We all lean forward when the frantic searching on the screen slows down and a picture is zoomed in on.
“Who’s that?” Kitty asks, leaning closer.
Evan swipes his fingers on the trackpad, zooming in.
Fuck.
“It’s Daley.”
This isn’t good. It’s bad, really fucking bad. He knew what he was looking for without a doubt, but what the fuck does he want with Daley?
LILY
I wait on the wraparound porch, a pair of jeans adorning my legs along with a long-sleeved top and my jacket. I don’t own one piece of clothing from my life before—that’s what I’m calling it now. My life before my dad took away the part of me he never should have.
I’m slowly starting to become the person I used to be, the one who would smile genuinely and laugh when she wanted. Freedom flows through my veins, making me lighter, and I love this new version of myself.
I can look in the mirror and see past the fading bruises; stare into my clear eyes and not feel like I have to put a front on.
I’m me. Lily. The girl who wants to run through a field of flowers and chase the butterflies.
Letting my head tilt back, I breathe in the clear, woodsy air, relishing in the sounds of birds in the trees and the leaves as the wind whips through them. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be right now.
Luke pulled up half an hour ago while I was sitting in this exa
ct position, a bag of new clothes in hand and a smile on his face as he told me to get dressed while he took a shower.
It’s been two days since I last saw him, and they were both the longest and shortest two days of my life. I wanted them to go quickly so I wouldn’t be on my own, but at the same time I wanted them to drag so I could heal and feel more like myself before I saw him again.
I’ve never had to rely on anyone for anything, and having to do that with Luke makes me want to escape and find my own fresh start, but I keep reminding myself it’s only until I’m eighteen. As soon as I hit that number, I won’t be a runaway teen, I’ll be an adult in the eyes of the law and can do whatever I want.
The floorboards inside creak, warning me Luke will be appearing any minute, and when I turn my head toward the door, my gaze clashes with his. Lifting my lips into a genuine smile, I wait for him to step toward me.
“Now that’s the kind of smile I want to see,” he says, his voice deep and rough.
My cheeks heat from his attention, and when he moves closer and cups my cheek, I don’t move away from him. I know I shouldn’t want to be touched by anyone after what happened, I know the proper way to react would be to jump away from him, but it’s not how I feel. He’s safety and that’s all that matters to me.
“You ready to go and explore the town properly?”
I nod, causing his hand to move on my face. “Sure am.”
We’re both still for a beat, our eyes saying so many things, but neither of us voice it as he pulls away and waves his hand for me to go down the stairs first.
I spin on my heels before jogging down them and stopping next to his SUV, but when the lights don’t flash, I look behind me and see a smirk on his face.
“What?”
“We’re gonna walk, that way you know which way to go when I’m not here.”
“Oh right. Well…” I step toward him. “I suppose that makes sense.”
He’s silent as we walk up the private path between the trees, coming out onto the main road after about five minutes. The morning sun shines down on us, warming the side of my face and I can’t help but wonder if Luke is sweating in his all-black getup.
I open my mouth, about to ask him just that, but he takes hold of my forearm and brings me to a stop.
“Tell me what’s around you right now.”
“Huh?” I frown, looking up at him, but the serious look in his eyes tells me he’s not joking.