Five years later...Lilly's POVI can handle a lot of things in this life.I can handle almost everything.I can handle the truth.It's the lies that kill me.I think to myself as I raise the handbag, trying to squeeze it into the overhead compartment. I push harder, and harder but it doesn't slide inside.I grit my teeth and just think.Lies.So. Many. Fucking. Lies.Dizziness swarms my vision as I put whatever energy I have left into pushing the stupid bag. I groan in annoyance and I just want to scream, every nerve in my body is crying out loud, in pain, in fatigue, and in betrayal."Here, ma'am, let me help you," The stewardess says and I let him take care of it as I slide into my seat. Sitting down doesn't do me any good either. The tightness inside my stomach only increases with every passing second, I just want to throw up.I would've, but having not eaten anything for the past two days isn't helping at all.I open the front camera of my phone and stare at my reflection. I almo
PART TWO Alex's POV I've tasted heartbreak before. It's not a foreign feeling for me. Its bitterness is still embedded deep down in my mind. It's rooted in a very dark place, a one I've locked years and years ago. It's just been long. So long since I last felt it ripping at my inside. It's been a long time since I felt like I could lose everything again. Heartbreak was when they told me the plane crashed. It was when Cara came back. It was when Lilly looked at me and called another man dad. It is now, at this exact moment as she stood right there and called me a killer. It's ironic how I always felt that this moment would come one day. Our past was too complicated, too messed up to stay hidden and buried. I was a fool to think it wouldn't knock back on our doors again. The irony is that I tried to prepare myself for it, but now, as she looked at me like that, with so much blame, so much pain, and something akin to hate; I knew I am not ready. I was never ready. She knows the
Lilly's POV"I can't believe your dad is finally okay with this!" Sally squealed, pulling me into another hug.I hugged her back, "Me neither, but he did make me a big huge list of rules, he is probably just trying to discourage me from going, I swear," Sally chuckled at my words and shook her head, "Still, this is so exciting, we both are going, I might burst from happiness, I can't help it!"I smiled at her enthusiasm and crossed my legs over the bed, thinking about what's to come. It is exciting. A new country, a new place, a new me, and most importantly, a new beginning."Did you tell Chase?" Sally's words broke through my thoughts and my smile slowly dropped. I shook my head, "We haven't talked a lot lately," I mumbled, fidgeting with the cover of my phone, "Actually we haven't talked at all for like two weeks," I pulled into a deep breath and looked at my lap, "He is busy with finals, I am also busy with mine, so it's okay, whatever."I felt her hand rest over mine, "Lilly, are
Two years later...Lilly's POVI officially have no friends anymore.Nope. None. Nada.The friend endearment shouldn't be used so loosely, because no matter what you do for them, the moment always comes and they stab you right in the back.I sighed as I read again through the last message Sally has sent me.She ditched me. That little back-stabber ditched me, her best friend for ten years, for some guy she only met a week ago.I texted the other girls in our group, and they all had excuses. One just got her period, the other is fighting with her boyfriend over something, the third is staying at her boyfriend's place...and Sally is probably having sex by now.Great. Just another one of the many disadvantages of being single at this age and time.The bartender interrupted my self-pity session and pointed to my half-empty martini glass, "Can I get you another one?"I shook my head, "Not yet, thanks," Because apparently, I will be heading home after this.I internally groaned. All I wante
His words spoke loud and clear. Even though I just met him, but he spoke the truth. I keep trying to suppress that part of me down. It seemed that part of me only existed wherever Chase was. That storm reveled in his calmness, because Chase could easily tame that part down, and without him, I feel that I would just get lost if I let go. I kept guarding and trying to take control but to what end?Now, as those silver-blue eyes mischievously challenged me, I thought that it's maybe okay to let go and get lost again.My gaze drifted down to my see-through shirt, "What am I gonna do about my shirt though?"His eyes went there and he smiled, "I've got a jacket in my car, you can borrow it."I didn't think, I just placed my hand in his, letting him take the lead. It was reckless and dangerous and at the moment, I so liked that. He pulled me outside to the street and paused by the side of what I suppose is his car. He opened it to get the jacket as I sucked into a deep gulp of air, inhaling
Lilly's POV"Oh wow, he is so hot," Sally whispered with a dreamy sigh, eyeing Christian as he resumed the lecture like nothing just happened, "I applaud you for banging this beautiful human being."I shot her a hard glare. I am over here panicking and thinking of what I am going to do for the rest of the semester and Sally is ogling at Christian like he's an eye candy. Truth be told, he is, but right now I kind of need her support, dammit!"You really have a thing for blue eyes, don't you?" Sally whispered, and I hated everything about her words. At the moment, they made me feel as if I just replaced Chase with someone that reminds me of him, or that makes me feel an ounce of what he once made me feel.I kicked her feet from under the table and hissed at her, "Stop undressing him with your eyes and tell me what the hell I am supposed to do now!""Well, nothing," She mumbled, "Maybe go and have more sex with him, I totally support that, I always had the professor-student fantasy," She
