Page 1 of Lilly

Chapter One

Lilly

"We should probably get up." I turn over and slide up next to Reed, my arm going over his chest.

He laughs a little. "Is this your idea of getting up?" He kisses me. "If so, then yeah, let's get up."

I smile, resting my chin on his shoulder. "My parents will be here soon and I don't want them knowing what we were doing."

"How would they know? It's not like they caught us."

"My makeup's smeared and my hair's a mess. Trust me, they would know. My dad notices every little detail, even a hair out of place. I need to do some prep work before they get here."

"How much time do we have?" he asks, his hand sliding down my back, tugging me into his warm, lean body.

"A half hour."

His lips press against mine, softly, gently, and causing that familiar tingle that makes me want to repeat what we just did.

"I have to get ready," I whisper.

"Just a few more minutes." His lips brush against mine. "I miss you."

"I miss you too." I kiss him back and he sits up slightly, turning on his side, his hand going behind my head as he deepens the kiss.

It's only been two weeks since the start of summer break and Reed and I are already tired of being apart. We talk on the phone and I was here last weekend but it's not enough. I'm used to seeing him every day. At school, we had almost every class together, ate meals together, and spent the night in each other's room.

"You know what?" Reed asks as he watches me get dressed.

"What?" I ask, slipping my dress over my head.

"For the first time in my life, I'm actually looking forward to going back to school."

"Me too."

"You don't know what a big deal that is. I used to hate going back to school. On the first day, I'd fake being sick so I wouldn't have to go, but my mom never bought it."

"Did you pretend to have the flu?" I tug my dress into place, then check how it looks in the mirror. "I tried that when I was seven but it didn't work. My dad knew I was lying."

"If I'd gone with the flu my mom probably would've believed me. But no, I had to get all creative and go with something I'd never have."

"Like what?"

"One year I told her I had German measles. Another year it was rabies." He chuckles. "Then one year I really got crazy and told her I had a heart attack. She just rolled her eyes at that one."

I laugh. "Why didn't you just go with something simple, like a cold or a stomach ache?"

"I thought I had a better chance with something more serious, but it backfired." He finds his boxer briefs and puts them on. "The point is, this is the first time I've wanted the summer to hurry up so I can go back to school."

"It's just three months away." I take his suit from his closet and hand it to him. "It'll go fast." I say that, and yet the summer already seems to be taking forever. I like being home and spending time with my parents but I also really miss college. I miss my classes and my friends and my independence. I want to be treated like an adult but my dad still treats me like a little kid. He still keeps a watchful eye on me. I thought he'd stop being so overprotective once I went to college, but this past year, nothing's changed. He's still always worried something will happen to me.

"I need to fix my makeup," I say as I head to the bathroom.

My parents are at a fundraising event downtown L.A.. We drove down here this morning and they dropped me off. I came with them so I could spend the day with Reed. I told them Reed was taking me to an art museum but we ended up staying here. In his bed. Of course, I'm not going to tell my dad that. I'm sure he knows by now that Reed and I have sex but he doesn't want to think about it so he tries to pretend it doesn't happen.

It's Saturday, but Reed's dad had to go into the office so he's not around but he's going to meet up with us for dinner before my parents and I head back to Santa Barbara.

"You almost ready?" I hear Reed ask.

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