Disclaimer: Anyone you recognize I do not own. I only own Lily, Sydney and Vincent.
Chapter 2
"What did you just say?" Teddy asked, looking fit to be tied. "Runnels, what business do you have taking advantage of my seventeen year old sister?"
Getting in between them quickly, I pushed Teddy back a bit. "Teddy, stop this please. I care about Cody, please don't be mad at us." I begged, hoping he would see some form of reason.
"Do you really think that dad is going to let you date him?" Teddy asked, knowing that would not go over too well.
"Well if dad sees how much I like Cody and how happy he makes me, I don't see why he would care. Besides I will be eighteen in November, I can do whatever I want then. I can graduate in January, then move out if I want." I said stubbornly.
"Fine, if that's how you feel, just promise me you will be careful. I just don't want to see you get hurt." He said, before glaring at Cody. "So help me God, you hurt my little sister and I will kick your ass."
Throwing my arms around his neck, I hugged him tightly. "Thank you Bubba." I said, before releasing the hug and moving over to Cody's arms.
"I'll leave you guys alone, but don't be out too much longer, otherwise dad may come get you." Teddy said, before climbing down to the ground.
"Well I'm glad I was able to get him calmed down." I said, standing on my tip toes and kissing Cody softly. "Maybe I can convince my dad to let me travel with Bubba this summer, so I can see you more. Of course I'd have to room with Teddy, but that's okay."
Shaking his head at me, Cody leaned in and kissed me. "You really are something else Lily Marie DiBiase, but you're my something else." He chuckled, wrapping his arms around my waist.
"Cody." I said softly, as my eyes flooded with tears. "Do you think you can stay here for a couple weeks, after the funeral?"
Looking at me worriedly, he pulled me to him in a tight hug. "Sure sweetie, I'll be here." He promised, as I finally allowed myself to cry since the day of the accident.
The next morning, I did not want to wake up. So much so, it took Brett and Mike to get me out of bed. Going over to my bathroom, I started getting my stuff ready to get in the shower. Thinking back over last night, I couldn't help the small smile that crossed my face. I was one step closer to becoming Mrs. Cody Runnels. There was a small part of me that wondered if my mom played a role in Cody and I getting together. She was the only one who knew how much I love him. I could almost see her putting us together, so I could be happy. Getting in the shower, I let the water beat down on me as I washed my hair. Once I was finally done, I got out and fixed my hair, before getting dressed and putting my make up on. Grabbing my matching silver Tiffany and Co. necklace and bracelet that my mom got me and Sydney one year, I walked downstairs.
"Leah, can you help me get this necklace on?" I asked, walking over to her.
"Yeah sure." She replied, taking the necklace from me.
The funeral service was nice, Brett and Teddy delivered a eulogy that sort of spoke me Mike, Sydney and I as well. By the time they were done speaking, there wasn't a dry eye there. After everyone spoke, and mom's favorite songs were sung, we went to the cemetery for the burial. Looking around at the people there, my heart practically lurched up to my throat, when I saw Vincent there with his parents.
"What is he doing here?" I muttered to Sydney.
Looking over where I was still glaring behind my sunglasses, she replied quietly. "You guys were together for two years Lil. His parents are friends with dad, they may just be here to pay their respects.
Nodding lightly, I looked around hoping to find Cody. Seeing him standing off to the side with Dusty and Michelle, put my mind at ease a little bit. Listening vaguely to the minister, my mind was playing tricks on me, as I could have sworn my mom was standing next to the minister. Looking over at my dad and brothers, none of them seemed to notice her, but when I looked back she was smiling at me before fading away.
'Great, so now I'm hallucinating my dead mom is in front of me.' I thought to myself, as the service was over and people started dispersing. Getting up from my seat, I started to make my way over to where Cody was, when Vincent stepped in front of me.
"Lily, I really want to talk to you about what you saw the other day." He said, trying to pull me away.
"Vincent, you can't lie your way out of this one. I am so over you and your lies. You can't tell me that she just kissed you and groped you out of nowhere. I watched you for a few minutes, before I walked over to you." I said angrily, unknowingly attracting some onlookers. "You cheated on me Vincent, at a time when I needed you. Then I realized that I don't need you, your phony promises, or your lies about loving me and how I'm the only girl that's ever understood you. Stay the hell away from me, I never want to be around you again."
Going over to Cody, I wrapped my arms around his waist, and forced back my tears. "I wanna go home." I cried, feeling Cody rubbing my back gently.
"Come on doll baby." Dusty said, as he and Cody led me over to their rental.
"I'll call Teddy and let him know you're with us and we'll take you back to the house." Cody said, helping me get into the back seat.
"Thank you Cody." I replied, laying against him tiredly.
