Chapter 10 The scent of lilies and lies
The heavy scent of lilies hit me the moment I stepped through the front door. It was a thick, cloying fragrance that stood in stark contrast to the expensive, woody cologne that still seemed to cling to the skin of my neck from my time with Victor. The house was shrouded in shadows, the only light coming from the flickering blue glow of the television in the living room.
Maya was sprawled on the sofa, her eyes fixed on a mindless reality show, though she sat bolt upright the second the floorboards creaked under my gold heels.
"Well, well," Maya whispered, her voice cutting through the hum of the TV. "The fire-starter returns. I was starting to think the Grinch had locked you in a tower."
I let out a long, shaky breath, dropping my gold clutch onto the coffee table and sinking into the armchair opposite her. I felt like a different person than the girl who had left this house four hours ago. "It wasn't a tower, Maya. It was... it was incredible."
Maya muted the TV, her eyes scanning my face with surgical precision. "Tell me everything. And don't leave out the parts that make you blush, because your face is already doing half the work."
"We went to the private cinema," I began, my voice trailing off as I remembered the feeling of Victor’s hand in mine. "He didn't act like a patient, Maya. He didn't even act like the boss. He was just... Victor. He told me I looked breathtaking. He held my hand the entire time. And for the first time in months, I didn't feel like I was working. I felt like I was alive."
"Did he kiss you?" Maya asked, leaning forward, her chin in her hands.
"No," I replied, a small smile playing on my lips. "He didn't have to. The way he looked at me... it was more intimate than a kiss. He told me that when he’s with me, he forgets he’s paralyzed. He said I’m the only one who sees him and not the chair."
"Wow," Maya breathed, her teasing expression softening into something more serious. "That’s deep, El. That’s 'happily ever after' kind of stuff. But..." She paused, her gaze flickering toward the dining table. "We need to talk about the 'before' part of your life."
I followed her gaze and saw them—the massive bouquet of white lilies sitting in a vase on the table. Beside them lay a small, handwritten card. The sight of them felt like a bucket of ice water being poured over my glowing heart.
"Liam was here?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
"He was here," Maya confirmed, her tone turning somber. "About twenty minutes after you left. He looked like a man who had been through a shredder, Elena. He had those flowers, and he was practically begging to see you. He wanted to apologize for the vacation, for the drinking... for everything."
The mood in the room shifted instantly. The magic of the red dress and the cinema felt suddenly cheap, tainted by the reality of the three-year relationship I was currently dismantling. "What did you tell him?"
"I lied for you," Maya said, standing up to pace the small room. "I told him you went out to get some air because you haven't been yourself. I told him you needed space to breathe. He looked so defeated, El. He just left the flowers and walked away with his head down. It made my heart ache a little, and you know I’m the tough one."
I leaned my head back against the chair, closing my eyes. "I don't know what to do, Maya. Liam is a good man. He’s been there for us, for Mom and Dad, for Leo. But when I’m with him lately, I feel like I’m performing a role. When I’m with Victor... it’s like I’m finally myself, even if 'myself' is someone I don't recognize yet."
"You can't keep them both on the hook," Maya warned, her voice stern but not unkind. "It’s not fair to Liam to let him think he can fix this with lilies if your heart is already in a basement on the Hill. And it’s not fair to you to live a double life. You’re glowing for one man and grieving for the other. That’s a heavy weight to carry."
"I know," I groaned, rubbing my temples. "I thought the vacation would fix us, but it only made the cracks wider. Seeing Victor at that shopping center... it was like a magnet. I couldn't help but move toward him."
"Then you have to tell him," Maya said. "Not tonight, but soon. You need to be honest with Liam before he does something even more grand to win you back. Because the more he tries, the more you’re going to resent him for not being Victor."
I looked at the lilies again. They were beautiful, but they felt like funeral flowers—the end of an era. "I just don't want to break him."
"Breaking him now is better than shattering him later," Maya said. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, her thumbs hovering over the keyboard. "I’m going to text him. Just to tell him you got home safe and that you’re sleeping. It’ll stop him from calling you tonight and ruining this weird, red-dress high you’re on."
"Thank you, Maya," I said, feeling a wave of gratitude for my sister’s pragmatism.
Maya tapped away at the screen. I watched the light of her phone illuminate her face as she sent the message.
Maya to Liam: Hey, Elena is home. She’s exhausted and went straight to bed. She saw the flowers. Let’s give her tonight to rest, okay? We’ll talk soon.
"Done," Maya said, tossing her phone onto the sofa. "Now, go take off that dress before you accidentally fall in love with yourself in the mirror again. Tomorrow is Sunday. You have one day of peace before you have to go back to the mansion and face the 'spark' again."
I stood up, my gold heels clicking softly on the floor. I walked over to the table and touched one of the lily petals. It was soft, cool, and already starting to wilt at the edges. I turned off the living room light, leaving the flowers in the dark, and walked toward my bedroom, feeling the ghost of Victor's hand still pressed against mine.