Chapter 47
By the time we finish eating, I’m leaning back in my chair, one hand on my stomach, the other covering my mouth as a satisfied sigh slips out. Lilly wipes her mouth with a napkin, eyes twinkling mischievously like she’s already up to something.
“So,” she says casually, tossing her napkin onto her empty plate. “How about we go grab a drink p>
I give her a flat look. “You do remember I’m pregnant, right p>
She smirks. “Relax, mama bear. They make non–alcoholic drinks, you know. You can sip on apple juice in a fancy glass while I enjoy something stronger. Everybody wins p>
I roll my eyes but can’t help the laugh that escapes. “Only you would drag a pregnant woman to a bar p>
“Correction–only I would know when a pregnant woman needs it,” she counters with a wink. “Come on, Si. You’ll feel better p>
I hesitate for a second, weighing my fatigue against her stubborn streak. She means well, and I know that I need this. I need to be around some positive energy after having to deal with Noah and Brook.
Finally, I sigh, shaking my head and teasing. “Fine. But only because I know you’ll be miserable without me p>
She rolls her eyes and gives a snort but smiles nonetheless.
We pay our bill and head out. Thirty minutes later, Lilly pulls into the lot of a cozy–looking bar that glows warmly against the night. Music hums low, laughter spills out of the doors, and the place feels alive but not overwhelming.
Inside, the air smells faintly of citrus and something sweet from the cocktails being made at the counter. Lilly slides into a booth near the back, and I follow, grateful for the quiet pocket away from the main crowd.
When the waitress comes, Lilly orders some kind of cocktail with a name I can’t pronounce, and I stick to a soda.
While we’re waiting, I lean forward, picking at a straw wrapper. “So… Brook came to see me today p>
Lilly arches a brow. “Brook p>
“The one and only,” I mutter. “She didn’t come for a friendly chat, though. She… threatened me p>
Lilly’s face hardens instantly, her playful spark dimming into something sharper. “She what p>
“She told me to stay away from Noah,” I say quietly. “That I’ll regret it if I don’t p>
The disbelief on her face quickly morphs into anger. “Are you kidding me? That hypocrite! Who the hell does she think she is, making threats? When did she even get the audacity to come at you? And why the hell did Noah tell her about your pregnancy p>
Her words come out fast, like bullets, and I can feel the heat in them. I almost smile despite myself, because this is Lilly, ready to burn the whole world down if someone crosses me. 1
“I was just as shocked when I saw her p>
I should tell her everything, from Noah’s visit last night to the scare in the morning, but I don’t want to worry her too much… and even though her relationship with Noah has always been rocky because of me, I don’t want to add more strain to it by telling her he came with more threats.
“I told you we should have dealt with her a long time ago,” she grumbles, folding her hands across her chest. “The only way to deal with someone like that is to crush them before they get too poweful… Now see, she has the balls to come at you because you were too kind and didn’t want me to take care of her and Chloe p>
The moment we realized the kind person they are, Lilly came up with a suggestion to deal with them. ‘dealing with them‘ could have meant a lot of things, and knowing my crazy best friend, I couldn’t risk us going to prison.
“You know Noah sees her as his sister,” I tell her with a sigh.
Lilly growls, “She’s a fucking leech, that what she is p>
The thing is, Lilly has tried telling Noah so many times about Chloe and Brook’s manipulations but he wouldn’t listen. He always thought that Lilly was just slandering them because of me. Actually, he thought I was pulling the strings and putting Lilly up to it, so he never even let Lilly get the words out any time she tried talking to him. 2