~Jackson~

IMMEDIATELY, LILY SHUFFLES AWAY FROM ME. I am tempted to grab her waist and keep her with me but I am not going to seem driven or anything out of ordinary.

Lily smiles softly at me and looks somewhere behind me, yet I cannot seem to take my eyes off of her. She's so adorable with her silky chocolate brown hair and sexy bangs. Her beanie is filling in most of what's on top and her ears. She looks so satisfied and cute.

Lily's smile fades and my brows crease in questioning, completely missing that she is not looking at me.

I turn to look at the woman who called for Lily.

The woman looks to be in her early thirties, an enormous smile on her features. Her face looks like she had been using thousands of aging products. No offense, but it looks like she had been testing and once she saw that nothing was working, she stuck to make-up.

Me? I am honestly not trying to insult her, she does look decent.

What mostly snatches my attention, though, is the guy next to her. He has the exact chocolate brown hair as Lily. Their features look almost the same except for his dark green eyes.

He catches Lily's gaze, both their smiles are wiped. That's not her dad, right?

"Lily."

"Daddy."

I can hear the mock in her voice with a subtle hint of scorn. Yet her face carries an entirely different story with sharp emotions.

"Daddy?" I suspect though the answer is pretty obvious. They look almost comparable. "He is your father."

"Let's just say, my long lost father. . ." Lily says, turning to look at the woman next to him. "Em, looking beautiful as ever!"

"Could say the same about you!" She smiles a tight-lipped smile, blinking twice at once. "When last? Two, three months ago?"

"Last time I saw you was in August."

It's starting to get awkward here, just staring at the two having a conversation about when last they saw each other.

"Well, your party was a hit!" Em smirks, running her long nails through her hair. So long. What does she do with those long nails? I mean, what can she do with those long nails?

Lily giggles and wow, it sounds so phony that I feel sorry. Like a joke was said by a minor who urges you to laugh. When I look at Lily, she is tucking a strand of her fringe behind her ear.

"So, what are you guys doing here? I mean, in JCNP." Lily asks, forgoing the gaze of her dad.

Her dad smiles a little, shoving his gloved hands in his tweeds. "We are out on a date. Actually, we were going to Cara's but Em inferred we just take a walk."

However, Lily doesn't peek a glance at him. She smiles at me or she smiles at Em. Anyway, I feel like something is going on here.

"That's nice, well, we are going to get going. We still have a long walk ahead." Lily grabs my hand, turning us to walk away from the very affluent-looking pair.

"We'll walk together. It looks like we have so much to catch on to!"

This Em lady seems to be very very irritating. I don't know how Lily's dad can put up with her.

✎✎✎

". . .and then he almost fucks her over!" Em ends her boring ol' story and laughs obnoxiously loud.

Lily cringes. She does not like swearing.

I feel like a girl listening to the stories of her husband. It took her a walk through the park and skiing snowshoeing just to tell one story. And more awaits, well, not unless I make up an excuse for having to go.

Just then, my phone rings, and I fish my phone out of my jeans pocket. Linda, you are a lifesaver! I almost sigh in relief but stop myself when I feel three pairs of eyes on me.

"Uh, I have to take this. Work stuff. . ." I mumble, strolling over to a more quiet and vacant area.

"Linda, ah, nice of you to be calling?" I am scornful of Linda's questions to come.

On the other side, I hear the faint sigh of Linda. I can just imagine her shaking her head in mock disappointment. Or was she actually disappointed? I don't know, you can never tell with Linda.

"What's wrong, Jack?" Linda asks almost to get this specific subject over with. "I swear, I am not going to help you kill a poor cat who is afraid of you Jack."

I cringe. "The cat almost killed me, thank you very much!" Rolling my eyes, even though she cannot see me, I sigh. "I just need you to call me in for work. Actually, me and Lily. I'll explain everything later."

"Fine. You know what to do."

YES!

"Thanks, Lin, you're a lifesaver!" I nickname Linda, knowing she is going to tell me not to call her that. "And yes, I won't call you that again."

