Page 126 of The Lilac River

The moment the door clicked shut, silence fell over the kitchen like a soft blanket.

And I turned my gaze on Nash, heart racing.

Because now? Now he was mine. And I was his. And for the first time in a decade, there was nothing standing in our way.

Chapter 45

Waiting for Love - Avicii

Nash

Taking Lily by the hand, I led her into my room.

Nerves, anticipation, need, desire, every emotion attacked my synapses at once. There was urgency in my steps, yet I wanted to make it last. I wanted to savor every single moment because tonight, this moment, wasn’t just about sex. It was about us. About rebuilding something sacred. It was our new start. The beginning of what I hoped would be a lifetime of firsts and forevers.

"Nice room." Lily gave a nervous little giggle, her voice soft and uncertain. "A bit different to how it used to be."

I glanced around, suddenly seeing it through her eyes, the California King bed made up with dark blue sheets, the rich cream walls softened by the warm glow of the bedside lamps, the white plantation shutters that let in just enough moonlight. It was clean and tidy...but somehow sterile. Nothing of my personality really lived in it anymore. Aside from a photo ofBertie, and one of Mom, the space didn’t say much about me, who I was, or who I’d become.

I had a walk-in closet, a heavy oak set of drawers, and an old wingback chair that usually had a pile of clothes draped across it. I’d made an effort for tonight. I’d cleared the chair, tossed the laundry in the closet, lit a candle I found in a drawer that smelled like vanilla and cedar. I’d even washed the damn sheets. Lily didn’t need the stench of sweaty men, livestock, or old regrets clouding what I hoped would be the night she remembered for the rest of her life.

"It could be nicer," I offered with a shrug, like it didn’t matter, even though it did. "Dad had it redecorated while I was at college. Thankfully, I got home before he bought any fugly furniture for it. Not in time to save my posters and trophies, though. Those got boxed up. Probably rotting in the barn."

Lily's gaze wandered the space, landing here and there with a curious, familiar tenderness. Lingering over the familiar and unfamiliar pieces, the small comforts and impersonal polish.

"It smells lovely in here," she said with a soft smile. "No sweaty football gear or that awful cologne you used to wear."

I clutched my chest. "You wound me."

Her laughter lit the room.

That cologne had been horrendous. Until Lily had gently confiscated it and marched me down to the mall to find something that didn’t smell like a synthetic forest fire. I still wore the one she picked. Every day. Had done for ten years. Even when I thought she’d never come back.

"That smell would be the furniture polish," I added, with a grin. "Oh, and I vacuumed. Trying to evolve past the Neanderthal stage."

"It's a good start." Lily gave me a coy smile over her shoulder as she trailed her fingers across the comforter. At the head of the bed, she bent to sniff the pillow. My eyes followed her hungrily.

"They smell of detergent. Did you wash your sheets too?"

"I did. Especially for you."

Her smile faltered, softening into something deeper, heavier with meaning. When she straightened, I drank her in.

Every curve. Every line. Every golden inch of her.

Her breasts strained against the thin white cotton of her summer dress, delicate cutouts revealing bronzed skin like glimpses through clouds. Thin straps tied at her shoulders, and the fabric cinched at her waist before flaring out into a floaty skirt that hit mid-thigh. She was sun-kissed and glowing, radiant in a way that had nothing to do with the moonlight and everything to do with her just being Lily.

God, she was everything.

I imagined her in another white dress. A longer one. A dress with buttons or lace or tulle. One that would change both our lives forever.

"I would do anything for you, Lila," I said roughly. Honestly.

She stepped closer, her fingers curling through the belt loop of my jeans. Her voice was small, raw. "I know. And thank you. Because... I'm not sure I deserve it."

"Hey." I reached up and tucked a wave of hair behind her ear, letting my thumb trail along her cheekbone. "What did I say about no more apologies?"

A decade of hurt and silence hovered between us, but in this moment, we let it fall away.

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