Page 138 of Only Lovers in the Building

That was high praise from the coolest bitch Lily had ever met. She pulled her copy of The Thought of You from her tote bag. “Take this,” she said. “And go kill them in the Maldives. I’ll be watching on social.”

The driver tossed the luggage into the trunk, and Sierra climbed into the back seat. Lily stood waving goodbye until the car slipped into the flow of traffic.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Her talk with Sierra left her buoyant. Lily floated across the lobby, high on self-confidence and girl power. She was that bitch. It was time to reclaim her power. She would decide her future irrespective of a man’s opinion on the issue. Yes, she’d done the dumb thing and fallen for her neighbor, but that shouldn’t condemn her to a life in exile. If she wasn’t ready to leave, she shouldn’t have to. What was the rush anyway? So little of her former life remained. Her brother was moving into her apartment. Her mother had custody of her plant baby. Most crucially, she did not have a job. New York was not a city for navel-gazing. If this building wasn’t big enough for her and Ben both, she’d move out. The thought alone pierced her heart. She loved it here. She loved the marble floors, fluted columns, gold leaf accents, faulty sconces, and every crystal chandelier—authentic to the period or not.

“Hey, Miss Lily,” the doorman called after her. “You’ve got a package.”

His name was Al, and she loved him, too. Lily reversed course and followed him to the mail room where she signed for a huge box.

“What’s in that thing, anyway? An oven?” he asked.

Al was from New York, Bronx specifically. They’d long bonded over this.

“A suitcase,” Lily said grimly. The day after Greyson’s book signing, she realized her dainty carry-on would not hold the bulk of items that she’d accumulated over the summer and ordered the oversize suitcase online.

“If you want, I’ll break it out of the box. It would be easier to wheel it into the elevator.”

“Smart man,” Lily said.

Al broke out an industrial box cutter. With a few quick moves, he freed the suitcase from its packaging. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

“Of course, if it doesn’t work out and you wanna return it, you don’t have the box anymore.”

“You might’ve pointed that out before you took it apart,” Lily said.

“We’ll figure something out,” he said good-naturedly. “Have a safe trip!”

Lily held back from telling Al she would not be traveling after all. She thanked him and wheeled her shiny new suitcase to the elevator. She’d stash it away then find Kylie.

The old building was blessed with great Wi-Fi and a strong cellular signal throughout, even in the elevator. She gave Kylie a call. Her friend answered cheerily. “Hey! We’re all on the roof. Join us.”

Lily loved the roof.

“What are you all doing up there?” she asked. It was almost three o’clock. Happy hour didn’t start until sundown.

“Jeremy and I were hanging out,” Kylie said. “Ben and Noah showed up. Now they’re huddled in a corner. I don’t know what that’s about.”

The appraisal. There was a good chance Ben’s father’s watch was worth a lot. That was money he could use for the future—a future she would have no part of. A future he refused to discuss with her. It was as if nothing existed beyond her departure date, as if she’d board the plane and disappear into thin air.

“Guess what?” Lily asked. “I’ve solved the Jeremy mystery.”

“Which one? There are so many.”

“I know how he can afford his apartment.”

“Spill!”

“Is he around? I can’t tell you if he’s standing right there.”

Kylie’s voice dipped to a whisper. “Come on. He never tells me anything.”

Jeremy’s distinct voice cut through the background noise. “What are you whispering about?”

“Nothing,” Kylie chirped. “Could you be an angel and get me another beer? This one is warm.”