Only You (Second Chances Series Book 1)

I didn't see that coming...

So somehow in just a few hours, I've managed to make Rachel hate me, scared Lily off, and ended up with a bunch of drunks in my house. Everyone's in the kitchen doing another round of shots before we head out to the pool. I've decided not to do anymore myself. I'm just playing bartender. Lily is the last to join as she comes out of the bathroom in her bathing suit and a cover-up. She still won't look at me even as I hand her a drink.

We all move outside. I've turned on the outside lights and put some music on the sound system that runs throughout the whole house and outside. It's a beautiful clear night and you can see lots of stars.

Hunter runs and does a cannonball into the pool splashing people. Andrew, Millie, and Emma join him though they get in using the steps or quietly jumping in on the side. Kate and Noah sit in some chairs and start talking. I walk over to the outside bar and grab a beer and as I take a drink I see Lily take off her cover-up and walk over to the diving board. She takes my breath away in her light blue bikini. It has some kind of wrap top that makes her breasts look amazing and the tiny bottoms sit low on her hips. I watch her as she jumps on the board and glides into the water. She comes up over halfway across the pool and looks sexy as hell as comes out of the water with her hair all wet and slicked back. I put my beer down and decide to join the fun.

I dive in myself and come up close to her. She tries to swim away but I put my arm around her waist and pull her back.

"Stop avoiding me please." I turn her in my arms, pull her legs around my waist, and put her arms around my neck so she can hang onto me as I tread water and take us out to the deep end away from everyone else. "Lily, I'm so sorry about tonight. I wanted to show you that we could all hang out and just have fun. But it turns out you were right I just managed to ruin another evening of yours. I really am sorry."

She just looks at me for a minute before finally speaking. "You didn't ruin the night. I am having fun. It's just been a little bit of an emotional roller-coaster and I need some time to process everything. Okay?"

"Take all the time you need, honey. I'm not going anywhere." She leans into me more and places a light kiss on my lips. As much as I want to deepen the kiss I don't. I let her swim off to join the party. There's a game of chicken, Hunter and Millie win. There's a lot more drinking done by everyone else. I've moved on to water. At one point Lily disappears. After about fifteen minutes she still hasn't returned so I go to check on her.

She's not in the main living area and she's not in the bathroom by the entryway. I decide to check back in my room and I find her curled up on the floor of my bathroom.

I crouch down next to her. "Oh, Lily. Are you okay? Did you get sick?"

She just lays there with her eyes closed but she does answer me. "No, I felt like I was going to but I didn't. My stomach still feels queazy though so I thought I'd just stay here." I push the hair out of her face. And tell her I'll be right back.

I go out into my room and pull the sheets back, then I go into the kitchen and get a large mixing bowl. I place it on the nightstand by the bed and grab one of my t-shirts out of my drawer. I peek my head back in the bathroom.

"You still alive in there?"

"Barely."

I can't help but laugh. "I'll be right back." I go outside and tell everyone the party's over. Then I pull Kate aside.

"Hey, Lily's feeling sick and curled up on my bathroom floor. She's not going to make it home. I can take care of her but if you think you should stay and help I can stay in a guest room and you guys can have my room."

"Let me go talk to her and see what she wants."

I nod my head and go to say bye to everyone else. Millie and Hunter get an Uber together. Andrew walks across the street while Emma hangs back waiting to see what Kate decides to do. Noah also waits. I think he wants to say good night to Kate.