Chapter 144

LILY

I didn't anticipate him showing up in the middle of the night or coming to me at any time, for that matter.

Yet, he did. It was a particularly unsettling time for his unexpected arrival. I found myself unprepared, in my disheveled pajamas with swollen, red eyes – the mascara streaks on my face were the least of it. Just an hour prior, I had succumbed to a moment of vulnerability.

Adler stood by the door, watching me, and I, still stunned to speak, stood still, waiting for his backlash.

Looking closer, I noticed he didn't seem to be raging like he had been at the steel bridge. Unsure of that theory, I made no effort to get close.

"Rune says, Hi." he broke the silence, the softness in his voice caressing my hurt, "I was talking to Kyra, and she says you need therapy; I don't know what the hell is that, so she's taking care of it."

That was a lot of rambling to fill the awkward silence, and none of it told what he wanted. I made to stand up, but he stretched out his hands, "No, Lil