Until Series: Box set (70 page)

“Dude, don’t you think that if it was that easy, I would have had her moved in already?” I shake my head and go to stand.

“I know, but maybe you need to try harder.”

“What the hell is going on?” I cross my arms over my chest, narrowing my eyes.

“Nothing, just looking out for you,” he says looking away, and I know he’s up to something.

“What the fuck is going on?” I repeat.

“Nothing,” he mumbles before standing and walking off. I shake my head and look around the jobsite before gathering my stuff and heading over to where I was working before my break. Once I get there, Trevor comes around the corner.

“Hey, man, how’s it going?” he asks, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Good, what’s up?” I look at him for a second before using the nail gun to tack up another piece of drywall.

“Good, good.” He looks around before taking a step towards me. “I just wanted to see how things are going with you and Lilly.”

“Things are good,” I say through my teeth. “Why the fuck are you and Asher so interested all a sudden?”

“What do you mean Asher and me?” His eyes narrow; now, I know something is going on.

“Dude, what the fuck?”

“Lilly’s not moving in with you, is she?” he asks, looking nervous.

“I’m going to shoot you in the ass with the nail gun unless you start talking.”

“All right, we may have had a bet.” He holds up his hands in front of him.

“You may have had a bet?” I repeat, my finger on the trigger starting to tighten.

“Okay, okay…we had a bet. Asher said Lilly would move in this weekend and I said no way, that it would take at least another couple more weeks.”

“How the fuck are we related?” I shake my head. “Never mind. Shouldn’t you be working?”

“Yeah, well, I took a break to call Liz to check on her; this pregnancy is a lot harder on her than the last one.”

“She’ll be fine.”

“I know. I just hate when she isn’t well.” He hands me another sheet of drywall. “I know Jules was never sick, but was Lilly sick with Ashlyn?” he asks, holding the drywall in place.

“Yeah, she said she was nauseous up until six months,” I tell him, feeling my chest squeeze. I hate that she went through that alone. I hate that I missed her body changing.

“You know, you never told me if you confronted Jules about the messages she sent to Lilly.” One night, I asked Lilly to show me the messages that she had printed out. At first, I was going to burn them, but the minute I got them in my hand, I wanted to kill Jules. I read the words over and over again. I hate that Lilly had gotten that kind of response; even though I didn’t send the messages, the fact that they came from my phone, at a time when she needed me, fucked with my head big time.

“I don’t want to give Jules the power if she knows that she hurt Lilly, even just for a second. She would get off on that shit.”

“You’re right about that. I don’t know how the fuck you still deal with her ass.”

“It’s not by choice. If I could cut her out of my life completely, I would, but I have to think about Jax.”

“True. So how is it being a dad to a little girl?” he asks, making me smile.

“Fucking terrifying. I have always been worried about Jax and his safety, but with Ashlyn, it’s something completely different. You know she called me Daddy for the first time a week ago?” I shake my head at the memory. “We had all gone out to dinner, and then to see the new kid’s movie with the little yellow guys, and we were walking into the theater. I had my hand on Lilly’s ass—where it normally ended up—and Ashlyn and Jax were walking in front of us carrying popcorn when Ashlyn turned to Jax and asked him, ‘Can I sit next to Daddy?’ I wanted to fucking cry, and Jax, my little man, shrugged like, ‘I don’t give a fuck who sits where, as long as we’re watching the movie’.”

“Damn, bet that felt good,” Trevor said, slapping me on the back.

“Yeah, it did. It also hurt that it took her so long to say it. Knowing the reasons why she didn’t.”

“So what is your plan?”

“What do you mean?” I look at him, my eyebrows coming together in confusion.

“You know, moving in, getting married?”

“I don’t know. I’m just taking it one day at a time. I’m just thankful as fuck that Jax has fallen in love with Lilly and Ashlyn.”

“What about you?” he asks with a smirk.

“What about me?”

“Are you in love with Lilly?”

“Fuck yeah.” I nod and can’t help the shit-eating grin that splits my face.

“I knew it, and I can see when she looks at you and Jax that she feels the same.”

“You think?”

“What, you haven’t told her?” I shake my head no. “Why the fuck not?”

