Page 35 of Lorenzo & Lily

Chapter Seven

Lorenzo leaned backagainst the couch, his head tilted up at the ceiling, his hands linked loosely across his stomach. His eyes stared at the cracked and stained ceiling, but his mind whirled with other thoughts.

It was done.

Liliana knew she was a princess. She knew he was her father, and that they’d be moving into the castle. Liliana had accepted everything so smoothly, so easily, he wondered again why Lily had never told him about her pregnancy.

Over four years of her life, plus the months of pregnancy – all gone. He’d never get those back.

Lily walked in, rubbing her arms, and he tilted his head to the side. “Is she asleep?”

Lily nodded and walked to the couch. “She was so excited, I wasn’t sure she would, but she did after three stories.”

“How many does it usually take?”

Lily smiled softly. “Sometimes four, sometimes more or less. Depends on her mood.” She leaned over to pour some coffee, and put cream and sugar in it. “I’m going to warm my coffee up. Would you like any?”

He shook his head, and she wandered into the kitchen.

He’d been right earlier; she’d only grown more beautiful in the years past. Having a child had added delectable curves to her figure, but also maturity. It was easy to admit he was still attracted to her, and not simply because of her body, or the fact that she was the mother of his child.

He waited for her to walk back in and settle on the opposite end of the couch before he spoke. “Since when do you take cream and sugar?” At her startled glance, he said softly, “I remember things, too, Lily.”

She swallowed and he followed the line of her slender throat as she did. “I couldn’t really drink coffee while I was pregnant, and eventually just stopped. When I tried to pick it up again after I stopped breastfeeding, I found I didn’t like it quite the same as I did before. Pregnancy can change your taste in subtle ways like that.”

He nodded then leaned forward, and rested his elbows on his knees. His eyes barely took in the well-worn but bright rug underneath his feet. “Why?”

“I’m not sure why. A doctor might know better than me.”

“You know what I’m really asking.”

“Yes, I do.” Her mug thudded on the table as she put it down with shaky hands. “I’m sorry.” Her voice was barely a breath. “I’m so sorry.” She buried her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking. He never could take a woman crying.

He shifted next to her, his arm going around her shoulder, her body curling instinctively into his.God, it felt good to hold her again. The dance they’d shared at Alex’s wedding hadn’t been enough, not nearly, but he couldn’t think about a future with her right now. He – they – had to think of their little girl. Because of that, he had to know the truth.

“Did you avoid telling me about the baby because you thought I wouldn’t be a good father?”

She stilled unnaturally against him and pushed back, her hands falling away to reveal wide, wet eyes and an open mouth. “What?”

He cleared his throat; it still wasn’t easy to say, even after all these years. “You saw me. You saw me when I got back from Africa. I wasn’t well mentally.”

“So?”

“So, I really wasn’t right. I was suffering from–”

“I know what you were suffering from. I was a volunteer at that hospital, wasn’t I, when I met you?”

“I know, but–”

She gripped his hand tight, her hands still damp from her tears. “It was never about your mental state. Do you believe me? It was never about who you were. I loved who you were before treatment. I loved who you were after treatment. There’s no shame in mental illness, and you got help. You were treated. I loved you. I never wanted to leave you.” Her breath hitched and tears pooled in her red-rimmed eyes. “Never.”

Loved. Past tense. He ignored the pain in his heart to focus on what they needed to discuss. “Then why did you leave me?”

She took a deep breath. “There is something you should know. About my past. If we’re going to live in the castle with you, you need to know.”

Jesus. “What is it?”

“When we first met, I was just a volunteer and you were a patient. Volunteers weren’t supposed to share personal details about themselves with the patients. So, when we first met and you asked why I came to Valleria, I didn’t tell you everything.”

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