"She's…confused."
I snort, shaking my head noncomically. "Confused? Someone roofied her."
"There is that as well, yes." She kicks her legs, staring at the ground. "We left Ethan with her until Oli gets here."
My head jerks in her direction. "Why is Oliver coming back?" The thrashing in my ears makes it hard to hear Lilly's response.
"The hospital called him. He was listed as her emergency contact."
My fingers twitch, and one of the eggs explodes in my palm. Fuck. Lilly narrows one eye at me, and I have to focus on uncurling my fist, relaxing the muscles in my back. Without missing a beat or even acting surprised, Lilly reaches beside her and hands me the roll of paper towels. I abandon the meal prep, focusing on cleaning the mess I created.
"What about her father?" If Victor Keller shows up, I can't guarantee anything. While things between Denielle and me are…different, the man still causes my vision to cloud. Plus, something isn't right between him and his daughter—something beyond him marrying his dead wife's sister.
She shakes her head, and the rest of the tension melts away.
"Do you want to head back to the hospital? We're fine here." The hopefulness in Lilly's tone gives her away.
"What did Denielle tell you?" I hold the air in my lungs, waiting for the bomb to drop.
Lilly chews on her cheek, not meeting my eyes.
Jesus, this is not good.
"Lilly?" I growl.
"She said she slept with you," my boss blurts, her eyes flicking to me before aiming back at her feet.
"That's it?"
"We got interrupted."
I expel my breath with a whoosh, and Lilly bursts out laughing, circling a finger at my face. "I don't think you could've appeared more relieved."
The lightness between us in this situation solidifies, once more, why I consider the woman next to me a friend more than an employer. She never judges. I attempt not to smile (and fail) and pull my shoulder up casually.
Her laugh dies down. "It's okay if you like her, you know?"
The corners of my mouth drop, and I shift toward my abandoned bowl again. Picking up the whisk, I start scrambling the eggs, stirring so forcefully that I spill it all over the counter.
"Shit." I should just give up. I'm not hungry anyway. I reach for the paper towels again when Lilly's hand lands on my forearm.
"Marcus."
I halt midaction. "I can't, Lilly."
Her fingers tighten. "She had nothing to do with your sister's death."
Her words hit me like a bullet. McKenna's face flashes in front of my eyes. Her eyes laughing with joy. Her smile that could light up a room just by it being aimed at you. We had a childhood no kid should experience. We never experienced the love of a parent, just the fists of our father, yet it never diminished her light.
"Be happy, big brother!"her voice echoes in my mind, and my throat constricts.
How can I be happy when you're gone?
Lilly and I remain like this for the longest time. Footsteps in the foyer fill the silence, and Audrey's squeal enters the kitchen. Lilly drops her hand and jumps off the counter. "Hey, my love."
The smile in her voice causes my chest to compress.
She takes her daughter from Rhys, who kisses her in return before heading toward the gym. I've never thought about having a family. Never wanted one. With the change between Denielle and me, more things have shifted. There is something like…possibility?