Page 95 of The Player Penalty
“In case you’re hiding her,” I say, knowing it’s a ridiculous response.
“Lily is braver than that.”
“Do you have any idea where she might be?”
Sarah shrugs. “Sorry, I haven’t seen or heard from her since last week. Is she avoiding you?”
“Something like that.”
“You didn’t do it, did you?” she asks.
“You believe me?” Relief takes over. I’m the condemned man frantically shouting my innocence while every effort worsens the problem.
“You’re almost a different person this season, Julian. That was real; you can’t fake that. Since we met, you’ve always acted indifferent, sort of casual, like there are things that are a good time, and everything else. You always ignored the everything else part, but glimpses of the better you would come out. We got glimpses while Lily got to see it all, didn’t she?”
“Something like that,” I say. Discomfort hits me. Sarah may be correct, but her assessment isn’t pleasant to hear either.
“Do you remember that day in the garage last year? The one after Boone found out about us. You came to break up the fight between Jake and Boone after telling me you wouldn’t get involved. Why did you do it?”
“Lily asked for my help.” She’d frantically burst into my office, wondering what to do, while I secretly thrilled that she’d come to me.
“That’s what I thought. She’s the one who got to see it all.”
I don’t know how to respond to that. “If you see her, will you let me know? Please?”
“I will. Good luck, Julian.”
Julian:I’m running out of places to search. You’re hiding, and I understand. I’ve been pretending not to care for over three years now, and it hasn’t made anything better. You did. I love you. Please tell me where you are. I’ve never let you fall, Lily, and I won’t this time either.
There’s no point waiting for a response. Lily’s instinct is to retreat. I triggered it, and now I’ll suffer the consequences.
∞∞∞
The big house is empty, but the driveway isn’t. My stomach drops at the familiar car parked out front. I check the hood. It’s cool.
She’s been here for a while.
The key jams in the front lock, so I wiggle it. Two failed attempts later, I get the door open and stumble inside.
She’s lying on the sofa, covered with a blanket and reading a book.
“You’re here,” I say. My stomach drops.
“Where else would I be?”
34-Julian
I found her, and now my lungs don’t work. I suck in a breath and then another. “I went to your house and Sarah’s house.”
“Why would I go see Sarah?”
“You didn’t answer any of my texts or my messages. I kept trying to reach you.”
“It’s embarrassing. I forgot to charge my phone, and then I lost it. It’s probably still sitting on a park bench, or maybe it was thrown away. It’s not the first phone I’ve lost.” She shrugs. “Things go missing when they’re around me.”
“But you weren’t home. You were late.”
“We ran behind, and then the bus broke down. We ended up booking another night in a hotel. The kids were so upset there wasn’t time to call you. Also, I need a new phone.”