“Who are you, Dr. Phil?”

“No, but I do know that when I discovered that I loved Liz and held it back, it ate me alive until I cornered her and forced her to tell me she loved me too.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” I chuckle.

“Laugh all you want, asshole, but I know what I’m talking about.”

“How about you let me worry about that?”

“Sure, but when you flip the fuck out on her about it, don’t come crying to me.”

“You—” I start to tell him that he needs help when my phone rings, showing that it’s my mom’s number. I answer right away; she has been keeping Jax and Ashlyn for Lilly and me while we’re at work. “Hey, Ma, what’s going on?”

“I just got a call from Lilly,” she says, sounding concerned. My stomach drops. I can hear the kids in the background laughing.

“Ma?”

“Oh, honey, she says she got picked up by the police,” she whispers into the phone, and I know I must have heard her wrong. “She’s didn’t want to call you in case you couldn’t pick up.” Oh, God, I was going to be sick.

“What happened?” I ask, starting to wrap up my tools. I feel Trevor at my side, and I know he’s waiting to find out what’s going on.

“I don’t know; she only had a couple minutes, so she told me where they were holding her and who to contact,” she says, sounding more nervous than before.

“Ma, I need you to talk to me so I can help Lilly.” It takes her a second to pull it together. She tells me where Lilly is and who to contact at the station, and the second I hang up, I’m on the phone with my dad, hoping that he knows someone who can help me out when I get there.

“What’s going on?” Trevor asks as I head out to my truck.

“Lilly’s being held by the police,” I tell him without thinking.

“What do you mean she’s being held by the police?” I hold up my hand when Dad picks up. I explain to him what Mom said, and he says he will meet me at the station where Lilly is.

“You gonna tell me what’s going on?” Trevor asks. I hadn’t even realized he got into my truck with me.

“I don’t know. Ma couldn’t tell me much; all she knows is that Lilly is being held, and the officer I need to speak to is Dan Pike.”

“Did she say what she was picked up for?”

“Nope.” I pull my hat off to run a shaky hand through my hair.

“It will be okay. Dad will meet us there and get everything straightened out.”

“Yeah,” I mumble, trying to calm down enough so I can drive the speed limit and get to the station in once piece. Trevor and I don’t talk during the drive; my mind is racing with question after question and coming up with nothing. When we finally pull up to the precinct, my dad is already there waiting for us outside the building. I shut off the truck, pulling my hat back on before hopping out.

“All right, son, I just talked to an officer and he was able to explain to me that she is being held for questioning. Now, I want you to be calm when I tell you what’s going on.”

“Is she okay?”

“I haven’t seen her, but I’m sure she will be fine. Now, she wasn’t arrested, but brought in for suspicion of check fraud, and they say they have evidence against her, but he couldn’t tell me what it was.”

“Check fraud?”

“That’s what they’re saying.”

“That’s bullshit.”

“I don’t know, son. They usually don’t bring people in without having a reason to.”

“Dad, you’ve been around her; she can’t even lie without fessing-up right after. I have a hard time believing that she would do what they’re accusing her of.”

“We’ll just have to wait and see,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck, looking away from me. I understand that my family is worried about me, but fuck, they needed to get over it already.

“She’s not Jules.”

“Son, I never—”

“Dad,” I cut him off, “Jules has made my life a living hell since the day she told me she was pregnant with Jax. During that time, Lilly was alone. Yes, she had her parents, but she raised our daughter by herself, and even believing what she thought I told her, she still told Ashlyn about me. She’s a good woman and a good mother; she’s also honest and kind. She wouldn’t do this, and if you’re not going to be on my side—which is her side—then I don’t want you here right now,” I say through clenched teeth.

“You would choose her?”

“Fuck yes, without a second thought. I love you all, but I
love
her. She has had enough things happen over the last few years, and I don’t know what’s going on right now inside that building, but I do know the woman I love wouldn’t do what they are accusing her of doing.”

“Your mom loves her; so does your grandmother.” His eyes light up.

“That’s good, ’cause she’s not going anywhere.”

“All right, son, let’s go get your girl.” He pats my back before we turn to go into the building. Once inside, we’re ushered into a small waiting area. There is a man there around my age; his pressed, white button-down shirt and khakis make him stand out. When he sees my dad, who is in uniform, he goes right to him.

