For Everything (19 page)

Lily shrugged. She couldn’t help her insecurities or her fears. They were beginning to consume her.

“My brother and his wife will meet us at the house,” he watched her face, judging her thoughts by her expressions.

She didn’t respond, her eyes on her food.

Clay would let Will and Skye put her at ease when she met them. She would eventually overcome her fears, but for now, she couldn’t help fear people rejecting her.

“Eat a little, Lily, please.” He whispered, squeezing her knee.

Tom came over and sat next to her. “Did you talk to Jacob about getting Lily’s stuff from her apartment?” Tom picked up his food digging in.

Clay looked over at Tom. “Yeah, he has people over there now, and he already spoke to Ms. Simpson, the lady from the café.”

“That was fast.” Lily gasped.

“Jacob is pissed. Things are going to move fast.” Scott laughed.

Lily’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Jacob can make things happen, not sure how, it is just his way, his family owns the security company we use.” Kevin shrugged. “They take us personally and since you are a part of us, he takes you personally as well.”

Lily looked at Kevin, she didn’t understand.

“He means, Jacob considers you family, like he does us, and won’t take any chances.” Amy smiled.

“I see,” Lily felt strange they all considered her one of them, family.

“Don’t worry, Jacob is good.” Scott picked up his food. “He handles
Ten and Five’s
security, plus other celebrities.”

Lily played with her food again. Clay squeezed her hand. She didn’t return the squeeze. She didn’t smile. She didn’t want these wonderful people who had been so kind hurt because of her.

“Eat, Lily,” Clay whispered again.

“I’m not hungry,” she mumbled, her eyes of her food.

“Just a little.” He stroked her hand.

Lily glanced at Clay, but didn’t really see him. She kept seeing flashes of his destroyed suite, the damage, and all because of her.

Clay stared at Lily, taken back by the confusion, fear, and uncertainty in her eyes. What happened back in his suite had frightened her much more than he thought.

“Lily, it’s going to be okay.” He was worried. She seemed to be withdrawing from him, bit by bit, moment by moment, not just him but everyone. Everything.

There was a knock on the door, Scott walked over answering.  

“Your flight is in an hour.” Jacob walked in the room, his body tense, and his face red.

“What is wrong?” Clay asked, he could tell by Jacob’s face something was wrong.

“You and Lily will be going to Will and Skye’s, they are expecting you. Will is going to meet you at the airport,” Jacob breathed deeply, his fingers clenching in his agitation.

Clay stood, staring at Jacob, “why?” He knew something was really wrong especially for Jacob to change plans without first talking to him.

Jacob glanced over at Lily. He couldn’t avoid saying what he had to say and he hated being the one to hurt her. She had been hurt enough already. “Jason went to your house already.”

“What?” Clay roared.

Lily flinched, hunching down her shoulders, listening.

“He trashed the whole place. The police are looking for evidence, prints to prove it was him.” Jacob clenched his fists tighter, his knuckles whitening. “I have crews going over now and I just got off the phone with Will. He is on his way over to check the damage for himself.”

“How the hell did he get there so fast?” Tom barked, standing up next to Clay.

“I don’t know.” Jacob ran his hand over his face.

“How bad is the damage?” Scott asked.

“Bad.” Jacob glanced at Clay. “He started a fire.”

Clay stared. Jason started a fire in his house. His house!

“The man is out of his mind,” Kevin snapped.

Jacob nodded, opened his mouth, and snapped it closed. He glanced at Lily then back to Clay. “Steven contacted me, Clay. He heard Lily was with you and wants to talk to you when you get back in town.”

“Did he say why?” Clay’s voice was a tad calmer now.

Jacob hesitated again.

“What?” Clay roared again, causing Lily to hunch down farther.

“He said there is more to the story, but he wouldn’t tell me what.” Jacob glanced over at Lily, gritting his teeth as he saw her hunched shoulders.

Clay ran his fingers through his hair. How dare that son-of-a-bitch trash his house? How dare he start a fire! How the hell did he get in? He froze. His fingers tightening on his neck.

His mind stuck on what Jacob said, it hovered then crashed, more to the story! His eyes snapped to Jacob. What else could the bastard have done to Lily?

Clay’s phone rang, “Hey Will,” he walked out of the room again.

“Melissa, why don’t you go pack,” Scott’s eyes were on Lily who hadn’t moved or eaten. She seemed frozen in place.

“Yeah, I will.” Melissa stood.

“Amy and I will go get our stuff packed, too.” Kevin stood with Amy.

“Sara and I as well,” Tom walked toward the door, the others following. “Scott, we will all meet back here and head to the airport together.”

“We will be waiting.” Scott closed the door behind them, everyone leaving including Jacob.

“Lily,” Melissa stopped next to her, “Are you okay?”

“I will be,” Lily said softly, not looking up at Melissa.

Clay came back in, his eyes on Lily.

“I am going to go pack,” Melissa walked by Clay, sending him a look full of concern, he nodded, sat by Lily.

“You still haven’t eaten,” he said softly.

“I’m not hungry,” she whispered, staring at her food.

He gripped her chin forcing her to look at him. “Lily, everything is going to be okay.”

She pulled her chin out of his hand, looking back down.

“Hey,” he gripped her chin again, angling it up so he could see her face, tracing her lip with his finger. “Lily, don’t do this, don’t pull away, hide yourself away. We are going to get through this, I promise.”

She stared at him, her eyes haunted, her uncertainty visible.

He leaned toward her brushing her lips with his, “I love you.”

She blinked repeatedly, trying to hold her tears back. “I love you, too,” she laid her head on his shoulder.

Clay wrapped his arms around her kissing her forehead, “I promise. We will get through this together.”

Chapter 28

They walked through the airport, the conversation on the plane unknown to Lily. She slept most of the way but she didn’t care. Jason would never leave her alone and now he involved others. She couldn’t get past others being hurt because of her.

She had to do something, to protect those around her. She couldn’t think straight.

“Clay, Sara and I are coming to Will’s with you.” Tom glanced over at Clay, “I already spoke with him.”

Clay figured as much. His eyes were glued to Lily. She had become so withdrawn, so quiet.

“Clay,” Will bellowed through the crowd.

“Will,” Clay turned, pulling Lily with him, he walked over to his brother, hugging him.

Will hugged his little brother back, squeezing. “Let’s get you back to the house.”

“Lily,” Clay wrapped his hand around her waist pulling her to him. “This is my brother, Will.”

She smiled at his older brother. She had seen pictures of him before. He seemed taller in person. Will and Clay resembled each other a lot, but Will had brown hair while Clay’s was ebony. “Hello,” she whispered.

Will smiled. “Hello, Lily,” bending he kissed her cheek. “Come on, Skye is waiting and not patiently.”

They all left. Scott and Melissa, and Kevin and Amy heading to their places while Tom and Sara went with them to Wills.

Skye met them at the door, smiling. “Hello, Lily.” Skye held her hand out and Lily placed hers in it.

They walked into the large living room. Lily gazed around their house, taking in everything she could see. Their home was beautiful.

She sat on the couch with Clay next to her, Tom and Sara sat on another couch, and Skye sat on the arm of Will’s chair. They began talking about everything that happened, but she didn’t listen.

“Will, it is late.” Skye broke into the conversation, her eyes on Lily. “Perhaps, this can wait till morning.”

“Yeah,” Will had been watching Lily himself, she hadn’t spoken, just sat staring. “In the morning Clay, Tom, and I will head over to Clay’s place. Lily and Sara will stay here with you.”

“Agreed,” Clay pulled Lily to her feet, said goodnight and everyone went to their rooms.

Clay closed the door behind them, pulling Lily into his arms. “Lily, love, we are going to work this out.”

She smiled at him, her fingers caressing his cheek, wishing that were true, but she couldn’t convince her heart or her mind.

She leaned against Clay, touching his lips with hers in the gentlest of touches.

He wrapped his arms around her, scooped her into them, laying her on the bed. His body pushed hers into the mattress as his tongue surged into her mouth.

Her hands were everywhere, her desperation, her need coursing over his body. He groaned into her mouth.

She grabbed his shirt pulling the material over his head. She ran her hands down his chest, over his nipples, then back up, her nails raking his shoulders.

“Hurry, Clay,” she whispered her body twisting, surging against his. She was on fire, she needed him now, and she couldn’t wait.

He stripped her clothes off, followed by his, the moment his naked body touched hers Lily’s legs spread, wrapped around him and Clay slid deep.

She slammed up against his body. Her need was overwhelming. He couldn’t control it or slow it down. All he could do was sate it.

Her fingers dug into his shoulders, her hips slamming against him again. “Please.”

He growled pulling back then he slammed into her. His balls smacked off her ass as she clenched him, her nails digging into his back.

She met him thrust for thrust. There were no words, only the sounds of their fierce mating. Sweat poured from their bodies, mingling as she clutched him to her. She cried out against his neck, their bodies shuddering at the same time.

“God,” Clay whispered against her neck, kissing her lightly, before leaning up on his elbow, looking into her eyes.

She brushed her fingers over his cheeks, his eyes, and his lips in wonder. “I love you.”

“And I love you,” he kissed her nose, rolling to his side pulling her into his arms, her head under his chin.

****

Clay woke early, Lily was still sound asleep. He quietly climbed out of bed, dressing, letting her sleep. He met up with his brother and Tom, and headed to his house.

They pulled up to Clay’s house and the three of them stared for a moment. The damage was severe. The fire had been large. His house was a disaster. To Clay, the worst damage was the violation.

“Well,” Clay grimaced. “I will fix the house then sell.”

Will glanced over at Clay. “Sell?”

Clay shrugged, looking around at the disaster his house was. “Yeah, I will not bring Lily here, not after Jason had been here. She deserves better. Besides it’s just a house.”

Will laughed. “I agree, design one together, Skye and I did.”

“Good idea.” Clay laughed. Will was deeply in love with his wife and everyone knew it.

“Yeah, great idea.” Tom clasped Clay’s shoulder.

“I’ll put my personal stuff we can save into storage. Will, can we stay with you until I find a place?” Clay asked, glancing at his brother.

Will rolled his eyes. “You don’t even have to ask, my wife is quite taken with your Lily.”

“I noticed,” he muttered.

“Me too,” Tom laughed, stepping forward, “let's go through this mess and get out what you want, so you don’t need to come back here again.”

The three of them spent the next two hours gathering Clay’s belongings. Some of his Gold and Platinum records and other awards were beyond saving, but he wasn’t worried.

His guitars, his equipment were in the studio, not in the house. The fire hadn’t reached there. He was able to save his important papers. He kept them in a safe. He mostly lost clothes and furniture.

****

Lily opened sleepy eyes, the clock reading 11 a.m. She stretched looking around the room for Clay. He must have left with the others to check the damage to his house. She sat up, moving to the side of the bed, about to stand when the door opened.

“Oh my god,” Sara’s eyes were glued to Lily’s scarred body.

Lily scrambled for the covers, drawing them over her.

“I can’t believe you actually look like… like…,” Sara waved her hands at Lily’s body.

Lily stared at her, mortified, her cheeks burning.

“Clay will never stay with you, not with those scars, he must feel sorry for you,” Sara sneered.