Page 6 of Creeping Lily
I cut my gaze back to him. “What’s on your mind, brother?”
He shrugs. “Senator’s flight’s delayed. Mom says not to wait up.”
Routine. Always gone for fundraisers or campaign dinners. And we still call him “the Senator” instead of Dad. Some habits are harder to kill than others.
Bentley glances in Lily’s direction again. “You coming?”
I shake my head without hesitation. “Nah. Maria’s got Bridge night. I’ll keep Lily company.”
Bentley’s eyes narrow, but he lets it go. He waves to her before disappearing into the house.
Lily looks at me. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” I shuffle the deck, trying to keep my hands busy.
“You don’t have to babysit,” she says. “Go out with Bent. We can play tomorrow.”
I shake my head too fast. “No. I want to be here.”
And I do. Every second counts now.
She’s changed. And I’ve noticed every inch of it—curves where there weren’t any, a confidence that wasn’t there before. Bentley notices too, and I hate that he does.
“So, two more years and you’re free,” I say, grasping for safer ground.
She grins. “Only to trade one prison for another. Community college, remember?”
Her grin lingers, and it’s impossible not to stare.
“Still journalism?” I ask.
“Have you ever seen me without a notebook?”
I chuckle. “Friends? Boys?”
The flush hits her cheeks fast, and she hides behind her cards. “A few friends.”
“And?”
She peeks at me, smirking. “You’re really going for the older brother act, huh?”
It lands like a punch—because maybe that’s all she’ll ever see me as.
I can’t stop myself. “Boyfriends?”
She holds my gaze for a beat before biting her lip. “Nothing serious. Not many to choose from where I’m from.”
I lean in, voice low. “Tell me.”
She shakes her head, smiling like she’s keeping secrets.
And I realize—I’m not ready for her to grow up yet.
4
LILY
The call comes just as I’m reshuffling the deck.
