Chapter 21

Sutter's POV

    I feel like I've been waiting all day for my mom and sister to get back from shopping with Lilly. We got up around nine and my mom had breakfast ready in the kitchen. We all ate and then they literally rushed her to get dressed and then practically dragged her out the door.

     I know they were just excited to spend the day with her, but I felt bad for her. I know spending time with them might be good for her though, and I have to remind myself that's she's a lot tougher than I give her credit for.

     Everyday it seems like she's warming up to me more and more, whether she shows it with her affection or with her opening up with her words. Whatever it is, I'll take it. I'll take whatever she gives me.

    My dads at work and I have the whole house to myself, and I have no idea what else to do to make the time go by faster. I've washed my car, I've mowed the lawn, I've even cleaned up my fucking room, and I never do that. But I'm going out of my mind waiting for her to get back.

     I've convinced my family to go out for the night, and to let us have the house to ourselves for a couple of hours. I have something I want to do with Lilly, and it's not something that can be done in front of an audience. And no, it's not anything sexual. Unfortunately. But I know neither one of us is going to venture into that side of things until she fully trust me again, and I won't until she's mine again. Having sex with her but not actually having her, would just be too painful.

     When I was cutting the grass, I took it upon myself to look over at Lilly's parents house. I had noticed the day before that there was a moving van in the driveway. My dad also told me a couple guys at work had heard that Paul sold his business to a guy who had been wanting to purchase it for a long time. He sold his company for over two million dollars.

     The thought of that fucker getting away with what he did to Lilly, and then also becoming even wealthier than he already is, makes me see red. I'd like to burn his whole fucking house and franchise down, with him inside it. I constantly remind myself that this is what Lilly wanted, she didn't want a big show of things. But I can't help the way it feels, like we should've done more.

     It makes me physically sick every time I think about her being in that house with him, and me not knowing what was going on. I was just right down the road, and I never had any clue about it. Now when I think back and remember all the bruises and cuts, I should have known it wasn't just from her falling or from sports. I should have questioned her more, and maybe I could have got her out of there a lot sooner.

     I try to veer my thoughts away from that subject, because it does nothing but put me in a piss poor mood, and I don't want to be like that around Lilly when she finally returns.

     Giving up, I go into my bathroom and take a shower, washing away all of the dirt and sweat I gathered throughout this busy day. I dry off quickly and decide to lay down, realizing how tired I am from being on the go all day.

     When my head hits the pillow, I inhale the scent that can only be paired with Lilly. It smells like sweet coconuts, her favorite shampoo and lotion. That's the only stuff she has ever used, and I swear it's my favorite smell, but only on her.

•••

    A door slamming downstairs jolts me from the slumber I fell into. I sit up quickly and run my fingers through my hair, which is probably sticking up in a thousand different ways now.

     I run down the stairs and see my mom, Jo, and Lilly hauling in countless bags of clothes and shoes. "So I guess y'all found some stuff you like?"

     "Did we ever! I got you some really nice stuff too, Sut." My mom tells me excitedly.

     I walk over to Lilly and help take some of the bags off her arms. "And you? Did you find some really nice stuff?"

    She shrugs and smiles lightly. "Yeah, I guess. I didn't really need much, but I got a couple pairs of new jeans and shirts."

     "Ugh and a killer pair of boots. I can't wait to see you in them." Jo adds in.

     "They are awesome, I can't wait to wear them either." Lilly says, and I smile because I tell they all had a good day together.

     "You had fun?" I ask anyway, wanting to hear her say it herself.

     She nods. "Yeah we did. We shopped at a couple of stores and then ate lunch in the food court together. Then your mom treated us to mani pedis, it was a fun day actually. I had a really good time."

     She's telling me, but both my mom and Jo can hear her. My mom walks over and kisses her on the cheek, telling her how happy she is to have her back. She looks timid after the exchange, but I can tell the show of affection makes her happy.

"Wanna go put our stuff up?" Jo asks her, and when she nods her head they take off upstairs together.

I amble into the kitchen and find my mom sitting at the counter looking at her phone. "Ready for your new school year yet?"

