Adonis and Liam exchanged raised eyebrows.
“Alright, fine. If you can pull that off in a year, then you win. But we’ve got to make sure Lilly or Mare doesn’t find out about this. My wife would kill me if she knew.”
Adonis said, and I grinned. I shook his hand, sealing the bet.
Elizabeth
I woke up the next morning, pulled on some clothes, and got ready for class. It’s my final year here, and I’m so close to graduating with my Master’s in Zoological Science. I’ve always dreamed of becoming an animal care specialist, but growing up, I never really had the luxury to just be myself. So, in secret, I decided to go to college. Lilly graduated a year ahead of me since she’s two years older, and Mare and I are finally about to walk the stage together.
After my last class, I stepped out of the building, and my phone buzzed to life.
“Hey Lills, what’s up?” I asked, catching her giggles on the other end.
“Hey Liz! Aurora and I are heading out for some mommy-daughter mani-pedis. Want to grab Mare and meet us there?”
A smile crept onto my face.
“Sure! How about we grab lunch afterward?”
Suddenly, I heard Aurora chime in,
“Yes, Aunt Listh!”
I chuckled and ended the call. Lillian and Adonis had Aurora, and she was the spitting image of her dad. Lillian was a bit bummed about that, but she definitely got her mom’s kind eyes—those same gentle eyes that once pulled me from the dark place I was in when we first met.
I remember meeting Lillian back in school when I was seven. I was getting picked on, but a Delacroix never backs down from a fight. One day, as I was about to throw down with another kid, I took a hard hit, and just when I thought it was game over, she stepped in front of me, refusing to back down. No one had ever stood up for me before; no one had cared enough to defend my honor.
When she turned to me and reached out her hand, I knew she was meant to be in my life. I loved her—not in a romantic way, but in a way that made me want to protect her at all costs.
---- ??? ----
I shot a quick text to Mare, asking her to meet us at the salon, and wouldn’t you know it, we both arrived at the same time.
“Liz!”
She shrieked, sprinting toward me and wrapping me in a warm hug. Mary had always been the sweetest of our trio, the one who stood by us no matter what, always ready to lend an ear when life decided to throw us a curveball. As I hugged her back, my eyes caught something on her shoulder—was that a gash?
“Oh my god, Mary, what happened?”
A surge of anger bubbled up inside me. If someone had laid a hand on her, especially if it was Liam, I’d lose it. She took my hands in hers, grounding me.
“It’s not what you think, Liz, I promise. I was just clumsy—I went for a run and tripped over a branch.”
She said it with such conviction that I wanted to believe her, but deep down, a nagging doubt lingered. I sighed, feeling defeated. Lately, she’d been sporting a few too many cuts on her legs and arms, each with its ownexcuse. I nodded, knowing I wasn’t going to win this battle. She flashed a smile, and we waited for Lillian to arrive. When we saw her pull up, she hopped out of the car with a wave.
“Hey girls!”
She called out as she rounded the vehicle, and that’s when Aurora burst out, her little voice squealing,
“Aunty Listh! Auntie Mare!”
She dashed toward us, and we scooped her up in a hug, laughter spilling out like sunshine. We made our way into the salon and were led to a private room. Adonis was adamant about treating Lillian like royalty. Settling into our chairs, we shared our wishes for the day and began to unwind.
“So, Liz, I heard you had an assignment with Noah?”
I shot a panicked look at Lillian, who wore a knowing smile.
“How did you… Did Adonis tell you?”
