*Lily*The late morning sunlight slanted through the coffee shop windows and bounced onto the oak floor. I sat at a table beside a red brick wall and bookshelf with more knick-knacks on it than actual books. I ordered two vanilla lattes with skim oat milk, Eva’s favorite. I knew she would keep me waiting; she kept me waiting when we were friends. Now that I was her proposed enemy, dating her father, the wait could be up to thirty minutes. Rude as she could be, it was important to me to attempt a reconciliation, no matter what kind of a long shot it might be.Just as I was about to leave, around 10:35, Eva strolled past the window, wearing her stiletto heels, long blonde hair extensions, and a slim-fitting gray suit with a black turtleneck underneath. She looked ever the young business executive.I pushed my judgemental thoughts away and tried to smile when she sat across from me. I moved the coffee in her direction. She sniffed, then took a drink. “It’s cold.”“Well, it was
*William*Wooing the twenty-eight-year-old tech prodigy Zac Rudrick was no easy task. He liked to drink heavily and go clubbing, something I had outgrown years ago, especially since clubs today played techno beats, that made me want to bang my head against the bar. The night before, Zac, Steven, and our west coast man Sean Fahey stayed out until four in the morning, hopping from bar to strip club and nightclub and then back to my hotel bar.I had planned to make Fahey the new CEO. Zak, however, showed an interest in staying on, mainly when I expounded Eva’s new app. Zak wanted to meet with her and combine the social and dating element with gaming. I explained that the app was Eva’s baby and that he should come to New York and discuss it with her.I didn’t know if I liked the idea of Eva getting cozy with Zak. I had seen his eccentric side at the strip clubs and worried he might make a play for her. I knew Eva was no innocent, but I had a different sort of man in mind for her, and
*Lily*I went to bed yesterday with a fever and chills. My throat ached, and my eyes and head hurt. I felt much better this morning physically after sleeping over ten hours but emotionally was a different story. My coffee date with Eva and conversations with my mom and William depleted me. Not to mention the TV piece that depicted me as some loose party girl.When I started to make coffee, my cell phone rang again. It had been running off the hook. On the counter was the new unopened phone William had couriered over. I hated to admit I might be forced to use it if the harassment didn’t stop.It was my mom. “Hi, Mom.” I didn’t have it in me to listen to any more of her chastising, but I wanted to hear her voice. “Lily, I got my painting from you and absolutely love it,” she said. “You know I love carousels, and this is so beautiful!”My heart expanded for a moment as a slow smile swept my face. “Thanks, Mom. I’m so glad you like it. Happy birthday!”“I miss you so much, dar
*Lily*I wrapped my long sweater tightly around my body, afraid of who I’d see on the other side. I hadn’t seen any reporters lurking around outside the condo. They still didn’t have my address as far as I knew. I was surprised that Eva hadn’t leaked that too.During my earlier outings, I did have a few double takes from onlookers, but this was Manhattan, and New Yorkers had better things to do than gawk at someone who may or may not be from a quick entertainment news clip. Back home, however, would have been a different story. To hear it from my mother, we were as famous as the Kardashians.I looked into the peephole and it was William. I opened the door and ran into his arms.He draped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. “I’m here. I couldn’t stay away.”We walked to the couch, and he held me. “Can I get you anything?” I asked.“No, no. I’m fine,” he said. “Let’s sit.”We sat on the sofa together. “So, do you know who’s behind the pictures?” I asked. Wi
*Lily*I slept late and awoke to kisses from George, Adam and Patrick’s sheepdog mutt. They asked me to walk him if I could, so I slipped on my tennis shoes. When I got his leash, he wagged his tail like windshield wipers in full force.Somehow I felt safe in the small Brooklyn enclave. I passed the small neighborhood grocery onto the park where I had painted the carousel just a few days earlier. Oh, how my life had changed since that day. I avoided William’s calls and his texts asking me to please call him. I just wasn’t ready to reopen the wound.The boys understood. After I’d told them that I wasn’t sure I’d be staying with William, they urged me to take some time to think about it before doing anything rash. I needed time to explore our relationship and think about whether I could even handle it. I knew that Eva and Victoria would always be in our lives, and that fact alone was pushing me away from him. For the first time, I’d had serious doubts about whether we had a futu
*William* It had been a long time since I slept at the office, but I didn't have the energy to go home and didn't want to be alone. I settled onto the sofa and stared at the ceiling for most of the night. I couldn't stop thinking about the pain that Eva had caused Lily. My mind raced with thoughts of how I could make things right for Lily.Unfortunately, the only way I could do that was by confronting Eva. As the sun’s first light filtered through the window, I sat up and rubbed my neck from the long night on the office sofa. It wasn't the worst place to sleep in the world, but it wasn't my soft bed either. I walked to my private bathroom and brushed my teeth. I always kept a clean pair of clothes, toothpaste, and a toothbrush in my office. It had become a habit from when I first began building my business and worked long nights. It had also been an escape from Victoria when we argued, and I couldn't stand to be around her. After brushing my teeth, cleaning up a bit, and
*Lily* It was like I was living in a dream, only to wake up to the reality of a nightmare. That had been the theme of my life over the past months. I missed William desperately, and being with him felt like a dream until his daughter and ex-wife interfered; since then, my name had been slandered, and I was still broken over the hurtful comments that Eva had made about me. How could she be so cruel and cold-hearted? I stretched and yawned from a night full of tossing and turning. I was grateful the boys let me stay in their spare bedroom until I found a new place. I managed to get a few hours of sleep, but frequently woke up to my heart racing and what felt like a gloomy overcast sky as the reality set in that William and I were no longer together. My thoughts plagued me as I reminisced about the beautiful moments William and I had together. I missed his scent and the way his hands caressed my body. I remembered how we lay in each other's arms and discussed our hopes and dre
*Lily*I didn't remember the last time I’d slept so late. My body must have needed a good night's rest. I sat up in my bed and stared glanced at my recent paintings. Patrick and Adam were worried that I was doing too much since I had practically locked myself away and painted for days on end. I couldn't help myself; I was in a zone, and every emotion I had felt within these past few months came rushing out of me. I walked toward the last painting I’d made before my deep slumber–a butterfly. The vibrant red, yellow, black, and orange colors were like a burning flame, which I’d felt as I painted this picture. Similar to my cave painting, the butterfly reminded me of the transformation that was taking place in my life. It was as if I was morphing into a new person, yet its beauty reminded me of the end of what was blooming into a beautiful relationship between William and me. The weight of sadness quickly overshadowed my sense of pride, and the memories of our time together replac