Page 53 of Creeping Lily
Before I can answer, he takes another swing. This time I sidestep, boots scraping the cobblestones, and his knuckles cut through empty air.
Kade’s on him in an instant, hauling him back, pinning his wrists behind him. His gaze flicks from me to Trick, the storm in his eyes promising this won’t end quietly.
“Will you calm the fuck down?” I snap, forcing my voice low. I don’t want Lily hearing this—not the words, not the rage.
“Did. You. Fuck. Her?”
His tone is pure venom, every syllable thrown like a knife. There’s no reasoning with him—short of putting him in the ground, nothing’s going to take that fire out of his eyes.
Then Marshall barrels out of the building, charging straight into Trick’s chest and shoving him back a good few feet. Trick stumbles, boots scraping on stone, before catching his balance.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Marshall barks, his voice echoing off the courtyard walls.
Trick’s already coming back for more, slamming into Marshall’s bulk like a wave against a cliff. Marshall plants his feet, not giving an inch.
“Ask him what’s going on between them!” Trick’s voice is raw, cracking with the kind of jealousy that bleeds through skin.
“This isn’t the time or place,” Kade says, stepping in closer, his tone hard.
Marshall lifts a hand, palm out in warning, his eyes darting up to the Juliet balcony. “First off—lower your damn voice,” he says, the words edged with steel. “Second—what’s your problem?”
“I told you!” Trick shouts, pointing a shaking hand at me. “He’s had eyes on Lily this whole time. HeknewI was into her. He shouldn’t have gone there!”
“There’s nothing going on between us,” I say, steady but cold.
“LIAR!” he roars, breaking free just enough to lunge. Marshall and Kade slam him back again, their grips digging in to hold him still.
Marshall stares at him like he’s lost his mind. “So, let me get this straight—you’re going after your best friend because you think Lily has feelings for him?”
Trick nods once, jaw locked, eyes burning into me like he wants to carve his truth into my skin. I’ve seen him angry before—but never like this. This isn’t a spark; it’s an inferno.
I take a step forward, my own temper flaring hot. “How the hell can you force her to want you, Trick? You’re trying to do the same thing to her that Wendolyn’s doing to you. She can’t make you love her—so why the fuck do you think you can make Lily love you?”
“You never gave us a chance!” he snaps back.
“Don’t be obtuse, Patrick!” Bethany’s voice rings down fromthe balcony above, sharp and furious. “He kept throwing you at Lily. Over and over. So did I. So dideveryone.And now you’ve ruined everything.”
“He ruined it,” Trick bites out, his words shaking. “He made himself the center of her world and took that chance away from me.”
“No,” Bethany fires back, her voice breaking. “You destroyed it yourself—just like you’re doing now. What do you think this is going to do? You’re only driving her further away!”
Her face is blotchy with anger, eyes wet. She’s trembling so hard I think she might climb out of the window and drop into the courtyard just to get at him. Tears streak down her cheeks as she throws one last curse over her shoulder.
Then she spins out of sight, the slam of the window behind her echoing like a gavel.
I takethe stairs two at a time, ignoring Trick’s curses echoing up behind me like gnats I refuse to swat. My boots hit each step hard enough to make the railing vibrate.
“Get him out of here,” I mutter over my shoulder to Marshall, who’s trying to match my pace with those long legs of his.
“Already on it.” He tips his chin toward the guy waiting by the door. One quick nod, and the message is clear—no words needed. A moment later, the door closes behind me, and I know Kade and our man will see Trick escorted out into the courtyard and straight off the property.
The door to the girls’ room is ajar.
I push it open and pause in the doorway. The air inside is thick with the smell of salt and grief.
Lily is curled on the bed, knees drawn tight against herchest, her face hidden behind a curtain of hair. Her shoulders shake with quiet sobs. Bethany sits beside her, one arm around her friend, but even as she tries to comfort her, tears streak her own cheeks. The sight punches something raw in my chest—hard enough that I almost back out like Marshall just did, giving them privacy. But I’m not that noble. Not when it comes to my sister and her best friend.
That’s when I notice the duffel bag. It’s half-open on the bed, a shirt spilling over the edge like it tried to escape before she did. Lily was packing. She was leaving. Whatever broke her happened mid-motion—her hands still half in the act of walking away.
