Chapter 8: Take a leap
Dinner with Scotty's family had been fun; Lilly was surprised at just how comfortable she felt with them. Rosa was warm, friendly and curious about her, asking her lots of questions. Ramiro looked so similar to Scotty and Mike that it was like looking forward in time, he seemed to genuinely like her simply because she made Scotty happy. Mike; kidded around and teased her as if she was already a member of the family. Allie offered to take Lilly shopping with her so they could get to know each other more and have some girl time and Emilio, sweet little Emilio had fallen asleep in her lap, holding her finger.
Scotty looked over at her as they drove back over to her place, he watched her as she smiled contentedly, staring out the window. "You're amazin', you know that?"
Lilly turned to him and her smile broaden "you're pretty amazing yourself"
Scotty took her hand in his and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand "My family adores you"
"I like them too"
He pulled up outside her apartment and turned off the engine "I'm really glad you came to meet my family"
"I am glad I met them too, they're great"
He sighed and reached over to brush a lock of hair away from her face, then leaned in to kiss her. His fingers slid to the back of her head and threaded through her silky blonde hair. He deepened the kiss pulling her closer to him, sliding his free hand under her jacket and pulling her closer to him.
Lilly moaned softly and wound her arms around his neck and kissed him back, God she could do this for hours. She pulled back from him and smiled at him "Wanna come up?" she asked him.
"Of course"
Lilly and Scotty got out of the car and walked hand in hand up the stairs to her front door. He sighed and followed her into the living room, allowing himself to be dragged over to the couch. He sat down and chuckled as Lilly sat down in his lap "I hope you know how happy I am that you came with me tonight" Scotty replied, resting his hand down on her thigh.
"I know"
Scotty sighed "I want to tell you something, something that I've wanted to tell you all night"
"What?" Lilly asked
"Okay. Here goes" He took a deep breath "I love you"
Lilly stared into his eyes, searching them to see if he was kidding or not. He couldn't possibly love her; they'd been going out less than a month. He could love kissing her and love having sex with her; she knew she did with him but, being in love with her?
"What did you just say?" she asked him.
"I said that I love you" Lilly let out the breath that she'd been holding and slid out of his lap, starting to pace "Oh God, I've gone and screwed this up haven't I?" he ran and hand over his face "I knew I shouldn't of said anythin' but I just couldn't keep it in anymore" Lilly kept pacing, not wanting to look at him. He was freaking her out "Lil, please say something" he begged as he stood up and grabbed her shoulders, stopping her in her tracks. She still stared down at the floor; she couldn't bring herself to look at him. "I get it, I'll just go" he let go of her and started to head to the door, swearing under his breath at how stupid he'd been.
"Scotty, wait" she called after him and he stopped in his tracks "Don't go, please"
He turned around "No I should, I told you that I love you and you didn't say anything. It's clear that you don't feel the same way about me"
"No Scotty, please." She sighed "Can you just sit down"
He let out the breath he'd been holding and sat down on the couch, Lilly took a seat on the coffee table facing him "Scotty, I need to explain to you why I am freaking out"
"Ok"
Lilly sighed again "there's only been five people in my life well, six including you, that have told me that they love me" she began "One, was my father. He told me that he loved me and then walked out on me and my sister when I was 10. My Mum, she told me that she loved me but she was more in love with a bottle of vodka or the latest man she bought home drunk from a bar"
Scotty knew that she didn't have the best relationship with her mother, but he didn't know that her mother was an alcoholic and her father was a deadbeat. "I am sorry I didn't know Lil"
Lilly smiled "Its okay" she ran a hand over his leg "I didn't tell you. Anyway, Chris, my sister told me that she loved me but then she proceeded to sleep with my fiancé, Patrick, who also told me he loved me. Might I add he yelled it at me as he chased me down the hallway while getting dressed after I had walked in on them in our bed"
Scotty suddenly felt angry, he knew that Lilly was engaged once but that was all she had told him. He knew that she and her sister hadn't spoken to her sister in a long time and this was obviously why.
"If I ever met that guy he's going to be lying on the ground bleedin'" Lilly smiled at him "that's only four, who's the fifth?"
"Ray, my high school boyfriend. He told me he loved me and asked me to marry him when we were nineteen" Lilly continued "but then he decided that he would rather be on the road then tied down to one city. He comes back into town occasionally, mainly for….well you know" Scotty scowled "Those three words, have only ever brought me heartache Scotty and now you've said them to me and I am terrified that now something is going to happen to break us up. Because I really care about you and I want us to work, but I can't say that too you now. I am not ready to say that now, you understand?"
