A Library Romance

Chapter 19: The Phone Call

For the rest of my days off, I didn't see Lily. She didn't call or text to let me know she was okay, or tell me where she was. My uncle didn't call back to apologize to my mom, and I knew he wasn't going to. He had clearly picked a side, and wouldn't shun Connor for business that wasn't his.

Frankly, I didn't want to, either, but knowing what he did to her is too much for me to want to be anywhere near him ever again. Part of me wants to report him to the police, but it wouldn't do any good. It was too long ago, they wouldn't be able to do anything, and I doubt Lily would give a statement against him even if they could.

By the time I return to work, I was expecting Lily to be there, but I checked my watch, and as the minutes ticked by and it was several minutes into our shift, I realized she wasn't coming. Jace approaches me with a look of concern on his face.

"You're here, but Lily's not. Why is that? I know you're her ride now that she's not living here anymore," Jace says.

"Something happened over Thanksgiving, and she asked me to leave her alone. I have no idea where she went or how she got there, and I don't know why she isn't at work. She may just need some time for herself after what happened, so just mark it as vacation leave," I tell him.

"Aren't you worried?" Jace asks.

"Of course I am, but she told me that if I bothered her, she'd call the cops, even though I didn't do anything, so I had no choice but to leave her alone. I could call and text her all I want, but if I spam her, she might just block my number," I say.

"I suppose that's true. Well, I know that you usually go to her with questions, but know that I'm here to help out while she's gone, so don't be afraid to ask about anything," Jace says.

"Okay, thanks. I just hope that she's okay," I say.

"We all do, Milo. Even when she wasn't the social type, we all adored her, and she was kind of like the kid in this weird workplace family. We all cared for her even if she couldn't see it, leaving food in the break room, offering her clothes that had been left in the lost and found that we'd actually bought from the store. And we always made sure we stocked the shower up, so she never ran out of what she needed," he says.

"I'm glad you guys were here for her. I don't know where she'd be without you," I say.

"Me neither. Initially, there were complaints about her, but none of us wanted to ask her to leave, so that was our best option. But anyway, get to work. Moping over her won't do us any good, will it?" he asks.

"No, I guess not," I mumble as I set up my work station. It's hard to work without her by my side. I know that she just got promoted so she wouldn't be doing the same thing, but just having her there with me made all the difference. But for her, I kept my focus and made sure I didn't make any mistakes. She would be proud to see how far I've come, considering when I first started out my work was sloppy and I moved at a turtle's pace.

When my shift is over, I see I have a missed call from Marcy, so I call her back. Maybe she's seen Lily. She picks up on the first ring. "Hey Milo, sorry for calling. I didn't realize you'd be at work. Are you and Lily excited about the concert? It's only ten days away, you know," Marcy says. I sigh.

"I was hoping you were calling to tell me Lily is with you," I say. "She left yesterday."

"Left? Why the hell for?" Marcy asks.

"Turns out my cousin Connor is her ex boyfriend Connor, who did some pretty shitty things to her. She felt like she'd ruined our Thanksgiving by exposing him because my mom got furious and told him to leave. She left and refused to come back. Hell, she even threatened to call the cops if I didn't leave her alone!" I say.

"Oh my God, I had no idea. I'm so sorry, Milo. Well, she hasn't stopped by here, or at Kolby's place. I'm assuming she wasn't at work, either?" she asks.

"No, she wasn't. And she was so excited about her promotion, it baffles me that she'd skip work like that. I just don't know where she could be, and it worries me," I say.

"Didn't she just reconnect with her mom? Perhaps she called her mother to pick her up, and she's gone there," Marcy says.

"I don't know. Even though they've reconnected, they still don't see eye to eye a lot of the time, I'm not sure she'd feel comfortable living there," I say.

"Just a thought. Have you tried calling or texting?" Marcy asks.

"No, because I don't want her to block my number. She made it clear she wants to be left alone, so I'm granting her wishes. It's just scaring me. Anything could happen to her, you know?" I say.

"I know, but it'll be okay. Does that mean you guys aren't going to the concert?" Marcy asks.

"I'm going. I don't know about her. She has her ticket, so it's up to her whether she wants to miss out on the opportunity or not. If she doesn't go, I won't be upset, just disappointed that I ruined her chance to meet some of her idols by having an asshole of a cousin," I say.

"But you didn't know, otherwise you wouldn't have invited him. It's not your fault," she says.

"Still, I hate this. We were getting so close, I felt like nothing would ever come between us. I tried so hard to convince her it wasn't her fault, but she didn't want to listen," I say.

"Sometimes, a girl has to realize it for herself, Milo. She probably just needs time to think about whether she wants to stay living with you and in a relationship with you after everything that's happened," she says.

"You think she'll break up with me because I have an asshole for a cousin?" I ask.

"Not because of that, but because she may not feel comfortable anymore after all those memories of him resurfaced. I completely understand where she's coming from. If Kolby was related to certain exes I've had, I'm not sure I'd feel safe around him," she says.

"But we're completely different! I've proved that to her! She got really drunk at the party. I could have taken advantage of her, but I didn't! And she told me that meant so much to her, yet now she won't come near me because I'm related to someone that hurt her. I don't get it," I say.

"I know, but that's just how trauma is sometimes. You remember your dog Greta?" she asks.

"Yeah, why?" I ask.

"Well, would you be able to date a girl who is the daughter of the bastard that did the hit and run?" she asks.

"I don't know, it'd be kind of hard," I say.

"And that's exactly how Lily feels. It's not you, it's just knowing that Connor has been a part of your life and you had no idea what he did in the past," Marcy says.

"I guess that makes more sense now," I say.

"Good. Well, I gotta go, but let me know if you hear anything from Lily, and I'll do the same, okay? But try not to freak out, because I bet you anything she's with her mom making up for lost time," she says.

"I will. Thanks Marcy, you're the best," I say.

"I know I am. I love you Milo. You're my best friend and I don't want to see you hurt. So try to lie off the moping for a while and just assume she's spending time with her mom," she says.

"Love you too, Mars. And thanks, I will," I say. Marcy laughs.

"You haven't called me that since middle school," she says.

"It just came out," I say.

"It's okay, I kind of missed it," she says. "Go do something productive with yourself Milo. Girls don't like a moper."