"Just about it. Got a few more things to do to my classroom, but other than that I think everything else is set. I'm just lucky that had a job opening when we decided to come back."

Moms been a middle school English teacher for as long as I can remember. She was actually Lilly's teacher when we were in 7th grade, and Lilly always bragged that she was her favorite student. Of course she really was, but it's not like she can tell everyone that.

When we moved away abruptly from here, mom was without a job for a little while, and I had never seen her so unlike herself. Working with kids was her passion, and I basically helped take her away from that. It was just another thing for me to feel guilty about.

"Dad gonna be home soon?" I ask, and try to not make it obvious that I'm antsy for them to leave already.

     "He called us in the car on the way home, he should be pulling in any minute." She sits her phone down and looks up at me. "We're going to be talking to her about the guardian ship thing when he gets here and the girls get back down stairs."

     "Did Paul agree to it?"

     She nods her head. "Yeah, your father went over there and spoke to him yesterday. He was at his old building signing over the last of some papers. Lilly will be eighteen in only four months anyway."

     "So what do you have to do for that to go into affect?"

     "Well first we're going to speak with Lilly and make sure that's what she wants. And if it is, then that's something your father and I will have to take care of with the state. But with them signing over the papers, it shouldn't be much of a hassle."

     I nod my head to let her know I'm following along with what she's saying. "So will she be living with us?"

     She scoffs at me. "Obviously, where else would she go? And no, you can't share a bedroom. She can move her things into the guest bedroom."

     "Is Paul going to let her grab her old stuff from their house to bring over here?"

    She shakes her head sadly, pursing her lips. "I'm afraid not. Your father said after he agreed to let us have guardianship, he said that they sold all of Lilly's things with her that she didn't take."

     I have to close my eyes to control myself. "Why are they such shitty people, mom?"

      "I ask myself the same question, and how the hell we didn't see until just now. They put up a very good front."

     "Too good." I agree.

I hear the sound of a car door slamming, and know that means it's only a matter of time before they tell Lilly about what they'd like to do. I can only hope she's as happy with the idea as they are.

****

Only thirty minutes later we're all seated around the dining room table, and I can tell Lilly is nervous because she won't stop fidgeting.

I take a chance and reach over to clasp her hand in mine, and feel elated when she grips onto it tighter.

"You want to do the talking Hal, or do you want me to?" Mom offers, obviously wanting to put Lilly out of her misery.

"I'll do it." He says and then clears his throat. "Lilly, Vivianne and I were wanting to talk with you about us maybe having guardianship over you until you turn eighteen."

     Lilly looks a little confused at first. "How would that work?" She finally asks.

     "Basically it just means that we would have rights over you until you were a legal adult. We would be responsible for you, and you could live here with us again."

She doesn't react to his explanation at first, her face remains blank as she switches between looking at each of my parents.

"Don't my parents have to agree to that?" She finally asks softly.

My dad clears his throat again, obviously uncomfortable with having to tell her this next part. "I spoke to your father the other day and told him we would like to do this, he agreed. The only thing we're waiting on now is for you to tell us that this is what you want as well. This family left you before, and this is our way of showing you that will never happen again. You are a part of us, and we will never again make you feel like you aren't."

Lilly's eyes water when he says this, and both my mom and Jo start crying too. I look away from everyone at the table, knowing I caused this. I made this happen when we left before. The remind is like a hot iron to my heart, lashing me again and again.

Will I ever forgive myself for leaving her?

No. I don't think I will.

"My parents, they uh, don't want me?" You can hear the tears in Lilly's voice when it cracks, and I can't help but look back at her.

There's a puddle of tears on the wood table where they've dripped of her cheeks. As soon as everyone realizes that she's not deal with the news well, all of us move at once to touch her in some way. Jo lays her head on her shoulder, I wrap my arms around her waist, my mom stands up and kisses her on the top of her head. But it's my dad who surprises us the most.

     He grabs the dining room chair that Lilly is sitting in, and moves it around so she's facing him and not the table.

