[Disclaimer] Everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer but lovely Lilly is all mine

**Chapter 25**

She took my hand in hers and squeezed it gently before she spoke up again, the words coming out slowly because she was obviously trying to make her voice sound as hard and strict as possible.

"Never, ever do something like that to us again."

"Momma…,"

"I'm serious, Lilly, I and your mother were worried sick when we run away."

"I know and I've already told you that I'm sorry about it. I really am."

"I know that you are sorry but you can't understand what we have been through. Bella thinks that it's her fault that you are developing such rebellious tendencies."

I sighed deeply, taking the mug with tea between both of my hands to take a small sip from the steaming hot liquid.

"Your life would be so much easier if you and Mom only had Zoe to take care of. I'm just a burden."

"No, you're not. Please, stop thinking something like that."

She stood up from her chair and kneeled down in front of me, taking both of my hands in hers to rub circles all over my wrist.

"We love you so very much and I hope that you'll feel better soon."

"I try. Am I still grounded?"

"Yes, you are. Your mother thinks it's a good idea to teach you a lesson."

"And you?"

"I'm not able to come up with another way to knock some sense into that thick scull of yours. Keeping you inside the house will probably not lead to anything but at least it will give us some security that you won't make a run again. Thanks god, you didn't have a passport to leave the country. I have spoken to Didyme and for some completely pointless reasons she gave Jane a credit card that has basically no financial limit."

I choked on the tea in my mouth. Why in heaven's name would Jane's aunt do something like that? It was obvious that Didyme preferred Jane to Alec but giving her a credit card without limit seemed to be a bit too much, even for someone as rich as Didyme Volturi.

The doorbell rang and Momma stood up from the ground to open the door. A few moments later the sandy-colored Golden Retriever rushed into the kitchen, rubbing her snout against my leg to encourage me to run my fingers over her fluffy fur.

"He's not here anymore." I mumbled when she turned her head to the side, searching for the russet colored dog that would never, ever lay in the corner of this kitchen again. Fuck, now I was going to cry again.

"Hi Lilly, how are you?" Jasmine greeted me when she entered the room, looking unusually pale around her nose.

"Are you asking as my shrink or as Momma's bestie?

"As both like always." she stated, sitting down on a chair next to me. When her back made contact with the back of the chair she winced slightly.

"Are you alright?" Momma asked her, pouring Jasmine a glass of milk from the fridge.

"My back hurts like crap today but apart that I'm fine, thank you. Where is Bella, shouldn't she be here right now too?"

"She's at Zoe's softball game with Benjamin. You know that I'm not that fond of watching sports."

"I know, beautiful."

"My sister is still pretty pissed at you. Maybe you and Zafrina should have talked about the whole donor thing with her too before…,"

"Like she would have agreed to it, if we had. Don't worry about it. I can deal with her bitchiness any time."

"Is Uncle Emmett really the father of your baby?" I asked her, shoving the rest of my peanut sandwich into Amarillo's snout.

"Firstly, he's not the father just the donor. There's a huge difference and secondly…ouch…you should eat your breakfast yourself instead of feeding it to my dog."

"I'm not that hungry." I stated, standing up from my chair to put my empty plate in the dishwasher.

"Why?"

I sighed deeply and twisted my hair into a messy bun before I spoke up again.

"I'm too sad to eat and then…,"

"Yes, Lilly?"

"When I start eating I'm always afraid that I won't be able to stop. That probably sounds pretty stupid to you, doesn't it?"

"No, it doesn't. But you have to eat regularly in order to avoid the binge attacks."

"But she will be okay eventually, won't she?" Momma asked her worriedly, placing one of her hands on my shoulder.

"Ali, I already told you and your spouse that you need to be a bit more patient with this. Eating disorders are a complex problem. It's not just about bringing Lilly to stop with the puking. Her soul is hurt and it needs time to heal."

She inhaled sharply between her teeth and pressed her hand against her lower back.

"You should consider letting her see…crap…ouch…I honestly think it would be good for her to go and see her father."

"No!"

"I don't want to see him, Momma. I hate him."

"Fine, do what you think is right. Is Lilly still grounded or can we go to the Park with the dog?"

"She is grounded."

"That's actually a stupid way of punishing children, you know?"

"I'm not a child anymore."

"That's what you think, Lilly…ouch…oh fuck…fuck…ouch…,"

"Jazz, are you sure that you are okay?"