I laugh when she starts calling me names because I called her Lin.

Shoving the phone into my pocket, I wipe the grin off of my face and allow a small smile of pity to spread across it. Lily is the first to notice me, her eyes screaming help.

Do not worry sweet love, we are getting out of here.

Why was that so cliche? Or was it just me?

Anyways. . .

I drape my arm around Lily's waist, smiling sympathetically. "That's work. We gotta get in!"

"But I thought you were the owner of your bookstore? Can't you let them know you're busy?" Em, hypothesize.

"No offense, but my dad left the bookstore for me to look after and I am not going to sit around and spend time with people I barely know, especially if my bookstore is literally at stake right now." I fabricate.

Em looks up at her husband, her brow raising.

Did I hurt the feelings of someone?

I look down at Lily and she smiles, her cheeks wanton red. I'm not sure if it's because she is eager or because of the biting wind, but it does look cute on her.

I can almost assure myself that it is I who is making her flush like that, excessive perspiration jumping off of her body language. She is redolent with her darling aroma.

"I-well, okay. Um, it was very nice seeing you again Lily." Em says, flustered. "Yes, actually. I need to speak to you about something Lils. Do you think we can plan a date to meet up for lunch?" Her dad begs.

I feel Lily's hand tighten around my arm and somehow, it feels like a mother.

There is definitely something going on here.

Lily smiles an unnatural smile, visibly gulping. "Sure, how about tomorrow?"

"Perfect I'm off this whole week."

✎✎✎

The car ride to the bookstore is silent.

The only sound is the revving of the engine and Lily's loud hitched breathing. I have to take a glance at her now and then to make sure she is not crying.

Her eyes are watching the many cars and buildings as we pass them.

I want to break this silence.

But she beats me to it. It is not what I expected though.

Small muffled sobs fill the car's small space.

All I can think about is that Lily is crying in front of me. I never, in my entire life saw her cry, and seeing her cry now, breaks my heart in ways I never thought feasible.

I pull up on the side of the road, many different kinds of cars zooming past me.

When I glance at Lily, she has her hands covering her face, her head shaking from side to side as if saying something. Yet, I don't understand.

"Lily?"

She keeps her head down, not looking at me. To see that and know that that really amazing smile of Lily's will not be making an appearance anytime soon, irritates me.

I have never been this irate and frustrated since almost two years ago.

"Lily, talk to me. Look at me," I whisper, deliberating whether I should just grab her hand and hold it close to me so that she doesn't lurk away from me anymore. I do not want her covering her face while she is crying. "This is no weakness, it's just emotions. Something that makes you human. I want to see you in your simple form, please, look at me."

I sound like I am talking to a creature but Lily is far from that.

She removes her hands from her face, still not looking at me. I will let her process whatever she is going through.

"I can't believe I actually saw him today. And not even a single word about why he left? Not even a short sentence that will explain why he decided on his career over his family." Lily rants, finally looking at me and that's when I see it all.

Her terrors.

Her angels.

Her affection for the word family itself.

Her flaws.

Everything that makes her human, yet she can't seem to see that.

"Can you allow me to vent?" She pleads, "if not, it's okay. I just really want to get everything off of my chest." Her flaring nose is now rosy, her eyes a little puffy. Those hazel eyes that I have loved since forever, do not hold the same radiance it always does. Her father really damaged a sensitive part here. "I have so much to say."

She whimpers the last part, gently mopping away the teardrops that drop on her jeans.

"Please don't think of me as vulnerable or anything remotely close to it. I just really think I could do better than keeping all this inside, you know?"

"I understand, and I would never think of you as vulnerable. Sweetheart, come on!" I smile slyly, hoping to lift the mood.

"Sweetheart?" She laughs out, lying her head back against the seat. "You getting too cheesy and cliche these days."

I smirk. "Only for you."

Lily wipes her eyes, her cheeks a scarlet color. Still, she looks as beautiful as ever. Her lips curling up in a small smile. I sit, waiting for her to vent her heart out. Metaphorically.

