He sits next to me. “Tell me what happened.”
I unlock my phone and tell him, “I was in the office, and I heard something outside. I pulled up the camera and saw someone running away from the house.” I swallow down the fear that tightens my lungs before sliding the phone across the counter to Chris. “I was scared to watch the rest before you got there.”
Chris picks up my phone with one hand and grips the back of my stool with the other. As the video plays, his jaw tenses repeatedly.
“Can I send this to myself?” he asks after a few minutes.
I shrug. “I don’t know how, but if you can figure it out, you’re more than welcome to.”
He plays around on my phone until he finally locks the screen and sets it on the counter. Clasping his fingers together, he rests his forearms on the counter.
I don’t know what he could have said that would have shocked me more than what comes out of his mouth next.
“Lily, I know you’ve said you don’t want to stay here, and I think that is the best decision. But after the cops leave tonight, you have two choices. Either I stay at the hotel with you, or you come to my condo. I don’t feel comfortable with you being alone.”
14
Chris
Inever really understood the concept of afuck itmoment until now.
But, then again, maybe I’ve embraced that a little more than I realized from the second I laid eyes on Lily. And now, sitting here in her kitchen, where the catastrophic events occurred that led her to me, I’m very much leaning into this feeling. We can figure out the rest later.
Lily shakes her head, her brow furrowed. “Chris, I really appreciate the offer. But really, I don’t want to inconvenience you more than I already have. I’ve already taken up so much of your time this week. And now you’re here with me instead of doing whatever you usually do with your evenings. I can’t in good conscience intrude any more on your life.”
She’s so cute that she thought that was an offer. If I can’tget her to agree, I’ll be at home, not sleeping, worrying about whether someone’s coming after her.
I need to reassure her that I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I try to soften my tone as much as I can. “I wasn’t doing anything except sitting at home working, so you didn’t interrupt anything. And as for tonight, I’m not trying to be a bossy asshole, but you need to pick one. For my own peace of mind, I need to make sure nothing happens to you.”
Her head tilts as she studies me for a moment, a swirl of emotion in her eyes reflecting back at me. Finally, her lips twitch into a meek smile. “Okay, thank you. I’ll stay with you, since I’m sure the hotel is getting expensive.”
Before I can say anything more, the doorbell alerts us to what I assume is the arrival of the police. I stand to go let them in and escort them to the kitchen. After some curt greetings, Lily recounts what happened earlier in the evening and sends them a copy of the video.
Neither seems particularly interested, which is frustrating. They act as if they have no idea what happened here just a few days prior. After informing us that they’re pretty sure the person is long gone, they walk the property to look for anything suspicious. Knowing there’s very little chance they’ll actually find anything, I can’t help but feel disappointed when they tell us as much.
We’re told they’ll file the report and send it to me when it’s complete. I’m not convinced they’ll do much to investigate, since there isn’t much to go on and the man’s face is completely concealed in the video, but at least it’s on the record.
When we’re alone again, I ask, “Do you have everything you need?”
She pushes the stool back and stands. “Let me just grab a few things. My suitcase is by the door.”
I nod. “I’m assuming you’ll want to take your car so you have it?”
“Yeah. That way, I can stop paying for rides.”
My stomach twists. I would’ve much preferred to be the one acting as her personal chauffeur, but that was one argument I couldn’t seem to win when I brought it up.
“Alright, go get whatever else you need. I’ll load your suitcase into my car.”
Once she disappears out of sight, I suck in a deep breath. Relief and an odd nervousness are taxing my body. Lily will be safe because she’s with me, but having her so close is going to test my self-control like nothing has before.
But I’m a goddamn professional. One of the best attorneys in the state, according to some. All I’m doing is going above and beyond in order to help my client. That’s all this is.
I continue repeating my newfound mantra to myself until we step out of the elevator and into the hall leading to my condo. Unlocking the door, I push it open, indicating to Lily to go in ahead of me.
She walks inside, looking around, then smiles over her shoulder at me. “I always wondered what the inside of this building looked like every time I would pass by. This is gorgeous.”
Pride fills me. I didn’t become a lawyer to make a ton of money. That was never my goal. But coming from humble beginnings, I’ve certainly enjoyed the ease in life that having a lot of money brings. This condo was the first thing I bought after my income increased substantially, and it was the first thing that made me feel like I’d made it. The inside is large and expansive, with high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows across the far wall, the city lights twinkling below us. My furniture is simple, but expensive. Everything’s clean and tidy, with minimal decorations, per my instructions to my interior decorator.
