43 - Healing at home

A couple days later Lilly still lay in her hospital bed, her wounds still fresh and painful, but healing well. She was grateful to be alive, but the memories of the attack still lingered in her mind. Her mom, Rose, the guys had spent every waking minute with her.

"I'd like to take Lilly home with me now. She needs to rest and recover." Rose suddenly said out of the blue. The doctors had just left the room telling Lilly that she would be discharged that afternoon.

Aiden, Ethan, and Jason exchanged a glance before nodding in agreement. "Of course, ma'am," Aiden said. "We'll make sure she gets home safely."

Rose shook her head in disagreement, “No I mean my home.”

Before the guys could protest, Lilly spoke up, “No, mom. I will be going back to Jason’s house where we have been living.”

Jason turned to Rose, whose face had now fallen in defeat, “Mrs. Rose, you are more than welcome to come stay with us while she recovers. We have plenty of room.”

Rose smiled at Jason, “That would be amazing Jason. Thank you for being so considerate.”

That afternoon as they helped Mrs. Rose get Lilly out of bed and into a wheelchair, Sarah, walked into the room. Her eyes widened in shock as she took in the scene.

"Lilly! Oh my god, what happened?" she exclaimed.

Lilly winced in pain as Mrs. Rose guided her out of the room. "I'll tell you everything later, Sarah. I am okay. Come by the house tomorrow," she whispered.

At home, Mrs. Rose helped Lilly settle into her bed, while Aiden and Ethan set up a makeshift recovery room for her. Obviously, with Lilly’s mom living there, the guys didn’t think it appropriate to all sleep in the master bedroom like they usually did. Plus, Lilly would need a bed to herself while she healed. Jason made the room across the hall from Lilly feel more inviting for Mrs. Rose to stay in.

“Mrs. Rose, I have you all fixed up.” Jason said, peeking in Lilly’s room.

Mrs. Rose smiled at him, “Thank you, dear. You guys are so sweet and caring.”

As the night wore on, Mrs. Rose made sure that Lilly was comfortable and settled in for the night. She thanked Aiden and Ethan for their help and asked them to stay with Lilly for a little while longer.

"I'll make sure she gets back on her feet," Aiden promised.

Ethan nodded in agreement. "We'll be here for her, Mrs. Rose."

As she went to her own room to settle in for the night, Mrs. Rose couldn't help but wonder about these three men who had come into her daughter's life. She knew that she had to get to know them better if she was going to trust them with Lilly's care. They did seem attentive and caring to her.

But for now, she was just grateful to have her daughter safe in a home, surrounded by people who cared about her deeply.

As the night wore on, Lilly drifted off to sleep, exhausted but grateful for the love and support that surrounded her. She knew that she still had a long road ahead of her, but with Aiden and Ethan, Jason and her mom by her side, she felt like she could face anything that came their way.

The next morning when Lilly woke up, Sarah sat beside Lilly's bed, keeping her company and making sure she was comfortable. Mrs. Rose had gone to make some hot tea in the kitchen, leaving Aiden and Ethan to keep vigil over their friend. Jason had to go into the office for the morning.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Lil," Sarah whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of Lilly's labored breathing.

Lilly opened her eyes, a faint smile spreading across her face. "Thanks, Sarah. I'm just glad to be alive."

Aiden and Ethan exchanged a glance, their faces etched with concern. They had been worried sick about Lilly after the attack, and they were relieved to see her pulling through.

"I'll never forgive Brittany for what she did," Aiden said, his voice low and angry.

Ethan nodded in agreement. "She's going to pay for what she did to Lilly."

Sarah shivered at the thought of Brittany's cruelty. She understood the pain of losing her sister Tiffany, but violence would not get her back.

Mrs. Rose returned with the tea, and the four of them sat around Lilly's bed in silence, sipping their tea and watching over their friend.

Eventually, Lilly's eyelids began to droop, and Sarah gently guided her back into a comfortable position. "You rest now, Lil," she whispered. "We're here for you."

As Lilly drifted off to sleep once more, Aiden and Ethan got up to leave, going to get dinner started.

Sarah nodded, watching as they slipped out of the room. "I'll stay here with Lilly tonight," she said to Mrs. Rose.

Mrs. Rose smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Sarah. You are such a sweet friend to my Lilly."

Sarah sat beside Lilly's bed, listening to her gentle snores and wondering how they would all get through this difficult time ahead.

Meanwhile, at the local police station locked away in an interrogation room, Brittany sat in handcuffs, her eyes fixed on the floor as she contemplated the gravity of her actions. She knew she had to get out of there. The lockets needed to be in her possession, not those children. They didn’t know or understand the power that they held. And once she had them, she would take care of the ones that had murdered her sister.

Detective Jameson entered the room, a stern expression on his face. "So, Brittany, let's get started," he said, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

Brittany shrugged. "What's the point? I already know what you're going to say."

Detective Jameson raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Well, let me tell you something. We have evidence. A lot of evidence. And it all points to one thing: you tried to murder Lilly and her friends."

Brittany snorted. "They murdered my sister!"

The detective leaned forward, his eyes piercing. " Brittany, we have eyewitnesses who saw you struggle with your sister Tiffany and them. It was all self-defense and an accident. Your sister was trying to harm them."

Brittany's eyes flickered with anger, but she quickly regained control of herself. "I was just trying to scare her," she said, her voice cold and detached.

Detective Jameson raised an eyebrow. "Scare her? You nearly killed her! Do you know how serious this is?"

Brittany shrugged again. "I didn't mean to hurt her that badly."

Detective Jameson leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving Brittany's face. "We'll see about that," he said, his voice dripping with skepticism.

As the interrogation continued, Brittany remained uncooperative, refusing to give any more information or show any emotion. But Detective Jameson knew that she was hiding something, and he was determined to uncover the truth.

As the sun began to set outside the police station, Detective Jameson sat back in his office, going over the evidence in his mind. He knew that he had a long road ahead of him, but he was determined to get justice for Lilly.

For now, Brittany remained locked up in her cell, her future uncertain and dark. But Detective Jameson knew that the truth would eventually come out, and when it did, Brittany would face the consequences of her actions.