Page 44 of Sin

My heart races, panic vibrating through my entire body. “What the hell was that about?”

My eyes scan her face for clues, for anything that might unravel the knot in my stomach.

Lily’s lips tremble, and she bites down hard. A single tear escapes, rolling down her cheek. She quickly wipes it away, but more follow, and her shoulders start to shake.

Slowly, she crumbles, burying her face in her hands as silent sobs wrack her body. A knife twists deep into my heart. The sight of her crying is an agony I’ve never known.

Oh God, he really hurt her. He hurt her, and I’m going to make him pay.

And if that’s not enough to keep her safe, I’ll sell my soul to the fucking devil.

Chapter Eighteen

Lily

I’m pulled against a hard chest, held so tightly that breathing becomes a struggle. Yet the sobs come anyway, relentless and unstoppable. They crash over me like waves against the shore. Inevitable. It’s as though by holding them back, I’ve been defying the natural order of things.

A heavy sense of relief settles over me as the tears flow freely, so profound that it’s almost dizzying. The weight that has been pressing down on my chest for so long has finally given way.

The world around me is sharper, more vivid, and at least in this moment, I’m the old Lily.

I’m so grateful for this man who holds me in his arms and lets me cry without judgment. He hasn’t spoken since that first tear fell, like my crying is the most normal thing in the world. He doesn’t even know what Mason did.

His steadiness and integrity—qualities I once dismissed as boring—fill me with an overwhelming sense of safety. In his presence, I have no fear, which allows me to confront the shadows of my past.

Is this wrong? I shouldn’t need him to cope with my trauma. The only person I should need is myself.

Oh well. For now, I’ll take his comfort.

“Lily.” Ethan’s voice shakes.

I twist my head to rest my cheek against his chest. His shirt is now damp from my tears. “Thank you,” I whisper.

His warm lips brush against my head. “I won’t push you to talk, but…not knowing what Mason did is making me crazy.”

When I look up at him, his face is strained, the muscles taut. The pain in his eyes is so palpable I could reach out and touch it.

He’s holding it all in, just for me, and it sends a pang to my chest.

“I’m here for you,” he says, his voice thick, “whether you want to tell me or not. But watching you in pain, seeing you go through this alone…” His lips quiver. “It’s killing me.”

“I want to tell you,” I say, surprised by my own admission. “I think I’m ready. I never… For some reason, I didn’t want to tell anyone until now.”

It’s strange now that I think about it. What was I so afraid of?

I never really knew. I was just running. Running so fast I never had the chance to look deep inside and learn my own heart.

He tightens his hold on me, his fingers tracing circles on my back. “Then tell me. Let me share this burden with you.”

My heart grows quiet, and a deep, comforting warmth settles over my body.

I could fall in love with this man if I allow myself.

Even though I embrace my own chaos, I’m also hungry for his dependability. He’s like a missing piece in my heart, the one I didn’t even know I was searching for.

“I can’t tell you now,” I say. “My class is in twenty minutes.”

“Fuck class. We’re both skipping. This is too big of a deal. We’re going home.”

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