LILY I tie his wrists and then take a few steps back and look at him; a smile grows on my face. I have him exactly where I want him. We are still at a club, in like another room, and it is dark as hell in there (except for the spotlight right above the pole) in the middle of the room. I take a step forward, my legs somewhat wobbly. And a lyric fills the room, a sexual song that always puts me in the mood, you know those songs with the dirty lyrics that just make you want to do those nasty things to that special someone. I begin to dance, my movements slow and sensual. A cold metal pole, and it is so icy, and my hands couldn't stop sliding up and down it, my shirt bunching up and my stomach showing. I feel Luca's eyes on me, hungrily drinking in every inch of my bare skin. But he can't move because his wrists are tied to the chair that he is sitting on. So I just really quickly unbutton my shirt and drop it down to my boobs. They shake with every move I make, and I can feel his
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 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"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"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"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"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 My ass hits the floor as my back rests against the sink. Why did I do it? Why did I admit my guilt? I push a stray blonde lock to the back of my ears so that I can see my face clearly through the long mirror. I wonder how long it will take the cops to get me. I had never checked the punishment for disclosing confidential information. I wipe my wet eyes with the front of my dress. I wondered what my chances are. If I run away now that they know my father is innocent, will they let him go? Or will they hold him on my behalf? My lips turn into a frown. If I runaway, will I be missed? Will anyone care? "Damn! I'm a mess. Why didn't I think this through before doing revenge?" I drag my hair roughly and throw my leg in the air, kicking furiously. "Knock. Knock. Lily... Are you in there?" I hear Tiffany's voice outside the door. I squeeze my lips tightly so that a sob won't slip out. I need a hug right now more than anything else in the world, but I'm scared—scared that
LUCA'S POV"Welcome back, kiddo." Smith pulls me in first for a tight hug, squashing me in his big belly before patting my back. "How are you?""Luca!" Shareholders and executives shout my name from different corners of the party, all trying to get a hold of me."Ignore them." Smith whispers loud enough over the blasting music in the hall for me to hear but not loud enough for the others to hear. Why the hell are they fucking pretending to care now? They all left me to rot except... my Lily. I strain my eyes to search the congested hall for that blonde hair, blue eyes, tall form, and plump tits... I just had to. Smith is still pulling at my arms, probably trying to direct my attention to something; I'm not sure. I turn around to follow Smith but bump into a giant-sized banner that reads, Welcome home, Luca.' I push it aside with a grunt.Smith drags me out of the noisy hall into the more quiet part, where we sit on the sofa. "I'm sorry." He clasps his meaty palms around his face and
LILY'S POV I push the door of the guest room wide open, my hand already shaking, feeling the weight of the glass partition in my grip. Luca is sitting to my right, slumped, his wavy brown hair, his usual, shiny, brown eyes now looking... bland. "Lily," he says, a little more husky than usual. "I've missed you." I put my hand to the glass and dreamed it would really have been him. "I couldn’t stay away. Luca, I know you didn't do this." There is one voice crack. I immediately force a deep breath, and the second I do, I clamp my lips as tight as I can to hide my trembling. "I’m here for you." He pushes forward, eyeballs fixed, as if he wants me to jump onboard. "You really think I’d betray you? Or your family, for that matter?" "No, of course not." I shake my head, biting my lip hard. "But... this is bad, Luca. The evidence points to you. The IP address they traced—" I swallow, my mind flashing back to Mira, her enthusiasm as she dragged me into that dark, stuffy tech shop. I t
LILY'S POVThe streets here looks like they keep secrets in every shadow, aged and jagged around the edges. Tiffany is right beside me, hugging her arms across her chest like she’s trying to keep herself from snapping. Even her usual calm seems frayed.She looks over at me, eyebrows knitted with concern. “Lily, are you sure about this? Her voice is soft, but there’s an edge to it. “It just… doesn’t feel right. What if this was all for nothing?”Now I'm pulling my sleeves down over my hands to hide the goose pimples that are starting to show. “I know. I just—this is the only lead we have. However, if this guy has the potential to do something for us, then we have to give it a shot."Tiffany lets out a deep sigh and surveys the scene, the boarded-up windows, the rusty fire escapes hanging off the sides of the buildings like the bones of some colossal skeleton. “I get it,” she murmurs. “But it’s so…sketchy yeah?"My stomach twists. “Yeah. I guess I wanted to believe it would lead somewh
