Page 45 of Irresistible

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Tuesday

Hearing the doorbell chime sent a quick shot of panic through Lilly’s heart. Seemed her dog was having similar feelings as he began barking like his life depended on it. It was his fierce I’m-going-to-bite-you bark. Which had become a regular thing since last Wednesday. Any male who had gotten close to her lately was properly warned away. The relaxed dog she had enjoyed for so many years apparently was a thing of the past. Not that she minded. Popcorn was on duty, and he meant to let people know.

Sliding her chair away from her desk, she stepped over to the window and looked down at the street. She wasn’t expecting visitors and had no reason to answer her door. It was a new policy she had recently embraced, and it made her feel a hundred times better, along with the new front door she and her dad had ordered. No more pretty glass front door for her. She was going to make sure there was a major barrier between her and anyone standing on her porch.

Precaution was becoming her new middle name. Between Ruth’s release and Drew’s visit, she had every reason to be more cautious. The bruises on her face had faded, as had the headache and sore muscles. Physically, she was back to normal. Emotionally, she wasn’t even close. Being physically abused was playing with her emotions in a way she hadn’t been prepared for.

It seemed she was going to have to spend some time with her therapist again to navigate the jumble of feelings. It had worked after Ruth, and she expected it would again. A major difference she noticed was that she had a big ball of rage sitting in her stomach. That hadn’t happened after Ruth held her at gunpoint. Maybe it was because the woman was mentally ill, so it made the attack seem less personal. Drew, on the other hand, allegedly had control of his faculties. His actions left her feeling angry, hurt, and sad.

The doorbell rang again and she looked out for a car she recognized. The street was clear from her vantage point, so she went back to her desk and let Popcorn bark his head off. Whoever it was would eventually get the idea and leave.

The house phone rang, and she checked the caller ID. It was Brock…That was a surprise. She hadn’t heard from him since the text he’d sent her on Friday afternoon. As far as she knew, he had decided to vacate her life. Which made that ball of rage get a little bit bigger. Closing her eyes, she took in a long, calming breath and then answered the phone. “Hello.”

“Hi, honey.”

Hi, honey, my ass, she thought to herself. “Who’s this?”

“What do you mean?” he bellowed into the phone.

“Never mind. I recognize the voice of anger. How are you, Brock?” Seems that she had more than a few feelings about his behavior over the last couple of days. She was pissed and she didn’t know if she had a right to be. After all, what were they to each other? She had no idea.

“Come open your front door.”

Tapping her nail against the desk, she waited a second to get ahold of herself. “I don’t care much for your orders, and I’m not real interested in having company right now. Why don’t you come back another time?” When he didn’t respond, she rearranged some things on her desk. “Also, if you decide that you want to visit, I’d suggest making a phone call to make sure that I’m available.”

“I fucked up, didn’t I?”

“Can’t really answer that for you.”

“Lilly, please come down and answer the door. I owe you an apology, and I want to explain a few things.”

“You got any donuts with you?”

“I may be dumb, but I’m not stupid. Of course I have donuts.”

“Fine. I’ll make an exception this time. But be warned, I will no longer accept you showing up whenever you want. You call from now on and use the good manners that I suspect are buried somewhere.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I’ll be down in five minutes. I’m going to change out of my pajamas.”

“Don’t do that on my account.”

“I do not entertain guests in my nightie.”

“I’m not a guest. I’m your damn boyfriend.”

“I’m not real sure what you are, so I’m going to put on some clothes.” She ended the call and sat in her chair for a minute. As far as she could tell, a boyfriend wouldn’t disappear for a couple of days after his girl was attacked. Clearly, his definition and hers were different.

***

Seeing Brock’s face as she walked toward the door made her realize just how much anger she had. Was she angry at him or the situation? Maybe she was just plain old pissed. The speech he’d made the other day about being her backup and having her six was just a bunch of words.

Popcorn accompanied her as he’d been doing since last Wednesday. “I can always count on you.” After petting his head, she squared her shoulders and prayed she kept herself together. Crying or yelling was a real possibility, and she didn’t know which one she preferred.

When she opened the door, Popcorn growled and had his ears pointed forward. That was interesting. He’d always been friendly with Brock. Maybe he sensed her feelings and wanted to let him know that none of this was going to be easy. “Hello, Brock.”

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