Love never fails

18| more about Preston story 

Chapter 120: Choices and Consequences

As I sat on the edge of my bed, staring out into the darkness, the events of the past few days played on a loop in my mind. The sound of the clock ticking felt like a reminder of how little time I had to figure out what I was going to do next. Preston was in jail, yes, but the mess he left behind was far from over. I couldn't shake the feeling that something else was coming, something even worse.

Lorenzo was always on my mind, though. I kept replaying our last moments together, the way he looked at me with such intensity, as if I was the only thing that mattered to him. But the guilt was gnawing at me. Charlotte was still in the picture, and even though she wasn't a good person, I couldn't help but feel like a homewrecker. It was like I was betraying some unspoken code.

My phone buzzed, pulling me out of my thoughts. It was a message from Lorenzo: "Can't stop thinking about you. When can we talk?"

I sighed, unsure of how to respond. My heart was telling me one thing, but my mind was racing with all the complications. Before I could reply, I heard a soft knock on my door.

"Lilly?" It was Lorenzo. I had to keep reminding myself to use his real name. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure," I said, trying to sound casual, even though my heart was pounding in my chest.

He slipped inside, closing the door quietly behind him. "I just wanted to check on you. Everything's been so crazy."

I nodded, not trusting my voice. He sat down next to me, close enough that our knees were touching. The warmth from his body was both comforting and unsettling.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice gentle.

I wanted to say yes, but the words caught in my throat. Instead, I just nodded again.

He reached out, taking my hand in his. "You know you can talk to me, right? About anything."

"I know," I whispered. "It's just... I feel so lost."

"Lost? Why?"

"Because everything's a mess. Preston, the trial, everything with Charlotte..." I trailed off, unable to say the rest.

Lorenzo squeezed my hand. "I know it's complicated. But you don't have to go through it alone."

His words were like a balm to my frayed nerves, and before I knew it, I was leaning into him, resting my head on his shoulder. He didn't pull away. Instead, he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer.

"I'm here for you," he murmured into my hair.

And then it happened—our lips found each other's in the dim light of my room, and everything else fell away. The guilt, the confusion, it all disappeared as we gave in to the moment.

We pulled back, both of us breathless. I could see the conflict in his eyes, mirroring my own. We were walking a tightrope, and one wrong step could send us both crashing down.

"I don't want to hurt anyone," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Neither do I," he replied. "But I can't stop thinking about you, Lilly."

I kissed him again, more urgently this time, as if trying to drown out the doubts that were screaming in the back of my mind. He responded just as eagerly, and soon, we were lost in each other.

I barely registered it when he started to undo the buttons of my shirt. All I knew was that I wanted him—needed him—and nothing else mattered in that moment. We fell back onto the bed, hands roaming, exploring, and before long, clothes were scattered across the floor.