Something inside me snapped and I couldn’t stop myself from hurting him. I have no doubt in my mind if Lily wasn’t there I wouldn’t have stopped. I would have carried on hitting him, destroying him—just like I did to my dad.
I’m inside my own head so have to lunge forward to catch Lily after I pull her door open. She startles awake with a gasp before her eyes widen with terror. The look destroys a part of my soul and I promise myself there and then that I won’t let her dad or Jonah get away with what they did to her. I’ll make sure they pay with every breath they take.
“Hey,” I murmur, pulling my lips up into the same fake smile I hate seeing on her face. “I need to go in and get us a room.”
She looks behind me at the motel, her gaze searching the lot we’re parked in. “I’ll come with you.”
“Maybe you should stay…” I trail off, giving her a pointed look. “Just until we get you cleaned up.”
I watch the pain flicker through her blue eyes at the realization coupled with memories I wish I could take away from her. “I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.” She nods in reply, but I can tell she’s not really there, she’s back in that basement with her dad and Jonah. I only witnessed five minutes of her in that place and that was more than enough to tell me what they both did to her. “Hey… hey.” When her attention is back on me, I cup her face in my hands. “We’re in this together, okay? Me and you.”
“Right,” she whispers.
I pierce her with my eyes, conveying I really mean it before letting her go. I can’t do this with her in the open. I need to get her in a room and make sure she’s safe.
Stepping back, I then walk toward the motel and hand the woman behind the screen enough money to stay for a week when we only need the room for one night.
Once I’m back at the SUV, I help Lily down and support her as we walk the short distance to our room. I check everything, along with all the escape routes before pulling a chair out for her to sit on.
I know I need to tell her the plan—to let her know what is going to happen—but when I look at her, all I want to do is hold her close to me and never let her go.
A tear slides down her cheek, her chest lifting as she takes a deep breath before she whispers, “I’m really out of there.”
“Yeah, darlin’, you are.” Crouching down in front of her, I place my hands on her knees. “We need to get you cleaned up and your wounds checked.” She looks down at me, the film over her eyes lifting the longer she stares.
“Are we really going to do this?”
“Yeah, angel, we are.” I smile, the first real smile in what feels like forever as I lean forward and press my lips against hers. Knowing she’ll be my wife tomorrow has something inside me releasing. Some kind of pent-up tension being let go of.
She looks down at herself when I’ve pulled away and plucks at her t-shirt. “I can’t get married in this.”
“You sure?” I ask, smirking. “I kinda like that you’re wearing a My Little Pony t-shirt.”
She chuckles, her face opening up completely and it’s then I know what my gut has been telling me all along. She’s it. She’s the one that people talk about. The one person who makes everything brighter, sharper. Makes every single thing you do worthwhile.
When her laughter dies down, I run my palm over her hair. “I’ll head to the store and get some supplies and some clothes before going to the courthouse.”
She doesn’t say anything for several seconds, and when the silence stretches, I stand up.
“Wait!” I look down at her, seeing the indecision on her face. “I want…” She trails off and looks down at her hands.
“You ain’t gotta keep anything from me, darlin’. You want something, all you gotta do is tell me.”
Her gaze meets mine, the blue shining brighter. “I want to choose a dress. Can I… can I do that? I know it’s not a real wedding, and we’re only getting married because—”
I cut her off with a finger against her lips. “You want a dress, you’ll get a dress. And just because we’re getting married right now to keep you safe, doesn’t mean it wouldn’t have happened eventually.”
“I… what?” she mumbles through my finger, and when I remove it, I see the smile starting to work its way over her face.
“I pulled away because you weren’t eighteen, but I knew as soon as you had your birthday I wouldn’t be able to hold back. You do something to me. Make my mind go crazy but calm it all at the same time.”
“I… don’t know what to say,” she whispers.
I shrug, pulling my keys out of my pocket before stepping away. “You ain’t gotta say anything. I’ll get supplies and we’ll fix you up. We have until tomorrow to get you your dress.”
Stepping backward, I keep my gaze connected to hers as my stomach bottoms out. Even covered in bruises, she’s still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
LILY