running my hand over the sleek keyboard, I bit back a whimper at how shiny it was. How much more advanced this setup was than my lame old laptop.
“Tell me everything that happened.” Lucas wrapped an arm around my waist, leaning his chin on my shoulder.
“After the fire, I stayed inside a lot because of my scars. I didn’t go out in the summer or wear pretty sundresses or anything like that. I felt like people could see them through my clothes even though I know now that it wasn’t possible. But I was a girl who had lost both of her parents, had to move across the country, go to a brand-new school, and all that. I had to leave my friends behind. Although, they weren’t good friends because they never tried contacting me.” I laughed lightly. “I’m rambling.”
“I’m enjoying your rambling.” Lucas kissed my shoulder. “Continue.”
“Well, my grandma suggested that I go to the library, and so I did. That was when I played with a computer for the first time. Although I couldn’t really do much at first. I eventually was able to get my own computer and well…I got caught hacking into my grandmother’s lawyer’s computer. He was taking more money than he should have when my grandpa died but she didn’t have any proof. I got the proof and he was fired, his license suspended, and we also found out that he was involved in money laundering. So it was a win-win for all of us.” I shrugged. “God, that was so long ago.”
“How did you get in trouble?”
“I was asked how I found out the information and yeah…uh…” My cheeks burned. “My grandma accidently ratted me out. Saying that I found out the information on the ‘computer thing.’ Her words. It was innocent but I was given community service as punishment. I’m just glad it wasn’t any more than that.”