I know she’s most likely left out a lot of details, but it shifts the world I’ve been living in ever so slightly. What I’ve been taught about right and wrong.
The world of being nice, smiling, and dressing a certain way, seems so substantially small compared to this new world I’ve been exposed to.
“I understand if you no longer want to be my friend after this, but I really mean it when I say I want to make sure you’re safe,” Ara says, and I quickly look up and grab her hand desperately as she goes to stand.
“I don’t want our friendship to end, Ara.” And that’s the truth. Despite all of this, I don’t want to lose Ara. I have Romi and Sienna, but besides those two, no one else feels like a friend. Although I may not know this part of her, I want tounderstand her better. Maybe because deep down I want others to understand me better as well. I shove away that stifling thought.
She’s a murderer, and yet I've only ever known her as my friend. Am I crazy for not letting it impact us like it should?
“It’s just a lot to process right now, and I’m trying. I just need time. I don’t think poorly of you for this. It’s just…”It’s just what?
Ara offers a remorseful smile as she leans over and wipes the tears I didn’t even know were streaming down my face. “You know I’ve always admired you for how you wear your heart on your sleeve, Lily. You’re loyal and empathetic, even when someone like me doesn’t deserve it. And I promise I’ll protect you. You were the first friend I made here, and I’d like to return the favor.”
“Friendship isn’t a favor,” I say, because I don’t want this to be something measurable. Everything in our world is measured—fame, wealth, dealings, opportunity. It’s all so… fake. But Ara isn’t. At least, I thought she wasn’t.
“Nor is it always easy. And I know I’m asking a lot right now. You’re a fierce friend, Lily. It’s why I appreciate you the most,” she says, and I’m surprised. No one has ever called me fierce before. I certainly wouldn’t label myself as that. Her gaze drifts over my shoulder to Lorenzo. “He’ll protect you until we figure this out.”
“Please, there has to be someone else,” I find myself saying.
Her eyebrows furrow, and she quietly whispers, “I promise he won’t hurt you.”
“I know that,” I immediately say, and I’m shocked by the force of its truth. I’m notscaredof Lorenzo, even when I know I should be. It’s simply the thought of Lorenzo being around constantly that terrifies me. I can’t imagine what he’ll look like as part of my life, even if it’s pretend.
I shake my head again. “It’ll be bad if I bring him to parties or if my father so much as catches a whiff of any of this. Ara, he won’t respond well to this. You know he’s already been threatening me with matchmaking. This will push him over the edge.”
“Do you really care more about what your father thinks than your own safety?” she asks, her gaze narrowing, and it’s a sobering question. “I don’t want to force this on you, Lily. But it’s also non-negotiable. I’m not leaving you unguarded for something I’ve brought you into. You’re more courageous than you give yourself credit for. You just need to tell your father to go fuck himself, or even better, set him up and put him behind bars like I did to mine.”
My jaw drops. “Oh my gosh. That was all you?” I ask, shocked as well as mildly impressed.
She chuckles, dark and ruthless, a side of my friend I’ve never seen before. She brushes her hands along her black bangs, making sure each strand is still in place. “I’d had many years to plan his undoing. It seemed crueler than killing him. I simply put him in a cage, just as he had tried to do to me. Maybe you should start doing the same to your own father.”
I bite down on my lower lip before I spill the first words that come to mind.But I love my father.However, the weight of that statement lodges in my throat. I do love my father. But we have a complicated relationship. Although nowhere near as messed up as Ara just described.
The truth of the matter is, I’ve been questioning the sincerity of my father's feelings for me for as long as I can remember. We come from generational wealth, and my father runs multiple businesses and hundreds of investments. The family image has always been first and foremost. When I was younger, I was convinced that’s what family meant, but lately more than ever… it’s feeling more like a cage.
Ara's phone lights up in her hand, Luca’s name appearing on the screen, but she ignores it. She stares at me expectantly.
I feel like I’m being looked after like a child, but I’m also so out of my depth that I can’t even comprehend what my daily life will look like going forward. A hiccup escapes me. Well, maybe I’m not supposed to, considering how drunk I am. I grudgingly sip the water.
“You said Luca should be able to fix this quickly, right? So, maybe no one will even notice a six-foot-two wall of muscle trailing me,” I joke, but it falls flat. It all seems so unbelievable, but then memories of the gunshots, the car exploding, and the charred, dead body have a sobering effect.
An unfamiliar man appears from the shadows. He’s not as imposing as Lorenzo, but from the way he moves and has his attention locked on Ara, I can tell he’s some type of bodyguard. “This is Tony. He’s taking over my security while you borrow Lorenzo.”
My eyebrows dip as it suddenly dawns on me. “Hold up. If you said Lorenzo is Luca’s best, and he’s been basically trailing behind you since you announced your pregnancy, shouldn’t you have him?”
Ara chuckles as she looks at Lorenzo. I can’t tell what type of face he’s making, but since I’m learning that his default expression of late is looking like he sucked on a lemon, I’m sure it's similar to that. “I insisted that you have Lorenzo. I thought it might be slightly easier since you’re already acquainted.” She leans in and whispers as she gives me an uncharacteristic hug, “I recommend not getting too close. I’ve never been able to warn you away from him directly, but he is dangerous, Lily, and I’m sure now you understand why.”
I scoff as I hug her back. “Eww. I found him hot from a distance, but now that I know he’s…” Rude? Obnoxious? Dismissive? Conceited? A criminal? A killer? When I pull back,though, I realize the silence might’ve been read wrong.A part of the same world Ara lives in.It looks like she took it personally, as she offers a tight smile and squeezes my arm.
“We’ll figure this out and pretend like it never happened. For now, we should keep some distance. If they’re targeting me, I’d rather keep it at that than?—”
“No,” I say quickly. “We have our breakfasts every week. Ara, if I really let this impact me, I’m going to lose my mind.” Ineedmy routine. She bites the inside of her cheek, obviously conflicted. I can tell she’s most likely weighing the risks involved. “If these guys are as great as you say, surely, we can have at least that.Please,” I beg, now standing, and an immediate wave of dizziness sweeps in.
Ara reaches for me, but her hand remains extended as a firm grip closes around my arms from behind. My breath hitches as I look over my shoulder at Lorenzo, who’s glaring down at me like I’m the bane of his existence.
“Still a lightweight, I see,” he reprimands.
Heat surfaces to my cheeks as I step out of his hold. “I’m okay. I don’t need to be bubble wrapped. I just need… time… and sleep.”
