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One month ago
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When James returned home from work, Lily greeted him at the door. She had left her hair down—the way James liked it—instead of throwing it into her usual messy ponytail. She waited for him to notice or compliment her, but he didn’t.
Lily kissed him on the cheek. “How was your day?” She took his satchel from him and set it on the table in the entryway.
James grumbled an incoherent reply and entered the kitchen, fishing around in the pantry until he pulled out a bottle of whiskey. He poured some into a glass.
“Are you okay?”
He took a long sip of his drink. “Yes, Lily, just peachy. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know. You seem upset,” Lily said.
“Did anyone come to the house today?” James paused in sipping his whiskey and set the glass on the counter. He stalked toward her, and his face hovered inches from hers.
“No. No one was here,” Lily lied.
Lily’s knees became weak. Her heart beat harder in her chest. How did he know? What if Holly had lied to her? But there was no way Holly could have known the truth about the night Lily disappeared without Rose telling her . . . She had to trust Holly.
James’s shoulders lowered slightly, and he picked up his whiskey glass again. “Okay, okay. That’s good. I believe you.”
Lily tilted her head sideways. “Were you expecting someone? Because you were at work, so why would—”
“No, no, not at all. I thought one of my friends was going to stop by today, but I must have remembered the day wrong,” James replied, sipping his whiskey again.
“James . . .” Lily put her fist to her mouth, resisting the urge to bite her nails. James hated when she did that.
“Yes, my perfect flower?” His tone turned sickly sweet, putting her on edge.
But this was her best shot. Holly was coming back for her, and in the meantime, she was going to push James as much as possible.
“Why did you pick me?” she asked.
“What on earth are you talking about?”
“I mean, why me? What was it that made you choose me over all the other girls at school? You were with Rose first, weren’t you? Was that a coincidence?” Lily asked, feigning innocence.
“What are you implying? You think I planned this from the start?” he snarled. He set his whiskey glass on the kitchen counter and loomed over her.
Lily prepared herself for whatever the consequences would be. “Are you The Midnight Flower?”
James stumbled backward several steps, as if she had landed a physical blow on him. He held his hand to his chest. “Where did you hear that name? Who have you been talking to?”
“Tell me the truth, James. Have you been terrorizing Rose and stalking her the whole time I’ve been here? Are you trying to lure her here to save me, so you can be with her instead?” Lily questioned, her voice becoming louder and louder.
“That’s enough!” James shouted, slapping her across the face with so much force that Lily clung to the counter so she didn’t fall.
“Why would I want to be with that whore?” James asked, clearly speaking to himself. “Rose is nothing to me. I can have any girl I want,” he muttered.
Lily gazed at him, batting her eyelashes. “But I thought I was the love of your life, so why does it matter if you can have any girl?”
“Because power matters. What’s the point if you aren’t the one in control?”
“You aren’t in control, though. I don’t love you anymore,” Lily replied coolly, inching toward the guest room.
“I’ll make you regret saying that. I chose you out of all the girls at your school, and this is how you repay me? After all I’ve done for you. All I’ve sacrificed. I’ve given you everything I have. Besides, no one misses you. They barely notice you’re gone.”
“My family hasn’t given up. They’ll find me. I know they will,” Lily said.
James sneered. “No one is searching for you. I’ve told you that time and time again. You’re staying here with me. Forever.”