Page 24 of The Claiming Series: Collection 1
I stand and walk to the door, closing and locking it quietly so we have complete privacy. “Sit,” I instruct, pointing at the chair in front of my desk. I watch as she plops her butt down before returning to my seat.
“I’m sorry, but I won’t—Ican’tgo back there,” Lily says again, her expression haunted.
I capture her gaze, shocked by the fear in her eyes. “Lily, tell me what’s wrong,” I encourage softly.
She releases a shaky breath, dropping her eyes to her hands in her lap. Her shoulders slump in defeat. “There’s something I should’ve told you at my interview.”
I nod, sensing I won’t like what I’m about to hear. “I’m listening. Take your time.”
She bites her lip, looking so vulnerable that I want to scoop her up in my arms and tell her that whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. Nothing she can say will change how I feel about her.
“I left Miller Corp. because my ex-boss, Miller Cooper, pinned me up against the wall in his office and shoved his hands up my skirt,” she mutters, hervoice rough with emotion.
I’m not sure what I expected her to say, but that wasn’t it. A red haze descends in front of my eyes, and my hands clench into fists. I force myself to take a few deep breaths to calm down. Lily doesn’t need me going all Terminator right now.
“I kneed him in the balls, grabbed my purse, and went straight to HR,” she continues, her expression dark with painful memories. “Apparently, it was my word against his. There were no witnesses, and he didn’t leave any marks on me. He swore on his mother’s grave that he never touched me, even accusedmeof coming on tohim. As if I’d ever do anything like that.” she says, her mouth curling in disgust.
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” I ask softly, trying to keep the anger from my voice.
“I thought you wouldn’t believe me,” she whispers.
I shake my head in disbelief. “Why the hell would you think that?”
She lifts her eyes to mine again. “Because no one else did. Not one person had my back when they heard what happened. They either didn’t believe me or were too scared of losing their jobs. I should have told you at my interview, but I was scared. Why would you believeme, a woman you’d only just met?But I want you to know I never did anything to encourage that narcissistic asshole. One thing I’ve learned is I can’t control what other people think, butIknow the truth, and that’s all that matters to me, so if you want me to leave?—”
I hold up my hands to stall her tirade before she passes out from lack of oxygen. “I do believe you, Lily. And you’re not going anywhere.”
Her eyes widen in shock. “Really?”
I nod. “Really.”
Her face crumbles, and tears roll unchecked down her cheeks. “Oh, thank God. I was so scared you were going to fire me.”
Dear God, that fucker has done a real number on her. I want to rip him limb from limb.
Seeing her tears unleashes something primal inside me. Without thinking, I’m out of my seat and heading toward her. Then I hesitate. She’s recounted a disturbing incident—she isn’t going to want me touching her right now.
But then Lily does something surprising—she reaches for my hand.
I fold it into my larger one, humbled by the gesture. “Can I do anything?” I ask hesitantly. The need totake care of this brave, precious woman is overwhelming.
She doesn’t reply but stands and moves into my arms, wrapping hers around my waist and holding onto me for dear life. The silent sobs that shake her body tear at my insides.
I gently move us toward my chair and sink into it with her in my lap. She curls into me while she cries, her face tucked against my throat as I soothe my hands over her back.
“It’s okay. I’ve got you. Let it all go,” I murmur next to her ear.
Her tears dampen the front of my shirt. This is a side of Lily I’m not familiar with. She’s usually so composed, so together, but her vulnerability and the reason for it almost wrecks me.
My hand continues to smooth her silky hair down her back in a soothing rhythm until her tears eventually subside.
“I keep going over it, wondering if I did something or said something to make him think he could put his hands on me like that,” she says, her voice husky fromher tears.
I shake my head. “Men like that don’t need a reason. They don’t need encouragement. They see what they want, and they take it. You were unfortunate to become the target of a sick, arrogant fuck.”
Lily lifts her head to look at me, giving me a watery smile. “Thank you for believing me. It means a lot.”
“You don’t have to thank me. And you don’t have to justify yourself to anyone. Like you said earlier, you know the truth, and that’s all that matters.”
