For Everything (23 page)

“She didn’t tell me,” Clay confessed.

Steven grimaced, looking at Clay. “I don’t think Lily connected the two, but her dad thought it was Jason.”

“What?” two voices retorted.

“That’s why her parents wanted to meet me, to go over dates, to see if I knew where Jason had been. They had no proof, weren’t sure, but they never made it. A drunk driver hit them,” Steven ran his hands over his face.

“What happened next?” Clay’s hands clenched.

Steven expelled a breath. “Without proof, nothing, and when Jason offered to help Lily, she was barely 17, the trustees knew he had been a family friend and allowed it. The stalking stopped. I don’t think Lily or her trustees knew her parents suspected Jason.”

“He has an obsession with her.” Will glanced over at Clay.

“A violent one.” Clay met his brother’s eyes.

Steven ran his fingers over his lips. “He has proven that! Jess and I agreed to testify against him, but Lily disappeared. Jess never told me she helped her, not until recently, can’t be mad at her, though.”

“I understand,” Clay replied softly.

“You do?” Will asked, startled.

Clay smiled a little. “Lily said Jess’ mom was killed by her boyfriend.”

Steven looked at Clay. “Yeah, Jess would have helped her get away from Jason, no matter what.”

Will looked at Steven then his brother. “The trial is in a few months. The case against Jason is rock solid, and we all should be rid of the bastard for good.”

“The sooner the better,” Clay said, “so we can get on with our lives, especially Lily.”

Chapter 33

Twenty Months Later

Clay, his family and friends stood firmly by Lily through the whole trial. Jason denied everything, claiming Lily was seeking to destroy his career. Jason threatened to kill her and Clay. Many times.

He tried to get past the security Clay arranged for her. He tried to break into their apartment, anything he could do to frighten her, trying to prevent her from testifying against him. But Clay was always there to stop him, to stand in his way and protect her.

It had gotten physical a few times between Clay and Jason. Once Will and Tom had to pull Clay off Jason after he beat him into unconsciousness for cornering Lily and Skye in the lady’s room of a restaurant.

They were hard months, frightening, but with so many wonderful people around her, helping her, Lily slowly came out of her shell. She showed her emotions freely, laughed, and smiled openly.

Clay, Will, Jacob, Tom, and Steven had been able to dig up proof Jason had been the one stalking her before her parents died and the District Attorney slapped more charges against him.

The trial was all over the news. It was a huge media spectacle. People flocked to the courthouse to witness the trial, to claim they were there.

However, the evidence was concrete, the witnesses believable, and their stories tore Jason apart, especially Detective Martin's testimony.

He had been the first one to help Lily that night. The one who found her crawling bloody and naked down the street during a thunderstorm with a leg she couldn’t use and barely able to breathe.

His testimony was powerful, heartbreaking, and the District Attorney determined she did not need to testify.

Lily had been grateful, relieved, to not have to rehash the story again. Both
Distracted
and
Ten and Five
band members sat in the courtroom with their wives every day of the trial as did Steven and Jess.

Jason had eaten up the media coverage. He played toward the media doing everything he could to make Lily look bad. As the details leaked out, the tide turned and Jason found himself disparaged by the press, his manager too, for hiding what he had done.

Within an hour of the closing arguments and jury seclusion, the jury reached a verdict. They found Jason guilty of multiple offenses including attempted murder.  His sentence was for a minimum of 25 years in prison.

Lily gradually came to terms with what happened with Clay’s help, came to accept her scars and not let them deter her anymore.

She didn’t flaunt them, but she no longer avoided situations where someone might see them. She embraced her new life with Clay with a zeal that surprised her.

Her trustees were able to get her parent’s house returned, but she didn’t even want to go there. Too many memories of what Jason had done. She discussed it with Clay and they decided to sell the house. Together, they designed a wonderful house, one they intended to fill with lots of love and turn into a home.

She became great friends with Melissa and Amy, and of course, there was Jess. Jess and Steven got married and she was so happy for them, especially since Steven had gotten in with a great band after Jason’s trial. Clay helped Don’s band too,
Five Degrees of Misery,
get a recording contract.

Lily and Skye were close too, but Skye was different. She was family, it seemed strange to her at times, but there was an aspect of their relationship that exceeded regular friendship.

Sometimes she was overwhelmed with everything, but she never doubted Clay, his love for her or their future together.

They just finished a two-month tour and had three weeks off before starting a four-month tour.
Distracted’s
new album was hot on the rock charts.

But first, she had to get through today!

Lily looked at the test in her hand and all other thoughts fled her mind.

She stood in the doorway of the master bathroom, unsure of what to do, what to believe.

She stared at the stick in her hand, positive. How could that be? She felt so stupid when she bought it, knowing what the doctors had told her. She had missed her last two periods and she was never late.

Clay would be home in about an hour. She had time. She went to the store and bought five more tests, each different.

She took all five tests, placing them on the bathroom counter next to the first, pacing back and forth on the tiles. Her eyes drifted over and over the tests.

Positive. Positive. Positive. Positive. Positive. Positive. All were positive. She rubbed her hands over her eyes sitting on the toilet seat lid. She was afraid to touch the tests. If she moved them, maybe they would become negatives.

She heard Clay call her name, but didn’t answer. She just sat staring at the tests.

She heard the bedroom door open.

“Lily,” he called again, “everything okay?” He peeked around the bathroom door.

She smiled slightly, pointing to the counter.

