Chapter 171 Lilian Baker

Chapter 171 Lilian Baker
The fitting went better than I expected.

Actually, it went much better than I expected.

By the time Sabrina was satisfied with the final adjustments, I had almost forgotten that I had spent the previous night trapped in a strange house with Andrew, confessed feelings hanging between us like an unfinished sentence.

There were moments when my eyes accidentally met his gaze across the room, and I would immediately look away.

I was determined to keep my promise to myself.

Nothing happened last night. At least, that was the story I had chosen to tell.

Sabrina moved around me, checking the sleeves and making tiny adjustments with pins while Caroline stood nearby, taking notes.

"Perfect," Sabrina finally announced.

I smiled.

"Really?"

"Really."

She stepped back and looked at the dress with satisfaction.

"I knew Susan wouldn't recommend the wrong person."

I laughed awkwardly. "Thank you for trusting me."

"Thank you for saving me," she replied.

"You mean saving your deadline," I teased her.

"Exactly."

Everyone laughed.

Even Andrew.

I heard his laugh from somewhere behind me, and for a second, I forgot that I was supposed to be ignoring him.

I turned slightly.

Our eyes met.

He gave me a small smile, but I looked away immediately.

No.

I wasn't doing this.

I wasn't going to allow one smile to make me forget everything he had said.

After the fitting, I changed back into my clothes and got ready. Sabrina insisted that I stay for lunch, but I politely declined.

I had already spent an entire night away from home. I could only imagine the questions waiting for me. And judging by the number of missed calls on my phone, I wasn't imagining them.

The moment I switched my phone back on properly, several notifications appeared.

Kim.

Pat.

Kim.

Pat again.

I sighed.

I knew exactly what they wanted.

I called Pat first.

She answered immediately.

"Finally!"

I pulled the phone away from my ear.

"Hello to you too."

"Where have you been?"

"Good morning, Pat."

"Don't good morning me."

I laughed.

"I was busy."

"Busy doing what?"

Kim's voice suddenly came through the background.

"Ask her why she didn't come to school!"

"I heard you!"

Pat laughed.

"So?"

"I had somewhere to go."

"Where?"

"Outside."

"That's not an answer."

"It's the answer you're getting for now."

Kim groaned. "You are becoming so secretive."

"Maybe I'm growing up."

"Don't start."

"How was school?" I asked instead.

"Terrible without you."

"You're lying."

"Obviously."

We all laughed.

Then Pat's voice became serious. "Are you okay though?"

The question caught me off guard.

"Yeah."

"Really?"

"Really."

I looked toward Andrew.

He was standing outside with Sam, preparing to leave.

I quickly looked away.

"I'm fine."

Pat sighed. "Okay. We'll talk when you come back."

"Deal."

"And Lily?"

"Yes?"

"Kim says you owe us the full story."

"Tell Kim to wait."

"I heard that!" Kim shouted.

"Bye."

"Bye!"

I ended the call and immediately received another message from Kim.

YOU ARE NOT ESCAPING THIS CONVERSATION.


The drive home was quiet.

I sat in the back seat, staring through the window while Andrew drove.

Sam, Sabrina and Caroline had waved us goodbye from the porch.

Andrew hadn't said much. Neither had I.

The silence wasn't the awkward kind we'd shared before. It was deliberate and careful. We were both trying to maintain boundaries.

At least I was but I wasn't sure about him.

Every now and then, I caught his eyes in the rearview mirror. Whenever I did, he looked away.

I pretended not to notice.

The closer we got to home, the heavier my stomach felt.

Andrew aside, I should be worried about my mother.

I wasn't ready to face Martha. I didn't know what she would say about my disappearance. I hadn't exactly planned to spend the night away.

But after the storm, there wasn't much of a choice.

When Andrew finally pulled into the driveway, I grabbed my bag.

"Thank you."

He nodded. "You're welcome."

I opened the door.

"Lily."

I looked back.

His eyes met mine. "I meant what I said last night."

I knew exactly what he meant but I wasn't ready to change my mind.

"I don't remember anything from last night."

His expression fell slightly, then he nodded.

"Right."

I stepped out before the conversation could become something else. I barely made it through the front door.

"Lily!"

Martha's voice came from the living room.

I froze as she stormed toward me.

"Where have you been?"

"Good morning to you too."

"Don't joke with me." Her face was plastered with anger. "Do you know how many times I called you?"

I glanced at my phone.

"Several."

"Several?" She laughed bitterly. "I called you over and over again."

"I was busy."

"Busy where?"

"Out."

"Where?"

"Mum..."

"Don't Mum me,” her voice rose. "You left this house without telling me. You didn't answer your phone. You didn't come home. And nobody knew where you were!"

"I knew where I was."

"That's not the point!" She threw her hands into the air. "You could have been anywhere."

"I'm fine."

"That isn't good enough!"

Her anger seemed to grow with every word.

"You're becoming impossible."

"I was running errands for Susan. "

Her expression changed immediately.

"Susan?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"Her sister's house."

"Why?"

"Because she begged me to."

"You couldn't call me?"

"The rain was bad."

"Your phone still worked!"

I didn't have an answer for that because technically, she was right. But I'd been too overwhelmed to think about anything except getting through the night.

She took a deep breath. Her anger slowly began turning into something else. Her eyes became glassy.

"You always do this."

"Do what?"

"You disobey me."

"Mum…"

"You never listen,” her voice cracked. "I ask you to do one thing, and you do something completely different."

I felt my patience slipping.

"I can't keep explaining myself every five minutes."

"Because you don't explain anything!"

"I don't have to explain everything!"

"You are my daughter!"

"And I'm tired!"

The words came out before I could stop them. I immediately regretted the sharpness in my voice, but I was too frustrated to take it back.

"I've had enough today."

"You've had enough?" She whispered. "I've been worried sick."

I looked at her.

For a second, I saw something behind the anger. Maybe she'd actually been scared. But my own exhaustion was louder.

"I didn't have time for this."

She looked wounded.

"You always say you don't have time for me."

"I didn't say that."

"You just did."

"I mean I don't have time to argue."

"Because you never want to listen."

"And you never want to understand," I snapped.

The silence that followed was painful.

I didn't know if she was being sincere or being a hypocrite.

I remembered last night. I remembered how Derek leaned in to kiss her.

If I spent another minute there, I would say what I wasn't supposed to say. I would expose everything even if my evidence wasn't solid yet.

But I shouldn't do that. Not after Susan's warning.

Instead, I said, "I'm going upstairs."

"Lily."

I stopped but didn't turn around.

"Where are you going?"

"To my room."

She didn't stop me.

Even if she did, I won't stop.