“What?” She gasped, her eyes widening.
Sara snorted. “Come on Lily, even you must realize your body is gross, I can’t even imagine Clay wanting to have sex with you.”
Her mouth fell open.
“Is that what Jason did to you?” Sara asked.
She nodded, hesitantly.
“And you stabbed him for that?” Sara snapped.
She flinched.
“Jason didn’t deserve what he got, but you sure did, I know the whole story and using Clay to get back at Jason is disgusting,” Sara snarled.
“I am not,” Lily whispered.
Sara took two steps closer to her, “Oh, please, Lily, don’t lie to me, Clay’s pity will only go so far, and then you will be begging Jason to take you back.”
She swallowed, whispering, “That is not true.”
“You really are disgusting to look at I can’t imagine how embarrassing you are to Clay, or how much he cringes at the mere thought of touching you.” Sara turned, closing the door behind her.
She stared at the door, tears on her face. She hated them, she was always crying since she met Clay. She flung herself backwards on the bed staring up at the ceiling.
Did she stay? Did she want to see the disgust in Clay’s eyes? The embarrassment? Did she want to witness his pity?
No! She wanted to remember the last week with Clay as the happiest of her life. She didn’t want his pity! Or disgust!
She didn’t want to cause him any more pain, either. She already cost him his house.
She stood, wiping at her face, grabbing the clothes Skye had given her to wear she dressed. She gathered what she had left, stuffing the items in her purse. She checked her secret stash of money, sighing deeply.
She started over once before, she would again. She knew how. She couldn’t go back to Florida, but somewhere else. She didn’t care about the trial. Jason would get off anyway, or he would kill her. At least she could stop him from hurting people who tried to help her.
She didn’t want to be responsible for other’s pain. Clay’s family was at risk. If something happened to them, he would never forgive her. He might even hate her. Blame her!
She couldn’t bear the thought. Clay may never forgive her for leaving, but at least he wouldn’t hate her.
Enough was enough. She threw her head back in agitation, her chestnut hair swirling around her shoulders. She had to end this now.
She snuck out of the room, checking where Skye and Sara were. She found them talking in the kitchen and slipped unseen out one of the patio doors into the yard.
The property had a wall around it and she realized she would have to climb over. There was no way she could sneak out the gate without being seen. She searched quietly for a spot to climb, then pulled a chair over and climbed to the top. She hoped she didn’t set the alarms off, just in case, she would run when she made it to the other side.
With just the borrowed clothes on her back, a hoodie, and her purse, she made it down the other side to the sidewalk. Without looking back, Lily walked away from Will and Skye’s house, most of all she walked away from Clay. From what she could never have and should never have thought, even for a moment, she could. She was alone… the only real truth of her life.
Chapter 29
The alarms sounded, the guards came running searching the grounds for intruders. They found nothing. No one had entered the property, or the house. Skye was relieved, wondering what had set off the alarms.
“Where is Lily?” Skye walked into the kitchen looking at Sara.
Sara shrugged, “I haven’t seen her.”
Skye went up stairs, opening the door she looked into Clay’s room. “Lily, are you up?”
Skye stopped staring at the bed. It was empty. She walked over to the bathroom looking inside, empty.
Sky checked all the rooms in her home, but she could not find Lily. Skye called the security guards in a near panic. They checked the security tapes, determining Lily set off the alarms when she climbed over the wall.
Lily had left. On her own. She was on her own and Jason was free.
Devastated because she was supposed to be looking after Lily, Skye grabbed her phone calling her husband crying.
****
Will stopped next to his brother answering his ringing phone, his face falling. “Skye, what’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“What’s wrong?” Clay demanded, staring at his brother.
“Are you sure? When? How?” Will looked helplessly at his brother, listening to his heartbroken wife. “We will be right there.” Will squeezed Clay’s shoulder.
“What happened?” Clay growled.
Will looked at Clay, clenched his jaw. “Lily left.”
“What do you mean Lily left?” Clay barked.
“She climbed the wall, and took off on her own.” Will turned motioning Clay forward.
“What? Why?” Clay stood in disbelief.
Tom gripped Clay’s shoulder. “Let’s go find out.”
The three of them went to Will’s house. As soon as the door opened Skye fell into her husbands embrace, sobbing. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t even know she was awake. The alarms went off, I went to check on her, but she was gone.”
“Calm down, sweetheart.” Will pulled his wife tighter into his embrace, his hand tangling in her brown hair.
“Skye,” Clay smiled slightly at his sister-in-law. “This isn’t your fault.”
Clay ran his hand through his hair, angry with himself.
Will watched his brother closely. “Clay, we will find her.”
He grimaced. “I knew she was pulling away. I shouldn’t have left her alone.”
Tom stood next to Clay, squeezing his shoulder. “Clay, she is afraid, overwhelmed, so much has happened she has to be confused.”
“I know.” His heart raced. He was hurt Lily left him. Running his fingers through his hair, he wondered what to do now.
“Yes, Denise?” Will saw his housekeeper hovering as if she wanted to say something, “if you know something tell us.”
“Ummm…,” Denise gulped, hesitating. “I am sorry, Mr. Savage, I didn’t know if I should say anything, not sure if it matters.”
Will inclined his head in understanding. “It’s okay, tell us.”
“I overheard Miss Sara talking to Miss Lily earlier,” Denise replied.
“Where at?” Tom asked, looking around for Sara. She had not come to meet them.
