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“Thanks, kid. Let me go check my phone…And call my mom, I guess.”

“Yeah, you’re both gonna wanna check your phones and emails ASAP. I’ll get set up at the table, and we’ll get shit sorted.”

With all of the morning activities, I had left my phone on do not disturb mode far longer than necessary. As soon as I typed in my passcode, my screen was flooded with missed calls, text messages, and voicemails.

“Holy shit,” Eliot exclaimed from across the room, his brow furrowed as he looked at his phone as well.

Charlie made herself at home in the kitchen, pouring herself a cup of coffee and making a plate of fruit and bacon. She pulled a laptop out of her giant bag and set up a work station for herself.

“Told ya. Here. Check it out.” She twisted her computer around so the screen was facing us, a candid photo of Eliot kissing my shoulder as I looked back at him centered at the top. We weren’t looking at the camera; we were entirely engrossed in each other.

He looked sexy as hell in his suit, his tattoos peeking out of the collar and wrapping around his neck and down his hands that were planted on my hips. The black ink popped against the color of my dress. It made for a striking image.

“Want copies of those pictures,” Eliot replied, and I smiled. Charlie nodded in approval before a quiet fell over us as we read the article, certain quotes popping out at me.

“Why are you doing this interview now?” I asked, and watched as Lilah bolstered herself. Her gaze held mine, that quiet strength shining through.

“I wanted to clear the air. In the past, I was content to stay quiet, but that was before. The lies that are being spoken about me are not harmless. This has gone from something upsetting to harassment and defamation.” You can see the fire in Lilah’s eyes as she discusses how her name has been dragged through the mud by her family and former fiancé these last few months.

“I am so beyond honored you agreed to speak with me, and I’m looking forward to sharing your side of the story. You have nothing to hide or be ashamed of.”

“You’re right. have nothing to hide, especially now. I’m happy. I’m living my life on my terms and have a support system beyond anything I could imagine. I’m finally realizing that it was my family who made me feel small…And I’m finding out there’s so much more out there for me than I ever could have imagined.” Lilah’s gaze shifted to the man in the corner, her dark protector. Their connection is palpable even among the crowded room, Eliot Finch’s focus only on his fiancé.

Sounds from the front door broke the concentration, and Charlie excused herself to answer it. Happy voices grew louder as Charlie, Fee, Cece, Seph, and Beth all came in.

“Oh, my darlings! The article was just beautiful.” Cece gave me a tight hug before briefly squeezing Eliot’s shoulder.

“Is it true? What Charlie’s been saying about The Little Finches?” Beth asked, her eyes glassy.

“Haven’t really had a chance to go through everything yet, but I definitely have plenty of emails from potential donors,” Eliot replied. I reached out to grab his hand, proud of his dedication to the charity he had started in his mother’s honor.

“Is that a ring?!” Seph pointed to my hand, and everyone froze. Before Eliot or I could say anything, screams broke out, and I was pulled from my chair and surrounded by the women who had accepted me as one of their own from day one. Tears spilled out of my eyes, my body feeling close to bursting with happiness and love. Beth pulled me into her arms, rocking me from side to side like I was a little girl.

“I’m so happy, my sweet girl. You deserve all of this and more. You’ve brought such joy to this old woman. I’ll never be able to explain just how much you mean to me, to us. Welcome to the family my love.” She kissed my cheek, and we finally managed to get settled around the table. Once there were no more tears or interruptions, Charlie got to work barking out orders.

Our house slowly filled with club members. Star and Keys were working with Beth on the foundation while Eliot and I fielded calls from reporters, magazines, and organizations looking to partner with us. We were taking a quick break for lunch when my phone started ringing, displaying an unknown number. Assuming it was another interview request, I answered without thinking. I nearly dropped the phone when Kyle's voice came barking through the speaker.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Everywhere I go, people are asking questions, whispering, staring. Do you even care?” Charlie immediately set her phone beside mine and hit record. Making sure my call was on speaker and the volume was turned all the way up, she caught my eye and motioned for me to keep him talking.

“Kyle?” I needed him to confirm it. If I was handing this over to my lawyer and the police, I wanted everything documented.

“Who the fuck else would it be?” he snapped. “You ran away, Lilah. That's all you did. You ran.” His voice was ragged, as if out of breath. Before I could reply, he kept going.

“You can change your number. You can tell everyone who will listen that you've moved on. It doesn’t matter. Every day that passes only proves how little you understand me.” The threat hung in the air. Steeling my spine, I made sure my voice was steady before replying.

“I think I understand you pretty well. It wasn’t my intention to embarrass you. I want you to stop telling lies about us. We’re not getting back together, Kyle. You have to realize that by now.” Bull was physically holding Eliot back, whose cold expression was scarier than anything I had seen before.

“You don’t know what you want. You never did. This is why you need me. Look at how you’re ruining your life without me! I know you’ve convinced yourself this rebellion is freedom, but it’s only another phase, another mistake. You’ll come back.” The anger in his voice had me pausing. Kyle sounded different, like he was no longer tethered to reality.

“I’m hanging up now, then I’m going to call the cops. I’m not telling you this as a threat. I just want clarity between us. We are over. I do not want to see or hear from you. This is a violation of the no-contact order, and I will be documenting it.”

“Shut the fuck up! This isn’t a game, Lilah! You’ve already made a mockery of all of us, but we can still fix it. We aren’t finished. I don’t care what you tell the cops, the media, or that rabid dog you have following you around. I’ll see you dead before you marry anyone but me.”

The click of the call ending might as well have been a gunshot. The room exploded into motion. Voices overlapped. Chairs scraped against the floor. Phones appeared in hands. A second later, Eliot was beside me. He pulled me onto the couch and into his lap, wrapping both arms around me. I rested my head against his shoulder as he rubbed slow circles across my back.

For once, instead of worrying, instead of asking questions, I let myself sink into Eliot’s embrace. Surrounded by family, friends, and the people who loved me, I was safer than I’d felt in a long time. And somehow, deep down, I had a feeling Kyle wouldn’t be getting another chance to harass me.

Chapter 33