by Riley Storm
He shook Patrick’s hand as they were introduced.
“You can sit at the bar,” Patrick said. “Pick any two seats.”
“Thanks,” Lilly said, and headed off, Trent following along.
They seated themselves at the bar on the wooden stools, ordering drinks immediately from the waiting bartender whom Lilly also knew. Due to Trent’s size and the cramped nature of the bar, they ended up with their adjoining arms pressed together. Trent looked down at the contact and started to pull away, trying to shuffle his chair a bit farther to the side.
To his surprise, Lilly laughed it off, shaking her head at him. “It’s fine,” she said, tugging on him to stop trying to move. “Don’t worry about it. It’s no big deal. We’ve been, um, closer.”
Trent’s eyebrows nearly hit the roof at that comment. “We have,” he agreed carefully, not wanting to ruin the comfort of being near her. “But you also seemed to be having some regrets.”
“Well,” Lilly said. “It’s just…”
“That I came on strong?” he supplied when she faltered. “Just throwing it all at you like that?”
Lilly laughed and shrugged helplessly in acknowledgment.
“I wanted to apologize, by the way, for broadsiding you like that with it all. I…should have gone about that whole thing better.”
“It was a lot to take in at first,” she admitted in a tone far lighter than he would have expected.
What had changed with Lilly? Why was she suddenly so okay discussing all this?
“But I wanted to thank you for giving me the space I asked for as well,” she said.
“I’ll give you as much space as you need,” Trent said immediately. “We can take things at any pace you want. Whatever makes you comfortable, Lilly. If you’re interested, that is. I’m just looking for a second chance.”
“Well,” Lilly said, looking pointedly at their touching arms. “You are out to dinner with me. I think that counts as a second chance.”
Relief flooded Trent, and he had to work hard not to let it affect his composure.
I haven’t lost her after all, he thought to himself.
He still had a chance to win over his mate. This time, however, he was going to have to do things the right way. Without screwing it up.
“Can I ask why you decided to take me out to dinner?” he asked with a smile, acknowledging that she’d been the one to ask him. “You could have just gone home. What changed your mind?”
Something had happened, he was sure of it now. Something more than just space had happened while he was gone. It wasn’t the incident at her store with the Church crazies either, he decided. No, there was…something else.
He just didn’t know what.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Lilly
“Was it really that obvious?” she said, then worked to cover up the relief she felt as their drinks arrived at that moment, courtesy of Patrick. “Thanks.”
“Enjoy,” her manager said, then retreated to give them some space, but not until raising a questioning eyebrow in her direction.
She ignored it for now, though she knew the next shift she worked here, whenever that was, she’d have to spill the beans on Trent. Hurrah.
“Is it bad?” Trent asked and then started to say something more.
Lilly watched him abruptly pause then close his mouth and relax, giving her time to speak.
“It’s not that bad,” she said quietly. “I just wasn’t ready to go home yet, and I wanted to talk with you about…everything, I guess. The two things seemed to go hand in hand. Besides, a drink or two before going home sometimes helps.”
“I don’t understand,” Trent said, confused. “What are you talking about?”
“I live with my parents,” she said, admitting that embarrassing fact with more than a little trepidation.
How would Trent react to knowing that she was a failure? That she’d lost the life she’d built only to have to come crawling back to her parents? It wasn’t exactly something that people would want to hear from a prospective ‘mate’, whatever that meant to him.
“Oh,” he said. “I didn’t know.”
There was no judgment in his voice, which surprised Lilly. There wasn’t much of anything actually, the more she replayed his words. Just plain acknowledgment of the fact.
“Is that normal among dragons?” she asked. “To still live with your parents when you’re thirty-one?”
“Ah, not necessarily,” Trent said. “But we live as clans at the same time. So, often our parents are still there, even if we have a different dwelling. I know it’s different for humans, but I figure there’s a reason for it. You just haven’t told me yet.”
Lilly nodded. “There is.”
He was perceptive.
Trent waited in silence while Lilly gathered her thoughts, trying to figure out where to start and how to tell the whole story to someone who hadn’t been around for any of it. She wanted to tell it once and once only. It was too painful and embarrassing. She didn’t like talking about it much, if it could be avoided.
“Have you ever felt like you’ve been judged for something that wasn’t your fault?” she asked at long last, having sorted and organized her thoughts.
Trent stiffened, and for a moment she thought he was going to lose his composure.
“I have,” he answered in a flat, neutral voice.
Lilly held back the wave of questions that filled her. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one wrestling with some inner demons. The look that had filled Trent’s face when she asked the question wasn’t something that could be faked. It was too genuine, like he’d been caught completely off guard by the question, and memories and emotions had leaked through his normally strong defenses.
Lilly made a mental note to find out just what that was all about. She needed to know the truth about Trent, about his past, his history, if there was ever going to be anything between them. Whatever it was, he was going to have to open up eventually. But right now was about her story.
“Well, then you can understand that my home life is difficult,” she said quietly. “Especially because my parents never supported my decisions before. Or now.”
