He Loves Me Not: Lily’s Story, Book 1 (11 page)

A
n hour
later I crossed my arms as I looked out the front window—again.

Where is he? It only takes a few minutes to drive over here. Is he even going to show up?

Then a new idea came to mind.

Maybe he's trying to punish me for hurting him the other day.

Forcing myself away from the window, I went into the kitchen and drank a glass of water. A few minutes later the doorbell rang.

The tenseness in my muscles seeped away as I hurried to the door, and a moment later, as I gazed at him standing on my porch, I had to use all of my self-restraint not to fling myself into his arms.

With a calmness I didn’t feel, I said, “Come in, Trevor.” He smiled at me as he stepped into the living room. “I was starting to wonder if you were going to show up.”

His smile grew. “Like I told you on the phone, I’d been sleeping. I wanted to take a shower.” He leaned toward me and whispered in my ear. “I wanted to smell good for you.”

Longing pulsed through me, and when he led me to the couch, pulled me onto his lap, then pressed his lips to mine, I responded eagerly. But after a few moments I remembered that all was not well, and still breathless, I disengaged my mouth from his.

“Wait a minute, Trevor.”

His heavy-lidded eyes met mine. “What’s wrong?”

I slid off his lap and moved to the other end of the couch. “We need to talk.”

“Why can't we talk over here?” He patted his lap.

He didn't seem to be himself, and I wondered if my earlier suspicion was accurate, and that he’d been drinking.

“I feel more comfortable over here,” I said, watching him closely. His voice sounded normal enough, but he wasn't usually so blatant about wanting to be physical—especially when he knew how important it was to me to wait until marriage to be intimate.

Despite my concern, I pressed ahead. “I wanted to apologize for the other day. I didn't mean to be so rude and throw you out. I was just upset.”

With a disarming smile, he said, “That's okay, Lily. I understand. But now what? Where do we go from here?”

His vivid blue eyes, combined with his killer smile, drew me to him, and I forced myself to focus on our conversation. “I don't have all the answers.”

“You don't?” he said with a laugh. “And here I thought you did.”

His comment hurt my feelings, and I decided to go on the offensive. “Have you been drinking?”

“No.” He shook his head. “No, I decided I wasn't going to do that anymore, don't you remember? I told you the other day.” His eyes hardened. “You know, the day you kicked me out of your life.”

So that’s it. He’s still angry with me.

I sighed, and decided to change direction. “I have a gift for you.” I pointed to the package under the tree.

His gaze went to the present, then he looked at me. “I heard you came by my place earlier.”

“Yes I did.” The memory of his roommate's comment about Trevor’s family flashed through my mind. “I met your roommate, and when I asked him when you were going to Vegas, he told me something very odd.”

“What was that?”

As he gazed at me, I found it hard to look away, and even harder to say the bizarre words I'd been told.

“What did he say, Lily? Tell me.”

I blinked, breaking his mesmerizing stare, then took a deep breath. “He said your family had been murdered when you were in high school.”

Of all the reactions I'd expected, hysterical laughter was not one of them.

“Oh, Lily!” he laughed. “I can't believe you fell for that!”

Feeling extremely foolish, my face flushed deeply. I'd believed his roommate. My embarrassment turned to anger. “Why would he say such an awful thing? That's just creepy.”

His laughter died down to brief chuckles. “That's because he
is
creepy.”

“Why do you room with him then?”

Trevor reached over to stroke my arm, but I pushed his hand away, still feeling stupid for believing such a ridiculous comment.

“Hey, don't feel bad. Bronson does that to everyone. Kind of a test.”

“A test for what? To see if they’re as bizarre as he is? Did you pass his test?”

He smiled. “When I first moved in, he told me that the last guy who lived in my room killed himself, right there in that room. For a couple of weeks I’d get freaked out every time I walked into the room—until the guy who was supposed to be dead showed up to collect some money he was owed.”

Glad I wasn’t the only one who’d fallen for Bronson’s weird practical jokes, I smiled.

“Besides,” he said, moving closer to me. “Why would I invite you to come to my parents’ house for Christmas if they weren’t there? Now that would be really strange.”

“That’s exactly what I'd been wondering.” My embarrassment over, I scooted closer to him.

“So,” he said, “are you still planning on coming down to Vegas for Christmas?”

“I hadn’t planned on it. After the other day I assumed the invitation had been revoked.”

“I’d really like you to come. And I’ve already told my parents you’re coming.”