LILYI sit at the base of the hall and play. I tap my fingers on the chair; it is so cold, so smooth. I've just rounded the corner, and there they are, Tiffany, my best friend, and Tyler Brook, the hottest guy in the entire senior class tongue locked. My stomach kind of flips because its like I can feel the disbelief and some jealousy, but yet I can't stop looking.What about West?Tiffany's lips are literally welded to his mouth, and her fingers are all jam packed in his hair, as she's forcing his head to sink even lower. The hall is eerily empty except for the buzzing of the fluorescent lights overhead, and I can’t stop moving, inching down the corridor, as if somehow I can escape the scene before me. I should turn away and act like I never saw any of this, but I can't.Finally, Tiffany pulls back when she hears me approach. Her eyes widen with panic, like she’s been caught doing something forbidden. Her lips are swollen, but she forces a smile. She says, "Hey Lily," as if nothing
LILY'S POVI’m standing outside Luca’s mansion, trying not to shake. It’s late—too late—but there’s no turning back now. I look at Mira. She’s already moving, and I scramble to keep up.“You sure you know what you're doing?" I stand here trying to stay composed, my chest simply does not permit it.Mira looks at me, and a smile tugs at her lips. “It’s just a house. Stay quiet, stay fast. We’ll be in and out.”I swallow hard, nodding. I trust her, but this feels like we are doing too much.We walk into his yard since there's no fence separating the two mansions. We go behind the house. I can feel the pressure on my chest, like I'm running a marathon. His yard smells like fresh, cut grass, but with something else, something not so pleasant.“Shh,” Mira mutters, holding up a hand. She’s already at the back door, checking the lock. “Stay close.”I nod, my throat dry. I finally get a chance to blink, and Mira whips out her tools, and her fingers move at a speed that is simply inhuman. The l
LILYThe only noise in the room is the faint whirring of my laptop's fan, and the glow it emits is a soft blue color, which reflects off the pile of clothes, dance shoes, and text books that are thrown on my bed. My brain is a mess, my thoughts are jumbled, and all that I went to court and testified about last night is closing in on me. It feels like I’m suffocating in a room that was supposed to be my sanctuary, but now it feels like prison of my own making.And I read what's right in front of my face. The crime of divulging confidences in American law. My stomach is all floppy simply reading the words, the lawyer jibber jabber in my head. I keep seeing my dad’s face when I told the court what I had done; the betrayal in his eyes is sharper than I could ever have imagined. He’s a lawyer—the top of his game—and I—his only daughter—had screwed everything up. The thing is, I don’t even know how. Not entirely.It's crazy how I can still remember that day, the day I removed all those pape
LILYWe sit together in a cafe. I'm not mean right, chatting with Luca whilst on a date with another man. Well, technically, it's not a date. Jason just said we should get to know ourselves better, and Jason is not a man. He's a guy.Luca: I am not pressuring you. I believe you did not intentionally do it. I hope you're not mad at me."Noo.""What, I shouldn't put it like these?" Jason looks at me."What?" I arch a brow."You said no; I was about to put the sugar into the coffee." Jason lifts the packet of sugar in his left hand and the cup of coffee in his right hand; he raises his brow at me.I look at my phone again; there's a new text from Luca.Luca: ???Luca: I'm sorry. Are you good, darling?I start typing when Jason interrupts my train of thoughts."So, should I add it?""Uhm... whatever."Jason face falls. He may suspect I'm texting someone.Luca: Don't ghost me; I know you're still active.I look up at Jason. "If you like your coffee with sugar, then you should probably add
LILY "Need help?" I turn around to find some random stranger stretching out his hands. I nod and take them. He helps me over the fence. "My car is over there." Hmmmm. I look at him and back. I look at his car and back. People are still jumping over the fence and into vehicles and driving off. There's no Uber in sight. I can't even book a ride. Can I trust him? I jump into the car. It's not until we are in the car, and half way close to my house, that I start to feel the body pain where broken pieces of bottle tore into my skin. "Jason." He stretched out his hands. I turn around and lean in to get a clearer view. He looks 22, 23. He has decent features—not the typical good-looking seductive face but the kind that can still grab a girl's attention. "Lily."I shake his hands. "Thanks." I jump out of the car and wait for his car to drive off before turning the doorknob and entering in. I'm greeted by a heavy slap across my face. I see literal stars. I'm blind for a moment
LILY My ass hits the floor as my back rests against the sink. Why did I do it? Why did I admit my guilt? I push a stray blonde lock to the back of my ears so that I can see my face clearly through the long mirror. I wonder how long it will take the cops to get me. I had never checked the punishment for disclosing confidential information. I wipe my wet eyes with the front of my dress. I wondered what my chances are. If I run away now that they know my father is innocent, will they let him go? Or will they hold him on my behalf? My lips turn into a frown. If I runaway, will I be missed? Will anyone care? "Damn! I'm a mess. Why didn't I think this through before doing revenge?" I drag my hair roughly and throw my leg in the air, kicking furiously. "Knock. Knock. Lily... Are you in there?" I hear Tiffany's voice outside the door. I squeeze my lips tightly so that a sob won't slip out. I need a hug right now more than anything else in the world, but I'm scared—scared that