Page 94 of Claiming Lily

Cole’s thumb traces along my cheek, catching a tear I didn’t realize had fallen. “You’re shaking.”

I am. My whole body is trembling like a leaf in a windstorm, the adrenaline finally crashing, careening toward the downward slope of a rollercoaster. “I was so scared I’d never see you guys again.”

“Hey.” Hudson’s voice is low and steady, the kind of calm that anchors me when everything else feels like it’s spinning out of control. “We’re here. You’re safe.”

“What happened in there?” Gage asks, his jaw tight. “We heard shouting and a gun shot.”

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” the officer from earlier approaches our huddle, “but I need to inform you all that Sarah Dunn is dead.”

I saw it in her glassy stare right after they shot her, even still, the words gut me. The spoken truth makes it all the more real. All three of my guys go completely still.

“Sarah?” Cole’s voice cracks slightly. “She did this?”

“She had a knife.” Swallowing, I frown at the house. “She said we belonged together. She was the stalker.”

Hudson reaches for my hand, interlacing his fingers with mine in a grip that’s almost painful in its intensity. “She’s really dead?” Is it over?

The officer nods grimly. “Shot and killed during the altercation.”

We stand there for a moment, letting the truth sink in. Sarah, the woman I thought was a friend, stalked me. Tried to kill me because she was pissed I was dating the guys.

My forehead wrinkles as another thought occurs to me. “What about Matt? Was she working with him?”

“That’s difficult to determine at this point. We’ll need to interview him extensively and trace the laptop purchase to see if there’s any connection. For now, to ensure your safety, Matt is still being held. Once we can determine whether he was or wasn’t involved, that will determine his fate.”

The weight of everything crashes over me like a wave. My knees buckle slightly and Hudson immediately tightens his hold, keeping me upright.

“Whoa there.” His green eyes study my face with concern. “You’re crashing.”

Cole notices too, his features pinched with worry. “She needs to get out of here.”

“Are we free to take her home?” Gage asks the officer.

“You are. We’ll need statements from all of you tomorrow, but for tonight, get her some rest.”

The guys waste no time helping me toward Hudson’s truck. My legs feel like jelly, each step requiring more effort than it should. Cole keeps one hand on my lower back while Gage opens the passenger door. Hudson hovers close enough to catch me if I stumble.

As they help me into the truck, I find myself staring back at the house. Those moments where Sarah held the knife pull me under, and it’s like I’m tied to the chair all over again. Rope scraping my skin raw. Plastic crinkling as she comes closer. My stomach churns.

Cole climbs in beside me and immediately reaches for my hand, his fingers warm and reassuring as they squeeze mine.

Blinking, I wrench myself from the memory and exhale slowly, the terror that’s been gripping my chest finally starting to loosen its hold. The worst is over. I’m alive. I’m with the people I love most in the world.

Now I need to figure out what comes next.

Chapter Thirty-Two

LILY

Two weeks later, I stand at a freshly covered grave, a bouquet of white lilies clutched in my hands. Sarah’s polished headstone gleams in the afternoon sun, the engraved letters still sharp and new. My chest tightens as I crouch down and lay the flowers at the base of the stone.

“I’m sorry.” I whisper, my voice barely audible above the December mountain breeze. Thanksgiving has come and gone, lost in the aftermath of the kidnapping and everything that came after. The police shared what they could. How she grew up in a troubled home with an abusive father and how that might’ve contributed to whatever happened.

It’s not a satisfying answer, but as I stare down at the flowers against the dark earth, I let go of the need to feel more. While I’ll never excuse what she did or fully understand why, Sarah was still a person who deserved to be mourned and she had been my friend. Perhaps I’m weird for wanting to give her flowers, but if this is what I have to do to get better closure, so be it.

I step back, brushing dirt from my knees. I glance up, catching sight of Matt approaching slowly across the cemetery lawn, bundled up in a jacket, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

My body goes rigid, every muscle tensing despite knowing the cops cleared him. It turns out Sarah bought that laptop herself and planted it at his house, trying to pin her stalking crimes on him. Even still, my gaze skips to the guys who are waiting for me by the truck. They’re watching, ready to intervene if needed, but they don’t run to save me from this interaction, and for that, I’m thankful.