I can't believe it y'all; LILLY OF THE VALLEY is ending. This is the final
chapter in the series. I finished writing the story before I wrote this
author's note, and as I wrote the final words, I really felt as if a part
of me was dying with the completion of this story.
I'd just like to say thank you to all of you who reviewed this story. You
guys kept me going whenever I was stuck or having trouble with this story.
I know that Lilly and Greg are as much a part of your lives as they are
mine.
I promise that the sequel will be out in a matter of weeks. It's all in my
head right now, but I swear I'll get it down on paper soon.
Once again I'd like to thank all of you read and/or reviewed this story.
Chapter Twenty-Six
"Call us if you need ANYTHING." Vivian said, kissing Lilly on the cheek and hugging her tightly.
"I will mom." Lilly assured her, "Now go or you're gonna miss your flight." She hugged her father quickly and watched her parents board their plane.
A week had passed since the trial and Lilly's parents had to return to their jobs. Their vacation days had run out and their bosses would not allow them to take any more time off, even if it was a family emergency. Lilly wasn't looking forward to staying alone in her apartment, but she didn't want her parents to lose their jobs because of her. So, she had resigned herself to their leaving and would put on a brave face until they were no longer in sight. Her mother turned to wave one last time and then Lilly could no longer see them. She bit her lip to keep from crying, and turned towards the airport exit.
The road stretched before Lilly as she drove back to her apartment, and the ride wasn't nearly long enough for the frightened young woman. Before she knew it she was back at the complex. She sat for the longest time inside the car, the engine idling, not wanting to go inside the empty apartment. She knew she couldn't sit there forever, so, she gathered her courage about her like a security blanket and climbed out of the car. With a determined sigh she marched up the stairs and unlocked her door.
The silence hit her full force and Lilly gasped at the eerieness of it. The living room was dark; the only light coming from the fading sun outside which cast long shapes against the walls. Lilly immediately turned on a light and breathed a sigh of relief as the shadows disappeared from the walls. She traveled into the kitchen, turning on all the lights in there as well. Pulling a frozen dinner from the freezer, Lilly popped it in the microwave and waited for the timer. She leaned against the counter for support, her heart hammering in her chest. The timer went off and she jumped at the sudden noise. Clutching her chest, Lilly fought to regain control of her racing heart. Taking deep, even breaths, she could feel her heart begin to calm.
~*~*~
So many times that night Lilly wanted to pick up the phone and call her mother, just to hear the warm, comforting tone of her voice. But she knew better than that. So, she climbed into bed early, hoping to catch a few extra hours of sleep.
The moon shown bright in the sky, casting shadows across Lilly's bedroom walls. They inched their way across the wall, playing with Lilly's fears. She shivered and clung tighter to the bedsheets. The room seemed dark and empty, the normally comforting sounds of crickets and cars roared like thunder in her ears. Her eyes were heavy, but she refused to let them close, afraid of what would play through her mind. She kept glancing around the room, waiting for a masked man to pull her from her bed. Lilly's heart beat loudly in her throat, her breath came in quick, short gasps, and her knuckles were white from clutching the sheets.
A car alarm went off in the distance and Lilly leapt out of bed frightened. Pulling on a coat over her pajamas, she grabbed her car keys and ran out of her apartment. She jumped into the Mustang and sped off down the highway in search of peace. Lilly didn't know where she was headed, but it didn't surprise her when the car stopped in front of Greg's apartment building.
Quietly she approached the front doors and buzzed Greg's apartment.
"Yes?" Greg's tired voice came through the speaker.
"Greg, it's Me." she said quietly.
"Lilly? Come on up." the door unlocked and Lilly pulled it open. It seemed like an eternity had passed while she waited for the elevator to reach Greg's floor. She hugged her jacket tightly around her as she approached his door and knocked. A sleepy eyed Greg opened the door. His hair was even more disshelved than usual and there were small bags beneath his eyes. Lilly knew that she probably looked worse than he did with her own bedraggled hair and bleary, red eyes.
"Lilly, what are you doing here?" he asked with a small smile.
"I can't handle it Greg. Every inch of my apartment is full of memories of that night." She said, a tear slipping down her cheek.
"Come in." He said taking a gentle hold of her arm and leading her inside his apartment. He led her over to the couch and sat her down.
~*~*~
Greg sat down opposite Lilly, knowing that at that moment she did no want to be near anything remotely male. His heart went out to her as more tears slid down her face, and she wiped them away with a trembling hand.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked. Lilly looked into his eyes, and Greg fell into their tortured depths. She shook her head sadly.