"Yes…of course. It's just my stupid back. Maybe I have a trapped nerve or something like that. Oh crap…crap…,"

She stood up from her chair just to collapse on the ground next to it a split second later.

"No, no…this is not happening. It's too soon…too soon."

XXXX

Jane wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly before she planted a soft kiss on the exposed skin on my neck.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too."

Slowly I turned around and took several steps backwards until my knees touched the frame of my bed.

"I don't know how much time we have."

"Where are your folks?"

"Mom is at a softball game with Zoe and her father and Momma is staying in the hospital with Jasmine until Zafrina comes there."

"Then we should probably make the best out of the little time we have."

I nodded my head and pulled her closer, gasping for air when I landed on top of her on the bed. When I tried to roll off of her she wrapped her hands around my neck and kissed my mouth, letting the tip of her tongue toy against mine while her breasts pressed heavenly against mine.

"I'm too heavy for you." I whispered, running my fingers over her cleavage. "Am I hurting you with my weight?"

"You're not too heavy. Stop worrying."

I shifted a bit, so that I was lying more on my side now and started opening the buttons of her blouse, caressing each inch of her skin I was exposing with my fingertips.

"I'm so happy to have you in my life. Without you I wouldn't be able to handle all of this."

"I love you and will always be here for you. Even if it means sneaking into your house behind your mother's back."

"Kiss me," I mumbled against her lips, feeling a shiver running down my spine when her warm breath tickled my lower lip.

"Lilly, are you up there?"

"Crap, that's my sister and Mom. Why are they back already?"

"Lilly?"

"I'm coming!"

I placed a quick kiss on Jane's mouth before I rushed down the stairs.

"You are back early." I stated, trying to get my breathing under control again.

"The game was cancelled. Why are you looking all flushed now?" Mom asked me when she brushed Zoe's messy hair in order to put it in a ponytail.

"I was exercising in my room."

"Lilly, you haven't been purging again, have you? God, we can't leave you alone for just…,"

"She hasn't been purging." Jane snarled at her when she walked down the stairs to wrap her arms around my shoulder.

"What are you doing here? Didn't I make my point clear that I don't want you near Lilly anymore?"

"You did, Bella but I don't feel the need to listen to your wish. I love Lilly and she needs me."

"If you try to run away with her again, I'll send the cops after you before you can even blink."

"Mom! Stop talking to Jane like that. I can't stand that for crying out loud."

"Shhh, calm down, Lilly, your mother is just acting like that because she's worried."

"You can bet on that. I've been worried sick. No that's not even true, I am worried sick, that's a current state of mind for me right now."

"Mom, why are you all yelling at each other?"

"We're just talking. Go to your room, Zoe. I call you when lunch is ready."

"I want to stay!"

"Zoe…,"

"Oh Mom,"

"Zoe!"

She rushed up the stairs and closed the door to her room with so much force as possible.

"Look Bella, I know that you can't stand me." Jane stated, rubbing down my bare forearms with her fingertips.

"That's not true. I just don't like you influencing her to do stupid things…like running away or getting tattoos."

I inhaled sharply between my teeth. Then I sat down on the edge of the couch, pulling Jane with me so that she was sitting on my lap.

"Jane didn't encourage me to get that tattoo. I got that because I wanted to have it – point."

"I actually think it was a stupid idea, if you ask me." Jane mumbled, circling her fingertips over the pink blossom on my wrist.

Jane's cell started ringing. When she pulled it out and looked at the number flashing over the screen her face turned into a frown.

"Buon giorno, stronzo."

"Are you crying? Alec? Stop sniffing into the receiver like that, I can't understand one single word."

Her face paled a few shades and her lips turned into small line when she pressed them against each other.

"This is the meanest lie you ever told me and it makes me hate you even more than I already do. Alec? Alec!"

She stood up from the couch and yelled something in Italian into the cell that didn't sound that friendly to me. Why in heavens name was Alec calling her? They usually didn't speak one word to each other if it wasn't completely inevitable.

Suddenly the tone of her voice shifted from angry to soft and I realized that it trembled slightly while she continued talking.

Her cell fell out of her hands and crashed into two parts when it hit the ground. Several dry sob escaped her throat when she sat down next to me again.

"Jane, what's wrong?"

"My aunt…" she stumbled out, taking several deep breaths in an attempt to keep the tears from falling. I tried to remember the last time I had seen her cry. Was that in second grade or something close to that?

"Jane?" I asked her, wrapping my arm around her quivering shoulder.

"My aunt…she is dead."