“I went and rented a cabin from Pastor Joe and we had a long talk. He made me realize some things. I’m so sorry, Mom and Dad.”
My dad reached over and gave my arm a light squeeze while my mom got up from her seat and hugged me.
“She’ll come around. Lily loves you too much to give up. She just needs time.”
“I hope so, Mom, because I don’t think I can live without her.”
Cody walked over to let me know that the first band was here. I had them set up on the stage and then I sat back with my parents and watched them perform.
****
Lily
“I like you, Wyatt, and I think we’ll work well together. You’re hired.” I smiled.
“Thank you, Lily. I’m so excited.”
Wyatt’s passion for photography was what drew me to him. Listening to the way he felt about photographs and art reminded me so much of myself. I took a look at some of his photos and was very impressed. He still had a lot to learn, so working for me would be perfect for him.
“Who is this fine, ripped-looking man?” I asked as I studied the black and white photograph.
“That’s my boyfriend, Grant. He’s trying to break into the modeling biz.”
“Well, it looks to me like he should have no problem.”
“He is a hottie, isn’t he?” Wyatt smiled.
I looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost time for Charley to get out of school. If I didn’t leave now, I would be late.
“Why don’t you stop by my studio tomorrow after classes and we can go over a few things before Friday’s shoot.”
“I will be there! Thank you for this amazing opportunity, Lily,” Wyatt said as he hugged me goodbye.
I drove to the school to pick up Charley. I made it just in time, as I saw her walking out the doors when I pulled up. A huge smile graced her face as she climbed in the Explorer and hugged me.
“How was school?” I asked.
“It was okay. I couldn’t wait for it to be over so I could go with you to your studio. I’m so excited to see it.”
As we stepped through the door, Charley looked around at all the pictures on the wall.
“I like your pictures, but you don’t have one in this spot and it looks weird,” she said as she pointed to the corner.
“That’s because I was saving that spot for someone special.”
She looked up at me and smiled. “Who?”
“You.” I tapped her on the nose.
“Really!” she exclaimed.
“Yep.” I stepped behind the counter and pulled the bag from the shelf and handed it to Charley. “I bought these outfits for you a while ago. I was saving them for your birthday, but I think now is as good a time as any to give them to you.”
She opened the bag and took out the articles of clothing with a big smile on her face. “Lily, I love them. Thank you,” she said as she hugged me.
“Go in that room over there and get changed. I’ll do your hair and then we’ll have a photograph session. I think it would be a great gift for your mom and dad. Plus, you will look amazing hanging on my wall.”
Charley went to change and I heard my phone ring. Maddie was calling.
“Hi, Maddie.”
“Hi, Lily. I just wanted to let you know that my parents are having a birthday party for Charley this weekend at their house and I’m hoping you’ll come. I know Charley would be devastated if you didn’t and my parents would be upset as well. Luke told them what happened, but my mom said that you’re still a part of the family and she wants you to come.”
“I don’t know, Maddie.”
“Listen, I totally understand the awkwardness, but if for anything, do it for Charley. It’s just one day. Plus, Adam and I want you there.”
She was right. I had to think about Charley and nothing else. It was her birthday and the last thing I wanted to do was ruin it.
“I’ll be there, Maddie.”
“Great. Thank you, Lily. The party starts at noon and it’s all day. I’ll talk to you later.”
Charley walked in with her first outfit on. She looked so cute.
“I love this outfit!” She smiled.
I walked over to her and ran my fingers through her hair. “I’m thinking maybe some curls would complete this adorable outfit.”
We walked back to the changing room, where I had the makeup vanity set up. She sat in the black chair and we talked while I curled her hair.
“Someone has a birthday coming up.” I smiled.
“I know. I can’t wait.” She giggled. “I thought this year’s birthday was going to be the best ever because my dad is back. But now, you and Uncle Luke aren’t talking to each other, so I guess it won’t be so great after all.”
I felt the biggest ache in my heart after hearing Charley say that. She didn’t understand and it killed me to see her hurting so much.
“Charley, things are complicated right now between me and your Uncle Luke. I can’t explain it to you because you’re too young. But, I can promise you that you’re going to have the best birthday ever! I’m going to make sure of it. I don’t want you to worry about me and Luke anymore. In fact, I don’t want you to be mad at him. He loves you more than life and it really hurt him deep down that you won’t talk to him. This is a grown-up situation and there are no sides to be taken. Make sense?”
She nodded her head and then looked down. I lifted her chin as I swept a little bit of pink blush across her cheeks. I brought her curls over her shoulders and she smiled as she stared at herself in the mirror.
“Come on, Miss Model; let’s get this photo shoot rolling.”
She giggled as she got up from the chair and we headed to the photography room. After we had some dinner and ice cream, I walked Charley up to her apartment. As soon as we reached the top step, the door opened and Luke walked out.
“Hi, Uncle Luke.” Charley smiled.
“Hey, peanut. How was your day?”
“It was great. Lily and I had so much fun!”
“That’s great.” He smiled as he patted her on the head and looked at me.