"Not really." She whispered. Greg's heart was breaking as he looked at her. He reached out and slowly took her hand in his.
"You know," he said, tracing circles with his thumb on the back of her hand, "When you went missing, the only thing I could think of was the fact that I never told you how much I love you." Lilly's eyes widened and she drew in a deep breath.
"I love you too." She said. A smile lit Greg's face. He ran his hand up Lilly's arm and let it gently cup her face. He moved in slowly and gently brushed his lips against hers. Pulling away, Greg searched for any signs of a reaction from Lilly. It seemed as if the moment wore on forever before Lilly leaned in and caught Greg's mouth with her own. He moved his lips against hers, tasting the salty tears that lay there. The kiss deepened as he ran his tongue along her bottom lip, begging for entrance to her mouth. Lilly pulled away suddenly.
"We have to stop." She said, pushing away from him. Greg nodded, understanding her need to stop.
"Okay." He said putting more distance between the two of them. He didn't trust himself to keep his hands to himself with Lilly so close and so vulnerable. A yawn escaped Lilly's mouth and Greg chuckled lightly.
"Maybe you should get some sleep. You can have the bed and I'll sleep on the couch." He said.
"Thank you." she replied softly. The lab tech stood and took the young woman's hand in his. He led her to the back and into the bedroom.
"Here," he said fluffing the pillow, "just lay down and go to sleep." He turned back around and his breath caught in his throat. Lilly had shed her jacket and stood before him in a pair of tan, silk sleeping pants and a light blue tank top that bared more skin than Lilly had ever shown.
"Thank you Greg." She said, "This is really kind of you."
"It's no big deal, "he replied with a smile, "I'd do anything for the woman I love." Lilly smiled self-consciously and a blush crept up her cheeks. She climbed into the bed and Greg couldn't believe how beautiful she looked right then as she made herself comfortable in bed, HIS bed.
"Well I should go." He said quickly, turning to leave before he did something he'd regret.
"No." she said grabbing his hand, "Don't go."
"What?" he asked, uncertain if he'd heard right.
"Don't leave me, please." She begged him, "Just stay with me for a little while, I don't want to be alone."
"Okay." Greg said sitting down beside her.
~*~*~
Lilly didn't know what she was doing. All she knew was that she couldn't bear to be alone right then. She felt Greg pull up the covers on the bed. Lilly didn't need the covers though; the heat radiating from Greg's body was more than enough to keep her warm. He pulled her into him gently and his arm snaked across her waist. At that moment Lilly knew she was safer than she ever had been before. She knew she was home.
THE END
Chapter Twenty-Six
"Call us if you need ANYTHING." Vivian said, kissing Lilly on the cheek and hugging her tightly.
"I will mom." Lilly assured her, "Now go or you're gonna miss your flight." She hugged her father quickly and watched her parents board their plane.
A week had passed since the trial and Lilly's parents had to return to their jobs. Their vacation days had run out and their bosses would not allow them to take any more time off, even if it was a family emergency. Lilly wasn't looking forward to staying alone in her apartment, but she didn't want her parents to lose their jobs because of her. So, she had resigned herself to their leaving and would put on a brave face until they were no longer in sight. Her mother turned to wave one last time and then Lilly could no longer see them. She bit her lip to keep from crying, and turned towards the airport exit.
The road stretched before Lilly as she drove back to her apartment, and the ride wasn't nearly long enough for the frightened young woman. Before she knew it she was back at the complex. She sat for the longest time inside the car, the engine idling, not wanting to go inside the empty apartment. She knew she couldn't sit there forever, so, she gathered her courage about her like a security blanket and climbed out of the car. With a determined sigh she marched up the stairs and unlocked her door.
The silence hit her full force and Lilly gasped at the eerieness of it. The living room was dark; the only light coming from the fading sun outside which cast long shapes against the walls. Lilly immediately turned on a light and breathed a sigh of relief as the shadows disappeared from the walls. She traveled into the kitchen, turning on all the lights in there as well. Pulling a frozen dinner from the freezer, Lilly popped it in the microwave and waited for the timer. She leaned against the counter for support, her heart hammering in her chest. The timer went off and she jumped at the sudden noise. Clutching her chest, Lilly fought to regain control of her racing heart. Taking deep, even breaths, she could feel her heart begin to calm.
~*~*~
So many times that night Lilly wanted to pick up the phone and call her mother, just to hear the warm, comforting tone of her voice. But she knew better than that. So, she climbed into bed early, hoping to catch a few extra hours of sleep.
