Enemies With Benefits

19. Familiar

Oh my giddy aunt, first of all - to any my OG fans that are still here... hello and I am so sorry that I managed to let 3 whole years slide without finishing this damn book. I'm thinking of starting a new book once I wrap this one up and make it a LOT better than this (i was 15 when I started writing this book!!) but only if you guys are interested of course. Thinking about doing one a lot less cliche, but let me know what you think. I hope you are all keeping safe and well during this crazy time and I'm sending my love to each and every one of you! 

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Lily's POV

Her eyes lock with mine as I stare at her with sheer confusion and disgust. "I dont understand", I think to myself lowly. 

"Surprised?!", Maddie spits at me with a devilish smirk on her face. I dont recognise her, I refuse to believe my friend is behind any of this sickening behaviour - surely this is a joke?

"I-I dont understand Madeline, whats going on?", my throat tightens, because I know exactly in my gut what's going on. Does she have something to do with my mothers murder? Why has she taken my hostage? And WHERE is Jason? 

"You really never were the bright one in the group were you Lily?", she scolds me this time, with no smirk on her face. She plods back and forth clattering a metal pole against the ground to try and scare me more so than she already has. "You see, you and I - we never really bonded did we?".

I look around the room, scanning for anything I can use to help me in this situation - but who am I trying to kid, I'm not in an Avengers film - this is real damn life. "What are you even talking about? We have been friends since we were kids, how can that not define being good friends?", I respond to her in a soft manner hoping not to provoke her any more. I honestly cant recognise this girl, her face is all contorted, hair all frazzled and clothes so obviously torn - she looks like she has been in an accident.

"Oh dont be so naive! We were only affiliated because our parents were friends, and then everything went up in the air when both of their marriages collapsed. All I had to listen to was how sad poor Lily was and nobody gave me a second thought. Not one! Do you know how suffocating that is growing up and living in somebody else's shadow every damn day? Poor Lily this, poor Lily that - its a JOKE!", her voice has raised to a level I never thought was attainable. I cannot believe this girl has kidnapped me because of her holding on to how we were treated as kids. 

"Aside from that, you may have noticed that I've been quite busy the last few months, I've been seeing someone. You know how you guys also used to joke about how I'd never meet anyone in my life because I was too much of a square? Well I did and boy, oh BOY and you going to love this one Lily! He was my partner in crime! Come on out mystery man..." and as if this situation couldnt get anymore sick and twisted, the only man I thought I could trust emerges from the shadows. 

"Dad?"

My stomach clenches, and I cant stop the warm liquid that gushes from my mouth. I am sick all over the floor. 

"Now, now Lily - dont be such a baby", Dad walks coolly over to Maddie and embraces her with a kiss. 

"What the hell is going on?! How could you do this?!", my rage engulfs my body and I can feel the rope burning against my wrists as a scream at them both.

"Did you kill mum?", thats the only question I want an answer to. I want to know everything.

Dad and Maddie take a look at one another and she nods at him as if to say 'yeah, go ahead tell her everything before we shut her up permanently'.

He hesitates. 

"Your mother and I, had a complicated relationship Lily - much of which you are aware of. She was a dreadful woman, greedy and only ever cared about her damn self. I had enough and left, but the divorce was so complicated... that woman took me to the damn cleaners...", I can hear the fury in his voice, the soft gritting of the teeth as he chews the last of his words. 

"That bitch took my money. Everything I worked hard for and she took it from me, just like that. And she really thought she was going to get away with it. I thought I could get over it in the initial stages, but seeing her prance around with my money - enraged me. So I made my decision, I was going to make sure I never saw your mother again and take back what was rightfully mine. It was just a sheer coincidence meeting my Madeleine. You see she's older than you, only 20 years my junior - not something I'd usually encourage but look at her. At first we were just friends, nothing to it but we spoke about a lot of things... mainly your mother. And we decided, we were to kill your mother, split the money and then eventually run away together...but  someone just had to get in the way of it", his eyes trail from the ground and drill into mine. I cant see straight, the tears are shooting down my face like bullets, I feel like I may as well be dead than to hear this.

"You were supposed to just go away to your friends house, not run away across the damn country with that reprobate boyfriend. HE was supposed to take the fall for it and you were supposed to allow him to do so. You were never going to know it was me. Nobody was going to know it was me. But you took my damn money and fled. And over my dead body was I going to let some extension of my pathetic excuse of an ex wife, take my money either", he spits at me with every word.

"I hope you rot in hell. You MAKE ME SICK! Take your money, its back at the place where you KIDNAPPED ME. NOW WHERE IS JASON?!", I cant take it anymore I just need to run, get away, I want Jason here.

"That worthless piece of trailer trash has been dealt with, and you will be next. You really think I can trust you with all of this information and then just set you free? What kind of TV show do you think this is sweetheart", Maddie now interjects pointing her long painted red nail in my face.

I scream, I yell, I spit, I do everything in my power for someone to hear me - but the only thing I can hear is the echos of my own pleas. They laugh at me. A twisted demonic laugh.

"I'm afraid nobody is going to hear you, we are in the middle of nowhere. That's why, when we kill you - nobody will bother to even come out this far to look for you", they lock hands and look at me as I cry. I have never felt so much pain before, not even for myself but so much pain for my mother. 

"What are you going to do to me?"

"Now, Its not going to hurt Lily - I wouldn't hurt my baby girl. Its your fault I'm having to do this anyway, so you really only have yourself and bitch boy to blame", Dad places his hand under my chin and I jerk my face away. I don't want the last thing for me to remember is his hand touching me.

He presses the gun to my forehead, his eyes appear to be glossy and it causes my breath to hitch. My heart is racing a million miles an hour, I rest my eyes and exhale one last time.

"I'm sorry Mom".

BANG