He walked into the bathroom. “What are those?” He walked over glancing at what she had sitting out on the counter. He gulped. “Pregnancy tests?”

He picked one up, took in the positive sign, he stood – staring. He picked up the next one, Positive. And the next one.

He swung around staring at her. “Positive,” he whispered.

She nodded her eyes wide.

“These are all positive.” His eyes met hers; his smiling, hers stunned. He walked over and knelt in front of her.

“It has to be a mistake,” she whispered.

“No, no it doesn’t,” he clasped her hands in his.

“The doctor said…,” she murmured.

“The doctor wasn’t sure.” He laughed.

“But…,” she took a deep breath. “What if they are wrong?”

He laughed loudly. “Can all six of them be wrong?”

“I don’t know,” she saw the love and understanding in his eyes, “but…”

“Lily.” He laughed again, pulling her to her feet. “This is wonderful.”

She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Clay, what if…”

He swung her in a circle. “Let’s call the doctor, get you in, and have him confirm our pregnancy, erase all your doubts.” He knew this was the last fear she had, of not being able to give him a child.

He called the gynecologist who had seen her right before they married. The one who told them she had uterine scarring, but that didn’t mean she could never have a baby.

He asked to speak to the doctor, told the receptionist why. The doctor took his call, Clay told him about the pregnancy tests, and how Lily was afraid to believe them. Laughingly the doctor told him to bring her down for confirmation.

“Come on, Lily.” He grabbed her hand pulling her behind him as he walked out of their bedroom. “The doctor will see you and confirm our pregnancy.”

The doctor understood how much this meant to her. He had seen her medical records, her body. He knew how devastating everything had been for her. He ordered a blood and urine test.

They waited while the lab ran the tests and confirmed their pregnancy. The doctor came in and did an exam. He started her on prenatal vitamins and congratulated them with a huge smile and a hug for Lily.

They left the doctor’s office with huge grins. They were pregnant!

On the way to the house, Clay called Will, left him a message. Told him not to call until tomorrow because Clay intended to be occupied all night long.

Lily laughed. Clay hurried her up the stairs, pulling her into his arms kissing her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as they fell on the bed.

“I love you,” he smiled.

“And I love you.” She pulled his shirt over his head. He stood and quickly divested himself of clothes, then took hers off just as fast.

He placed her in the center of their bed. “Don’t move.” He climbed off the bed walking over to her dresser taking out two of her scarves.

He straddled her, tying one of the scarves around the railing on the headboard, the other around her wrist. He did the same to the other. Her hands confined, restrained.

She didn’t mind, she wasn’t afraid, she knew Clay would never hurt her.

“Open your legs.” His tawny eyes were dark.

She did, wrapping her fingers around her scarves as he knelt between her legs.

His hands moved up and down her thighs, over the sides of her hips, up her stomach, and to her breasts. He teased her nipples into diamond points, flicking them with his tongue until she moaned. He kissed her stomach, cherishing, as his fingers glided over her sides.

He moved to the side, pushing her leg flat. He draped his over hers. Leaning on an elbow, he kissed her as his fingers slipped over her pussy. His fingers gliding down her pussy lips opening her, one finger slid on her anus, one into her pussy. His thumb brushed back and forth over her clit.

“Ride it,” he growled. His fingers pushing and moving as her hips thrust. “I want you to come.”

He bit her nipples, slid his tongue around them as her hips pumped harder. His fingers moved faster, harder, her juices flowing down her pussy. He rubbed some into her anus and pushed his finger inside, thrusting as she rode his hand.

She moaned deeply, her pussy muscles beginning to clench, she arched, crying out.

His fingers did not stop, but kept caressing and moving over her until her hips picked up the pace and began moving again. He pulled his fingers out moving to her breasts, he teased them, pushing them together, massaging before running his tongue down her stomach, placing a big long wet kiss on her pussy.

He came up on his knees grabbing pillows. He placed two under her hips, so her pussy was elevated. Then put one on each side of her by her legs. “Drop them open on the pillow.”

She bent her legs, placed her feet at the sides of the pillow letting her legs fall open for him, he immediately bent forward, placing his mouth on her pussy.

He kissed, licked her pussy, sucking her lips into his mouth. He breathed heavily before running his tongue down the sides of her pussy lips, down her thighs before going back up.

He flicked his tongue over her clit, opening her pussy lips with his fingers. He sucked her clit into his mouth, her pussy pumping against his mouth.

He wet his fingers in her juices, rubbing them on her anus again, before inserting a finger. She moaned.

He smiled, thrusting two fingers into her pussy as he nipped her clit. He thrust his fingers, sucking her clit. She shattered, crying out, her body arching.

He kept licking her, his fingers still inside of her. His mouth moved up kissing every inch of her abdomen as his fingers thrust into her.

“Lily,” Clay groaned.

“Clay, now.” Her body heating quickly.

“You want me, love,” he teased.

“You know I do.” Her breasts jiggled with her breathing.

He knelt between her legs, rubbing his cock up and down her pussy lips, wetting himself with her juices.

“Please.” She surged against him.

He laughed. He loved teasing her, and Lily knew he did. He positioned his cock at her entrance and in one thrust buried himself deep.

She cried out, her body arching into his.

“Harder.” She cried.

He spread his legs more, his hands cupping her hips as he slammed into her.

She moaned with each stroke, her breasts shaking, her fingers gripping the scarves tightly as his balls slapped off her ass.