LILY "Breath." He commands. His voice is too deep, it reaches my stomach and caress my senses. I obey by inhaling and exhaling. His hands drops from my waist and I almost voice my protest. He clears his throat and push me away from him. His rejection hits like a kick in the gut. Sensing the moment is over, I step way from him until there's enough space for me to breath. The whore in me does one more assessment of him. If I ever said this man was handsome, then I'm an idiot because this man is. Devastingly. Hot. "Why are you here?" His signature scowl is back on his face. "I-I came to check on you." "To see how much of a mess I am? So that you can go tell your daddy and have him come over and whoop my ass?" What is he talking about? "Sorry about last night." I stretch out my hands that's holding the bag of mom's homemade cookies which I know Luca can never resist. "I brought cookies for..." I stop talking midway and stare at the new figure that has just joined Luca in the
LILY"West says he won't be available this weekend. He has some stuffs to sort out at college, but he will try to sneak out within the week." Tiffany and I are laying side by side on my bed with our faces glued to the ceiling. I turn to face her, probing myself on an elbow. "Your boyfriend really loves you.""Yes. He does Lily. West is the absolute best. I got the pills today!" She squeals and I join her because I know the implication of getting the pills. She's ready to hit it. "Are you ready?" I still ask."Duh." Her eyes are full of excitement as she laughs. "I've been ready since I was eight. I was just waiting to find my prince charming. I have bought the smuttiest books of all time, so that I can know what to do and how to do it.""West really gives you the chills and the burns?""Lily, he makes me feel. I feel like I was made from his rib." Tiffany eyes are so dreamy as she talks about West. "He is mine. You know how you just meet someone and you know that he was made for you.
LILYIt's been two weeks since I last saw Luca, but who is counting?I want him, I know he wants me, isn't that enough? But Luca always has a thousand and one reasons why we can't get involved, and well most of them may be correct. The fact that I'm too young for him. He is too bad for me. He only does one night stands. I want a relationship. He's dark. I'm a hopeless romantic. I have been so preoccupied with thoughts of Luca to the extent that characters in my favorite books remind me of him, my favorite song makes me remember how our kiss felt, and the books I read somehow, always manage to mention his name.This man has ruined me.But today I'm pushing all thoughts of Luca to the shelf and focusing on I and Tiffany's to-do-list, I've been just a horrible friend putting on hold for way too long. Today, we're ticking off summer to do list number one - adrenaline pumping activity.The activity we agreed on is very dangerous, that is why we picked today. It's still early in the morni
LILY"I...uhm. I should probably get going." Is Tiffany still here? I had already tuned her out. "I'm sorry Lily. Get well soon."I eye her suspiciously. Everything she says doesn't make sense. Get out bestie!She mouths with a mischievous glint. "I don't want to be the third wheel. You two obviously have something going on." Her voice increases two volumes louder. "Take care of my friend, Luca.""I will." He answers without turning around. We remain in the same position until Tiffany's car fades out. Luca redraws his finger and I almost whimper in pleasure. He raise his finger to his eye level and succinctly examine it. His finger is wet. And sticky. My face is red with embarrassment. Luca stands up and without asking carries me in his arms. "You should rest now."I'm about to protest that I can walk but I decide against it. His arms are so warm and strong. He drifts towards my house and kicks the door open with his leg and enter in. He is about to turn in the direction of my room
LILY"Tonight's party, we're going all out. We will party still midnight."My eyes grow wide with shock. "My curfew is 10.00pm.""Oh that's on you. You have to convince your daddy to let you stay out till midnight." I hate when Tiffany sends me to do the tough tasks but well, this is my father we are talking about I don't expect her to ask him on my behalf. Tonight, we're looking forward to ticking off summer-to-do-list number two and saving me from going insane. After the accident that took place on our yard and my mom walking in on Luca and I kissing, I've been locked indoors in the name of healing, it was my mom's idea, she never told my dad what she saw, so I knew it was her way of punishing me. Tiffany was not allowed to visit, only nurses and maids attended to me, there was no new book in my library to read and I think my mom intentionally blocked my network connection. I had plenty time to do absolutely nothing but think about Luca, even dream about him sneaking into my bedr
LUCA"This is a public club Lily. I'm not stalking you." I idly glance at my wrist watch. "Come with me. I'm taking you home." "No, you are not. I'm going with Tiffany.""Tiffany is pretty wasted." I point to where Tiffany is laying with a dude. The way Lily waves at him and he signals that he will take care of Tiffany, I can assume that they know each other. Lily folds her arms stubbornly. "I'm still not going with you.""Yes, not like that." I cringe my nose in disgust at her vomit wrenched outfit. Why is she wearing such a tiny skirt? Why did she allow all those men touch her? She is different, she is not like the Lily I know. Why do I care? I don't care. Even if she wants to be a little slut I won't still touch her. She's a jailbait, a forbidden fruit that is trying to destroy me. I'm still mad that Kate caught us kissing and warned me very politely to leave her daughter alone. If I really wanted Lily that badly, I could take her, elope with her to an unknown island and make h
