“Yes.” Lily turned around, sliding away from him.
“We’ll work on that until you get it right. You need to learn how to defend yourself when someone comes up behind you. Men who attack women are confident that you’ll panic, that you’ll be too startled to be able to defend yourself.”
“I’ll work on it until I get it right.” Lily was going to prove to him that she could break that hold.
“I know you will. You’re learning fast. I’m proud of you,” Shade complimented.
Lily took his praise to heart. “Thank you, Sir.” Lily reached out and hugged him. She hugged Beth all the time; it was part of her personality to show her affection. “I really appreciate all your help.”
Lily turned away from him, missing the hungry expression on his face.
“I’ll get changed.” Lily walked away, so happy that she hadn’t panicked twice. She was learning to be more capable of defending herself. For a woman who had a history of misadventures, it was a big thing for her to become more confident in the world around her instead of seeing ghosts around every corner.
Lily didn’t take long to change; she would shower when she got home, and Shade was waiting for her in the other room when she came out. The noise coming from upstairs was even louder than normal as she made her way across the room. Her eyes traveled up the steps to the closed door.
“It sounds like a football game is going on up there,” she remarked.
“Several of the brothers from Ohio are down for the weekend.”
“Oh.” Lily tried not to sound disappointed, certain that with his friends visiting that Shade wouldn’t hang out with her this weekend. She had gotten used to having him around.
She had talked to Charles, telling him as gently as possible that he was a friend, and would always remain just a friend. He had taken it well, but Lily believed that he hoped she would eventually change her mind. She wouldn’t, and since she had told him, she didn’t feel right asking for him to spend time with her. She had the sinking feeling that it was going to be a lonely weekend.
Shade was walking her out the door when his cell phone rang. He listened for a minute before he replied to whoever had called.
“Give me five. I need a shower and to get changed.” He then disconnected the call.
“You go ahead,” Lily told him, not wanting to keep him from his fun.
“You sure?”
“My car is just around the corner,” Lily said dolefully.
“All right. I’ll see you later,” Shade said, going back inside.
“Bye.”
Lily walked down the path toward her car, checking her text messages to see that Beth had left her one saying that she and Razer had left for the party early and that they would see her tomorrow. She saw Razer’s bike already parked in the almost-full parking lot.
She placed her bag in the backseat of her car and was about to get inside when a car swerved into the parking lot. Lily recognized it instantly. Leaving her car door open, she saw Miranda getting out of her car, slamming her door shut before going up the steps to the house.
“Miranda!” Lily yelled, drawing her attention.
Miranda didn’t stop. Lily ran after her, catching her halfway up the steps.
“What’s going on?” Lily asked, taking her arm.
“Don’t you dare talk to me, Lily, after you have lied to my face!” Miranda spat out, trying to pull away from Lily’s grip.
“What have I lied about?” Lily questioned, sincerely confused.
“The whole time I told you that I’ve been worried about Kaley, you knew that she’s been here every day and the weekends, too.”
Lily hadn’t tried to hide that Kaley was here constantly, she just hadn’t volunteered the information, and Miranda had never outright asked for it.
“I knew, but I didn’t want to butt into her private business,” Lily tried to defend herself.
“You’re no friend of mine, Lily. Georgia saw me at the store, telling me that she’s seen her here drunk and doing God knows what, and you didn’t say a thing.”
“I’ve never seen her drunk,” Lily protested.
“Why would I believe you? You’re one of them. Your sister is in there right now. Well, you might not care about your sister, but I do mine.” She rushed up the steps.
Lily didn’t know what to do. Twisting her hands, she now regretted not mentioning to Miranda that Kaley had been there so frequently; however, she had truly believed it was Kaley’s private business.
Lily was relieved when she looked up to see that Miranda had been blocked from entering the house. Several men were standing in front of the door, watching them curiously as Miranda stormed back down the steps.
Lily turned to go, but Miranda took a sharp turn, walking across the hilly yard to the path that led around the house and disappearing around the corner.