The moon shown bright in the sky, casting shadows across Lilly's bedroom walls. They inched their way across the wall, playing with Lilly's fears. She shivered and clung tighter to the bedsheets. The room seemed dark and empty, the normally comforting sounds of crickets and cars roared like thunder in her ears. Her eyes were heavy, but she refused to let them close, afraid of what would play through her mind. She kept glancing around the room, waiting for a masked man to pull her from her bed. Lilly's heart beat loudly in her throat, her breath came in quick, short gasps, and her knuckles were white from clutching the sheets.
A car alarm went off in the distance and Lilly leapt out of bed frightened. Pulling on a coat over her pajamas, she grabbed her car keys and ran out of her apartment. She jumped into the Mustang and sped off down the highway in search of peace. Lilly didn't know where she was headed, but it didn't surprise her when the car stopped in front of Greg's apartment building.
Quietly she approached the front doors and buzzed Greg's apartment.
"Yes?" Greg's tired voice came through the speaker.
"Greg, it's Me." she said quietly.
"Lilly? Come on up." the door unlocked and Lilly pulled it open. It seemed like an eternity had passed while she waited for the elevator to reach Greg's floor. She hugged her jacket tightly around her as she approached his door and knocked. A sleepy eyed Greg opened the door. His hair was even more disshelved than usual and there were small bags beneath his eyes. Lilly knew that she probably looked worse than he did with her own bedraggled hair and bleary, red eyes.
"Lilly, what are you doing here?" he asked with a small smile.
"I can't handle it Greg. Every inch of my apartment is full of memories of that night." She said, a tear slipping down her cheek.
"Come in." He said taking a gentle hold of her arm and leading her inside his apartment. He led her over to the couch and sat her down.
~*~*~
Greg sat down opposite Lilly, knowing that at that moment she did no want to be near anything remotely male. His heart went out to her as more tears slid down her face, and she wiped them away with a trembling hand.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked. Lilly looked into his eyes, and Greg fell into their tortured depths. She shook her head sadly.
"Not really." She whispered. Greg's heart was breaking as he looked at her. He reached out and slowly took her hand in his.
"You know," he said, tracing circles with his thumb on the back of her hand, "When you went missing, the only thing I could think of was the fact that I never told you how much I love you." Lilly's eyes widened and she drew in a deep breath.
"I love you too." She said. A smile lit Greg's face. He ran his hand up Lilly's arm and let it gently cup her face. He moved in slowly and gently brushed his lips against hers. Pulling away, Greg searched for any signs of a reaction from Lilly. It seemed as if the moment wore on forever before Lilly leaned in and caught Greg's mouth with her own. He moved his lips against hers, tasting the salty tears that lay there. The kiss deepened as he ran his tongue along her bottom lip, begging for entrance to her mouth. Lilly pulled away suddenly.
"We have to stop." She said, pushing away from him. Greg nodded, understanding her need to stop.
"Okay." He said putting more distance between the two of them. He didn't trust himself to keep his hands to himself with Lilly so close and so vulnerable. A yawn escaped Lilly's mouth and Greg chuckled lightly.
"Maybe you should get some sleep. You can have the bed and I'll sleep on the couch." He said.
"Thank you." she replied softly. The lab tech stood and took the young woman's hand in his. He led her to the back and into the bedroom.
"Here," he said fluffing the pillow, "just lay down and go to sleep." He turned back around and his breath caught in his throat. Lilly had shed her jacket and stood before him in a pair of tan, silk sleeping pants and a light blue tank top that bared more skin than Lilly had ever shown.
"Thank you Greg." She said, "This is really kind of you."
"It's no big deal, "he replied with a smile, "I'd do anything for the woman I love." Lilly smiled self-consciously and a blush crept up her cheeks. She climbed into the bed and Greg couldn't believe how beautiful she looked right then as she made herself comfortable in bed, HIS bed.
"Well I should go." He said quickly, turning to leave before he did something he'd regret.
"No." she said grabbing his hand, "Don't go."
"What?" he asked, uncertain if he'd heard right.
"Don't leave me, please." She begged him, "Just stay with me for a little while, I don't want to be alone."
"Okay." Greg said sitting down beside her.
~*~*~
Lilly didn't know what she was doing. All she knew was that she couldn't bear to be alone right then. She felt Greg pull up the covers on the bed. Lilly didn't need the covers though; the heat radiating from Greg's body was more than enough to keep her warm. He pulled her into him gently and his arm snaked across her waist. At that moment Lilly knew she was safer than she ever had been before. She knew she was home.
THE END