"When I was born, my dad was rarely home, if not, never. He was mostly present in Mia's three to four years of her life since she was born. When we were old enough, we moved out because well, we had nothing else left. My mom passed and the only people existing in our life were my dad's PA and two bodyguards. He chose his job over us." Lily sobs the last part out, almost hyperventilating. "He never really noticed that we left the family home and sold it to pay for our own small apartment. It was the hardest thing to do. . ."

I knew there was something about her dad that set me off. He is a rich and powerful man that thinks he can get anything. His wife, for instance, was a good example. She is snobby. She looks to be there for the money only.

"Do you remember when Emerald said my party was a hit?" Emerald, that's her full name. I knew it wasn't just Em. I nod at Lily. "She was the only one that attended because my dad was too busy fixing business as she said but I knew it was something more than that."

"All my life, I forgave him for taking the yield of his career. I thought that I would do that as well, but as I grew up, I understood what money does to people, so I stuck to small jobs. Like selling ice cream, etc etc." Lily stares off into a distance, licking her dry lips. "I love him, I really do, but I never thought of him as my father. Just as the same guy who made my mom happy."

I feel like sh*t. Lily conceals all these emotions behind a smile that warms my day, even in the cold. Lily's demons seem to make their arrival a lot, from what I can see.

"I hate him, though. I want tomorrow to be the last time I see him and if not, then to hell with him." She looks at me, tears restoring in her eyes again. "Jackson, can you accompany me tomorrow. You don't need to be at lunch with us, you can stay in the car if you'd like. Just please, don't make me go alone."

Lily pleading with me not to let her go alone, I have no choice but to accompany her. Not that I had any thought of it, I don't even hesitate.

Lily means surprisingly a lot to me and I will never her down. Whether it be the last thing I do.

"I will always be there for you, Lily!" I smile softly, and she leans her forehead onto mine. Lily closes her eyes, silently sniffing. She thinks I can't hear her sniff. It's cute and funny that it makes me grin. I close my eyes, "I will not allow you to go alone."

After some time of silence, I feel Lily's fingertips graze my jaw. I forgot to shave this morning and I am sure she can feel a little sharpness of my stubble.

I allow my hands to roam at the back of her head, grabbing a fist full of her neutral chocolate brown hair.

I don't miss the movement as Lily leans in closer to me, I do the same though.

I open my eyes, too afraid to leave them closed. Lily's chest is rising and falling at a very rapid pace. Her heavy breathing sending waves of sweet scents to my senses.

I allow her to cup my cheek and that's when the world falls apart and our own builds.

Lily's lips are soft and a tiny bit inexperienced but, you know what? I love it.

All the fantasies of the last ten years come crumbling down and I make a mental note to keep these addicting lips for myself.

I thought my first kiss with Lily would be craving and lust-filled.

But I love this one.

Where the kiss is passionate, slow, and deliberate.

Electricity runs throughout my body like I am being shocked. But I don't feel pain, I feel satisfied.

Lily pulls away from me, her breath coming out in heavy puffs. Like she just ran a marathon. She keeps her forehead plopped against my own.

"Oh. . ." She murmurs and after some time, she removes her forehead, laying her head against the seat again. "That was. . ."

"You're amazing, Lily. Just don't expect me to ignore this once you come to your senses." I comment, almost fearful.

Lily's head snaps in my direction. "I am sane, Jack. I know you think I just kissed you so that it could detract me or something, but I've been wanting to do it since this morning already. And I think I l-"

Lily is cut off by the loud honk of the van behind us. When I look through the mirror, it's a cop van. I squint my eyes and catch sight of the driver telling me to move.

We probably weren't supposed to be parked here. I smile at Lily and we both accidentally, burst out laughing, going back onto the main road and driving to the bookstore.

I am glad she is not crying anymore though, she is entitled to way more than this with her dad.

She means well.

✎✎✎

I feel bad for Lily. next chapter is of Lily and her dad. please vote, comment and if this is so far enjoyable, share! <3