Chapter Fifteen
Tilly slogged into her house. The hot July sun was already up, and it wasn’t even eight in the morning.
Her muscles ached. Her job—her former job—had been active, but it was nothing like her new one. It was moving her body for eight hours up and down stools, filling bins, lining goods on shelves, emptying boxes.
She’d missed the entire weekend. Work, sleep, repeat was all she’d done.
Because now she had to pay Mara back the bail money. She had a court-appointed lawyer. So there was that.
She trudged to her computer. No messages. Nothing on her calendar. She didn’t have another shift until the weekend. That meant when she woke up, she’d have to find another job.
Speaking of work. She pulled up the email from her boss at the school. She had resigned, effective immediately. There was no use putting him in the difficult position of prolonging the inevitable. Clearing her name against Mr. Woods’s accusations would prove impossible.
Kicking off her shoes, she didn’t bother with her clothing. She collapsed into bed and threw an arm over her face. The inability of her blinds to keep out the sun had escaped her notice before now. They were threadbare, and light shone right onto her bed.
Her phone rang.
Dammit. Who the hell would bother her at this ungodly hour?
She didn’t recognize the number but that wasn’t unusual during the past week.
“Tilly Johnson?” It was a woman’s voice, someone she didn’t know.
“Yep.” Tilly kept her arm over her face.
“I’m Luna O’Donnell, the attorney who’s been hired for your case.”
“Oh, the court-appointed one?” But the guy who’d been at her arraignment had been, well, a guy. And clearly unimpressed with her suspicions in Charlie’s case.
“No, ma’am. Flynn Halstengard hired me.” Tilly bolted upright and almost dropped the phone. Luna kept talking. “I have some documents to go over with you, and then some questions about your experience with Charles Woods and his dad, John Woods. What time can you meet?”
“Flynn hired you?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“What about his precious business?” Bitterness seeped through her tone, but she was beyond caring.
“The corporation has attorneys assigned to it in that regard. I’m dedicated solely to you.”
Tilly couldn’t respond. He’d hired her a lawyer. After he’d taken care of his own company. She wasn’t nothing to him, but she wasn’t his priority, either.
His best friend hadn’t even known about them. Flynn was so considerate in private—except for that one time at the theater with Becky. He hadn’t shouted his love for her. But he hadn’t pointed out that she was the crazy lady who’d bid for him, either. So, he’d stood up for her, but at the same time, he hadn’t.
Kind of like high school.
He’d been nice enough to her, but he hadn’t. Crazy J.
“Miss Johnson, we’d like to conduct our own investigation into the identity of Charlie Woods’s abuser. Can we meet to talk?”
Not when she’d been up all night. “Want to find out Charlie’s abuser? Let’s see, since they couldn’t keep a nanny, I’d ask the Stepford mom exactly how Charlie got his bruises.”
Luna was quiet on the other end. Was she taking notes, or did she have the blank look Tilly’s court-appointed attorney had given her?
There was a knock at her door.
“For the love of God, can’t a girl get some rest around here?”
“Excuse me, Miss Johnson?”
“Not you. Look, I’m tired and I have to talk to Mr. Halstengard about this arrangement first. But unless you’re going to be the kind of lawyer who cares that I don’t end up in jail, who’ll gun for the real abuser, and who’ll legal-speak my parents into the ground for what they said about me, I may as well stick with my listless court-appointed attorney. Thanks.” She tossed the phone on her nightstand and went to answer the door, Luna already forgotten. Why get her hopes up?
She didn’t bother to check who it was. Last time had turned out pretty swell. She was a hardened criminal now, could take whatever was on the other side of that door.
A rumpled-looking Flynn greeted her. His gaze drank her in like a man starved of water, but she steeled herself. She needed her fortitude to fight the good fight, and from what she’d learned the last time they were together, the good fight wasn’t Flynn.
“I, uh… Did a lawyer get ahold of you?”
She draped one hand on the doorknob and the other on her hip. “You’ll have to be more specific, Flynn. I suddenly have a lot of lawyers in my life.”
“Her name is—”
“Luna something or other. Yes. I don’t want your charity.” But, dammit, she needed it.
“She’s yours. Let her defend you. I get what I did was—”
“What’d you do, Flynn?” She wiggled her fingers by her ears. “Lemme hear it. Because,” she barked out a laugh, “it’s not like anyone else has. Did you know Wes and Mara knew nothing about us? It’s almost August, Flynn. What’s that make it? Like, two months since we first had sex?”
“I told you that I’m a private man.”
“You weren’t supposed to be private with me. I told you my story at the cabin and you neglected to clarify that your sister didn’t die. That you’re paying off your mom—”
“I’m not bribing her to stay quiet.”
“It’s really not my business. I’d just urge you to develop a relationship with your sister. For her sake and yours, but not for mine.”
He nodded, a muscle jumping in his jaw. “Tilly, I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you are.” She could hardly look at him or she’d soften. Had he slept any the whole weekend? “Look, I’ll work out a payment plan to reimburse you for Luna’s legal fees. I have to pay Mara back first.”
“You don’t owe me anything. I owe you an apology.”
“And you already gave it. Thank you.” She yawned and it wasn’t for effect. “I’ve been up all night and I’m very tired. Thanks again, Flynn.”
“Tilly, I love you.”
She stilled and met his earnest emerald gaze. Did he really? Did he even know what love should be like? She could crumble and throw herself into his arms, and she had a strong drive to do just that. But while he might love her, he still wasn’t offering things her upbringing had taught her to treasure, like respect, trust, and honesty. The drive to move heaven and earth to take care of the one you loved.
Flynn might love her, but he lacked the rest.
“And I love you, too, Flynn. But you know what? It’s not enough. My parents loved me, too. I truly think they did. No, you’re nothing like them, but in a way, you are. I want your acceptance. I want your respect. I want you to make an effort at a real relationship. You love me. I believe you love your sister. But until you learn how to be in a relationship of any kind, I can’t do this.” She swiped at a tear rolling down her cheek. Flynn’s expression grew bleak. “I fought for my childhood and now I have to fight for my adulthood and I won’t settle for pretty words. I…I want to know I’m safe with you.”
“I got the lawyer…”
She leveled her gaze on him, let him see how serious she was. “Did you do that after I was arrested?” His silence was her answer. “Do you know what that tells me? That you waited to see if it’d all blow over and you could save your precious account. So your lawyer is too little too late. And I understand if you pull her help because it’s not winning me back. But I’m done being your little secret.”
Stepping back to shut the door, she risked one last glance.
His hair stuck up in all directions, shadows hung under his eyes, and his shoulders drooped. He was far removed from the brawny roofer of a few weeks ago. “Tilly. I’ll do anything.”
She swallowed hard. “You had your chance.”
The door clicked shut. She hung her head.
That should’ve been the hardest thing she had to do, but it wasn’t even close.