Lily came downstairs the next day to Beth and Razer’s concern. Assuring them that nothing had happened other than a minor scare, she picked up her purse, ready for church.
She saw Beth looking at her dress without saying anything. Lily smoothed the dark navy dress down, wondering what was wrong.
“I thought we would drive the car to church this morning. I can take you back to the college after lunch at the diner.”
“I’ll get my backpack.” Lily went back upstairs to get the bag while Razer and Beth waited outside in the car.
Church was packed that Sunday. Lily nodded her head toward Rachel and other parishioners in the congregation as they went to take their seats.
Afterward, she talked to Pastor Dean briefly, moving on before he could mention the incident from the day before. She didn’t feel there was a need to rehash it.
Lily dreaded going to the diner after the service. If there had been a way out of it, she would have gladly taken it. Seeing the women she had come to know with their clothes off and Cash and Train, whose privates had been exposed, had been deeply embarrassing to her. It would be a long time before she would be comfortable around them again.
She squared her shoulders, walking across the street after making sure she looked both ways several times.
The others were already there when Lily sat down beside Diamond with Beth on her other side. She was facing the door of the busy restaurant, seeing that several families were having lunch. Pastor Dean came in, snagging a chair with Rachel’s family.
Lily ordered her food, listening to the conversation as she tried not to meet any of The Last Riders’ eyes, which was hard to do with Bliss and Evie seated across from her.
“How’s school?” Diamond asked sympathetically.
“Good. How’s Knox liking his new job?”
“I don’t think he can tell yet. He loves breaking up the fights, but he’s not so fond of getting dragged out of bed at three a.m.”
As Lily listened to Diamond, her eyes were momentarily caught by Shade’s until she managed to tear her gaze away, landing on a small family a couple of tables away.
The little girl had dark brown hair and was sitting with her mother and father as the waitress set their plates in front of them. It was the epitome of the perfect family gathering on a Sunday afternoon.
“We miss having you at the factory. No one likes to fill the big orders,” Evie complained.
Lily hadn’t minded filling those orders; she had considered them challenging while others considered them a pain.
“I miss it, too,” Lily confessed, truthfully. The job had kept her busy.
Her eyes drifted back to the table with the small family. The little girl was lifting her drink to her mouth when the person sitting behind her jarred her, forcing her to spill some of the juice from her glass onto her dress. The look of terror that came across her face had Lily freezing and her heartbeat soaring when the mother’s lips tightened. Picking up a napkin, she wiped the girl’s dress with rough movements. The entire time the mother kept up her brisk movements, the little girl’s eyes watered and she kept apologizing to her mother.
“Lily?” Evie’s voice had her eyes leaving the table momentarily.
“Diamond. Please call Knox.” Lily’s hoarse voice had everyone sitting at the table going silent as they looked at her. Lily’s hand went to the rubber band on her wrist, snapping it furiously as a dull headache began to pound at her temples.
Diamond took out her phone, calling Knox and asking him to come to the diner while Beth’s voice asking her what was wrong was drowned out by the loud pumping of her heart.
The little girl’s lips trembled when her mother’s hand disappeared under the table. Her obvious pain had Lily moving to the end of her seat, about to rise when the girl’s father spoke sharply to the mother, and he reached out to soothe the little girl. That simple movement brought a flash of pain that had Lily gripping her head, screaming in agony. She bent over in excruciating pain, her head in her hands. The pain felt like it was crushing her skull.
“Lily!” Beth’s voice yelled her name, but there was no going back; Lily had placed a barrier between them. She couldn’t reach for Beth this time like she had always done before.
Lily blindly rose from the table, trying to escape the pain, when a hand around her waist tried to hold her, but Lily fought free. She needed somewhere to hide and there was no place available. She screamed at the agony that was storming through her mind.
Lily fell to the floor, writhing in torment. She vaguely heard several people calling her name; however, her mind had blocked out everything except the door in her mind that was trying to open. She was too weak to keep it closed; the secrets it held wanted out. She saw herself standing in front of the door, trying to bar it from opening.