Prisoner of Love

Chapter Fourteen.

Lili-Rose didn't want to stay cooped up in another house because a man said so. Sure, she trusted Geff, but she needed to run. She needed to keep on the go.

Lili-Rose grabbed her high heels from the floor of the lounge room, she had a choice of putting on the dress The British Gentleman had forced her to wear or stay in Geff's clothes, she knew it'd be safer to stay in his clothes even if they were baggy and awkward on her body.

She headed towards the backdoor before sneaking out, she closed the door behind her as her body basked in the hot air.

Lili-Rose just allowed the hot air to breeze around her body, the little things that she was allowing herself to savour. She was allowing herself to stop for just one moment as she walked towards the back fence.

She kept a hold of her heels as she carefully climbed over the back fence into the neighbour's yard, she uncomfortably landed in mud.

Lili-Rose looked out into the mud covered lack of grass backyard as she carefully moved around the yard full of various kids toys and bikes as she moved to the side gate, she managed to get the side gate open before taking a second to take in the front yard that looked no different to the backyard. No cars sat in the driveway as she snuck her way to the front gate before quickly exiting the yard.

She calmly walked down the street as she tried to get her bearings.

One thing Lili-Rose loved about Geff is that he hadn't moved house once since she was born, she knew which streets to take as she kept her high heels in her hand, walking barefoot through the streets.

Lili-Rose flicked her gaze up to the street signs every so often, just to make sure she had the right path. She stopped at the new traffic lights that weren't there when she was younger.

Not much had changed since Lili-Rose had run from the life she once loved so much, a few fences had been upgraded, a few street signs had been upgraded, sets of traffic lights had popped up, two round-abouts had been planted at the middle of two three way junction roads, some gardens had bloomed while other gardens were overgrown or dead.

Lili-Rose stopped walking as she placed her high heels on the footpath that was starting to burn her feet. She stepped into her heels and adjusted the strap comfortably around her ankle, she braved herself as she pushed open the front gate, she attempted to quietly close it as her heart raced.

She wiped her sweat covered face with the back of the shirt sleeve before wiping her hands on the pants she was wearing. She nervously took steps towards the front patio, she attempted to silently step up the two step stairs.

Lili-Rose allowed herself to take in the shade from the patio roof before taking deep breaths as she knocked on the front door.

Her heart raced.

She failed to hide her nerves as she fidgeted with the bottom of the shirt she was wearing.

It felt like an eternity before the door was opened.

Dressed in a floral dress, her brown hair starting to tinge with grey strands took in Lili-Rose, the sixty year old woman burst out crying as she squeezed Lili-Rose tightly.

"Mum" Lili-Rose wrapped her arms around her mother as the two woman stood in silence, letting their tears fall.

When the two woman finally pulled out of each other's arms, Betty wiped the tears from her daughter's face before wiping her own tears away.

"I bet I look like a panda now." Betty joked as she couldn't believe her daughter was back.

"You don't" Tears began to fall down Lili-Rose's cheeks again as she laughed slightly.

"What are you wearing?" Betty realised what she was doing, she ushered her daughter in "Come in."

Lili-Rose didn't hesitate as she stepped into the house she grew up in "I had nothing to wear when I left Geff's house this morning."

"You were at Geff's? He didn't tell us" Betty closed the front door before taking her attention to her daughter.

Lili-Rose had to remind herself that Geff was covering for her "I only went back to his house late last night, I didn't want him to bother you and dad."

"It wouldn't have bothered us, we just wanted to know that you were safe." Those words hit Lili-Rose's nerve as she burst out crying again.

Betty held her daughter, not knowing the truth behind her daughter's tears.

"Sweetie, go upstairs and clean up. We haven't changed your room, so there should be something you can wear than come back downstairs..."

"I'm fine, mum." Lili-Rose cut off her mother "I just want to see dad and you."

Betty didn't fight her daughter before wrapping her arm around her daughter's waist, leading Lili-Rose out to the backyard.

"Guess who found her way home." Betty called out from the back patio.

"Dad!" Lili-Rose awkwardly rushed to a wheelchair bound man, his hair full of grey and his wrinkles clearly visible over the parts of his body not covered by clothes.

Matthew wrapped his arms around his daughter as he pulled her down onto his lap even if she was too big to sit comfortably on her father's lap. He didn't want to let go of Lili-Rose as the two of them hugged.

"This is the best birthday present." Matthew's voice broke.

Lili-Rose kissed her father's cheek "Happy birthday, Dad." She had forgotten his birthday; she had forgotten a lot of details about her own family.

"What are you wearing?" Matthew finally took notice of his daughter's clothes.

"I told her that." Lili-Rose hadn't noticed her mother was standing by Matthew. "Our daughter said she was at Geff's last night, poor thing had no clothes and had to borrow his."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Matthew kept his daughter uncomfortably on his lap.

"I got to his house late last night, I didn't want to wake either of you." Lili-Rose repeated the words she had told her mother earlier.

"How old are you today, dad?" Lili-Rose tried to change the subject.

"The best age there can be. Seventy." Matthew smirked as he hesitated letting go of his daughter as she tried to rise to her feet.

Lili-Rose and the small gathering of guests laughed a little at Matthew's words.

"I'm going to take mum's advice and change; I'll be right back down." She spoke to her parents.