Maddie came to the door and thanked me. I said goodbye to Charley and then headed for the stairs.
“Hey, Lily?” Luke said as he followed me down the stairs. “About Charley’s birthday. I don’t want it to be awkward for either of us or her. I appreciate you putting everything that happened aside to come and be a part of her birthday.”
“It’s for Charley. I wouldn’t hurt that little girl. I want her to have the best birthday ever, so let’s make sure that she does.”
He gave me a small smile as I went into my apartment and he went into his.
22
Lily
“Great studio, Lily,” Wyatt said as he walked around.
“Thank you. Let’s go over tomorrow’s shoot.”
We spent the next two hours going over the location, equipment, and overall plan. Wyatt was great and I knew I had made the right decision hiring him.
“Lily, is that what I think it is?!” he asked in excitement as he stared at one of my cameras on the shelf.
“Yep. It sure is.”
“Oh my God. I’ve always dreamed of shooting with this kind of camera.”
“Go ahead and snap some pics. I don’t mind.” I smiled as I turned around and continued looking at some orders.
He took the camera outside and, when he walked in, he called my name. When I turned around, he snapped a picture of me.
“Are you done playing?” I asked.
“Yeah. Thanks. I need to go now. I have a class I need to get to. I’ll meet you at the pier at eleven to set up.”
“Sounds great, Wyatt. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
Later that evening, as I opened the building door, I saw Luke unlocking his door and Cody standing next to him. My stomach instantly felt sick and twisted and my heart started beating at a rapid pace. He looked at me.
“Oh, hey. Hi, Lily.” Cody smiled.
“Hi,”
I softly said as I opened my door. Once I stepped inside and closed it, I leaned my back up against it and began to cry.
Did I have the right to cry? My chest felt heavy and my breathing felt constricted. I had wrapped myself in a cocoon to protect myself from feeling any more hurt. Obviously, my cocoon wasn’t tight enough because the pain and hurt were seeping through at a rapid pace.
****
Luke
I gave Cody the files that I left on the counter and escorted her to the door. The look on Lily’s face when she saw her standing there was torturous. I could only imagine what she thought. Fuck. Maybe I should have gone over and explained. She would probably have slapped me. I pulled my phone from my pocket and began to send her a text message. I stopped. She was the one who wouldn’t give me the time of day and she probably wouldn’t have believed me anyway. I set my phone on the counter and picked up my guitar. As I was strumming a tune, there was a knock at the door. I jumped up, hoping it was Lily. It wasn’t.
“Lucky. Come on in.”
“Hey, man. I need to talk to you for a minute.”
“Sure. Beer?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“What’s up? Is everything okay with Giselle and the baby?”
“Yeah, they’re fine. I love her, bro. I mean, I’m in love with her.”
I sat there confused. “Okay. Are we talking about Giselle?”
“Of course we’re talking about Giselle. I want us to be a couple.”
“As in marriage?”
“No. I’m not ready for marriage. I want us to be exclusive.”
“You do know that means you can’t be hitting on other women, right?”
“I know that. I don’t want to see other women. I only want Giselle. Despite some of her annoying ways and flaws, I love her.”
“That’s great, bro. But your emotions are running really high right now. I think you should wait.”
“That’s what Sam said. Oh well. Maybe you’re right. When are we going to play at the bar again? I’m missing it.”
“Funny you should mention that. I was watching a band audition today and thinking the same thing.”
“Then let’s do it.” He smiled. “I think all of us need to get back to some normalcy.”
I chuckled. He was right and music was the perfect place to start.
“I’ll look at my schedule and let you and Sam know. You’re a daddy now and you’re going to be busy.”
“Nah, never too busy for the band. I’m off, bro. I need to get back to the hospital. Thanks for the talk.”
When he left, I picked up my guitar again and started strumming the song “Don’t Fear the Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult. It was time to escape inside my music.
****
Lily
I opened up my laptop and connected the camera to it. I hadn’t had the chance to go over all the pictures I took of Charley and I wanted them done in time for her birthday. When the file opened, I noticed the picture that Wyatt took of me. I was looking over my shoulder and the way he captured the look on my face was unnerving. I had a look of sadness, torture, and distress. Was that how people really saw me? I shook my head as I poured another glass of wine. I scrolled through the pictures of Charley and was very happy with the results. I picked my favorites and, as I began to edit them, I could hear Luke playing his guitar through the wall. I sipped my wine, edited my pictures, and took in the sound of the melody he played.
The next morning, I called Dr. Blakely to see if she had time to see me after my photo shoot. I had packed the Explorer yesterday with everything I needed from the studio, so I had some extra time this morning before I had to leave. I heard Luke’s door shut and then there was knock on my door. I opened it and Luke was standing there, holding something in his hand.
“Sorry to bother you, but I have to change the furnace filter. It’s that time of year. I figured I better do it now while you’re home and before I head to the bar.”
I waved my hand for him to come in, but didn’t say a word. Looking at him made me crazy because all I could picture was Cody. I went to the kitchen to pour another cup of coffee and I heard Luke cuss from the hallway. I didn’t react.
