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Lily glanced up and a wide smile broke over her face. “Callie! Of course you can. It’s wonderful to see you. ” Then she frowned. “What on earth happened to you?”
Callie smiled wryly. “Can I borrow your shower and maybe a change of clothes? I didn’t feel like going all the way up to Mom’s. I spent the night in Dillon’s office and I look and feel like crap. ”
Concern crinkled Lily’s forehead. “Of course you can. Take whatever you’d like out of my closet. ”
“Thanks. I’ll be back in a few minutes. ”
Callie headed into the bedroom where Lily kept her clothes and found her brother Michael sprawled across the bed reading a book.
“Hey kiddo,” Michael said as he looked over his book. “What are you doing?”
“Lily said I could borrow some clothes and use the shower. ”
He frowned and studied her for a minute. “Not that I ever mind you coming over here, but why on earth do you look like you slept in those clothes?”
“Because I did? I crashed in Dillon’s office last night. Was late closing up. Didn’t feel like driving home. ”
“You should have carried your ass over here,” he growled. “There’s no reason for you to have slept in the bar. What if someone broke in and tried to rob the place, for God’s sake?”
/> She rolled her eyes and headed into the bathroom, shutting the door before he could really get wound up. She loved her brothers dearly, and she’d always been especially close to Seth, but there were just some things she couldn’t talk to them about. Max being one of them because they’d want to go kick his ass, and if they knew he was here, there’d be no holding them back.
She didn’t spend long in the shower, just long enough to wash her hair and remove the grimy feel from her skin. Alcohol and cigarette smoke did that to you.
After dressing in a pair of sweats—because Lily was too tiny for Callie to fit into her jeans—and one of Seth’s T-shirts, she wrapped a towel around her head and went back into the bedroom, relieved that Michael was no longer there. Of course he’d probably gone to find Dillon and Seth so they could gang up on her later.
She slipped down the hall and into Lily’s office and shut the door. Lily looked up. “Feel better?”
“Ten times,” Callie said. “Thanks. ”
Callie walked over and sat down on the floor in front of where Lily was painting and put her palms back to brace herself. “What are you working on?”
Lily frowned and made a sound of exasperation. “I wish I knew. It feels like a big blob of nothing. I’m not sure what the hell I was thinking. ”
“I’m sure it’s beautiful. ”
Lily smiled. “You’re so sweet to me and so good for my ego. Between you and the guys, I’ll be convinced that I’m the next Picasso. ”
Callie leaned further back until she was flat on the floor. Then she put her hands behind her head and stared up at the ceiling. “Can I ask you something, Lily?”
She heard Lily put her paintbrush aside.
“Of course. ”
“When you went to see Charles…did it feel good to tell him off? Or did it make you feel worse?”
Callie glanced over to see Lily’s startled look. Charles was Lily’s ex-husband and a complete bastard. He’d placed the blame on Lily for the loss of their daughter, and Callie had never been more proud of Lily than when she went to confront him and tell him how wrong he’d been.
Lily’s brows drew together and she pursed her lips in thought. “I don’t really know, to be honest. It was such an emotional day for me. I remember feeling betrayed when I saw he had a new wife and new children. I was angry. But by the time it was over, I was just sad. I suppose I was more relieved than anything. Why do you ask?”
Callie closed her eyes. She wasn’t sure how she felt after telling Max what she thought of him. The problem was, Lily wasn’t in love with Charles—she hadn’t been for years. Callie couldn’t say the same about Max. Oh, she wanted to hate him. She did in some ways. But his betrayal still cut deep. It was still fresh. In some ways, it was just yesterday.
“Callie?” Lily softly prompted.
Callie sighed. “Remember I told you I fell hard for someone and that he dumped me after taking what he wanted?”
Lily scowled. “Yes, I remember. ”
“I met him when I was in Europe. His name was Max. He was… He was perfect. Or so I thought. He was handsome. Confident. Arrogant. He was strong and so dominant he made me shiver just being in the same room with him. ”
Lily quietly got up and sat on the floor beside Callie. She lay down so they were side by side and reached over to take Callie’s hand.
“I fell so fast. He seemed so into me, so in tune with my needs. I gave him complete control in the bedroom,” she said quietly. “I felt so cherished. He took such good care of me. He told me he wanted us to be together. I thought he was the one. I mean, I almost called Mom to tell her I had met the man I was going to marry. I know that sounds horribly naive now. I cringe when I think of how stupid and foolish I was. ”
Lily squeezed her hand. “Don’t. Don’t be ashamed because you gave him your heart. ”
Callie squeezed back, her chest tightening at the comfort Lily gave without even realizing it. “We spent three wonderful weeks together. It was all such a blur. Italy, Greece, we explored so much. We spent every moment together and every night in his bed. It was like a fairy tale. I’ve never been happier.
“Then one day he said he’d gotten a phone call and he had to go back to the U. S. for an emergency. He didn’t give me details. He was in such a hurry to leave, but before he did, he told me to wait. That he’d be back in a few days, a week at the most. He’d come back and then we’d be together. He wanted me to enjoy the rest of my vacation.
“He never came back. ”
Lily gripped Callie’s hand tighter. “I hate him. ”
Callie laughed even as the sting of tears made her nose draw up. “You don’t hate anyone, Lily. Not even Charles, and if there was ever a reason to hate someone, he would be it. ”
Lily sniffed. “I do so hate Max. He’s a bastard for hurting you. I think we should tell the guys so they can go beat him up. Seth could find him for you. ”
