Page 44 of Wandering Closer

I reach over, grabbing her hand into mine, pressing a light kiss to her knuckles. “Nothing, baby. You are doing absolutely nothing wrong. You are not responsible for her feelings or how she chooses to respond to things. I’m so sorry that she is making you feel this way.”

I have a lot of things that I want to say, but none of them would be productive right now. She doesn’t need me to tell her that her mom is being selfish. That her mom has her own life to live, and that Lily gets to be her own person and choose her own path. She’s a successful and published author, for God’s sake, and she owns her own home at twenty-six. She should feel nothing but pride for those facts alone. Add in the fact that she is selfless, caring, and brave, and it puts Lily leagues above everyone else. I let our joined hands fall and rest in her lap, trying to give her my support and not my anger.

Heavy silence fills the rest of the drive, broken only by Lily’s quiet sniffles echoing through the car. My hand moves back and forth between holding hers to rubbing her leg. I want nothing more than to pull over and wrap her in my arms, but she needs the reprieve of a shower and to crawl into bed, so I stay the course. When we finally pull up in front of her house, I help her out and grab her bag while she unlocks her door. Setting her things inside the front door, I pull her into me. I hold her tight as her shoulders shake in silent sobs, trying to bleed my strength into her.

She settles, drying her eyes to look at me. “Thank you for the amazing trip. I’m sorry it ended like this.”

Cupping her jaw, I rub my thumb over her tear-stained cheeks. “Don’t be sorry. I’m going to pick up Shadow and get herhome, then I’m coming back to check on you. I’d like to tuck you in and hold you until you fall asleep, if that’s okay?”

Her chin trembles again, and my heart breaks for her. “Okay. See you soon.” With a gentle kiss on her forehead, I leave for my parents’ house. My mind is a mess, just wanting to be with her. How her mother can speak to her like that blows my mind. As I pull up to my parents, I put my truck in park and pull out my phone. I want to see the video her mom is freaking out over in case I’m missing something.

I don’t even have to search. River already sent it to me but with a heart emoji followed by a gagging emoji. It’s a brief clip where the camera pans out from Case as he rounds home plate and turns to point and wink at Lily. She turns red immediately, but smiles sweetly at him before leaning over and placing a swift kiss on my lips. That’s it; that’s the whole video that her mom is upset over.

Barking steals my attention as my mom opens the front door and Shadow bursts out, running straight for my truck. Hopping out, I kneel down and give her my love before following her toward the house.

My mom is waiting with a glowing smile, a knowing glint in her eyes. “How was your trip, honey?”

Settling in the kitchen, I tell her and my dad about the trip, leaving out a few details. They ask about River and Vanessa, and how Lily is doing with everything. I break and divulge to them about the text from her mom today and how much it hurt her. The more I talk, the quieter my mom gets, until I catch a tear dripping down her cheek. My dad silently reaches over, rubbing her back. I love my mom even more at this moment, for feeling so deeply for a woman she has never even met.

We move on to discuss how Shadow behaved when my phone rings on the counter. Lily’s name flashes on my screen, drawingmy attention. I utter an apology to my parents before answering the call.

“Hey ba- Lily, what’s wrong?” Her soft cries are all I can hear through the phone.

“I wanted,” sniffle, “to unpack first… I uh, I like order, but then,” more incoherent sobs echo. “My shower, half the tiles fell,” she gets out between her sobs. “I can’t shower and I know it’s stupid, but I just really needed a cry in the shower. But half the wall is broken in the tub.”

“Lily, baby, take a breath for me.” I don’t continue until I hear her suck in a deep breath. “Good girl. You’re going to drive over to my house, okay? There is a spare key taped under the third railing on the front porch. Go draw yourself a hot bath, there are bubbles under the sink. I’m heading back home right now. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Okay,” her voice sounds dejected. “Thank you.”

I hang up, gathering my things to leave. My mom, the saint that she is, hands me a bag and a glass container. “The bag is Shadow’s things, and the container has dinner with enough for you both. Go take care of your girl, we’ll talk soon.”

With a hug to both mom and dad, I rush out the door with Shadow and race home. The house is quiet when we enter, but Shadow runs straight upstairs. I’m halfway up them when I hear Lily’s soft laugh drifting down.

I drop my bags in my bedroom and knock on the partly open bathroom door. “You doing okay?” I call in.

“Might as well come in and make it a party,” Lily laughs. When I pop my head in, I see Shadow poking around the edge of the tub, trying to find the best place to climb in.

“Out,” I motion to her and she whines, but listens, jumping on my bed. I shut the door behind her, kneeling at the edge of the tub by Lily’s head. She looks beautiful with her hair in a bun on her head, resting on the edge, red-rimmed eyes and all. Thebubbles she has in the tub are popping, giving me the barest glimpses of her naked body. All my blood travels to my dick the longer I look, so I turn back to her face.

“What do you need right now?” I ask, stroking my thumb down her cheek.

“For you to join me.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

thoren

“Are you sure?” I want her to say yes and no in equal measures. Every inch of me wants to crawl in that tub behind her, but being naked with her body pressed to mine will be my undoing.

“Please?”

I can’t deny her anything. I never will. Standing, I pull my shirt over my head, feeling her heated gaze like a touch. Next, I undo my jeans, slipping them down with my boxers. My cock springs free, hard and ready for her. There’s no getting around it, so I keep undressing, pulling my socks off and adding them to the pile.

“Sit forward, baby,” I urge, watching her tongue trace along her lower lip in the way I want to. She complies, giving enough space for me to slide in behind her. My legs wrap around her small waist, as she leans back onto my chest once I’m settled. My cock is nestled into her back, every movement making me see stars. I haven’t been with anyone since Jen; I don’t know how I am going to make it through this bath.

I let my fingers trail over her shoulder and down her arms. “How are you doing?”

“Better,” comes her breathy reply. “Being with you helps.”

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