“Lily, can you grab me a towel? I’m bleeding.”
Shit. I walked over and handed him the towel.
“Thanks,” he said as he wrapped the side of his hand.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he said as he shut the door to the furnace.
I could see the blood soaking through the towel. “Luke, what did you do?”
“I cut myself on a piece of metal that I never shaved down like I was supposed to.”
“Let me see,” I said as I made him sit down at the table and I slowly removed the towel from his hand. “Oh God, you need stitches.”
“I’m fine. I don’t need anything. I have to go. If it doesn’t stop soon, then I’ll go to the ER.”
“It’s not going to stop. It’s a deep gash.” I looked at the clock. I had three hours before I had to be at the photo shoot. I grabbed another towel from the linen closet and replaced the blood-soaked one.
“Come on; I’m driving. Don’t get blood on my seats,” I said as I grabbed my keys.
“Lily, I’m fine.”
“GET YOUR ASS IN THE TRUCK NOW!”
“Watch your mouth,” he said with a slight smile.
We climbed in and I took off. “Keep it wrapped tight.”
“I’m trying.”
“They better not be busy because I have a photo shoot in less than three hours.”
I pulled up to the doors of the ER and told him to go inside and that I’d meet him as soon as I parked. By time I found a spot, they had already put him in a room.
“Excuse me, but where is Luke Matthews?” I asked the nurse.
“Right this way,” she said as she led me down the hall.
I walked in and Luke was sitting up with his hand over a silver tray.
“The doctor will be in shortly. Just hold on,” the nurse said.
“You can go. I’ll get a ride back,” he said as he looked at me.
“Do you want me to call Cody for you?” Shit. The words just slipped out.
He looked down. “No, Lily, and what you saw yesterday was business. I left a folder on the counter that she needed and she followed me back to get it because I wasn’t going back to the bar.”
“You don’t need to explain anything to me. It’s none of my business.”
“I didn’t want you to think anything else,” he said just as the doctor walked in.
He gave Luke a tetanus shot and then placed five stitches in the side of his hand.
“Okay, you’re good to go. Keep that dry for the first twenty-four hours.”
“Thanks, Doc.”
He got up from the bed and looked at me. “Thank you, Lily. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome,” I softly replied.
We climbed back into the Explorer and, on the way home, Luke asked me a question.
“Did you say you have a photo shoot today? That’s great. I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks. It’s for Prim Magazine. It’s their fall fashion shoot. We’re doing it at the Santa Monica Pier.”
Why the hell did I just tell him all that?
“Congratulations. You’ll do great.” He smiled.
His smile. It made me weak every time. It always did. Even in the middle of an argument, he would smile and I would instantly forget what we were arguing about.
“Thanks.”
I dropped Luke off at the door and told him I had to get to the pier. He gave me a small wave before closing the car door.
23
Luke
“What happened to you?” Maddie asked as I walked in the bar.
“I cut myself changing the furnace filter. There was a piece of metal I forgot to shave down.”
“Ouch. Are you okay?”
“It hurts a little, but I’m fine.”
“How did you
drive to the hospital?”
“Lily drove me. It actually happened in her apartment while I was changing her filter. Oh, by the way, I’ll be changing yours later tonight.”
“Oh, okay. How did that go? I mean with Lily driving you to the hospital.”
“It went okay. Is Cody here?”
“Yeah, she’s in your office.”
“I have a few errands to run. I need to go get Charley’s birthday present and some flowers for Mom. I’ll be back later.”
I hopped into the Jeep and drove to the guitar store, where I picked out a nice guitar that Charley could grow with. I then headed to the flower shop down the road and I bought two dozen roses. One dozen was for my mom and the other was for Lily. I wanted to thank her for taking me to the hospital, but I was not so sure they’d be well received. It was a small gesture. A thank you. How could she deny that? She still cared about me, even though when I looked at her, all I saw was anger in her eyes. Maybe tomorrow, at Charley’s party, we could make a little bit of progress. I liked to think that was what happened today when she drove me to the hospital. Progress. One day at a time. I’d get her back and our love would be stronger than it was before.
****
Lily
It was a perfect day for the photo shoot. It went better than I expected, thanks to Wyatt and his assistance. The day seemed to fly by. Since it was my first magazine photo shoot, I was in my glory and I loved every minute of it. When we wrapped, Adalynn asked if we could finish up the shoot on Monday morning at the studio. She overbooked a couple of the models and they needed to be somewhere else. I told her that it was fine and I’d be there. As Wyatt and I were gathering the equipment, I looked over and saw the Ferris wheel that Luke and I went on together when we first brought Charley here. I remembered being so scared because I hated heights, but he made me face my fear, and when I did, I saw things differently. I’d never forget that night.
“Hey, are you okay?” Wyatt asked.
“Yeah. I’m fine,” I said as I snapped back into reality.
We loaded the equipment in the back of the Explorer and I hugged Wyatt goodbye.
“You are an amazing assistant and I want to keep you working for me. I really don’t have much for you to do right now, but I’ll be in touch.”