His body heat radiated toward me, warming not only my body, but also my heart. “Let me think about it. When are you heading down there?”

“My flight’s in three days.”

“Ooh. It will be expensive to buy a ticket with such short notice.” I grimaced. “That is if I can even get a flight.”

With a gentle hand, he stroked the curve of my cheek. “If it's the money you're worried about, I'll pay for your ticket. I don't care about the money. I just want you with me.”

Touched by his obvious desire to spend time with me, I felt loved and cared for, and I leaned in for a kiss.

We talked for a while, and when he got up to leave, I walked him to the door. “I'll let you know tomorrow what I decide. Is that all right?”

“Yes.”

I smiled as I watched him walk toward his car.

A
fter sleeping
on Trevor’s invitation, I awoke with the desire to spend Christmas with Trevor and his family. Once the decision had been made, I dialed Trevor’s number, but when he didn’t answer, I drove to his apartment to see if he was there.

Bronson answered the door.

“Is Trevor home?” I asked.

“I think he just got out of the shower.”

Remembering my feelings of foolishness from the day before, I said, “Hey, I’m sorry about your car.”

His eyes widened. “What?”

“Oh, whoops. I thought Trevor told you.”

Alarm filled his face. “What are you talking about?”

Grimacing as if I’d made a terrible faux pas, I said, “He told me last night that he saw your car in the parking lot and that it was pretty banged up.”

The alarm turned to pure panic, and he raced past me.

I tried not to laugh too hard.

He’d left the door open, and I called, “Trevor? Trevor, it’s Lily.”

I heard a door open, then Trevor came strolling toward me, barefoot. Jeans hugged his narrow hips, and as he pulled a t-shirt over his head, I caught a glimpse of his washboard abs.

“Lily,” he said with a smile. Then confusion descended over his face as he glanced around. “Where’s Bronson?”

A giggle burst from my mouth, then I told him what I’d done.

Trevor laughed. “He so deserved that.”

“Tell me about it.”

“I have to leave for work in a second, but do you want to come in?”

“Sure.” The moment I stepped inside, I could tell this was a bachelor pad—there were no feminine touches whatsoever. Dishes overflowed the kitchen sink, an empty pizza box sat on the coffee table, and the place had a closed-in smell.

“Sorry about the mess,” Trevor said.

“That’s okay,” I said, although I was thinking I didn’t want to be there too long.

“What brought you by today?”

The mess around me forgotten, I smiled. “I'd like to go with you to Vegas.”

“Really?” His voice was filled with enthusiasm. “That’s great! I can buy your ticket right now!”

At his tone, my smile grew. “Do you think there are any seats left on your flight?”

“There’s only one way to find out.” He grabbed a laptop off of the coffee table and booted it up.

The front door burst open, and Bronson stormed inside, his eyes tight with fury as he glared at me. “That was
not
funny.”

“Chill out,” Trevor said. “It was just a joke.”

Bronson’s gaze shifted to Trevor. “Were you in on it?”

Trevor glanced at me, then smiled at Bronson. “Of course. And after what you told Lily about me yesterday, you deserved it.”

The anger seeped out of Bronson’s face, and a half-smile turned up his mouth. “Maybe.” Then his gaze shifted to me. “You’re pretty gullible.”

Trevor put his arm around my shoulders. “It’s called being trusting, dude.”

I leaned against him, glad he had my back.

“Now, beat it,” Trevor said to him. “We’re busy.”

Bronson frowned and shook his head. “Whatever.” But he left us alone.

A moment later Trevor said, “It looks like they have one seat left on my flight. I don't know if we'll be able to sit together, but we'll be on the same flight.”

“That’s great,” I said. “I was sure the flight would be full.”

He typed in his credit card number, then turned to me with a grin. “It’s full now.”

My heart leapt with anticipation as I thought about going on this trip with Trevor. We would be able to spend so much time together. “You’re sure your mom doesn’t mind me coming?”

“Believe me, she’s thrilled I have a girl I want to bring home. My parents have been hoping I’d find a nice girl for a long time. I think they were starting to give up hope.”

His words warmed me, made me feel special. “I've never been to Vegas. I'm really looking forward to it.”

A short time later we walked out to the parking lot together, and before Trevor left for work, he gave me a lingering kiss.

“I can hardly wait for our trip.”

“Me too,” I said as love cascaded over me.

T
wo days
later we flew to Vegas, and as the plane approached the airport, I saw that it was sunny and clear. The pilot announced that the temperature was a pleasant fifty-three degrees.