LUCAI look away from the road long enough to stare at her. She is smiling, it's the kind of happy and contagious smile that you can't help but smile back. My lips curve into a frown. "So you doubt it?" I return my gaze to the road and turn into my parking lot. "I don't. I just think that I know your type of guy. I have read about guys like you.""Guys like me?" I turn the key in the ignition. The car dies off. I turn fully so that my back is against the car window and I'm facing her completely. "What's my kind of guy?" I lean forward placing my hands on the space between us. I don't know where this is going. I should probably stop now but I don't want to.She presses her fingers thoughtfully on her lips and I think she is about to answer me but instead she shakes her head and lean forward too. Our arms are touching. Our lips just few inches apart. "No. I won't. Let's have a little suspense in this story shall we?"The car is quiet. Lily house is just a few feets away, that doesn't b
LILYSometimes, late at night, our memories sneak out of my eyes and roll down my cheek. And nights like these are so often these days. I'm curled up in my bed crying over him again. I'm tried of getting over Luca. Everytime we are together it feels like bliss and torment, sometimes the moments begin so pure and romantic, I think it may be pure bliss but suddenly it changes to torment, just like last night. It will always end the same like others, with Luca rejecting, hurting and leaving me. I should take the hint and walk away but I can't. Luca is like a bad addiction, I know he is not good for my emotional health but I keep on going back to him and begging him for one more dose of pain, even when I know he will ruin me.I dap my eyelids as the tears keep falling out involuntarily. I really want this to be my Happily ever after. Why am I not enough? Why can't he take me? The tears continue rolling down. My body shuddering under the nerves wrecking sobs, my nose dripping, my eyes dr
LILY"Your grades are so poor and your attendance is slacking behind; if you keep this up, Lily, you won't graduate...blah blah blah." Mrs. Patricia's lips move up and down in a funny way.That is all the counselor has been saying since she called me into her office this morning. I raise my hands up to say something, but she signals me to remain quiet. I bit my lips in, while my fingers drum unconsciously on my thighs, and my eyes dart across the small office."Lily!" Mrs. Patricia snaps her fingers in my face."Oh." I jolt back to reality.What was she saying now?"Now, what are you waiting for?""What? Oh, is it time for me to go?" I carry my bag and start standing."Oh, it's not time for you to go everywhere. Sign the papers before you."Taking my seat, I look down on the desk, flipping the pages of the documents. "What are these?"The counselor adjusts her glasses. "An undertaking of good behavior. You will not miss your classes or any test henceforth."Is this school thing by for
LILY"Go, I'm coming behind you.""No, we were going together.""Oh. No." I shake my head and try to push Luca to move out of my room."Your mom already knows that I slept over." Luca sticks his hands into his pocket and gives me the bored look."What? How does she know?" He shrugs. "I bumped into her last night when I went to drink water.""Ohhh, so she thinks we're..." I am unable to complete my statement."She thinks that we're?..." He prompts me to say more."Oh, forget it.""Say it." He moves away from the door and closer to me."That we're seeing each other." I blurt out.He strokes my jaw slowly. "Is that why you're so tensed?" He pulls me closer and rests his hands on my ass. "If it makes you any better, I told her that I slept in the guest room. And that I came around because, with Smith's arrest and everything that is going on, you two deserve to feel safe and not vulnerable."I gulp. "Thank you." I try to pull away. "Now, you can go."He tilts his head to the side, studyin
LILY"It's all my fault I'm so stupid.""Nothing is your fault, Lily." Tiffany wraps her arms around me. "Should I get you water?" She stands up and starts heading for the kitchen. "You're stressing too much." "No, I don't want water." I snap. "This is all my fault; if I had not posted that picture on social media, none of this would have happened."Tiffany folds her wrist on her waist and stares at me. "You don't know that for sure.""Of course I do; that is what the officers said at the station; that document that I posted was given to my father in confidence to be kept private. Guilt was eating me alive in that station; that is the reason I had to run out of there and back to my home. Will my father be sentenced to prison?"Tiffany doesn't answer. I know her silence means yes. I rub my puffy eyes. "He can't be punished; it's all my fault."Tiffany sits in front of me. "You know no one knows you posted that photo online besides the two of us.""I used one of my fake profiles; they
