A/N: Once again, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update. I guess I just want to make sure I get things right. Anyway, I hope you all like it (especially pattiRISHA, who I know has been waiting for me to update again... let me know if I did all right :) )

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

DOUBTS AND FEARS

"I don't know what to do, Lilly," Miley said softly. They were sitting together in their room at Grandma Ruby's house, talking about Robbie Ray's phone call and the incredible news he had delivered.

"Yes you do," Lilly replied gently. "This tour is something you've always dreamed of, Miles."

"How do you know me so well?" Miley replied with a smile.

"We've been best been friends for almost ten years, Miles," Lilly said warmly. "It's part of my job." She smiled as well.

"Besides, I know how hard you've been working for this… ever since the day you first got up in front of everybody at the Harvest Faire and sang the song you wrote for your mom."

"All because of you," Miley said softly, snuggling against her fiancée.

"You just needed a little push," Lilly insisted, toying playfully with her best friend's long brown hair. "You've always had the gift in you."

"Well, you were the one who brought it out of me, Lilly Bear," Miley said sweetly. She took a deep breath.

"What about college though?" she continued. "What about us?"

"I think college could probably wait a few months," Lilly answered calmly. "C'mon Miles, we're talking about getting to live out one of your dreams; that doesn't happen every day." She smiled a little.

"I'm not going anywhere either," she said. "I'll be right here when you get back." Miley sat up, taking Lilly's hands in her own.

"Come with me," she said softly.

"Miles, I…" Lilly swallowed. "You know I want to, but…"

"I don't know if I can do this if it means having to live without you for three months," Miley said, her voice starting to tremble.

"Miles, I'm supposed to start my college classes soon," Lilly said gently. "You know how hard my mom is working to even get me there; she'd kill me if I didn't show up."

"I know," Miley said sadly. "I just wish there was another way; I hate thinking I have to choose between you and something I've always wanted to do." She saw the guilty look on Lilly's face and instantly regretted her choice of words.

"I'm sorry Lils, I didn't mean it that way," she said quickly. "You know you're more important to me than anything."

"Just like you know I feel the same way," Lilly said sweetly. She leaned down and kissed Miley gently.

"If… if there was a way…" Miley started to speak.

"You know Lola wants to be with Hannah,' Lilly replied with a smile, "Especially on her very first tour."

"This really sucks, Lils," Miley muttered.

"I'm really sorry, Miles," Lilly said softly. Miley was silent for a long moment.

"I think I need to sleep on it for a while," she said quietly. "Maybe I can make up my mind in the morning." She looked up at her girlfriend and managed a shy smile.

"Lilly… will you hold me?" she asked softly. Lilly smiled and nodded.

"Always and forever, Miles," she replied, gently wrapping her arms around the young woman she loved as they laid down together. "Always and forever."

The following morning, Miley and Lilly decided to drive back to Pine Ridge to tell their parents in person about their engagement. Ruby let them borrow her truck, with the understanding that if they let anything happen to it, she'd tan their hides. With those ominous words ringing in their ears, the two young lovers made their way back home, finally pulling into the driveway of the Stewart home sixty minutes later.

"Daddy?" Miley called out as they walked through the front door.

"We're out back!" Robbie Ray shouted back. Miley looked at Lilly and smiled.

"I think they got our message," she said happily. Hand in hand, they walked out into the backyard, where Robbie Ray Stewart and Heather Truscott were waiting for them.

"So what's all the fuss about?" Robbie Ray asked as his daughter and future daughter-in-law walked towards him. "It's not nice to make your parents worry, you know." He wore a knowing smile on his face though, and Miley suspected he already knew the truth.

"Is something wrong?" Heather Truscott asked carefully.

"Everything's okay mom," Lilly told her mother. "Miley and I just need to tell you something." She looked at Miley and smiled.

"Something really important," she continued happily.

"Well for heaven's sake, tell us!" Heather Truscott exclaimed. "I nearly got a speeding ticket rushing over here this morning, you two worried me so much!"

"Take it easy, Heather," Robbie Ray said, favoring Miley and Lilly with a warm smile. "I have a hunch I know what our daughters are tryin' to tell us, and I think it's somethin' you're gonna like."

"Well I sure hope so," Miley said softly. She took a deep breath. "Daddy, Mrs. Truscott… I asked Lilly to marry me."

