Page 109 of From the Moment We Met

Lilly pulled her hand away. “I didn’t want your protection, Jacob. I wanted your love.”

Jacob chewed his lip, his face a turbulent sea of emotion. Finally, he whispered, “I’m terrified of losing you.”

“I was never yours. You didn’t want me.”

Jacob stood suddenly, pulling Lilly against him. “I want you, Lilly. In a hundred lifetimes, I will always choose you.” His mouth found hers, begging entrance, pleading for one more chance.

It was a chance Lilly wasn’t willing to take.

Lilly pulled out of his embrace and wiped away her tears, her heart splintering. “You promise me lifetimes…I only wanted one.” She turned and slipped out the door, leaving him staring after her.

∞∞∞

“He’s still an asshole,” Sabina muttered, swigging her beer and shooting Lilly a defiant look. “And I’m not the only one who thinks that, right Ben?”

The three friends huddled in a booth, commiserating over recent events. Lilly realized she wasn’t the only one to experience a miserable few days. Ben had been on a promising date only to be stood up the next night, and Sabina’s ex-husband missed another child support payment.

The answer to all those problems? Friendship and liquor, not necessarily in that order.

Ben shrugged. “Men can be dogs, I don’t deny that, but it sounds like Jacob’s destroyed over the situation. I can’t imagine the pressure with his level of fame.”

Sabina shot him a dirty look, but Lilly agreed. “I can’t either, it’s like our lives on steroids. Everything is much, much better or it’s way worse.” She sipped her whiskey. “He’s essentially her puppet. If he doesn’t do everything she wants, Victoria will ruin his career.”

“Why does everyone assume Victoria has that much power?” Sabina asked, receiving looks of surprise from her friends. “Oh fuck, you’re right. She’s basically the queen of the world. She could shit in a cup and people would line up to buy it.”

Lilly cast her a side eye. “Exactly, and she’s used to getting everything she wants. I think Jacob not reciprocating that desire made him her greatest challenge.”

“He really did seem to be into you, Lilly. The way he looked at you.” Ben pretended to swoon, earning a swat from both women. “I’m serious, you can’t fake that level of admiration.”

“I hate to admit that Ben’s right, but he is. It’s obvious that Jacob is head-over-heels for you,” Sabina murmured, finishing off her drink.

Lilly shrugged. “I don’t know how he felt about me, but if Victoria thought he felt something, I would be a bug she had to squash.” She imitated smooshing a bug under her thumb.

“Are you Victoria’s cock-a-roach?” Sabina asked, giggling.

Lilly giggled at the idiocy of the situation. “I suppose I am. Some people toil their whole lives to be her cock-a-roach, I accomplished it in mere weeks.”

The friends collapsed in a fit of laughter and downed the shots that arrived at their table.

“I love you ladies, and I wish I loved ladies in that way because I would scoop up both of you and have my own private harem,” Ben proclaimed, waving his empty glass above his head.

Lilly put her hand on her heart, laughing. “I would so be your concubine. In fact, that’s the best proposal I’ve gotten this year.”

Sabina held up her glass, demanding silence. “I do have to know, as an inquiring mind, how was sex with the infamous actor?”

Lilly rolled her eyes. “Could we not discuss that?”

Ben and Sabina exchanged horrified looks. “Absolutely not!” They exclaimed in unison.

“Come on, spill. Was it worth it?” Sabina nudged Lilly in the arm.

Lilly teared up but blinked them away. “He was incredible. It was incredible. I made such a fool of myself—”

“No, you didn’t, Lilly,” Ben interjected, tugging her close.

“Yes, I did,” Lilly spat. “I told him I was falling for him…right before he rushed out the door to Victoria.”

“Shit,” Sabina breathed. “I’m so sorry, luv.”

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