LILY"What is the meaning of this?" My mom yells at me, mirroring my shocked expression."Eh... I was just...""Is this what you do when I'm out?" My dad barks angrily.I look down on my body to discover that the sheet is properly covering my body and my hands are still in my pajamas top, so it doesn't look suspicious. I almost thought they had walked in on me doing something stupid. So what are they talking about now?"You took my car that was neat and clean to school without my permission, and you brought it back looking like an accident victim."Oh, that's what he's talking about. I breathe a sigh of relief and look around. "Dad you make my car impossible to drive without my permission; you also froze my account.""You needed a little punishment and a reminder that you can't always get what you want. If you try to pull another crazy stunt, I will ground you." My dad paces around; he's shoulder looks so heavy as if he is carrying the problems of the whole world on it. "A lot of thin
LILY I don't know why I sneaked into the house through the backdoor; it's not like my dad didn't hear me drive in and couldn't see his meeting to scold me for my bad behavior, but somehow I feel good for doing it. Instead of taking the turn to my room, something snaps in me, and I take the turn to my dad's study. I'm dying of curiosity to know what's going on. I rest my ears against the door, trying to listen. But all I hear are incoherent muffled noises that make no sense. I can tell they are having an argument or some kind of confusion; everybody is talking at the same time. Maybe something has gone horribly wrong at the firm. I recognize my dad's voice, Luca's voice. Even my mom is in there? What's going on? I lean further into the door, and I don't know when the door is opened, but next thing I know, I'm falling forward into the room, but instead of falling into the room, I land on a heavy rock; its large form blocks my view of the room and shields me from being seen by those
LILY"Mom, what happened to my car?" I yell while entering the house and walking towards the dining room. "Why is my car suspended in the air with no wheels?"My mom turns around from the sink to face me. "Honey, your dad says that's your punishment; no car for you." There's no emotion on her face; she turns around to continue cleaning the plates with a towel."Punishment, what did I do, telling him I wanted to become a dancer?" I'm so pissed right now. Last night I caught Luca making out Mira. I kissed her to spite him. Both of them have been calling me nonstop since then, but I have refused to answer, and now my dad is punishing me for wanting to follow my passion. "Mom, you're not saying anything; you're in on this too, right?"She sighs deeply before untying the apron across her waist and hanging it on a pole. She leans her back against the sink. "Sweetheart, we just want the best for you; no parent wants their child to become a street dancer; there's no dignity in that."I chuckl
LILY My today is too dull. I have been aimlessly creating campaigns, editing content, and formulating sales speeches just to increase our company's social media reach. I yawn and run my palm across my face; I'm exhausted. My eyes scan the little cozy office where I work alone. I stop typing and take a deep breath, resting my head backwards into the chair. Cold air blows my hair from the open window behind me. I remain in the position for a while, enjoying the feel of a cold breeze on my back. I stretch my arms over my head and yawn widely. I sluggishly stand from my seat, dragging my feet across the ground in the direction of the small coffee maker. I turn it on and prepare a dark, bitter, and very hot coffee. Returning to my seat, I sip it slowly. I place the mug on the desk and pick up my phone. I swipe over to notifications and messages, but there's nothing new, especially not from who I'm anticipating, Luca. I sigh in frustration before throwing the phone back on the desk. I mis
Luca Lily is never this late. I glance at my wristwatch impatiently. "It's 4:00pm already." I mutter under my breath. Sitting on the bed, I stamp my feet on the floor to prevent me from pacing. I slide to the texting app on my phone and view the last message I sent to her. There's no reply, but she never replies. She just shows up. I click on her number and dial it again; it doesn't ring. The network provider says it's not reachable. Fuck!! Maybe she's at Tiffany's. I dial Tiffany's number. She answers on the first ring. "Hey Tiffany, is Lily with you?" There's a long pause on the other line. I think I may have lost her. I stand to my feet and start pacing. "Tiffany, are you still with me?" "Yes. Yes. Lily is not with me." Another long pause. "She's not with you?" I rake my fingers through my hair. "No, she's not." I stop pacing and lean against the wall, drumming my fingers on the wall. "Do you know if she's still at her workplace?" "It's already two hours past her closing tim
LILY I'm sitting on the grass in the park watching children play games with their parents cheering them on. Some children are dancing and running around and taking pictures, and every moment looks like a dance move. The parents rallying around their kids are a mocking reminder to me that I lack love and support. "Hey, can I join you?" I look up to find a young girl standing in front of me. She's wearing a very short skirt and cropped top; she looks older than me, maybe 21 or so. She smiles and shifts her brown hair from her face. I ignore her and look away. To my surprise, she takes the spot beside me, brushing her bare thighs against mine and sending signals to my body. I shift away. We sit down quiet together for a while, neither of us speaking. I'm looking at the kids playing faraway, but I'm not seeing them. From my peripheral, I can see this girl still staring at me. I absently check my phone to find out if anyone at home has called to check on me. My phone is buzzing; I powe