     "I want you to look at me and listen to what I'm saying. Those people have something off with them, they're not right. Because anyone who is blessed to have you as a daughter, and mistreat you the way they have, don't deserve to have you in the first place. You are a good person, Lilly. You deserve to be with a family who will love you. And that's exactly what we want to do. If you will let us, we will love you the way the whole world is going to love you when they finally get to know you. And it will only be your parents who missed out in the end."

    I wipe away the few stray tears that have trickled down my cheeks, completely and utterly moved by my dads words. Jo and my mom are both sobbing at this point, but my focus is on Lilly.

     She leans forward and puts her head on my dads shoulders, and he wraps her up in one of his huge bear hugs, the kind of hugs you get from a father who loves you more than words. The kind of hug I'm sure Lilly never gets.

     "Are you sure?" Lilly asks, and pulls back slightly to look at him.

     "Sweetheart, I don't think any of us have been more sure of anything else before. Viv and I already love you like a daughter, you and Jo are practically sisters, and Sutter has been in love with you since the day he saw you. Now if you'll just forgive the little asshole, everything would be perfect." He says the last part as a joke to lighten the mood, and it works because Lilly laughs softly at that part.

    She sits still for a minute, but then very distinctly nods her head yes. "Okay, if you guys are sure you want me as a part of this family, I'll do it."

     And once again, everyone starts crying and hugging her again. I lean down and kiss her on the cheek, happy to see that this is what she wanted.

    Then suddenly a crazy thought enters my mind. "Wait, this doesn't make me and Lilly brother and sister, right?"

    My mom and Dad look at each other for a minute like they can't believe what I just asked, and then Lilly and Jo burst into laughter together.

    "Do you really think we would make you and Lilly brother and sister?" My mom asks. "We're not adopting her, we just have legal rights and responsibilities over her."

    Well they can laugh all they want, I'm still filled with relief to know I'm not some incest freak now.

     "Let's head out and give these two some time alone. I'm sure Lilly needs a moment anyway." My Dad instructs, and then he, my mom and sister stand up to leave.

    They each hug and kiss her, whispering sweet words in her ear before they finally walk out the door and leave us just us two.

    I want to say something, but Lilly's been quiet and staring out the window for the last few minutes, and I don't want to disrupt whatever thought process she has going on.

     "Thank you." She says, suddenly.

     "For what?"

      "For sharing your family with me the way you always have."

     Her kind words make me smile. "They are your family, like it or not. They've been your family since you were coming over here everyday since we were five years old. They love you Lilly, they truly love you."

     "And I them."

    "And me?" I ask, looking at her face for any sign of what she's really feeling.

     "And you too. But I'm still not ready to say it yet. But this, what just happened right here, has really helped me see what a family is supposed to be like. And I want that more than anything."

     "You can have it, it's yours. Anything you want is yours, all you have to do is ask. I'll make it happen, and I know they will too."

    She shakes her head like I don't understand. "I don't need anything extravagant, or fancy. I don't even need the new clothes. I just need the nice family dinners at the table, someone to tell me good job when I make an A on a test, and someone to give me those kind of hugs when I feel like I'm not going to make it another day."

     I get off my seat and squat down in front of her, placing my hands on her knees. "My mom will cook dinner every night, Jo and you will do homework together I'm sure, my dad will listen to any problem you have, and all of us will drown you in hugs if that's what you need. You are safe and you are loved now, please believe that. All the bad shit is over with, and you can be happy again. You can really start to heal this time."

     She scoots off her chair and lands in my lap, wrapping her body around me. I lift my hands and grip her to me so tight, but I want her to feel secure. And I want her to feel the truth in my words as well as hear them.

     She pulls away after a minute and wipes away the last tears on her face. "Okay, enough crying, and enough sad. Let's do happy. What did you have in store for us tonight?"

    I stand us up, grabbing her hand to take us in the direction to the stair case. "It's all set up upstairs."

    "Lead the way..brother."

  A/N  Sorry, I know it's kinda short but wanted to get that scene out of the way!

    Next chapter will be super fun, and I can't wait to write it! The scenes been in my head for forever now.

    Lilly and Sutter are honestly my heart. Thanks for all the votes & comments!! (: