Taming Lo: A You and I Novel (16 page)

Because
eventually, this
will
have
to end......

Chapter
Twenty-Three

Dax

“
The Hobbit
or
Horrible Bosses
2
?”
Lo asks, holding the two movies up in her hands.

“
Hmmm.
Tough choice.” I laugh, really not caring either way. “You
pick.”

“
I
asked for a reason.” She gives me a cute frustrated snarl from
her place on the floor in front of the television.

“
I'm
good with either. Really.” I say, laughing when she narrows her
blue eyes at me.

“
Dax
Riley, so help me God, if you do not choose a movie right this
instant, I am going to wing them both at your head.” She warns
with a large smile across her face.

“
Fine.”
I sigh. “
Horrible
Bosses 2
.”
I say, watching the disappointment cross her face.

“
Boo.”
She says, popping open the case and sticking the disc into the
blu-ray player.

“
Why
did you make me pick if you wanted to watch
The
Hobbit
?”
I ask. “I told you I was good with either one.”

“
Because
I am a gracious host and want you to watch what you prefer to watch,
not what I prefer. Besides, I can watch it another time.” She
says, shrugging indifferently as she stands and crosses the space
towards me.

“
Well
I can think of a better way to spend our evening if you want to just
scratch the movie all together.” I raise my eyebrows up and
down suggestively at her, causing her to laugh out.

“
Pretty
sure we have already done
other
things
this
evening.” She slides down onto my lap, straddling her legs over
mine. “Twice to be exact.” She leans forward, her face
hovering just inches from mine. “Or did you forget already?”
She whispers against my mouth before trailing her tongue slowly
across my bottom lip.

I instantly feel myself harden beneath her. This damn
woman can take me from limp to rock hard in seconds. Gripping her
hips, I push her down so that she can feel what she is doing to me.

“
I
didn't forget.” I say softly, taking a sharp inhale when she
moans lightly against my mouth, feeling my hard dick through the thin
fabric of her tight yoga pants.

I am two seconds away from flipping her off of my lap
and fucking her for a third time tonight, when a loud knock sounds
against the door. Lo jumps slightly, clearly startled.

“
Who
could that be?” She voices aloud, looking behind her to check
the time. I follow her line of sight. Just after nine in the evening.

“
How
should I know?” I joke. “It's your apartment.” I
wrap my hand around the back of her neck and pull her face back down
to mine. “Ignore it.” I say, sucking her bottom lip into
my mouth. She shudders slightly but then pulls back when another loud
knock sounds against the door, followed by another and then another.

“
Open
the door Lauren. I know you're home. I saw your car downstairs.”
I hear a woman's voice yell through the door. Lo's eyes widen and she
immediately jumps off of my lap, throwing silent curse words as she
paces in front of the couch.

“
What
is going on?” I laugh, seeing her wide-eyed expression.

“
It's
my sister.” She whispers, holding her finger to her lips,
gesturing for me to be quiet.

“
Then
answer it.” I say, not entirely understanding her reaction.

“
I
can't. Shit.” She says, the pounding on the door continuing to
echo through the apartment. “I have to. If she's here, she
drove hours to get here. I can't ignore her right?” She turns
on me with her question.

“
Don't
look at me.” I laugh. “Your home, your decision.”

“
Fuck.
Fuck. Fuck.” She says, spinning and quickly crossing the space
towards the door. Ripping it open, her sister doesn't wait for an
invitation before pushing her way inside.

The moment I catch sight of her, I feel like I have
entered some alternate universe. She looks exactly like Lo only,
she's not Lo. Same nose, same mouth, it's like looking at Lo if she
were a little curvier and had shorter hair.

She storms into the apartment but then falters slightly
when she catches sight of me. “Who are you?” She whips,
not bothering with pleasantries.

“
Lilly,
this is Dax.” Lo says, pulling her sisters attention back to
her. “What are you doing here?” She asks.

“
I'm
here because you refuse to come home for my wedding and now you won't
answer my calls or my texts. Or did you forget that part?”
Lilly's voice has an edge of anger to it and I can't help but notice
that their voices are almost the same as well. Lilly's is a little
higher than Lo's but is still almost spot on.

“
Lilly,
I really can't do this again. I have already told you where I stand.”
Lo says, throwing a desperate look my way before looking back to her
sister.

“
I'm
gonna give you two some privacy.” I say, standing from the
couch, suddenly feeling like an intruder.

“
Oh
no, there's no need for that.” Lilly snips, turning her eyes on
me. “If I can't talk some sense into
my
sister,
maybe
you
can.”
She turns towards me.

Chapter
Twenty-Four

Lo

“
Lilly don't.”
I plead, not wanting for her to involve Dax in
our
drama.
“He doesn't know anything about this and it isn't his concern.”
I say, watching Lilly turn back to me.