“Do you have any information about Lilly Donovan?” the guy asks, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. My hackles rise at the name of my woman coming out of this guy’s mouth.

“Who are you?” I ask without thinking. His head swings in my direction, his eyes meeting mine.

“David. Who are you?” he asks, looking me over.

“Her boyfriend,” I tell him, wishing that I could say fiancé or husband.

“Oh.” He shrugs like it’s all the same to him before turning to face my dad again. “So is she going to be okay? I mean, should I call a lawyer?” he asks, shoving his hands into the front pockets of his pants.

“Don’t worry; my son will take it from here,” my dad says, nodding in my direction. “He will have her call you when she’s out and settled.”

“Oh yeah, sure, of course,” David says before turning and leaving the room without another look.

“Not fucking likely,” I say under my breath and happen to look at Trevor, who is wearing a smug grin on his cocky face. If we weren’t surrounded by officers, I would punch him. We all take a seat, and it’s not long before someone comes to get us. We get to a section of the station that is a long hall with a few chairs spaced out. I see Lilly sitting in a metal chair; her face is tilted towards her lap, and even from a few feet away I can see the tears running down her cheeks. “Baby,” I whisper when I get close enough to touch her.

“I didn’t do it,” she cries softly as I pull her into my arms.

“I know you didn’t,” I tell her, pulling her closer to me.

“They said that I stole checks from an old woman and wrote them to myself and cashed them,” she cries harder, her body convulsing.

“Baby, you need to calm down before you make yourself sick,” I whisper into her ear while rubbing her back.

“I-I can’t ca-calm d-down. They told me that the wo-woman that this happened to d-didn’t even have m-money for f-food be-because of what they th-think I d-did.”

“It’s okay. We’re going to get this figured out; I promise,” I say, trying to calm her down while the rage inside me starts to burn hotter and hotter. The minute I find out who really did this, I’m going to rip off their fucking head and shove it up their ass.

“I feel so bad,” she whispers into my chest. My dad stands close by with a look of worry and understanding on his face, and Trevor looks like he is ready to help me hide the body.

“Did they say you could leave?” I ask her, pulling her small body tighter against mine.

“Yes, but I can’t leave the country.”

“You weren’t going to anyways; so that’s okay.”

“I know; I told them that.” She nods, sniffling.

“Good, let’s get out of here. We’ll stop by your house and get you and Ashlyn some clothes. Then we can head to my house for the night.”

“I don’t—”

“Hey.” I tilt her face towards mine with a finger under her chin. “If you think for one fucking second that I’m letting you out of my sight tonight, you have lost your damn mind.”

“Okay.” She sighs, looking down.

“You okay, darlin?” my dad asks. Her body stiffens and she looks over her shoulder; seeing both my dad and Trevor, her face pales, and I feel her body start to shake.

“Oh no,” she whispers, looking back at me.

“Hey, it’s okay. My dad came when I called him. Both he and Trevor wanted to make sure you were okay,” I tell her quietly.

“They already hate me,” she says under her breath as new tears begin to fall from her eyes. “I think I’m going to be sick,” she says before covering her mouth with her hand and running down the hall towards the sign marked restrooms.

“I think I need to apologize.” My dad lets out a heavy sigh. “I didn’t think that she noticed.”

“She’s sensitive. The day after the bar-b-que she was excited to get to know you guys. She thought you were all welcoming her into the fold; then she noticed that y’all acted different with her than you do with November or Liz, and that was okay with her. She understood that it would take some time to build a relationship, except no one ever tried, and now she feels like an outsider. Well, except Ma; she has made it clear from day one that she has Lilly’s back.” I smile; I love my mom.

“I know Liz has called her,” Trevor says, and I nod.

“She did, and they talked and Lilly likes her a lot. She likes her and November both.”

“I like Lilly,” Trevor says, shaking his head and frowning.

“Yeah, but you all still act like she’s going to wig out if you say or do the wrong thing when she’s around. She can feel it, and so can I.” I rub my face. “She is here all alone; her parents are in Alaska, and she has no one except Ashlyn, Jax, and me.”