I Remember You

Chapter 25

Lily's brother, Henry, arrived a week before Aunt Kate and Uncle Lee and was staying with her. It was evident to Lily that he was going through a hard time transitioning at college because his behavior was very erratic and not at all like the Henry she knew.

He had never been very trusting of other people, but he had picked up some 'new friends' of the flight to Savannah and had been spending every day with them while she was at work. Lily had only met them briefly one day when she had met Henry after work. She hadn't liked them, so she had made an excuse and taken Henry out to dinner, but now Henry was insistent that they join them for drinks and Lily couldn't think of a reason to get out of it. Sure, she could simply say she didn't want to, but she had a feeling that Henry would see it an insult directed at his new friends.

So now she sat in a bar, that wasn't her scene at all, nursing a ginger ale while Henry and his friends talked smack about the people around them. One of the guys with Henry kept looking at Lily and grinning while nudging Henry, and Henry kept shaking his head, refusing to look at Lily. Eventually, they all decide to go and get some pizza at a local semi-famous pizza joint, and Lily was relieved as she stepped into the fresh air.

It was a short walk, and all of Henry's friends kept taking turns throwing their arms around Lily's neck and pulling her this way and that. She attempted to define their actions as those of trying to make her feel wanted, but she had the feeling that they were making fun of her, expecting her to be unaware of what was going on around her.

They were given a table inside the restaurant right next to the pizza ovens, and it was sweltering. They hadn't been seated long when Lily noticed a familiar form outside the window across the small space of the restaurant. The majority of seating for diners was outside, and it appeared as if Finn and his guest had gotten a premium table for two.

Finn hadn't noticed her, so she took her time studying first him and then the woman across from him. Finn was wearing a tight t-shirt, and he had a day's worth of beard. He was leaning back in his chair relaxed, smiling at something the woman was saying, even laughing, and it struck Lily that she had never heard him laugh. Chuckle, sure, but not a true laugh. All she could think about was how he had held her in his arms, protecting her from the fight scene for the show. She had never felt so safe in her life. He was quickly becoming all that she could think about, and she was starting to realize that it was not healthy for her peace of mind. Now, as she watched him laugh with the beautiful woman across from him, she knew she was in serious trouble because she had never hated anyone on sight before, but she hated the woman who was winning Finn's smiles.

The woman was leaning forward, her face animated as she stroked Finn's hand, which rested on the table between them. Finn wasn't pulling away like he normally did and that hurt Lily. Lily watched as he turned his hand up and grasped the woman's hand in his own, leaning forward to say something, and this time she laughed.

Who was this charming Finn? It wasn't a person she recognized.

"Earth to Lily!" Henry said as he waved his hand in front of her face. "Are you going to order?"

"Umm, sure." She ripped her eyes away from Finn and looked at the waitress. "I'll have a slice of pepperoni, please."

The waitress went around the table, taking everyone's order, and the same guy who had been hounding her at the bar threw his arms across her shoulder's once more. Lily couldn't take much more, so she excused herself to go to the restroom, and as she turned to stand, her eyes collided with Finn's through the window. She gave him a half-hearted smile and then made her way to the restroom at the top of the stairs next to them.

She took her time, washing her hands, and attempting to tame her hair as best she could. The humidity and heat from the ovens had made the curls tighten even more. Giving up with a sigh, because there really was no point, she exited the bathroom to return to the table. Henry's friends didn't like her, and Finn obviously had a girlfriend that she didn't know about, and it all made her feel very sorry for herself.