The next few weeks went by rather uneventfully. Cody stayed at the house with us, it helped having him there with me. I didn't feel like going back to school right away, so my dad got me excused and Sydney would bring my homework to me. The last week Cody was there, I finally told my dad that I was dating him. To my shock, he wasn't the least bit surprised. Seems as though my mom and dad would talk about it. He just said as long as I was happy and all, that's what he cared about.
The Monday after Cody left, I went back to school. I was hoping like hell that Vincent wouldn't bug me, but as soon as I got out of the car, he was right there, ready to pounce.
"Hey baby." He said, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
"Vincent just go away. I don't have anything to say to you." I said, pushing his arm off me. "You moved on with Allison, so I moved on as well." Watching me worriedly, Sydney was standing at the end of the sidewalk, watching and waiting.
"You little whore!" Vincent yelled, as he backhanded me across my face. Grabbing hold of my arm, he squeezed it and held my jaw in his free hand. "You will always belong to me Lily Marie DiBiase, don't you ever forget that." He spat before kissing me roughly, as the tardy bell rang. Letting go of me finally, he walked away with an evil smirk on his face.
Rushing over to me, Sydney took my keys and led me back to the car. "Come on Lils, I'll drive us back home." She said, as she helped me in, before going around to the driver's side.
By the time we got home, dad was outside working on mom's flower bed. "Great, just great." Sydney muttered, knowing she'd probably get in trouble for driving us home, seeing as she was only fourteen.
Getting out of the car, I ran inside quickly, hoping to avoid any contact with my dad. I knew Sydney would tell him what happened, but I just wasn't ready to face him. Grabbing my cell phone out of my purse, I called Teddy. I could only hope that he was awake and not at the gym or in a meeting with anyone.
Just when I was about to hang up, Teddy answered. "Hello."
Crying softly, I knew my voice would give that fact away, so I didn't try to hide it. "Bubba." I sniffled softly, my lip starting to swell from where Vincent hit me."Li Li. What's wrong?" He asked, hearing the unshed tears in my voice.
"Vincent, he…" I started, as dad came charging into my room then, making me scream and hang up on Teddy.
"Lily, are you okay?" Dad asked, coming over and hugging me gently.
"My arm and mouth hurt." I mumbled, laying against him a bit.
"Well I will call Vincent's parents and get this straightened out. I will not stand for him to be putting his hands on you." Dad said, as my phone started ringing then.
"It's Bubba. I hung up on him when you came in and scared me." I said, knowing dad wondered who was calling me. As I leaned back against my pillows, I answered. "Hello."
"What did Vincent do to you?" Teddy asked, I could hear Randy Orton and John Cena trying to calm him down.
"He was waiting for me when I got out of the car at school this morning. He said that I would always belong to him, he grabbed my arm and smacked me across the face." I said, as I started crying again, thinking about it.
"Li Li, let me talk to dad." Teddy said gently, not wanting to upset me more.
"Hang on, he's yelling at the principal about trying to see the tape from the surveillance camera in the parking lot." I told him softly. "Bubba, can I come stay with you till summers over? I'm scared to be here and I can't go to Mike's cause he knows where Mike and Laura live."
Hearing Teddy sigh, I knew he was worried about me, especially since I admitted I was afraid. "Let me talk to dad Li Li, see what he thinks about it. I don't want to do anything without discussing it with him first." He said, not wanting to upset him any.
"Alright, here he is." I said, handing dad the phone.
"Teddy, she's okay." Dad said, wrapping his arm around me loosely.
"Is the school going to do anything?" He asked, pacing around his room.
"I'm going over there in a little bit. The principal is going to call Vincent's parents as well as the cops." Dad replied, as I started freaking out again.
"Dad, the school year is almost over, he will graduate and go off to the Army. Let Lily come and stay with me until school starts back in the Fall." Teddy suggested carefully.
"Let me see what happens today and I'll think about it." Dad said, knowing probably the most that could happen, would be to get a restraining order against Vincent, and I wouldn't feel safe until he was gone.
"Okay dad, I have to get to a meeting now. Call me after you get done at the school. I want to know what happens. Tell Li Li I love her, and I will call her after I'm done tonight." Teddy said, grabbing his things to leave.
"I will son, be careful tonight." Dad said, before saying his good-byes and hanging up.
"Do I have to go with you to the school?" I asked, completely terrified of seeing Vincent again.
"Yes sweetie, Mr. Brooks wants to talk to you and Sydney about what happened. I'll be with you both the whole time." He said, hugging me gently.
When we got to the school, Sydney and I talked to Mr. Brooks first, then Vincent and his parents came in. They couldn't dispute much, since the surveillance tape showed everything Sydney and I had said. He was in trouble with the school, as well as having the restraining order put on him. He was suspended for three days, and Mr. brooks said I could finish out the rest of this year online, since my grades were great. By the time we got home, I was exhausted. Going up to my room, I laid down and slept the rest of the night.