As we deplaned, I held tightly to Trevor’s hand, anxious about meeting his parents. They were supposed to pick us up and I was afraid they wouldn't like me. It was very important to me that they approve of me. My parents were no longer around and I knew that whomever I married, that man’s parents would become replacements for my parents—at least that was my hope. Especially my future mother-in-law. I really looked forward to having a mother.

“There they are,” Trevor said, squeezing my hand reassuringly.

I tried to pick out his parents in the crowd, and when I saw a man and woman looking our way, and saw their friendly smiles, my body relaxed.

Trevor pulled me toward the couple and I felt the warmth in their eyes.

“Dad, Mom, I’d like you to meet Lily,” Trevor said, smiling broadly. “Lily, these are my parents, John and Marcy Caldwell.”

“It's nice to meet you both,” I said, holding out my hand.

John shook it, but Marcy stepped forward and pulled me into an affectionate embrace. “It's so wonderful to meet you at last, Lily,” Marcy said as she released me.

“Thank you,” I said, a little overwhelmed by the woman's attention.

Trevor laughed. “Don't mind her. I told you she’s ecstatic I'm finally bringing a woman home to meet her.”

Marcy laughed along with him. “I'm sorry, Lily, but it's true. Please excuse me.”

“No, no. It's fine.” I was just glad they were happy to meet me.

We collected our luggage and followed the Caldwell's out to their car, and as we drove to Trevor’s childhood home, I listened to the family banter, enjoying the warmth they had for each other.

Growing up, it had only been myself and my father, so our drives had usually been fairly quiet.

“Are Scott and Chris coming?” Trevor asked.

“Yes, they are. We'll have a houseful,” Marcy said.

“You know you'll love it, dear,” John said.

Marcy chuckled. “Yes, I will. All my boys together.”

A short time later we pulled into the driveway of their modest home.

“You'll be in the guest room, Lily,” Marcy said.

I followed her down a short hall to a small bedroom, while Trevor carried my suitcase and set it on the floor.

“I’ll let you get settled,” Marcy said. “I’m going to put lunch together.”

“Thank you.”

Trevor took my hand. “Let me give you the tour.”

Any discomfort I'd felt at being in a strange place with people I'd just met was alleviated in the warmth of Trevor’s hand. He showed me where the bathroom was and then showed me his old bedroom. “This is where I'll be staying, in case you need anything.” He kissed me lightly on the lips.

It looked the way I imagined a teenaged boy’s room would look. Blue walls with posters of different rock groups taped to the walls, a bedspread with dark stripes, and a television on the dresser.

“Nice,” I said.

“Thanks. It was a good place to live.” He smiled at me. “Of course I like having my own place a whole lot better.”

I nodded. “I know exactly what you mean. There's nothing quite like being completely on your own.”

Over the next few days Trevor showed me around his old haunts and I felt like I was getting to know him better and better. And growing to love him more. His parents were accepting of me and made me feel very much a part of the family.

“So when are your brothers coming?” I asked him as we took a walk.

“They only live about an hour from here, so they'll just come on Christmas day.”

I was looking forward to meeting the rest of Trevor’s family—there was a distinct possibility that they would one day be my family as well, and I was excited to get to know Trevor’s sisters-in-law. I'd never had brothers or sisters and was delighted at the idea.

“I've been meaning to tell you, Trevor, your Mom's a great cook. I don't know what you were talking about when you said she couldn't cook.”

“Yeah, I noticed too. Maybe she's been taking cooking lessons since I've been gone.” He grinned.

“Or maybe you were exaggerating just a bit.”

I reached out to punch him on the arm but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me close, burying his face in my hair. “Lily, Lily,” he murmured. “I love you so much. When will you say you'll marry me?”

His words warmed my heart. “Oh, Trevor, I love you, too. And I promise, I'll give you an answer soon. Please be patient with me.”

He looked into my eyes as a gentle smile turned up the corners of his mouth. “I'm trying to be patient. I really am.”

Then and there I gave myself a deadline.

I’ll decide by Christmas.

That gave me two days.

In my heart I wanted so badly to say yes, but I knew it was a decision I had to be sure about. Over the next two days I thought about marrying Trevor constantly, mentally listing the pros and cons. My biggest worry was his tendency to want to drink excessively and maybe use drugs.

But he’d promised he would stop and I desperately wanted to believe him. And I loved him so much.

Finally, after much deep thought and introspection, I decided to accept his proposal.