Scotty thought for a few moments and then nodded "ok" He smiled.
"Really?"
"Yeah, I understand and I am willing to give you time. Because I am not going anywhere Lil, you wanna end this you're gonna have to break up with me"
Lilly chuckled "I am really happy Scotty"
"Me too" Lilly leaned in to kiss him "wanna go to bed?" Lilly asked, wiggling her eyebrows at him and indicating she wasn't meaning for sleep.
Scotty laughed "Oh God definitely"
Lilly took his hand and led him over to the stairs.
Scotty was awoken the next morning by a soft kiss on his cheek, and he slowly opened his eyes "What are you doing up this early?" he asked sleepily.
"Church"
"Huh?" Scotty sat up "what are you talkin' about?"
Lilly grinned "Your Mum invited me to come to church with you two this morning"
Scotty frowned "She did?" he asked in a confused voice.
Lilly nodded "Yeah, she did" she said "So get up, because you have to get changed"
Scotty sighed and climbed out of bed, running a hand through his hair. "Well, I'll hurry home, get changed then come back here and pick you up"
"Okay" Lilly kissed him lightly on the lips.
Scotty got up, slid into his boxers and jeans and picked up his shirt "I'll be back soon"
She nodded and watched Scotty exit the bedroom; she groaned and looked over at the clock 4:30am. She wasn't sure she'd be able to get up this early every Sunday, but if it made Scotty happy she'd do it.
Half an hour later and Scotty and Lilly were on their way to the church with Rosa Valens in the back seat. Rosa seemed to be very much a morning person as the had knocked on her front door, she had greeted them cheerily and offered them cups of coffee before they headed over to the church for the 6am service.
Scotty parked the car close to the entrance to the church and came around to open his mother's door, allowing her to take his arm as they walked over to the church. Lilly, who had never really been to church before, was actually looking forward to the experience. The organ music could be heard as they walked up the stairs with surprisingly, a lot of other people. A lot of them were around Rosa's age also being escorted by their sons or daughters. Lilly couldn't help but notice a few of the women giving Scotty the once over as they helped their elderly parents down the church aisle and into a pew.
"You seem quite popular" She whispered in Scotty's ear as they sat down.
Scotty glanced around them, noticing a few of single women in the congregation were looking over at him and one of them winked. He smiled kindly at them and turned back to Lilly "Yeah, Ma told them I was single again a few weeks ago" Scotty replied
"I have set the record straight however" Rosa added when she saw Lilly's smile drop slightly and Scotty nodded in agreement.
"Is that why that brunette over there looks like she's ready to kill me?" Lilly asked.
Scotty chuckled "Don't worry about her, I am positive you could take her" and Lilly giggled.
The service was beautiful and Lilly had really enjoyed herself. At times she'd look around at Scotty and his mother, either nodding along with the priest or occasionally bowing their heads in silent prayer. Afterwards, Rosa invited Lilly to go eat some lunch with them and she readily agreed.
As they were walking out of the church, a young woman with long brown hair and brown eyes walked up to Scotty and he gave her a quick hug, he spoke quietly to her for a few moments and then he smiled "Lilly I want you to meet, Elisa" He said, his arm still around the brunette "Elisa, this is Lilly. My girlfriend"
Elisa? As in, his Ex-girlfriend? She seemed nice enough though and she held out a small hand to her "Hi Lilly, it's nice to meet you"
Lilly took the outstretched hand and shook it "It's nice to meet you too" Lilly replied in surprise.
"Scotty, come over here and talk to Mrs Garcia, she wanted to ask you something" Rosa said taking her son's arm and tugging him over to a small group of women gathered at the base of the church steps.
Lilly was wondering whether she should go with him or stay there with his Ex, and she tried to think back to when Scotty had talked about church before, had he mentioned that Elisa went to the same church.
Elisa looked over at her "Scotty didn't tell you I came here did he?"
"No, he didn't"
"I am sorry, he should have said something"
"It's alright, it was nice meeting you"
Elisa sighed and looked over at Scotty who was listening intently to a small, elderly Hispanic woman. Nodding along to whatever she was talking about. "He looks happy, happier than I have seen him in a long time" Elisa spoke softly and Lilly couldn't help but hear a small catch in her voice. "I am glad he had moved on, he needed to do it a long time ago"
"How are you going anyway?" Lilly asked
"He told you about me?"
