"I'm hoping my ride is ready to go soon, too," Lily said.
After Meg and Andrew had left, Lily looked around for Will and Amy. She spotted them standing at the product table and knew they wouldn't be leaving for a little while yet. The crowd of people was starting to close in on her, and she knew that if she was going to have to wait around, she'd rather do it outside.
She took a deep breath as she stepped into the warm night air. Since it was just after nine, the sun had already begun to set, leaving behind a darkening twilight sky. Lily moved off to the side and sank down onto the stone bench there. She pulled out her phone and opened up her social media app.
"Hello, Lily."
A rush of warmth moved through her. It had been three years since she’d last heard his voice, though he had rarely called her that. Usually it had beenLily-belleorbaby. But those days were gone. From now on, it would only and forever beLily.
CHAPTER FOUR
Lily looked up to meet his dark brown eyes. His expression was guarded, but she could see the signs of exhaustion on his face. Her heart clenched as she recalled all he'd been through since she'd left. "Hi, Nate."
He wore a pair of dark blue jeans and a white polo shirt. He'd never been one for dressing up and when they'd gotten engaged, he'd made her promise he wouldn't have to wear a tux at the wedding. Of course, that was now a moot point. She couldn't help but notice that the flecks of gray in his hair were more plentiful than they'd been three years ago. He wasn't even thirty-five yet, but life's challenges were taking their toll on him.
Though his stance—hands on hips, feet braced apart—was distancing, Lily wanted to wrap her arms around him and feel his around her. But again...that was no longer going to be part of her present or future. She'd made sure of that.
"Would you like a ride home?"
His words surprised her. She wondered how his girlfriendmight feel about the offer. Regardless, it was very tempting. She was tired and getting home was very appealing, but since he was with someone now, she didn't feel right about accepting.
"Thank you, but I think I'll just wait for Amy and Will." She looked past him, searching for the woman who had laid claim to his heart once she'd set it free. "I wouldn't want to cause trouble for you."
Nate stared at her for a moment then said, "There's no one to cause trouble with. I'm heading to the manor now and thought maybe you'd rather head home than hang out here."
No one?The words contradicted the information she'd been given earlier. If something had happened, it had happened recently because as far as Violet had known, he was still with Crystal. "If you're sure..."
There was still no change to his expression. "I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't sure."
Don't do it,the voice in her head warned. But she told herself that it was for the sake of her health. "Then in that case, yes, I would like a ride back to the manor."
He gave a short nod of his head and looked out to the parking lot. Lily grabbed her purse and stood, hoping her legs wouldn't give out on her. In this case it had less to do with the MS than it did the nerves that had suddenly overtaken her body.
Nate gestured to the far side of the parking lot. "I'm parked just over there."
Though it was tempting to slide her hand into the crook of his arm, Lily gripped the strap of her purse tightly instead. All those things that she'd once taken for granted as part of their relationship were no longer hers. And that was because of the decision she'd made, no matter how heartbreaking it had been, and one she needed to stand by.
Could they be friends? She didn't know, but if they were both going to be staying at the manor for the time being, theywould need to be able to be around each other without making everyone else uncomfortable. This drive out to the manor would be a good start.
Once at the truck, he opened the door for her. In the past he would have at least held out his hand to help her or, more often than not, he would have lifted her up onto the seat. This time Lily gripped the handle above the door and leveraged herself in. Once she settled into the seat, he shut the door. Immediately the scent of his cologne enveloped her. It was an oh-so-familiar fragrance that lingered in the truck even when he wasn't inside it. One she'd often bought for him as a gift. Had Crystal been the one to give him more bottles of it after the last one she'd given him had run out?
The cab of the truck seemed to shrink as he climbed behind the wheel and pulled his door closed. Without looking at her, he started up the ignition and backed out of the parking spot. Lily took her phone out and texted a quick message to Amy so they wouldn’t wait around wondering where she was.
Caught a ride home. See you later.
Lily slid her phone back into her purse. "Just letting Amy know I got a ride home, so they aren't looking for me."
"Good idea."
Nate had never been one for talking a lot, and early on Lily had learned to accept his silences and not try to fill it with chatter, though she realized now that more often than not she had. But this silence was awkward and loaded with so many unasked and unanswered questions.
"I'm sorry to hear about your dad," Lily said. "And about what happened to your home and the garage in Sanford."
Nate glanced at her. "Thanks."
Lily knew that although Nate's dad had always treated her well, he hadn't believed her to be the right person for Nate. He hadn't said it to her directly, but Nate had conveyed some of it. She was too young for him. Too impulsive. And worse,Nate's dad felt that because of the seven-year age gap, she viewed Nate more like a father figure than a boyfriend. Nate's mom, however, had always been very sweet to her. She'd died a year after they'd started dating, so Lily hadn't known her too well, but she'd seen the toll her illness had taken on Nate and his dad.
"Are you going to rebuild in Sanford?"
