Chapter 2
James came out of the bathroom, a white towel wrapped around his waist. Water dripped from his hair, tracing down his chest and disappearing into the towel.
I lay on the bed, staring at his chiseled chest, those rock-hard abs, and the faint outline of his V-line. I couldn't help but gulp.
Just thinking about how a guy like him was about to belong to Lily made my chest tighten with jealousy.
In a flash, I pictured Lily in a silk nightgown, crooking her finger at James, the two of them wrapped up in each other on the bed.
My eyes grew misty, and tears spilled down my cheeks before I could stop them. It felt like a heavy stone was pressing down on my heart.
James fumbled for a tissue, then crouched by the bed, carefully wiping the tears from my face.
I slapped his hand away, not caring about the stunned look in his eyes, rolled over and hugged the blanket, curling up on the edge of the bed.
James's hand hung awkwardly in the air, his face a mess of emotions as he stared at my back.
After what felt like forever, he let out a quiet sigh, slipped into bed, and gently pulled me into his arms from behind.
"Once things calm down, I'll take you to Vaeldris for some desserts. Sleep now," he murmured.
His warm breath brushed against my neck, sending a shiver through my whole body and making my heart skip a beat.
Noticing my unease, he gently patted my shoulder, slow and steady, trying to calm me down.
Just as I was about to turn around and tell him about Lily, a sudden, urgent ringtone shattered the silence.
James answered, his voice gentle. "What's wrong?"
I heard a gentle woman's voice on the other end.
James glanced at me, covered the phone, and walked out onto the balcony, closing the door behind him.
He frowned, his fingers absentmindedly tapping on the railing.
Five minutes later, he finally hung up, hurried to the closet, threw on some clothes, and came over to kiss my forehead.
"I've got something to do, I have to go," he said.
A faint, sickly sweet perfume wafted over, catching my attention.
That was Lily's favorite, a floral and fruity scent.
I gave a bitter chuckle, slowly sat up, and, as if to confirm my suspicions, knocked on Jane's door.
The door swung open, and before I could even react, Jane pressed an ice cream into my hand.
Jane beamed. "Hurry up and eat it, or it'll melt."
With tears still in my eyes, I took a bite. It was icy cold and sweet, with crunchy Oreo bits mixed in.
"Well? Does it taste good?" Jane asked.
I nodded eagerly, and Jane grinned from ear to ear.
After finishing the whole thing, it suddenly hit me. "Janey, did Dad leave as well?"
Jane twisted the ring on her finger for a moment, then slipped it off.
"Yeah, he got a call from Angela and left right away," she said.
Turns out, the woman I heard on the phone was Lily after all.
Early the next morning, Jane and I went through all the bags and jewelry in the house, packed them up, and sold everything to a luxury consignment shop.
Watching those cold, lifeless pieces turn into nothing but numbers on a receipt.
My tears finally broke free. Three years of my life just reduced to these numbers.
Jane and I just sat there, quietly eating all the food on the table. What used to taste amazing now felt weirdly bitter in my mouth.
My phone lit up again, and Lily's feed popped up.
[The power went out at home last night, but luckily, someone was there to keep my light on,] she wrote.