“What do you mean?”
She blew air from her nose. “Where to begin? They think I should have gone to college. That I should have spent my money on a post-secondary education, despite me knowing it wasn’t for me. That it wasn’t something I was interested in.”
“Ah, so they don’t approve.”
“The only thing they approved of was me getting married and then hopefully popping out babies,” she said bitterly. “Though that second part never ended up happening.”
“You were married?” Trent asked, surprised.
She nodded. “Thank you, by the way.”
He frowned. “For what?”
“Not being judgmental of that fact. Most people change when you say you’ve been married and divorced. You just accepted it as a fact.”
Trent shrugged. “You’re my mate Lilly. I’m sorry for the pain you experienced, but I will not judge you ill for what you did before we found each other.”
She nodded, not really sure how to respond to that statement. So she didn’t.
“Anyway, my parents told me that the money I’m spending on the store now, I should have been using to go to college for the first time. They’ve not been shy of criticizing me for opening a new business. Nor have they stopped dropping offhand comments about what happened to my life the last time.”
Trent frowned. “It’s never too late for you to go to college. However, it sounds like you don’t want to. You’d have gone after high school, as I gather most humans do if that’s their chosen course.”
“Exactly. It wasn’t right for me though, like I said.”
“So what did you do?” Trent asked, leaning forward slightly, his focus entirely upon her.
She appreciated his willingness to let her tell the story but also the way he was listening and understanding wh
at she was saying. It was nice to have someone on her side. Someone who didn’t want to criticize her.
“I opened a business. In Kennewick Falls. Not a store, like this time around. It was an advertising and marketing agency. We focused on social media. It was going well. I had enough money to save for a house, pay my employees well. Life was good, for a while.”
Trent nodded.
“I even met someone. Fell in love. Got engaged. Married. He was nice.”
“What happened?” Trent asked quietly, knowing that there was a twist to the story, else she would not be where she was now.
“Competition happened. A big name agency opened an office in the area. They had resources to fight me. I tried to fight back.”
“You lost,” Trent said, nodding slowly.
“I lost everything,” she admitted quietly, pausing to take a drink, needing the fortifying courage of the alcohol to continue. “I became obsessed. Not with my product, not with what we were doing, but with beating the competition. I failed my team, I failed my husband, and I spiraled downward and out of control.”
Trent looked unhappy, but he said nothing, letting her continue.
“I re-mortgaged the house for more money. Loans. You name it. I poured it all in. And in the end, it didn’t make a difference. We closed down, and I came back to Five Peaks in the back of my parents’ car because I couldn’t even afford the train ticket,” she said, hanging her head.
“And your husband?”
Lilly snorted. “He did the smart thing and got the hell out of there before I dragged him down as well. Filed for divorce, which was finalized a few months ago, though I’ve not spoken to him since. He deserves better anyway. I don’t blame him for anything. I ruined a year of his life and came within a hair of doing far more damage on top of that. I hope he’s found someone better.”
Trent growled. “There is nobody better than you.”
She smiled and reached out to pat his hand, letting her fingers rest there for a few moments before pulling back. “Maybe for you, Trent. But the same isn’t true for everyone else.”
The big dragon shifter pondered that for a moment. “I suppose.”
“Thank you for the compliment though,” she added.
“And because of how your parents view you now—as a failure, you think—that’s why you’re reluctant to go home?”
Lilly saw where he was going with that logic immediately. “I am not using you as an excuse not to go home,” she said sternly. “Get that through your head right now. We needed to talk. I was probably going to come here no matter what. I just chose to bring you as well. I just couldn’t face going home. Not yet. I couldn’t deal with them. With more of their comments.”
She closed her eyes, taking several deep breaths, trying to bring herself back under control.
“They say they’re looking out for my best interests, but it doesn’t feel like it. It’s like they aren’t proud of me. Like they were never proud of me since the day I told them I didn’t want to go to college.”
Lilly blinked fervently, fighting back tears. I will not cry in the middle of the restaurant. I will not.
Trent tilted his head at her, watching for a pair of heartbeats, then he seemed to come to a decision. He reached into his pocket, pulling out some folded bills and tossed them on the counter, setting his drink down next to them. Then he took hers and put it on the bar.
“Come on,” he said, getting to his feet, gesturing for her to come with him.
Lilly got to her feet and headed for the exit at a wave of his hand to show where he was heading.
“Where are we going?” she asked, confused.
“For a walk,” Trent announced confidently. “Outside. Maybe to get fast food or something.”
He was obviously working to get her out of the restaurant, away from the prying eyes of the people there.
As they headed for the exit in lockstep, Trent shied away from a table where a patron was pushing back his chair to get up. The motion brought him close to her, and their hands brushed against each other as they walked.
A surge of electric excitement raced up her arm, shocking her with the nervous energy it released through her body.
Should I take his hand? Or was that just an accident because of the table? Was he trying to see if I’d pull away?
Lilly was unsure. She didn’t know what to do.
