Ugly(98)

“I-I can come p-pick you up.”

“Um.” Again, I don’t want him knowing where I live, because I want to remain private. I need to be smarter and protect myself until I’m one hundred percent sure the people I let into my life are going to stay.

“I get it. It’s okay, I u-underst-stand. How about I meet you, say at s-seven?”

We agree to meet outside a restaurant downtown and then Max tells me he has to get back to work. I go out to find Shayne and let her know what’s happening.

“Shayne?” I call when I go out to the kitchen and don’t find her.

Liam comes out of their room. “Hey, Shayne’s having a nap. Are you okay?”

“Oh yeah, I just wanted to give her the USB drive to give back to Michaela and to let you guys know I’m going out with Max tonight. We’re going out for dinner, so I won’t be around.”

Liam pulls a chair out in the dining room and sits down, and invites me to sit at one. I know he wants to talk with me. “Lily, Shayne and I really love you. You’re like my sister and I know she loves you like you’re her own flesh and blood. But what happened last time, I had to pick up the pieces, and she didn’t cope too well when you disappeared and wouldn’t return any of her letters. She was literally devastated, and I can’t watch her go through that again.”

I sigh, because I understand what he’s saying. “Max is a friend. And you know I didn’t get any of Shayne’s letters. Trent must have thrown them away.”

“Okay, I know that now. But listen, Lily, if Max is just a friend, you need to tell him that. Because he may be hanging around, hoping he’ll be more than just a friend.”

“He knows.”

“No, he wouldn’t. Trust me on this. He’s a dude, I’m a dude. I know how we think. I know you wouldn’t lead him on, but tell him up front and be honest with him. If he wants to stick around and be your friend, then great. Bring him over so Shayne and I can meet him. But if he wants more, then you need to tell him. Because it isn’t fair to him, just as it won’t be fair to you if he starts expecting certain things from you.”

Damn, Liam is hitting on valid points. I’ll speak to Max tonight so he knows where I’m at emotionally, and that I’m not in the market for a relationship. I can’t give him what he may want, and I know there’s no way I can give him what he needs. “I see your point, and you make a lot of sense.”

“We don’t want to see you get hurt again. Since you’ve been with us, in just this short time, you’re already different. You smile more, you actually laugh and you look happier. You can stay here for as long as you want Lily; you’ll always have a place here. No matter what happens, you’ll always have a place in our family.”

I can’t help but let a tear fall. “Thank you,” I whisper.

Liam stands and comes around to hug me. He kisses my head, and says, “Have a good night tonight. I’ll drop you off and pick you up.”

“No, you stay with Shayne, I’m going to get a cab.”

“Okay. Hey, before I forget, have fun at your driving lesson, too.”

“Thank you.”

“Just remember your keys, and let me know you’re leaving for your non-date, date with Max.”

“I will.”

I go back to my room and get ready for my first ever driving lesson.



“So, I hear you’re going out for a non-date date with Max,” Shayne says as she sits on the bed and watches me go through my limited closet trying to find something to wear.

“I am. And I’m going to tell him I only have room in my life for a friend.”

“If he’s a good man, and from what you tell me, he is, then he’ll be more than happy with that. I mean, why would he have sat with you in the hospital if he didn’t have respect for you?”

I shrug my shoulders and keep looking at my lack of clothes. “What am I going to wear?” I ask aloud, but don’t really expect an answer.

“Oh, hang on, get your black pants, I have a really pretty sweater that’ll go really nicely. And you can borrow my black boots.”

“Your black boots? They have a heel. I can’t walk in those crazy high heeled boots.”

“Hang on.” She gets up and dashes out of the room, then is back in a few moments with a gorgeous red sweater hooked over her elbow, and a pair of boots with a very low heel. “Here, try these on. But now I’m thinking about it, you can’t wear those black pants, they won’t go.” She hands me the sweater and the boots and she darts out of the room again. “Here.” She lays a pair of black, skinny leg jeans on the bed. “They’ll go better and you’ll look hot.”