"What the hell took you so long?" Sally hissed at me as I arrived at her side, waiting by our next class's door. Her eyebrows pulled closer and she looked at me from up to down, "You're face is all flushed," She mumbled, narrowing her eyes at me, "And your hair is all messed up," Her eyes widened, "What the hell did you do?"I gulped down and pulled her to the side, where no one could hear us. I tried to fix my hair and casually dropped the news on her, "We kind of had a quickie in his office."Her eyes grew even wider, "Oh my fucking god, one night stands and quickies with professors," She whisper-yelled, "Who the hell are you and where is my friend Lilly who was pretending to be virgin Mary over the past three years?"I shot her a glare at her over-dramatic response and sucked into a deep breath to calm my inside from this overwhelming feeling, "I have no idea what's wrong with me." It's like he got me under his spell and the longer I am surrounded by him, it's becoming harder and h
Stacy waved her hand, "Hey!" She said with a smile and Joe nodded his head, acknowledging my presence."Didn't expect to see you here," Louis added in amusement, his eyes going from me to Christian."Actually, I have to leave now," I said, deciding to stick to my words and keep Christian and his friends in that one night only."Oh no, no way," Louis interjected, pulling me from my arm into the couch, "You're staying," he ordered and screamed at Stacy, who is already in the kitchen, "Bring a glass for Lilly as well, she is staying.""No, really, I should be going," I insisted, my eyes drifting to Christian, asking him to support me in this."Actually, if you would like, you can stay and when they leave, I can drop you off at your place," He said, trying to reason with me and it felt like he wanted me to stay, as if he liked my presence, just for the heck of it.Stacy came back with glasses, "Lilly, why don't you help me prepare the cheese plate," She asked politely and for some reason,
Next day...I promised myself that yesterday was the last day I will ever shed a tear. Last day to be weak and vulnerable. Exposed and bare.Last day to let it all out.But as I laid down now, after the operation, waiting for my recovery, with my cheek pressed up against the pillow, my eyes looking through the window, at the blue sky, at the free birds, and at what's alive.I couldn't hold back the one lone tear the silently escaped my eye.That's all. One single tear.I felt a tender hand reach for mine, I turned around, my eyes falling on the nurse, who smiled at me so warmly, "You can leave now, if you want."I nodded, and pulled myself up."Do you feel any pain?" She asked, concerned.I do. But, it's all on the inside.She helped me get up, she even helped me change the gown and wear my clothes. She took pity on me the moment I said I came alone. No one waiting me outside that door, just me, facing and correcting my mistakes on my own.And I took her help, seeking comfort from a s
There is something seriously wrong with my health. So very wrong. Especially in the last two days. It's no longer just signs of being pregnant. I have a feeling it's more.The cramps tightening my stomach can't be normal. They're so painful, ever so slowly ripping at my insides. I couldn't sleep all night, not just worried about Max, like every day, but this immense pain couldn't let me close my eyes for even a mere second.This morning, I found a few blood droplets, and the sight of them had my panic rising to a whole new level. I was so scared, terrified even of what I read when I searched the internet for the signs, so the first thing I did when I got to the hospital was take a blood test and book an appointment with a gynecologist, just right before dad talked to me and got to know almost everything about Christian.Almost everything...He doesn't know about this child that's probably inside of me. I can only imagine his reaction. If he wanted to kill Christian with such a passion
Lilly's POV"What do you mean you didn't find him?"The words and the furiousness that followed them had me snapping my head toward dad's direction as he talked through the phone. My heart seized and panic rushed through my chest as I understood who he must be talking about."Roman, don't make me lose my mind now," He snapped and got to his feet, he rushed a hand over his face, "I don't care...I told you...Roman, I am so gonna kill you," He threatened frustrated as he listened to whatever uncle Roman must've said. He cursed something under his breath, "He is just a fucking professor, where would he hide, huh?"Oh my god...what did I do again?He listened to whatever Roman was saying and his gaze drifted and fell on me, his gaze cautious and calculating, and I couldn't miss the flicker of blame in them, like he knows it's all my fault. I did this again. I gave him the chance to escape; I could swear dad felt it.He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, and his gaze flickered away fr
