Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 64571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
“Tristan—”
“I know.” He shifts his angle, hitting a spot inside me that makes my breath hitch. “I feel it too.”
I cry out his name when I come. He follows me over the edge, burying his face in my neck and hair; his body jerks, trying to get as deep as he can as he spills inside me.
We lie there afterwards, tangled together, breathing hard. He doesn’t pull out. He doesn’t let go. He just holds me like I’m precious, something he’s afraid to lose.
“I’ve got you,” he whispers against my hair. “I’ve got you, Lily. I always have.”
And for the first time, I almost believe him.
Chapter Seventeen
TRISTAN
Ilet out a low groan, my body more relaxed than ever. Fuck, how long have I been asleep? As consciousness fully returns to me, I know everything is wrong—or is it? The bed is too safe and warm. The smell of vanilla is all around me. Even the light peeking in feels wrong.
The shadows on the curtains are different. The sun doesn’t rise on this side. I move my hand, reaching for the weapon I keep under my pillow, but I don’t get far. My hand brushes against the curve of a woman’s hip. Not just any woman. There has only ever been one that I’ve shared a bed with, even if she has no idea.
Lily. My Lily.
My eyes snap open. And there she is, awake, propped up on one elbow, watching me with an expression I can’t read. I lost all control last night. I was out of my mind with my need for her.
The sheet is bunched up around her waist, and she’s back in my old gray college shirt, the fabric twisted, one shoulder bare. Her hair is tangled all around her. Always so beautiful.
“Tristan.” My name leaves her lips, full of sleep. I don’t make a sound. I’m still trying to think of my next move, but I can’t. My mind is replaying last night on repeat. The way she felt against me and how our bodies fit and moved perfectly together.
I slept. Fucking actually slept for the first time in a long time.
“You were holding on to me,” she says quietly. “All night. I tried to get up once, and you pulled me back.” Even in my sleep, I can’t let her go. She’s coded into every part of me now. There is no me without her. I’ve slipped further into obsession. Am I my own father now? Lily would never want me if I were that man. Last night in the haze of sleep and passion, she let me have her. Kissed me back and demanded more.
“How long have you been awake?” I ask.
“A while.” She doesn’t look away. “You were sleeping so hard. I didn’t want to wake you.”
The subtext hangs between us, her unspoken words. I could have left.
But she didn’t. Lily is here and not trying to get away from me. If anything, she appears concerned. “You’ve lost weight.” How the hell do I respond to that? Out of everything she could be saying right now, that’s where she goes?
“I know we’re fighting or whatever, but I still care about you, Tristan. It’s not a lot of weight, but some. You’re not taking care of yourself.” She raises her brows, pulling them together. “It isn’t like you.”
This is the other side of Lily. I have always said Lily has a hard exterior but inside she’s all sweet softness, wanting to care and fuss over the people she loves. Watching her with Teddy over the past few months has made that even clearer.
Teddy might have helped in the escape plan, but Lily is the guide, the steady, more rational-minded one. I can’t even be upset with Teddy because she’s a good friend to Lily. Someone she can trust and count on.
“You’re worried about me?” I question. I know she’s right. I’m a well-organized, regimented person. There is routine and structure, but slowly over time, Lily has chipped away at that. Oddly, her chaos can be soothing. How? Not a fucking clue but still the truth, nonetheless.
“Someone has to,” she says, and the edge in her voice tells me she’s still angry.
“Are you pissed because I’m not taking care of myself or because I’m here?”
To my surprise, she reaches out and runs her fingers through my short hair.
“I don’t know what I am, Tristan.” Her hand drops, and I miss her fingers instantly. I know it goes far beyond missing human contact because I never have. Years ago, I could stay locked away in my office for days with no outside contact besides my assistant bringing me food. “You looked... peaceful. When you were asleep. I didn’t know you could look like that.”
I’m not sure what to do with this. It’s almost like she’s seeing me in a different light. All the walls and guards are down around me. No stiffness to keep her at arm’s length. How the hell did I go this long without having her? That’s a miracle in itself. If there is an afterlife, I’m going to throttle Victor. Did he really think I stood a chance against her? Even he didn’t.