Page 62 of Liberating Lily

How the hell was her mother so strong?

“I didn’t want it to come down to this, Lily. I really didn’t think things would have to go this far. But you brought this on yourself.”

14

Lily woke up with a scream rattling through her chest.

She shied back, trying to protect herself from the invisible hands wrapping around her throat. But there was no one there. The room she was in was dark, but it felt like she was alone.

Where was Mother? Where did she go, and where was Lily right now?

Suddenly the door slammed open, and she let out another blood-chilling scream as she scrambled off the side of the bed then crawled underneath.

She remembered. She remembered.

How had she forgotten that?

Her mother had Rick tell Clem that they’d been having an affair behind her back.

How could she do that?

To her own daughters? And what had happened after that? Why couldn’t she remember?

She smacked the palm of her hand against her forehead as though trying to sort out the memories in her brain. Why couldn’t she remember?

“Lily? Lily, what’s wrong? What happened?”

Who was that? It took a moment for her brain to register Harvey’s voice.

Harvey. She was in the cabin with Harvey.

He’d taken her from her mother’s house. He’d rescued her from that bitch. How had she thought she was better off living with her mother? That she had to marry Rick to keep her mother happy? Why did she stay? Why? Why?

Had other things happened like that? Other things that she couldn’t remember?

It was utterly terrifying to realize that she had such big gaps in her memory. She’d always been somebody who would try to appease others. But marrying a cheating, lying bastard like Rick was a step too far.

And what about the incident where she’d hurt her mother?

She’d smashed up her mother’s study, right?

Except, was that a memory, or was that something that had been planted? Because that’s what Devil’s Breath did, right? It could make her highly suggestible to what people told her.

Had everything been a lie?

This was too much. She started to sob.

“Lily, are you in pain? Are you hurt?”

There was clear worry in Harvey’s voice which managed to cut through the fear and panic. She still didn’t really understand why he wanted her?

“H-Harvey?” she managed to get out between chattering teeth. “W-where are y-you?”

“Open your eyes, baby. I’m right here. I’m right here.”

Opening her eyes, she realized that he must have turned the light on because she could see him quite clearly.

There was concern on his face as he reached his hand toward her. She shied back, thinking he was going to grab her and try to pull her out from under the bed, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to leave.