CHAPTER LXXV
That evening, after taking a warm shower, I sat in the living room, telling Flash everything that had happened—how I had managed to save Lylah and bring her here. My voice was calm, but deep inside, the memory of the day's events still pulsed through me.
Just as I finished speaking, the sound of heavy footsteps approached my door. I looked up, and there he was—Lylah's fiancé. Without so much as a greeting, he called out her name, his tone sharp and commanding, as if he had every right to barge into my home.
I stood up immediately. "What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice firm, my eyes locked on him.
"I'm here to talk to Lylah," he said coldly. "Where is she? I need to speak to her."
"You can't talk to her," I replied, stepping between him and the rest of the house.
He narrowed his eyes. "And who are you to say that? Lylah is my fiancée. She's only here because you've filled her head with your smooth, sweet words. But if I talk to her, she'll agree to come back with me."
My jaw clenched. "How much money did Lylah's father borrow from you?" I demanded.
He blinked, taken aback by my sudden question. "A thousand dollars," he said after a moment.
Without a word, I walked to the table, pulled out my checkbook, and began writing. I tore out the check and held it up to him. "Here. I've written it for one thousand dollars. Take it. Now leave her alone."
He stared at the check for a few seconds before taking it from my hand. A slow, smug smile spread across his face. "I'll leave for now," he said, his voice low and almost taunting, "but don't think this is over. I'm not done with Lylah. Remember that."
With that, he turned and walked out, his footsteps fading into the night, leaving behind a thick silence that settled heavily in the room.
Inside me, the resolve only hardened—whatever it took, I was not going to let him hurt her again.
Lylah had been standing silently at the top of the stairs, watching everything unfold. Her eyes followed the door as it closed behind her so-called fiancé, and then slowly, she began to descend, her steps light but deliberate.
When she reached the bottom, she looked at me with a mixture of confusion and concern. "Why did you give him the money?" she asked softly. "That money… it was my responsibility to give him, not yours."
I met her gaze without flinching. "Lylah," I said gently, "you can return the money to me whenever you want—tomorrow, next month, or never if you can't. That doesn't matter. What matters is that this was the only way I saw to protect you from that greedy man."
Her eyes softened, but a shadow still lingered there. "But he said he'll come back," she murmured, worry lacing her voice.
I stepped a little closer, my tone steady but warm. "Then we'll deal with it when that day comes. Until then, you're safe here."
For a moment, she just looked at me, as though searching for something in my expression. Then she whispered, "Thank you."
I smiled faintly, shaking my head. "Lylah, you don't need to thank me. Saving you… was also saving myself."
She tilted her head slightly, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "By the way," she said with a small, teasing smile, "what's your name?"
A soft laugh escaped me. "You mean to tell me," I teased, stepping just close enough for her to notice, "that you shared something intimate with me without even knowing my name?"
Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her gaze.
"My name is Astrid," I continued warmly. "And this," I gestured toward the brightly colored bird perched nearby, "is my parrot, Flash. I should warn you—he's a terrible chatterbox, so be careful what you say around him."
Lylah's lips curved into a faint smile as she looked at Flash. The little bird tilted his head, then with a flutter of wings, landed gracefully on her shoulder. She laughed softly, and for a fleeting moment, it felt as though they'd known each other for years—two souls recognizing each other in an instant.
As she stood there, her shoulder brushing mine while Flash settled happily between us, I realized the air between us had shifted. It wasn't just gratitude or relief anymore—it was something warmer, quieter… something that made my heart beat just a little faster.
Flash, still perched comfortably on Lylah's shoulder, tilted his head and said in his cheeky little voice, "I can help you with anything you need… except cleaning the house."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Flash, there you go again," I said with mock annoyance. "Why would she even need to clean the house?"
But Flash wasn't finished. He ruffled his feathers and said, "Because, Astrid… your mom is coming tomorrow. What are you going to tell her?"
My eyes widened. "Wait—you remembered this and didn't remind me?" My voice rose slightly, half in panic, half in disbelief. "Flash, why would you keep that to yourself? What am I supposed to do now?"
Before I could spiral any further, Lylah placed a hand on my arm, her touch calm and reassuring. "It's okay," she said softly. "I can take care of the housekeeping. Just tell her I'm your… servant or something."
The words stung. I took a step closer, my tone firmer now. "No, Lylah. That's not going to happen. I'm going to tell her the truth—that you're my girlfriend, and that I want to marry you. That's the only thing that feels right to me."
Her eyes widened, a mix of surprise and something unspoken flickering there. Before she could respond, Flash chimed in again, his voice carrying an almost dramatic weight. "Oh, Astrid… you forgot one more thing. Finnian is coming with her."
At the mention of that name, my breath caught in my throat. I glanced at Flash sharply. "Finnian?"
He nodded, his tone suddenly serious. "Yes. Can you still say all of that in front of him too?"
The room felt heavier all of a sudden. Lylah looked between me and Flash, sensing the tension but not yet knowing the history behind the name. My heart pounded in my chest, the thought of facing both my mother and Finnian making the air around me feel dangerously thin.
In that moment, the house didn't feel safe anymore—it felt like a stage, and tomorrow, the performance could change everything.
To be continue....