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LILY
I don’t seeNero again. He didn’t come home all night, but maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. He was probably too busy fucking that woman somewhere.
And I was too busy weeping on the bathroom floor.
I couldn’t sleep, I kept replaying every ugly detail, from the sight of her hands on his body, to the cruel, heartless glint in his eye. Taunting me.
Making a mockery of the love we shared.
How could he do it?
Betraying me with another woman. The one thing he knew would shatter my trust forever.
By the timemorning light filters through the open drapes, I’ve driven myself crazy wondering why. But the ‘why’ doesn’t matter. He’s made his choice.
And now I have to make mine.
I drag myself off the floor, splash cold water on my face, and pack, not paying much attention to what I throw into the open suitcase. Everything I own has come from Nero, and I don’t want to be personally attached to any of it. I don’t want to be attached to him.
A day ago, heading to Paris would have been a dream come true, but now, it feels like a consolation prize. But still, I try to talk myself into it. The art, the culture, the foreign streets I’ve been painting all these years… Who knows, maybe having an entire ocean between us will help break this hold he has on me?
I can only dream.
My cab arrives, so I haul my bag downstairs, but I still pause in the doorway. Wondering if Nero will come and try to make me stay.
But the house is empty. I’m all alone.
Just the way I’ve been for years.
Get it together, Lily,I tell myself. You have a chance for a fresh start now.
I leave my keys on the table and go.
The ride to the airport passes in a blur. I can’t help thinking of the very different trip I took to arrive in New York: Tied up in the back of a van, Nero’s captive. I had no idea what lay ahead of me—or that the man I’d been running from for half my life would become the only man I wanted to run towards.
Coming face-to-face with Nero again changed everything, and soon enough, I couldn’t hide from our connection. My hatred and my anger were just a defense mechanism, trying to protect my heart from the love I’d always felt for him. Ever since I was younger and didn’t even fully know what love meant.
But now I do.
My broken heart aches in my chest, and despite the depths of my grief, I long for him to be sitting beside me. For us to be embarking on this new adventure together—instead of me facing my future alone.
Without him.
When I get to the airport, it’s busy and packed with travelers. I make my way to the first class check-in. “Travelling alone?” the perky attendant asks me.
I wince. “Yes.”
“Departure is on time,” she says, checking my bag. “The first class lounge is on the second floor, near gate 20.”
I nod my thanks, and take my ticket, heading over to the long, winding line for security. With my VIP ticket, I’m ushered to the fast-track lane, where only a couple of people are waiting in front of me.
It’s a young couple, practically glowing with love and happiness.
“I can’t wait to open the wedding gifts. Did you see how full the table was?” the woman asks.
“Not at all. I was too distracted by how beautiful you looked in your dress.” I see the guy slide his hand over her ass.
Newlyweds.
