Chapter Six

Lily

Who would have thought it was possible to pass out from too many orgasms? Not me. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would enjoy someone fingering my ass, but here I am, squeezing my legs together at the mere thought.

When I woke this morning, I was unrestrained, tucked in, and had the little knife placed on top of my pillow. I smiled at the gift they left me. Two were just as fun, if not more. Will he bring his friend again? How long will he wait? They're questions I can't get the answers to because I don't know who he is.

"Lily," Zoe snaps.

"Shit, sorry," I reply with a grimace. My ability to concentrate is in shambles.

Thankfully, my phone and internet were connected this morning, and the man who installed it said it was a personal favor from the mayor. Although I really don't want to owe anyone anything, living without a cellphone signal sucks.

"He said he misses you."

"Well, he can go find himself a good little wife. I don't want to talk to him."

"I wouldn't either, with all the crazy sex you're having. I hope you are being safe."

I kind of am. I mean, I'm on the pill. Could I catch an STI? Sure, but this is not a situation where I can ask to see a clean bill of health. "Safe enough—I'm not dead yet."

Zoe harrumphs good-naturedly. "You know I'm your biggest supporter, but I just don't want you calling me in tears because you have lumps on your vajayjay. Then I would have to drive all the way out there to vajazzle it."

"I don't know why you want to look at people's bits all day."

She chuckles at that. "The women here pay good money, and it helps pay my way through college. Anyway, girl, I have to get to class and hope I don't run into your ex."

"Go, learn some things so you can be rich and live your best life. Who needs a sugar daddy when your bestie is destined for greatness?"

"Love you," she says.

"Love you too."

As we end the call, I grab my bag. I need to go to the thrift store and see if I can get some replacement dinnerware, since last night I broke most of the plates and a side lamp in the living room. It was one hundred percent worth it, though.

The best thing about Maple Hollow is being able to walk everywhere. I would need to drive to the gas station, and to visit someone who lives further away from the town square—or if I was in a hurry. But today, I feel amazing, and even though the air is cool, the sun is out.

My first stop is the diner, as I still haven't gone grocery shopping, but I only remember that when I reach the diner and curse myself for not driving.

"What's that face for?"

Looking up, I find North smiling at me. His blonde hair is neatly cut, and he looks like he has just stepped off a construction site.

"I should have driven—I forgot I need groceries."

"I can give you a lift, but I was going to have breakfast first."

"Are you sure? I would hate to bother you."

He chuckles. "It's no bother. I'm only heading into Willow Grove to get some things from the hardware store, and your house is on the way."

"Then the least I can do is buy you breakfast." He opens his mouth to argue, but I cut him off. "I won't take no for an answer."

He nods, opening the door to the diner, and I step inside. Asher looks up from the book he is reading and smiles. North walks to the counter and takes a seat, and I sit beside him. Asher places a mug down in front of North and pours him a black coffee from the pot. "Would you like one, Lily?"

I nod. "Please. I'm exhausted today."

"Not sleeping well in the old house?" North asks.

I shrug because I can't exactly tell another stranger how I'm a freak and let strangers into my bed. "It's weird living alone... I never have before."

"Who did you live with before moving here?"

"My boyfriend, or rather ex-boyfriend, and before that, my mom. Shit, I haven't even told my mom I moved. I wanted to wait until I was here, and I only got the phone connected today."

"Oh no, will she be mad?"

I shake my head. "Maybe mad I didn't tell her, but more she will want to know why Charles and I broke up, and I'm not ready to tell her about that yet."

"You're an adult. Tell her when it feels right."

"Are you ready to order?" Asher asks from behind the counter.

"Can I get the Eggs Benny, extra bacon?" I'm practically salivating just thinking about it.

"You got it," he replies, then looks at North.

"The breakfast burger."

Asher doesn't write the order down; he just disappears out the back.

"Asher doesn't give you a hard time about you and his brother?"

North laughs. "Nah, he tried once, and we got into a fistfight. So, Harlen told you about our situation?"

I nod. "Well, it kind of started as more about him liking things in his ass, which I think he said to piss Asher off and it worked."

"Asher has always struggled to understand our dynamic. It works for us. One day we might find a woman and settle down, but we are in our early twenties, so what's the rush? Anyway, what's the deal with you and your ex? He didn't want to move to the middle of nowhere with you?"

"He doesn't know. We weren't a good fit. I wanted things he didn't, and he made me feel like shit about myself. I don't have to put up with disrespect just because he ticked all the initial boxes."

The door chimes and neither of us turns to see who it is.

"What boxes were they?"

I hold my first finger up. "Good looking." Then the rest of my fingers follow. "Charming, attentive, goal oriented."

"Sounds a bit like me."

North rolls his eyes, and I turn to the man now standing behind us holding his hand out to me. "Tom Morgan, the mayor's grandson, and deputy for Maple Hollow."

"It's nice to meet you, Tom."

Asher thankfully brings out our breakfast and places it down on the counter.

"Thanks for stopping by, Tom. Lily and I are having breakfast," North says.

"Yes, I didn't mean to interrupt. Have a great day, Lily. We should have lunch one day."

"Be sure to invite your wife," Asher says, handing Tom a to-go cup .

"Of course. It would be good for Lily to get in with the right crowd and make some female friends."

Asher walks away, done with the conversation, and Tom waves as he leaves. I give him a small wave back. "So, we don't like Tom?"