"And I said yes," Lilly added, smiling as she held out her hand to show off her sparkling diamond engagement ring.

"Oh, honey!" Heather Truscott gasped. She was on her feet in an instant, rushing over to envelop her daughter in a massive hug. "That's wonderful!" She looked up at Miley and, with a smile, motioned for her to join in the hug.

"I knew it," she said softly, joyous tears sparkling in her eyes. "I knew there was something special between you two." She paused for a moment.

"I know Susan would be happy and proud of you both," she said gently. Miley found herself blinking back tears of her own.

"Thank you, Mrs. Truscott," she managed. "That really means a lot to me."

"Thanks, mom," Lilly said softly.

"For what?" Heather Truscott asked her.

"For always supporting me and Miley," Lilly continued. Heather smiled warmly.

"You know, Susan once told me she thought you two were meant to find each other," she said quietly. "I think she was right." Smiling, tears stinging her eyes, Lilly hugged her mother tightly.

"I see you figured out something special," Robbie Ray said to his daughter with a smile as he walked over to her.

"Thanks to you," Miley replied with a grin. She hugged her father warmly, and he hugged her back, wrapping his strong arms around her.

"Congratulations, darlin'," he said softly. "I know you and Lilly'll be very happy."

"As long as you're there to give me away," Miley said sweetly.

"Try and stop me," Robbie Ray said with a smile. "Of course I'll be there to give my little girl away."

"Have you two picked a date yet?" Heather Truscott asked.

"Come on mom, we've only been engaged for a day!" Lilly exclaimed. Miley laughed.

"We haven't really thought that far ahead yet," she admitted. "Don't worry, you guys will be the first to know when we do."

"Well, I think this calls for a celebration," Robbie Ray said suddenly, still holding his daughter. "First, though… I'd like to give my future daughter-in-law a hug." Lilly grinned and was in his arms in two quick strides.

Later that night, Miley and Lilly snuggled together in her bed – which they had already started thinking of as their bed – softly discussing the day's events.

"Boy, when your dad celebrates, he doesn't mess around," Lilly said. Miley giggled softly.

"We Stewarts take our celebrations very seriously," she quipped.

"You think he'll go all out for wedding?" Lilly asked.

"Probably," Miley said thoughtfully, a grin spreading across her face, "but I'll try to restrain him."

"That's no fun," Lilly laughed. "Anyway, we can figure out all the details later. Right now, all I want to do is hold the woman I love in my arms and think about our wonderful future together."

"Sounds good to me," Miley said happily, wrapping her arms around Lilly and giving her a gentle kiss on the side of her neck. She was silent for a long moment.

"You know, I've been thinking about the tour…" she whispered.

"Miley…" Lilly's voice was quiet but firm. "I don't want us to be apart either, but I'm not gonna let you give up on your dream. You've worked so hard for this…!"

"It's three months, Lilly," Miley replied in a sad voice. "How am I supposed to live without you for three whole months?"

"I don't know," Lilly said, fighting to keep her voice from cracking, "but we'll figure it out somehow…"

"This isn't fair," Miley muttered, squeezing her eyes shut. "I wanna stay here with you."

"I want to stay with you too," Lilly whispered. "We're just gonna have to be strong. We can get through this together, Miles; I know we can."

"I just wish there was some other way," Miley whispered back.

"I know," Lilly said softly, "but unless you know of a way I can attend my classes from hundreds of miles away, I don't know what else we can do, sweetheart." Miley didn't answer; she chose instead to bury her face in Lilly's shoulder. From her silence, and the tiny tremors Lilly felt in her fiancee's body, Lilly knew Miley was crying.

"Please don't cry Miles," Lilly whispered to her. "It's gonna be all right, I promise." The sudden feeling of warmth on her cheek told Lilly she was also crying, just as she always did whenever Miley was.

"It's gonna be all right," she said again, wrapping her arms around Miley and pulling her into a tight embrace. "I promise, Miley… it's gonna be all right."

"Everything all right?" a familiar voice called out. Lilly looked up to see her future father-in-law standing in the doorway, a concerned expression on her face. He could tell she was crying, and somehow he knew his daughter was as well. Walking slowly across the room, Robbie Ray sat down carefully on the edge of the bed.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked carefully.