“
Have
you changed your mind then?” She asks, already knowing the
answer before I even give her a response.

“
You
know it isn't that easy.” I say, shaking my head.

“
So
what then? You plan on just living out the rest of your life holed up
here pretending like none of us exist. I am your sister Lauren. Your
twin
sister.
What happened to us? We used to be so close, inseparable. I
understand why you had to leave, I do. But I don't understand why
that means you have to abandon me in the process.” I can see
the hurt behind her eyes. Knowing I put it there guts me.

“
I'm
not abandoning you.” I start, but she immediately cuts me off.

“
No?”
She questions, cocking her head to the side. “So what do you
call it then? Because from where I am standing, that is exactly what
you are doing.”

“
I
just didn't think you would want to talk to me.” I say, apology
clear in my voice.

“
Yeah
because that's what people do when they don't want to talk to
someone, they call them. Are you fucking kidding me? I have been
calling you for a month straight. I have left several voicemails and
sent countless texts and still, nothing. You don't answer me. You
don't return my calls. Honestly, I was almost to the point of just
saying fuck it and just moving on without you.”

“
Then
why didn't you?” I ask, even though losing Lilly is the last
thing I want.

“
Because
I am your sister. I stood by you then and I have stood by you
everyday since you left. Why, when I need you, can you not stand by
me?” She asks, a solitary tear streaking down her cheek.

“
Lilly.”
I reach for her but she bats my hand away.

“
No.”
She shakes her head and takes a step backwards. “I had to drive
hours to get here. Hours Lauren. I didn't know if you were alive or
dead. If something had happened to you. But I see that you have found
ways to keep yourself busy.” She says, looking towards Dax as
he stands motionless next to the couch, clearly having no idea what
the hell is going on or what he should be doing.

“
I
guess I shouldn't be surprised. Once a whore always a whore right
sis?” Her words cut more deeply than I thought they could and I
try my damnedest to hold in the tears I feel welling behind my eyes.

“
That's
enough.” Dax voice echos through the small apartment and Lilly
immediately falls silent, her eyes wide with shock. Clearly she
didn't expect him to stick up for me and honestly, neither did I.

I can feel his eyes hot on the side of my face but I
refuse to look in his direction. I don't want him to see me like
this. Weak and vulnerable. If I meet those hazel eyes even once, I am
sure to fall apart right here and now.

“
It's
okay Dax.” I say weakly, focusing my attention back to Lilly.
“Go ahead. Insult me. Hurt me. Is that what makes you feel
better?” I fight to keep my voice even and not let my emotion
come through in my words.

“
What
would make me feel better is having my sister with me on my wedding
day. Having the person who has been my best friend since the moment I
was born, stand next to me on one of the most important occasions of
my life. The wedding is in less than four weeks, I bet you haven't
even given it a second thought since I was here last.”

“
You
think I don't want to be there for you? You think this is easy for
me?” My voice starts to shake, my ability to control my
emotions slipping by the second. “I
want
to
Lilly. More than anything I do. But....”

“
But
nothing.” She cuts in. “There are no excuses. There is
absolutely no reason why you can't be there other than you can't get
past your own fucking selfishness to do it.”

“
Lilly.....”

“
Does
your little boyfriend here know what kind of person he's dealing
with?” She turns towards Dax, immediately causing my heart to
leap somewhere into my throat.

“
Lilly
don't. He's just a friend. This isn't about him.”

“
Maybe
not, but I think as your
friend
,
he should know you. I mean, really know you, don't you?” Her
words send panic coursing through every inch of me. “Tell him
how you let one person chase you away from every family member and
friend you ever had. Tell him how you ran. How you're still running.”

No one here knows about my past. No one knows that I ran
away, only that I left. No one knows that I haven't spoken to my
parents in years, only that we aren't close. And absolutely no one
knows about Ricky. That is a demon I had hoped would always remain
hidden from the new life I created for myself here in Chicago.

“
Get
out!” I say, clenching my teeth together tightly, not wanting
her to say another word.

Lilly turns wide eyes on me, her mouth falling open
slightly. “What?”

“
I
said.... GET OUT!” My words rip from my chest as I point
towards the door, my hand shaking uncontrollably. “This is
my
home.
My
life.
You have no right to come here and treat me this way. I don't care if
you don't agree with my decisions. I don't care if you think I am the
most selfish person in the world. I DO NOT CARE anymore Lilly.”
I say, fighting hard to keep my tears at bay even though I know it's
a losing battle.

“
You
don't have to agree with any of my choices Lilly, but you will
respect them or you won't be in my life at all. Or did a month of
silence not make that clear to you?” I know I should stop. I
hate that every word I speak is hurting her but I am too angry now,
too out of control to stop myself from spitting every hateful thing I
can at her.

“
Leave
now or as far as I'm concerned, I no longer have a sister.” I
spit, anger surging through me.