“Miss Lily’s room,” Denise glanced at Clay then Tom then back at Will and Skye. “I overheard Miss Sara say “he must feel sorry for you” and then she said, “you really are disgusting to look at I can’t imagine how embarrassing you are to Clay.” I wasn’t sure what she was talking about because Miss Lily is so pretty,” Denise finished looking at the floor.
Clay stared at Denise a moment, closing his eyes his throat constricting. He couldn’t imagine how much those words hurt Lily. He opened his eyes to everyone looking at him, but he didn’t say a word, couldn’t. He walked away, stood staring out the window, running his hands over his face. Lily was so sensitive about her body, her scars; she would have been devastated.
“Thank you, Denise.” Will smiled at her as she quietly walked away. He looked over at his brother, his voice laced with concern, “Clay?”
Clay stared out the window, his words strained. “Those words would have crushed Lily.”
Tom stiffened. “Why? Sara was mean and I will deal with her, but why would Lily leave over it?”
Clay turned, looking at them, his eyes helpless, “because Lily’s body from her breasts to her knees is covered in scars.”
Will stared at his brother easily deciphering his pain. “Scars, I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Me either,” Tom took a few steps closer to Clay, watching his gestures, he knew them so well, and his friend was hurting, badly. “What are you talking about?”
“I didn’t go into detail. Lily is so sensitive about them, and I didn’t want people asking her questions.” Clay looked at his brother, then over at Tom, anger and pain visible on his face. “Jason cut Lily’s body. He left dozens of scars upon her skin.”
“Are you serious?” Tom gaped.
“Lily hides them well, uses her clothes to conceal them. You can’t feel them, but in the light, you can see them. They embarrass her, she thinks…,” he hesitated turning back toward the window.
He took a deep breath. “Jason beat and cut Lily severely, when she tried to get away from him he pushed her down the stairs. Lily lost so much blood then she developed an infection. Her beaten body couldn’t fight it off.”
He turned saw the horror on their faces and turned back, looking out the window again. He rubbed his hands over his eyes. “Lily spent three months in the hospital and nine months in rehab. Her leg was broken so badly she had to learn how to walk on it again.”
“Oh my god!” Tom gasped, “I never realized he hurt her that bad.”
“Me either,” Will growled as Skye clenched his arm.
“Clay,” Skye took a deep breath squeezing her husband’s arm. “She is bound to be confused, uncertain, and afraid. Do you know where she would go? We need to find her before Jason does.”
Clay didn’t respond, continuing to stare out the window. Where would Lily go? What would she do? He had already taken away her Florida apartment. Her safety blanket.
He racked his brain. He wasn’t sure what Lily would do. She had been so lost last night. He should never have left her alone. Damn! Where the hell would she go? Then it hit him, clear as day, he knew what she would do. “The trains,” Clay whispered, whipping around toward the door.
“Trains?” Will’s brow furrowed.
“That’s what Lily and Jessica did last time,” Clay glanced at his brother.
“I am not following you, Clay,” Will said.
“They hopped trains, criss-crossed the country until their trail couldn’t be followed,” Clay walked toward the door. “She would use the trains. She couldn’t go back to Florida. She would look for somewhere new.”
“Where are you going?” Tom watched Clay.
“To find Lily.” Clay walked out the door.
“I am coming with you.” Will followed his brother.
“Me too,” Tom looked at both of them, “but I will catch up in a little while, for now, I need to get rid of Sara.”
Chapter 30
They hit the train station, Clay had been right. Lily had bought five tickets.
Tom sent Sara packing. It hadn’t gone well and he had to call Jacob to escort Sara out of Will’s house. Sara had fussed and screamed. Tom had been furious. He took back all his credit cards, all the jewelry, clothes.
Tom usually let his girls keep everything, but not Sara. What she did, what she said, not just to Lily but to him as well cost her that. He put Sara on a plane with the clothes she wore and $500 writing her out of his life.
He met up with Will and Clay at the train station, ready to search for Lily.
They were unable to determine which train she got on, so they called Scott and Kevin. Both quickly joined them at the station and the five of them took a different train with a picture of Lily setting off to the next station.
****
Twenty-four hours later and they had no luck finding Lily. They were tired, frustrated, but most of all worried. Each hoping Jason didn’t find her first.
Angry over the whole situation, Will ran his fingers through his brown hair rubbing the tendons in his neck. He wasn’t angry with Lily, his heart hurt for her. He had a long talk with his brother and Clay told him the details of what Jason had done to her, how Clay found out.
Will didn’t blame her for running, for being afraid. She had to be confused, her whole world changing since agreeing to be Clay’s date.
Will talked to his brother a few minutes ago and he was shook over not knowing where Lily was, if she was okay. Will smiled slightly it was so obvious Clay loved her.
Will remembered when Skye walked out of his life. The pain, the loss he felt. He never wanted to go through that again. He didn’t want his brother to either. They had to find Lily.
He walked down the train, looking at the people in the seats. He stopped, by the window he spotted a blue hoodie, a woman, her head down staring out the window. Lily.
It had to be! Will stood making sure. He watched her brush hair off her face. He closed his eyes, squeezing tightly. He hoped when he opened them again she would still be there sitting in the seat. She was!
He walked up sitting in the empty seat next to her, his eyes skimming over her. “May I join you?”
Lily flinched jerking her head around, gulping she ran her trembling fingers over her mouth. She pushed herself tighter against the side of the train.
“We have been looking for you.” Will tilted his head so he could see her face.
“Please go away.” Her voice shook.
Will smiled slightly. “I can’t, my brother would never forgive me.”
“Why?” She asked.
“Because he loves you,” he replied.
She flinched, hunching her shoulders more. “He shouldn’t, please leave me alone.”