Am I ready for that?
Chapter Twenty-Five
Trent
His hand was still tingling from where it had brushed against Lilly’s as they walked for the exit. It felt like he’d received a jolt of energy through his body, like being up in the clouds during a storm, feeling the hairs on his body lift with the same sort of magnetism.
That was what he’d felt just then. It was completely different to earlier. Only a few minutes earlier, she’d touched the back of his hand. The closeness, the soft pressure of her fingertips, it had been nice, but it hadn’t been like this, and Trent wasn’t sure what it meant.
Or what he should do.
Should I have taken her hand then? She didn’t pull away. Does that mean she’d be okay with it?
Glancing over, he saw that Lilly’s attention was focused elsewhere. Her eyes had that slightly glazed look, indicating she was deep in thought.
Is she thinking the same things I am?
If that were the case, he might be okay to take her hand. To hold it within his. A symbolic action that would also show his willingness to protect her.
No. She’s not ready for that. After what she confessed in the restaurant, she’s hurting right now. Don’t make the mistake of trying to rush to the rescue when you haven’t been asked to. She’s in pain, and you have to be there for her however she wants you to be. Your own desires are moot at this point.
“I’m sorry for bringing that up,” he said as they emerged outside into the late afternoon light.
This far into the mountains, the sun was lost beyond the ridges earlier in the day than elsewhere. This time of year, it stayed up for the longest, and it was just now beginning to disappear behind the tallest peaks.
“It’s okay,” Lilly said.
“I didn’t realize quite how painful it was,” he added apologetically.
“Honestly, it’s okay Trent. I could have chosen not to answer if I wasn’t okay talking about it. I’m the one who chose to open up to you after all.”
Trent’s heart rate spiked at that admission. It was a big deal, he knew, that she’d chosen to do that. Instead of simply having drinks and making small talk about life, Lilly had chosen to reveal something big and painful, something she likely didn’t bring up in everyday chat.
And she’d done so to him. Lilly wasn’t just giving him another chance. She was trying to make it work.
Trent fought down the giddiness that filled him at that prospect. He needed to remain cool and calm. Letting himself get worked up was what would lead to him pushing too hard, too fast, for what he truly desired. He had to be there for Lilly and let her go at whatever pace worked for her, not himself.
Baby steps then.
“Would it be okay if I hugged you?” he asked quietly.
Lilly pondered that for a moment, glancing up at him. Trent wasn’t sure what it was she saw in him, but he hoped it was good.
“Yes,” she said. “Yes, that would be okay.”
Trent instantly wrapped his arms around her much smaller frame, pulling her into his chest and squeezing solidly but comfortably around her. He wanted Lilly to feel safe and secure within his embrace. Although he refrained from words, he tried to project the thought that he would always be there for her if she needed him. With a hug like this or anything else. Whatever it was, he would be there for her.
For that instant in time, it was just the two of them standing there together in the parking lot. The universe ceased to exist. They had each other, and for that moment, that was all that mattered.
To his surprise, after a few seconds Lilly turned her head to the s
ide and lay it on his chest, resting it there as she let out a big sigh, seeming to sink a bit deeper into him as she did.
“You know, it’s probably good for me to talk about that with someone,” she admitted.
Her voice was stronger now. Less wavery and no longer on the precipice of crying.
“I can understand why you don’t talk about it much,” Trent said. “It can’t be easy.”
“No, it’s not. Besides my parents, obviously, the only person I’ve talked about it with is Claire.”
“I’m sorry that you’ve been having a hard go of it,” he rumbled, not sure what else to say.
“It’s not been all that bad,” she said. “Not until I decided to start this new business. That’s when things really started to spiral. When the comments became almost cruel in nature. Then the troubles started with the store, so I’ve been juggling that as well.”
Trent felt an instant wave of guilt at that, knowing that he’d contributed majorly to her problems.
“Yes, I can imagine. With all the other stuff going on, the emergence of us dragons to the public, and then the Church growing in strength in opposition to us and generic anti-dragon sentiment, your parents are probably concerned. Afraid, even, for you.”
“Well, if they are, they’re taking it out on me,” Lilly said.
At some point, they split apart from the hug. Almost. One part of them remained joined. They’d taken several steps toward the sidewalk before Trent realized that they were now walking hand in hand. He forced himself to remain calm, not to bring any attention to it. If he did, the spell would end, and she would drop his hand.
“I can’t justify what they’ve been doing,” Trent said quietly, forcing his mind back to her parents. “However, I suspect that they’re doing it out of fear for you. Out of a desire to protect you. It’s not that they’re not proud of you, but rather that they think if you follow the ‘normal’ path, you won’t get hurt. Again. They don’t want you to experience that failure.”
Lilly snorted. “That’s a bullshit excuse.”
Laughter rumbled like thunder deep in his chest. “You’re not wrong there. Not wrong at all. The way they are going about it is all wrong, of course. All I’m saying is it’s born of caring for you. They just don’t know how to express it any better.”
