Page 12 of Liberating Lily

Unlike Rick. They were opposites in every way. While Harvey was polite, quiet, and kind, Rick was a mean, small-minded, pompous asshole.

“Here with me is exactly where you’re meant to be. Listen to me, Lily. Listen to me. I have you now. I’m not going to let you go back to those people.”

Those people? Who did he mean? Her mother and Rick? But Mother needed her, didn’t she? She always said she did, that Lily was her one chance to make things right, to fix her life.

She only had Lily left. At least Clem had gotten away. She needed to have a life of her own. She deserved to be free from their mother.

It wasn’t like Lily ever had any aspirations or dreams. Well, maybe once upon a time she had but those had long gone.

“I can’t be here, Harvey. You have to take me back.”

“I’m never taking you back, Lily.”

She shook her head. “No, no, no. That can’t happen! You don’t know what you’re doing! I need the pills. I need them, Harvey! I need them. You have to take me back! Take me back!”

“Lily!” he said sharply. “Look at me. Now.”

There was no way she could ignore him, and she turned her gaze to him, staring into his face. How was he so gorgeous? It wasn’t fair that he could be so handsome because it made it extra hard for her to think straight.

What was it that she was upset about?

“I need you to breathe, Lily. Just breathe. Everything is going to be all right.”

She didn’t know how he could be so certain. She shook her head. “The pills. I need the pills.”

“Okay,” he said quickly. “We’ll get you some pills, okay? I’m going to look after you. But to do that, you’re going to need to listen to me. Do you understand, Lily? I’m in charge and you need to listen to me.”

Why was someone always in charge of her life? Although she couldn’t deny that an instant calm came over her at his words.

“But before we do that, I need to have someone check you over and decide whether you’ve been correctly medicated.”

Lily shook her head, feeling panicked again. “No, no, you don’t understand, Harvey. I’ll hurt you. Without them, I’m going to hurt you.”

2

Harvey had run several scenarios through his head when he’d made the plan to take Lily.

He thought she might be scared or angry.

Harvey could deal with anger, and he could deal with fear. What he didn’t want was for her to shut down.

He didn’t fully know what was going on with her. But he was determined to find the real Lily under that mask.

But this wasn’t a scenario that he’d come up with. He’d never thought she would react this way.

Harvey knew that he’d basically kidnapped her. He’d just swept her up and carried her out, because that was what was best for her.

Sure, it might be considered arrogant and non-consensual.

But he didn’t care.

There were very few people who would dare tell Harvey Gallagher that he couldn’t do something. And even fewer who he would actually listen to. So even if she had protested, he wouldn’t have paid attention.

He’d been waiting for the chance to take her. And he’d been running out of patience.

Sure, it would be a nuisance if her mother called the cops. But right now she had other things to worry about.

Like being arrested for hiring someone to threaten Clem.