"I'm okay daddy," Miley said sadly, sitting up and wiping away her tears. "We were just talking about the tour and all."

"You don't want to go?" Robbie Ray asked her softly. Miley sighed.

"I do, but…"

"She doesn't want us to be apart," Lilly supplied. She swallowed and looked at Miley. "I'm sorry."

"You don't ever have to apologize for loving me," Miley told her, reaching out to gently run her fingers through Lilly's long blonde hair. "I guess I just didn't realize how hard it might be for her to go away on tour for three months."

"I'm starting my college classes soon," Lilly explained. "My mom worked so hard to even get me in, I can't just not go."

"I know," Miley said sadly. She smiled ruefully.

"We were even joking around about it a little," Miley continued with a sad, soft chuckle. She looked over at her father.

"She told me the only way she could go with me is if we could find a way for her to somehow attend her classes from hundreds of miles away."

"Well, that may not be as impossible as it sounds," Robbie Ray offered.

"Are you… are you saying there might be a way Lilly can come with me?" Miley asked him haltingly.

"Maybe," Robbie Ray replied. "It's just a possibility… but I've heard there's a way people can take classes on the internet."

"Since when do you use computers daddy?" Miley asked him with amusement.

"Since never," Robbie Ray said dryly. "Your brother was telling me about it."

"Really?" Miley asked him.

"You can ask him yourself in the morning," Robbie Ray answered with a nod. "If I understood even half of what he was saying, it might just work."

"So what do we do Jackson?" Miley asked her older brother. They were standing together around Lilly's mother's laptop, searching the internet for the online college classes they had heard about.

"This is the one I found," Jackson replied, bringing up a particular website.

"Wow," Miley said. "You can earn just about any degree you want here."

"It's all completely legitimate too," Jackson added. "It works basically the same as any regular college or university, you just get your class work on line. You turn in your assignments the same way."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Lilly admitted.

"The classes are a little more… accelerated… than normal though," Jackson added.

"Whoa, what do you mean 'accelerated'?" Lilly exclaimed.

"Things just go a little faster," Jackson told her. "You can do it; and you'll have Miley to help you." Lilly blushed slightly.

"Only if she wants to," she managed. Miley smiled and reached out to take one of Lilly's hands in her own.

"You know I do," she said softly. "It's not gonna be easy though."

"Well, if we can manage to convince our parents, the rest oughta be easy," Lilly quipped. Miley laughed.

"As long as we're together, we can do anything..."

Fortunately, it didn't take much to convince the girls' parents to allow them to enroll in the on line college courses. A few days later, Miley finally called the record company and agreed to go on her very first tour. Ironically, Hannah Montana's first sold-out performance was scheduled at Curb Event Center in Nashville.

"I can't believe how nervous I am!" Miley whispered as she paced back and forth in her small dressing room. Aside from her blonde Hannah wig, Miley was wearing a sparkling pink and white top and matching skirt. Lilly, in her 'disguise' as Lola Luftnagle, was wearing a brilliant blue wig with a mismatched orange top and white pants.

"You're gonna do great," Lilly assured her girlfriend. "That crowd's not gonna know what hit 'em!" Miley smiled from beneath Hannah's blonde wig.

"Thanks, Lil." Her blue eyes sparkled mischievously. "How about a kiss for good luck?" Lilly grinned.

"I can do that," she said happily. She walked over to Miley and kissed her gently.

"Can I have another?" Miley asked playfully. Lilly laughed.

"After the show," she promised. "Right now, it's time for you to show everyone just how good you really are." Miley took a deep breath.

"Come with me?" she asked the woman who held her heart.

"Always," Lilly answered softly. Joining hands, they turned to leave the dressing room. The door suddenly opened in front of them, revealing Robbie Ray Stewart and a rather large and imposing woman with long dark hair.

"Whoa," Lilly whispered, jumping away from the door.

"Nice to meet you too, little lady," the woman replied.

"Take it easy, Lilly," Robbie Ray assured his future daughter-in-law. "This is Roxy. The record company hired her to look after you two."

"They hired me a bodyguard?" Miley asked.

"I asked them to," Robbie Ray told her. "I just thought having someone to look after my girls wouldn't be a bad thing. I know how crazy shows like this can get."

