Page 64 of Watercolor Skulls

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The necklace dangling around Lily’s neck has haunted me since the day I noticed it. In my mind I knew it was too good to be true. Now I know for certain. Lily knows a Jenny but notmyJenny.

Doesn’t matter. Lily is hurting and she is one of us. I need to focus on her.

She blinks at me. Big crocodile tears cling to her lashes for dear life.

Dan is holding her arms to her sides, hugging her like he is worried she will fall into a million pieces if he lets go. I reach over to wipe the tears from her face. Her lips part as my hand brushes them from her cheeks.

“She’s not my aunt,” she whispers.

I wipe my hands on my jeans as I sit back down.

“What do you mean?” Dan asks. He looks at me, confused.

I’m confused too, buddy.

“Jenny isn’t my aunt,” she says more clearly this time. Lily closes her eyes and when she opens them again she has a look of determination on her face. “It was a joke between her and I. She wasn’t my aunt. She was my friend. She was yours too.”

I glance at her, my heart beating out of my chest. She knows Jenny. Fuck. She knows Jenny!

But as I watch her face and process her words my heart begins to crumble.

Was. Was. Was. Shewasyour friend.

Oh god, no.

Please, no.

The world closes in around me.

Dan releases Lily from his arms and she crawls over to me. “I’m so sorry,” she says quietly.

She reaches up and unclasps the necklace from around her neck. “She left this for me, but I think it should go back to the person who gave it to her.” Lily takes my hand, turning it over and tenderly placing the chain in my palm. I close my fingers around it and pull her into my arms.

We hold each other tight. Both grieving our free spirited friend.

Dan places his hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently before walking out.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Dan

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Dirk eyes me the minute I step out of the room. I hold my hand up to him before he has a chance to grill me. “Drink,” I simply state. He nods and we head to the bar downstairs. He reaches for the good stuff on the top shelf.

He pours us each two fingers of whiskey before taking the seat across from me. Jesse joins us, taking the seat beside me.

“Rachel took Jackson home and Billie Jean is down for the night.” She reaches over and wraps her fingers around my arm. “What can we do?” she asks.

“I don’t know. I have no fucking clue what is going on.” I shake my head before downing the drink in my hand. Fuck the burn feels good. I slam the glass down, sliding it back to Dirk for a refill.

“You left her alone?” Jesse pushes.

“She’s with Raffe.” I close my eyes tightly, trying to forget the look of pain on their goddamn faces.

“Do we need to load her up and take her to the cabin?” Dirk asks, flipping that fucking ring in his lip. God help me, I want to rip it out of his face right now.

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