"I am sorry; maybe I shouldn't have said anything"
"No, it's fine" Elisa smiled kindly "Ok I think, I am taking each day as it comes"
"I am glad"
Scotty came back over to them, shaking his head slightly and he pulled Lilly against him "She talked your ear off?" Elisa said looking over at Mrs Garcia
Scotty chuckled "Yeah, but I think she's just lonely. So you guys getting along?"
Elisa nodded "Yeah, Lilly's really nice"
Lilly grinned at Elisa "she was just about to give me some dirt on you" Lilly replied teasingly "That was before you came back over here and ruining it"
Scotty chuckled "well then it's a good thing I came back over here then" he said "You ready to go, Ma wants to stop by the deli to see dad. Might get something to eat there"
Lilly smiled "Sounds good"
Elisa explained that she had to head home and she left, waving goodbye to Lilly and Scotty.
Something felt different that morning when she woke up, she couldn't quite put her finger on it but she knew that something was different. Scotty had been acting funny last night after they'd gone to dinner, she had invited him to come up and he had declined, maybe that's what she was feeling? No that couldn't be it.
Scotty had told her that he just had to go to work early the next morning and that he couldn't sleepover. Something in her gut was telling her that he was lying.
And while she was brushing her teeth, it hit her. It was about her not telling him how she felt about him. He had said those three words that scared her more than anything, 'I Love You' and she hadn't said anything.
Oh he had told her that he understood why she couldn't say it back, but over the last week, since she had accompanied him to church he had seemed even more distant. She knew it was a matter of time before he broke up with her because she couldn't tell him that she loved him.
She knew it was too good to be true; he was going to break up with her. She had been so happy these last four weeks and now she was going to be all alone again.
She was just about to call him when she heard a knock on the door. She hurried down the hallway, her toothbrush still in her mouth. She opened the door and came face to face with Scotty.
He grinned as he saw her, standing in the doorway with her toothbrush hanging out of her mouth and toothpaste smeared in the other corner of her mouth. "Hey"
Lilly swallowed her mouthful of toothpaste and took the brush out of her mouth "Hi"
"I came here this morning cause I wanted to say something….." Scotty began but Lilly cut him off
"I know what you wanna say and you don't have to….."
"Happy anniversary" Scotty said and he held out a brown paper bag to her.
"What?"
Scotty chuckled, and lifted his thumb to wipe the toothpaste from her mouth "I said happy anniversary" Lilly stared at the bag in his hands.
"Anniversary?"
"Yeah one month"
"Oh, right" Lilly began and she smiled when she realised that she was right "Happy anniversary to you too. So what's in the bag?"
Scotty frowned "Well, I wanted to get you flowers this morning but no florists are open at…." He checked his watch "…..6:45, so I stopped by the bakery near my apartment. I know it's not really romantic but I got you a freshly baked bear claw, I know they're your favourite. But I promise you that I will get you something better later"
Lilly took the bag from his hands and opened it, breathing in the delicious smell of the hot pastry. She looked up from the bag and directly into his eyes, and the words just came to her "I love you" she in a hurried whisper.
"What did you just say?" Scotty asked
"I…..said that….that I love you" Lilly repeated, realising as she said it again that she really, truly did. Scotty suddenly started to laugh, shaking his head and grabbing onto the banister of her front steps "What's so funny?" Lilly asked in confusion as she stared at her boyfriend.
He sobered and took a step closer to her, slipping a hand behind her head and bringing his lips down to hers, making sure not to crush the bag in between them. He broke the ever deepening kiss and sighed happily "Wednesday, I dropped by your precinct to bring you dinner when you said you had to work late. Thursday I cooked you that really nice meal here at your place, even cleaned up. And last night I took you to a romantic dinner and it's me bringing you a hot pastry that makes you say that you love me? I just think that's funny"
"Why?" Lilly asked again.
"Because if I had known that's all it would take I woulda brought you a pastry before"
Lilly glared at him but it soon turned into a smile and then a laugh and soon the two of them were laughing together.
Lilly sobered and she wrapped her arms around his neck "It wasn't just the pastry, you know"
"It wasn't?"
"No, it was because you remembered our, one month anniversary, even when I didn't even think that it was important enough anniversary to celebrate. So I love you"
"I love you too" he pulled her into another kiss and Lilly, deciding that she didn't really want her neighbours to see her making out with her boyfriend on her front steps, dragged him into her apartment and shut the door.
