SSA Scottley - A collection - S.R.

DRSE

A/N: so, this is the last ever chapter of this book, but I do have an epilogue coming right up and an important last note, so if you could read those too, that would be great! For now, enjoy and, as usual, let me know what you think!

Date night - Part 8

Lily groaned when the bright lights hit her eyes as soon as she opened them. Turning her head to the side, she pinched her eyes closed and tried to ignore the pounding in her head or the pain radiating all through her body. She wasn't sure where she was or how she had gotten there. In fact, she couldn't quite remember anything just yet, but when she felt a featherlight touch on her leg, she let out a breath of relief, feeling her whole body relaxing for the first time in a long time.

"Hey, there, sleepyhead. Open your eyes, come on."

Lily felt her body freezing a little. She recognized that voice. She recognized that voice, but it couldn't be. Could it? Could that be... Opening her eyes slowly, Lily squinted a little against the light still, but looked around, just to find who she thought it was sitting beside her legs.

"Oliver?" She asked, causing the blonde young man to smile at her and nod his head. "But how... I mean, what... What's going on?"

"You don't remember?" He asked, his voice gentle as he rubbed his thumb over her kneecap. "Anything?"

"I... No."

"Come here." Oliver called then, reaching for both of Lily's hands as he pulled her up to a sitting position. "There you are. Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore." Lily shook her head. She was clearly still confused, but her eyes never once left Oliver's form. He looked exactly as she remembered him last - well, last as in, before she found him dead. The same blonde hair, the same bright blue eyes, the same award-winning smile, the same young features in his face. Young... God, he had been so young when he died and now... Wait... "Am I dead?"

"No." Oliver smiled a little. "I mean, not yet. You're in surgery. You were in pretty bad shape when your team rescued you from Baker."

Baker. The name must have flicked a switch inside Lily's brain because, suddenly, all of the memories started flooding back. Spencer's date with Cat, Eleanor, Shawn and Alec being missing, Jason Baker kidnapping her and beating her bloody for hours... Then, she remembered. She had seen Spencer. He had found her. Him and her team. They had found her just in time to stop the torture Baker put her though - just in time before she broke. Because she remembered now. She had been on the verge of giving up when Spencer found him and, if any of this was anything to go by, she was probably still on that very same verge now.

"I remember." Lily mumbled, as Oliver sent her a small, sad smile. "I remember now."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Lily." He said, still tapping his finger gently against her knee.

"He made me watch." Lily mumbled, her eyes filling with tears as Oliver just nodded, encouraging her to speak. "He... He recorded the day he... I mean, I had to watch as he... You... I couldn't... That day..."

"Stop." Oliver shook his head gently then. "Don't. That was not your fault."

"Olly..."

"Darling, there was no way you could've stopped any of that." Oliver assured, the sound of his voice and his old nickname sending shivers down Lily's spine. "I don't blame you and neither should you."

"I just..."

"I know." Oliver nodded, standing up as he extended a hand out to Lily. "But you shouldn't. Now, come on... We have some things to talk about."