Alex's POV"Roman, you need to catch him fast," I said with a loud sigh, placing the phone over the table, hating Roman for arguing with me over every damn thing."Alex, the moment Max got hurt, I checked, Christian was here, so it's not him, that's for sure," He said through the speaker, pulling on me the good guy act, "So, do you really want me to risk hurting someone innocent, that doesn't seem like you."Nikolas walked into the room, his eyes flickered from me to the phone, where Roman's voice is coming from."For god's sake, just get Christian," I ordered with an annoyed sigh, "I am willing to take the risk with him, he is anything but innocent," Even if he isn't the one behind this. He had hurt Lilly, one way or another, I saw it in her eyes when I decided to trigger her, I am more sure of it now.Maybe he didn't hurt Max, but he has a relationship with everything unfolding. I should've trusted my instincts when I met him. Something about him was just off."Who's Christian again
Nikolas's POVMy chest tightened with every word the doctor muttered, about the surgery, and about the risks it still imposes on Max and his health. His words drove me insane, multiplying all the worry and the fear I have been feeling since Alex called me and told me Max was hurt.I came here as fast as I could. I waited behind the scenes for his health to get better, but it was only deteriorating over the past few days. Then, the doctor suggested the kidney transplant and here we are. Even with this solution, the procedure is still risky and there are some possible side negative effects we have to prepared for.The doctor left the decision to us, then he walked away, leaving us in the waiting room alone to discuss it."What do you think?" Alex asked, his eyes drifting between Cara and up to me as I came to a stop beside them.I shook my head, "I don't know, from my part in this, I would do anything," Fuck, I will give him both of my kidneys if I have to, "But, it's not my decision to
Lilly's POVI thought that was it.No more lies. No more secrets. No more surprises.No more heartbreak.I thought I had it all figured out. I thought I connected the dots of my parent's complicated past, but no.No.This man, he is...he is not him. He can't be. It's not possible. I saw dad aim a gun and fire.I saw dad kill him.But, he is here.How?He is the same man I saw on the phone that made me discover his existence all those years ago. The existence my father didn't plan on ever telling us about.Those eyes, if I focus on them only, it's like I am looking at Max...at my little brother, the one who is fighting for his life inside. The one in danger. The one who can be finally saved, by...this exact man.His biological father.My uncle.The man who ruined everything.The man who hurt my mom.Oh my god..."We still have just a couple of more tests to run and then we can prep him for the surgery," The nurse carried on, explaining the whole transplant procedure, but I wasn't liste
Three days later...Alex's POVNerve-racking. This wait has been the worst wait of my whole life. My nerves breaking down with every passing second and minute.Cara's state hasn't been any better. I've spent the past three days trying to get her to eat and rest but she was beyond thinking logically. I couldn't blame her. They have been keeping Max in intensive care, trying to stabilize his state and they wouldn't even let us see him, which only worsened the situation.I wanted to let the anger consume me like it once did, get out of here and search for whoever did this, but I wasn't going to repeat mistakes I made years ago. I stayed here, by my wife's side, and waited for my son to get better and I let that job...for those who can handle it better.I am going to find who did this and death wouldn't be a sentence I will give them. No, nothing I ever did before will measure up to what I will do for who dared lay a hand on my son and threaten his life and health this way.Ashton, Kathe
Alex's POV"Where are you going?" Cara asked when she saw me putting my jacket on."I don't know," I said, shaking my head, "I have to find him, I will search everywhere, I will go to the campus, I'll call his friends, anything, I need to find him."Something doesn't feel right. I have to see him, make sure he is okay, get him back home, and talk to him about everything else.She nodded, agreeing, "Okay, tell me if you find him, please." She said and my eyes fell on hers, on the redness under them, on the devastation that I haven't seen in so long.I inched closer, my hand rested over her cheek, "I will, cupcakes," I said, leaning closer, I left a kiss over her forehead.I grabbed my keys, my phone and hopped into the car. I started the engine and took off on the road. I had called him a million times since he left, but he didn't answer. As I wandered the streets, I called each and every friend he has, but none of them had seen him nor heard from him.Worry pressed harder and tighter
Max's POV Everything changed.Every fucking thing. Cold slipped through my veins, the words I heard slammed me. One by one, they struck me, battered and beat my mind, like an everlasting penalty, to pay for a crime I didn't commit.I rode down the streets, searching. For what, I didn't know.My fingers tightened over the steering wheel. A shuddered breath burned as I drew it in, my lungs pressing against my ribs, and I replayed everything in my mind, from the very start. From my first memory, up till this day.I know my parents loved me, they never had me doubting otherwise. They didn't need to reassure me, but the thing is, my confidence is slowly being destroyed, my beliefs, in myself, and in those around me are rapidly fluttering due to this.I remember reading a psychology book that said deviant behavior was genetic, and now I worry whether that evil is embedded in my genes. Whether people could tell, somehow, that I'd been created from violence...that maybe one day, I'd be just