"Nope. He bullied Eli throughout high school, and Harlen and I may or may not have slept with all of his girlfriends as payback."

"You did not!" I say with a laugh. "Does he know?"

North nods. "Well, mostly. He thinks his wife was safe because we were older, but she willingly jumped into bed with me before their wedding. I know I'm a terrible person, but I would die for Eli and Harlen. Eli might look big and tough, but his scars are a touchy subject."

"It sounds like Tom wouldn't be faithful either, so they're probably a good match."

North smiles at me, and we chat while we eat breakfast. Once we are done, North tries to pay the bill, but I bump him out of the way, insisting I pay since he is driving me home after I grab groceries, and he unhappily lets me pay.

The grocery store is more like a convenience store, small with just enough to get you by. North lets me know he or Harlen go into Willow Grove once a month to stock up on food and I am welcome to tag along. I decide to ditch the thrift store for today; there is no rush to replace the things I broke. North talks my ear off about the job he is currently doing but stops when we pull up at my house and we get out. He grabs my groceries out of the back of his truck and insists he brings them inside.

"Wow, I didn't realize how run-down this place has gotten over the years. I should check the stairs."

"They seem fine."

He keeps walking to the stairs, then puts all his weight on each one as he ascends. "This one needs to be replaced. I can stop by and do it sometime this week for you."

"Are you sure? I would hate to be a burden. Harlen says you work too hard as it is."

"Harlen worries too much. I only take on what I can do, and I like to stay busy."

I unlock the door and push it open so he can walk inside. He goes straight toward the kitchen as if he has been here before.

"I can't believe it still looks the same. Mavis used to bake us cookies and invite us over—normally she had some odd jobs for us."

I look around, wishing I had some fond memories of my grandmother, beyond the partial memory from when I was a child. Mom never really talked about her—I guess she didn't know her well. My dad was a dick and didn't care about anyone but himself.

"You might need to replace some of these beams too. Why don't I come through and do a full inspection? That way you know what needs to be done over time. There is a scrap yard in Willow Grove, and you can get cheap materials from there, then I can help fix it up."

"I can't ask you to do that, North. You're too generous."

"You are not asking, I'm offering."

"If you're sure, but I will pay you for your time."

North smiles. "If you can make chocolate chip cookies like your grandmother, it's a deal. I'm going to head off, but I will pop back in a few days for the stairs."

"If you insist," I say.

North's gaze snags on the small bowl of knickknacks at one end of the kitchen counter, and he picks up the gifted switchblade I've placed in there. "Where did you get this? It looks handmade."

"A friend left it here."

"Tell them I said nice work." He stares at it a moment longer, then puts it back where he found it.

I walk him to the door and wave as he drives away. I guess one good thing is that I'm making friends. Even if it is with the town outcasts, it feels like it's where I belong.

Once I pack the groceries away, I decide it's time to log into my social media. I have been avoiding all of it since Charles told everyone, and people took it upon themselves to inbox me. Some told me how gross I was, and others sent offensive images and offers to hurt me. As expected, my inbox is full, and I delete most of them without reading them. I hover over the message thread from Charles, deciding to open it.

Why are you not answering my calls?

Come on, just talk to me.

I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told people.

Zoe said you left.

I scan the rest, all variations of what I have already read. I send him one back in the hope he will leave me alone.

Please stop messaging me. I have left and do not plan to come back. I'm moving on with my life and suggest you do the same. I don't want to talk to you. After shaming me, there is no way our relationship can come back. Instead of talking it through with me, you went to your friends and now everyone knows my deepest and darkest secrets. I have a chance to start over and I plan to do that.

I hit send, then scroll until I find the last message I sent my mom and hit call on the FaceTime icon.

"Hey, sweetheart," she says when her face fills the screen.

"Hey, Mom."

"Are you okay? Charles has been calling me looking for you. I figured you two had a fight and you would call me when you were ready."

I can't help my sigh. Mom has always loved Charles—she said he was a good choice because he comes from a good family, has goals, and would make a good husband. She wanted me to learn from her mistakes and not fall for a small-town boy .

"We broke up. Things didn't work out."

She gasps. "Oh no, what happened?"

"The details don't matter, only that we won't be getting back together. But I also wanted to tell you I dropped out of school."

"Lilybeth May Harper, you did what?!"

I laugh at her full-naming me and trying to pretend she is mad. "It's not a big deal. Do you remember Dad's mother, Mavis? She left her house to me and I'm now in Maple Hollow."

"You moved ten hours away and didn't think to let me know? I love and support you, honey, but I think leaving school is a mistake. However, it's your life and as long as you're happy, that's the main thing. When we get back, I'll come visit, and we can talk about this some more."

"Sounds good, Mom. I love you too. Say hi to Jerry for me."

"I will. I have to go. Be safe and call me soon."

Once we end the call, I see Charles has responded.

I don't accept this is over. I will give you some more time to come to your senses, but we were good together.

There is no point responding if he refuses to hear me. I won't let him ruin my mood, and he isn't worth my time. Today I plan to box up any of my grandmother's belongings I don't need and donate them to the thrift store, but first I'll pack away my groceries and hunt for her cookbook. Old people normally have one filled with their recipes, right? And if North wants chocolate chip cookies for fixing my house, the least that I can do is try to recreate hers.