Page 98 of Apparently, I’m Torture

Stacey was oddly quiet. She shared small, tentative glances with her cousin but kept her eyes on the floor for most of it. Her choice to expose Trevor would come at the cost of her teaching career, but she was doing the right thing, and I’d find a way to help her get back on her feet.

Trevor let me delete the video of Stacey, and swore he had no other copies. It was a video of his cousin, after all. Maybe even he had his limits.

Mia? She just danced and sang on the spot, an obnoxious doll-like pixie-sprite of chaos. I… guess I could understand why Lilly loved her so much. She was fiercely loyal. And that punch she delivered to Trevor’s nose made me pretty damn jealous.

We left; minds wracked, physically drained and exhausted. Trevor never apologized, and I never got to kick his teeth in like I wanted to, but Lilly’s job was safe. That’s what mattered.

Back in her apartment, my attention snagged on the half-empty box of donuts as Lilly whirled to face me, hands on her hips. She wasn’t happy. I could tell from the minute she saw me in that hallway that she was upset.

Her lips were pulled tight as she said, “I hope you don’t think I’m about to thank you for trying to save me.”

“You’re upset with me–”

“No shit I’m upset with you,” she huffed as she stepped behind her counter and braced her hands on the surface. “A couple of days ago, I had no job, no career and I was under investigation.” She pinned me with a look that could peel paint. “Where were you?”

I straightened as I studied her. The hostility there surprised me. After everything that happened today, I expected her to feel relieved.

“I was trying to fix it.”

“By taking the blame? I never asked you to do that for me. Why didn’t you just call me?”

“I couldn’t.”

She was not impressed with my answer.

“You couldn’t call me? Or visit me? Not even to check on how I was feeling after being fired from my mom’s school?”

I drew back from the anger in her voice. “Lilly, what’s going on?”

Her blazing green eyes dropped to my shirt. Understanding dawned on me.

I stepped closer, and the movement made her stare shoot up to mine. She was so hurt. I hurt her. Again.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve called. I wanted to. I wanted to see you. But I couldn’t. If you found out I was taking the fall for what Trevor did, I knew you’d try to stop me.”

She gave me a look that said she wasn’t convinced. “Really?”

“Yes. I wanted to help you.”

She bit her lip and fidgeted with her fingers. I sighed.

“Lilly, listen. I’m not going anywhere. Not this time. Not until you tell me to leave.”

I reached for her hand. When she didn’t pull away, I counted it as a win. I rounded the counter and gently pulled her into my arms.

“But, cutting you out was my biggest mistake, and you have every right to push me away if that’s what you want. I’d deserve it.”

She gripped my shirt and shook her head. “I don’t think I want that.”

I tightened my hold on her as a seed of relief blossomed in my chest. “Then tell me what you want. Let me make it up to you.”

She swallowed; her voice came out thick. “I hate that this was my fault.”

At the confusion on my face, she gave a slight shake of her head.

“I thought dating him only hurt me. I didn’t think it’d hurt him too.”

“None of what he did was your fault.”