“Finn Bannon?” I gawk. “Don’t trust him, Andie.”
“He’s different than he was back then,” she defends him, and I furrow my brows. “He’s a great guy… Natan Earnshaw on the other hand, is a jackass.”
“I think it’s the other way around,” I mutter. “Please don’t trust those boys.”
“Who else do I have?” she asks bitterly. “I’m alone, Pan. I have no one… you left. All I have are Mom and Dad, and they’re not… the same… since you left.”
Somehow, the thought fills me with both dread and happiness. They miss me. Surely they do.
“We only have a few minutes left,” I say hurriedly. “I’ll try to call again as soon as I can, Andie.”
“Why can’t we talk more often?” she asks. “I can call this number, or we can text…”
“No,” I tell her. “This cell won’t accept calls from your number, or texts. And I don’t have a laptop.”
“What?” She sounds genuinely confused. “I thought your new family was loaded.”
“They are.” I rub my temples. “Look, there’s no time to explain. I got this phone from my, well, former fiancé, and I…”
“Fiancé?” Andie shrieks. “You’re engaged?”
“Was engaged,” I sigh. “Long story. I’ll tell you more when I can, but…”
“Ten seconds remaining,” the robotic voice tells me.
“Fuck,” I mutter. “You still there, Andie?”
“Yeah?” she asks, and I can tell from her voice she’s holding back tears.
“Listen to me, Andie,” I say. “Don’t trust the boys. Don’t trust the Lords of Wildwood. Do you understand?”
Just then, the call cuts off and my phone goes dead in my hand. I shriek in frustration, dropping it on my bed and feeling hot tears prick my eyes as I pace the room.
I just hope to God she fucking heard me.
I just hope she doesn’t trust any of them.
They ruined my life before Dexter even walked into it.
Ten
Dexter
One and a half years ago
“Dexter…”
Lily Anna’s hands explore the curves of my face, gently pressing down on my jawbone.
“We’ll be together forever,” she whispers.
“Forever and a day,” I tell her. “I’m never leaving you, Lily Anna. I’ll always take care of you.”
She smiles. She does that so rarely, I treasure the moment, storing the memory for a time when she’s not around. Lily Anna Oakes has stars in her eyes. Pretty starry eyes. I could fall in love with those over and over again if she’d let me.
We’re lying in the garden, with the sun shining its dying colors above us. It’s almost sunset time. We’ll have to head back to the house soon for dinner with my parents. But I’m not ready yet – I haven’t had my daily fill of Lily Anna just yet.
My fingertips wander over her lips, exploring their full and succulent form. I want to kiss her, but I’m nervous she won’t want to. My love’s mood is always changing. Sometimes she’s eager for my touch, leaning against my palm, getting on my lap and kissing me so fiercely it’s as if she’s searching for something deep inside me. And I do my best to give it to her, letting her have my heart and my mind at the same time. But then on other days, she’s quiet and pensive, pulling away from me with every word I whisper in the shell of her ear.