Chapter 14
Lily
“You don’t know me,” I yelled at Rose as she tried to steal my Spanish homework so she could copy it. “Don’t tell me how to live my life!”
“You’re such an asshole,” she laughed. “Hand it over.”
“Why don’t you just do it yourself?”
“Because I want a good grade and you’re the one who got into Yale!”
“Shh,” I warned, smacking her with the paper. “I haven’t told my parents, idiot.”
“Well, why not?” she asked, snatching the paper out of my hand.
“Because my dad really wants me to go there, and I don’t want to hear it.”
“You’re going,” Rose said, shaking her head. “You’re not stupid enough to give up Yale.”
“I got into plenty of other schools.”
“Yeah, but Yale.”
“It’s really expensive.”
“So? Dude, if you graduate from Yale, you can pay off all your loans with the fancy ass job you get.”
“I think I want to stay in Oregon,” I said quietly, not meeting her eyes as I pulled my calculus book out of my backpack. “In-state tuition is way cheaper.”
“Oh, bullshit,” Rose said, slapping my bed. “You just don’t want to leave Leo.”
A knock on my bedroom door silenced me before I could protest.
“Lily, you’ve got a visitor downstairs,” my dad said through the door.
“A visitor?” Rose asked as his footsteps grew faint. “Who’d come to see you? I’m already here.”
“No idea.” I rolled off my bed and soothed down my braid. “I’ll be right back.”
I jogged down the stairs and came to an abrupt stop when I saw Leo standing in the middle of our living room. He looked like shit. His eyes were bloodshot as hell, and his face was paler than I’d ever seen it. He looked sick.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, fear making my voice come out high.
“Lily,” he said, taking a step forward.
“You never call me Lily,” I replied, watching him carefully.
“You’re the most—”
“You never call me Lily,” I said again, suspiciously, my heart beginning to race.
“Baby—”
“Why are you calling me Lily?”
“Dandelion,” he said softly, taking another step toward me.
“No,” I ordered, raising my hand. “Stop.”
Leo’s shoulders dropped, and I felt everything inside me, everything that made me me, begin to shake. That’s when I noticed that my dad had left Leo and I completely alone.
“What did you do?” I asked, my eyes beginning to burn. “What did you do, Leo?”
“I love you.”
“What did you do?”
“Ashley’s pregnant.”
“No, she’s not.” I shook my head.
“I didn’t know,” he said, his voice pleading. “I swear, I didn’t.”
Everything inside me quieted to nothing.
“You’re going to have a baby,” I said flatly. “With someone else.”
“I’m so sorry, Dandelion,” he said, coming even closer to my spot at the bottom of the stairs.
“Babies aren’t something to be sorry about,” I replied, lifting my chin. “Don’t say that again.”
“That wasn’t what I meant—”
“Thanks for letting me know,” I cut him off. I tried to smile, but that small prevarication was impossible. “Congratulations.”
“What? No.” He finally reached me, but his hand on my face brought none of the familiar feelings that I’d come to expect. I was numb with disbelief. Numb with horror. Numb with the realization that the man I loved was going to be building a life with someone else. I felt nothing.
“I think you should go,” I said softly, pulling his hand off my face. “Good luck, Leo.”
“I’m not with her,” he argued, reaching for me again. “This doesn’t change anything.”
“It changes everything,” I replied incredulously. “I’m seventeen.”
“I know how old you are.”
“You’re going to be a dad.”
“I know.”
“I’m seventeen,” I said again, swatting at his hands.
“It’s time for you to leave, Leo,” my mom said kindly as she stepped into view.
His arms dropped to his sides in defeat as he stared at me like he didn’t even know me.
“I was there for you,” he said so quietly that I almost didn’t hear him. “I’ve always had your back.”
Then he turned and strode out the front door, closing it respectfully behind him, though I knew he’d wanted to slam it.
“You did good, Lilybug,” my mom said gently. I stiffened as she hugged me. “You did the right thing.”
“Does everyone know?” I asked dully as she let me go.
“No. Just me and your dad. Leo wanted to tell you first.”
“Okay.” I nodded. Swallowed. Nodded again. “I got into Yale.”
I was already turning toward the stairs when my mom finally said, “You did?”
“Yeah.” I looked over my shoulder at her and smiled wanly. “We should probably start figuring out finances if I’m moving across the country.”
“I’m so proud of you, Lily,” she called as I forced myself up each stair.
“Thanks, Ma.”
Rose was at my door, her arms wide with welcome and understanding as I stumbled toward her. Thank God, my cousin always eavesdropped. She knew exactly what I needed and I hadn’t had to say a word.
“We’re going to fucking own New Haven,” she whispered into my ear. “I hope you didn’t think you were going without me.”