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EPILOGUE - Lily
*Less Than Two Years Later*
“Yes, Dad.” I look over at Wes, who is going to bed, and all I want to do is get in there with him. “I will check my email first thing in the morning, but it’s late here and we’re really tired from the trip, so…”
“Right,” he says into the phone. “Well, I just wanted you to know that everything is in order, and as of one minute past midnight tonight, Pacific Standard Time, you become the sole trustee of your trust fund.”
“Okay. Thank you.” I roll my eyes at Wes, who drops his hotel bathrobe to the floor and climbs in under the covers, fully naked and grinning at me like the devil.
“I have a birthday present for you here too. For when you get back.”
“That’s sweet of you. We’ll be over for dinner in a week.”
“Okay. Be safe. Happy birthday.”
“Thank you. Good night. Or good afternoon or whatever.”
“Sleep well. Be safe.”
You already said that.“Good night.” I end the call on my cell phone.
It’s a good thing I’ll be a millionaire starting tomorrow, because the roaming charge for that call is going to cost about a hundred thousand dollars.
So is this hotel suite, but it is definitely worth it.
It was my idea to come to Paris for my twenty-fifth birthday. I didn’t want the big day to be all about me suddenly having access to my trust fund, although it’s kind of sweet that it seems to be such a big deal to my dad. Now that he and I have something that comes very close to resembling a father-daughter relationship, it is strange but maybe not all that surprising just how little that money means to me.
Tomorrow, we’ll visit Susan and see her flat. Wes will get the chance to see firsthand what her life is like here, and he seems excited about it. Or weird. He’s being a little weird and kind of nervous about it too, I think.
“I’ll just brush my teeth and join you,” I say.
“Dépêche-toi, old lady” he says, leaning back against the big square pillow, his hands behind his head.
I do hurry up. Even though we just took a shower together, I still can’t wait to touch him again.
This marble bathroom is enormous—with a huge soaker tub and walk-in shower and two sinks—and even though there is maid service, I will make every effort not to mess it up. I find an envelope lying on top of my cosmetic bag by the sink. I almost want to complain to Wes about it—because he’s messing up my side of the bathroom—but then I see that my name is written on it, in his handwriting.
I open up the envelope and pull out a single sheet of note paper.
Lily,
We’re here.
We’re in Paris.
And you said I’d never leave Belford.
All I know is, I’ll never leave you.
I don’t know how it’s possible to know someone as well as I think I know you and still want to know more, but I do.
I want to have more, I want to be more, with you.
And none of it scares me.
There’s a lot that I’ve said to you, but some things are easier to put in a letter than say out loud.
No matter where we are in the world, if you’re on stage or in front of a camera, or waiting tables, if you ever feel like you don’t belong there…