"That okay with you, miss pop star?" Roxy quipped. "I can always leave you to deal with the psychotic fans and bottom-dwelling paparazzi by yourself, if you like."

"I like her," Lilly said with a grin.

"Sorry, I've just never had a bodyguard before," Miley apologized, smiling nervously. "It's really nice to meet you, Roxy. I'm Mi…" Lilly abruptly elbowed her in her side.

"I mean, Hannah! I'm Hannah! And this is my best friend, Lola."

"Don't worry, I already know about your secret," Roxy said with a smile of her own. "Your daddy told me."

"Roxy had to pass a very strict test, you know," Robbie Ray insisted. "I made sure we could trust her."

"Only if you call sitting down with your daddy and eating as much of his fried chicken as I could stand a 'test'," Roxy laughed. "Anyway, I promise your secret's safe with me, little lady." She looked over at Lilly and arched an eyebrow.

"So what's with the blue hair?" she quipped.

"Lola's hair is as unique as she is, Roxy," Miley replied. She grinned. "Besides, you won't lose her in a crowd." Miley jumped as Lilly suddenly tickled her ribs playfully from behind.

"Very funny, blondie," she said with a smirk.

"I'll keep that in mind," Roxy said with a smile. "Now, if you two are finished, it's just about show time. I'll walk you to the stage."

"I'll stay and take care of things back here," Robbie Ray told her. "And just so you know… they're never finished," he added with a smile.

"Daddy!" Miley laughed. Lilly waved a finger mock-warningly at her future father-in-law.

"I've got my eye on you, old man," she said teasingly.

"Back atcha, darlin'," Robbie Ray said with a smile. "Now you better get goin'." With Roxy leading the way, Miley and Lilly walked out of the dressing room together and made their way to the stage. They waited by the curtains for a few moments together, until Miley heard her – or rather, Hannah's – name being called.

"I'll be waiting right here for you," Lilly whispered to her, smiling warmly. Turning and blowing Lilly a kiss, Miley hurried away onto the stage. A few moments later, Lilly heard the opening of Hannah's new song, "The Best of Both Worlds", begin to fill the arena, along with the excited shouts of hundreds of eager fans.

"You can see her from over here," Roxy called out. She gestured to a spot near where she was standing. Lilly hurried over, and found she was able to actually look through the gap between the curtains to see Miley happily singing and dancing out on the stage. Lilly grinned, the joy she saw on Miley's face radiating deep within her own heart. Just seeing the woman she loved so happy was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

I knew you could do it, Miley… I knew this is what you were meant for!

"You really care about her, don't you?" Roxy asked her softly. Lilly turned to look at her.

"More than anything," she admitted. "I love her."

"I know," Roxy said with a small smile. "I can tell. I think she's lucky to have you."

"I think I'm lucky to have her," Lilly replied with a smile of her own. The concert continued, each of Miley's songs exciting the crowd more than the last. Lilly herself was practically jumping up and down with happy and excited energy as she watched her best friend give the performance of a lifetime. Finally, after just over an hour, 'Hannah' took her last bow and wearily made her way backstage. Lilly greeted her with a hug and a kiss.

"You were amazing!" Lilly gushed.

"Thanks," Miley said. "It felt amazing!" She leaned forward until her nose was touching Lilly's.

"I wish you could've been up there with me," she whispered. Lilly grinned but shook her head.

"This is your time to shine, Miles," she said to her girlfriend. "I'm just happy to be here with you… happy and proud."

"I could never have done all this without you," Miley replied softly.

"You just needed a little push in the right direction," Lilly assured her with a smile. "You don't need my help to be the most amazing singer in the world." Miley blushed slightly and leaned forward to gently kiss Lilly on the lips.

"I'll always need you, Lilly," she breathed.

"I hate to break this up, lovebirds," Roxy gently interrupted, "but we need to go. Things are going to start getting crazy around here."

"What do you mean?" Lilly asked her.

"She means everyone is gonna want to talk to the young lady who just wowed all of Nashville tonight," Robbie Ray answered as he walked up behind them. "Trust me, you don't wanna be around when they start trying to find you… all at once."

"All right daddy," Miley said hesitantly. Robbie Ray nodded to Roxy, and she gestured to the young pop star and her girlfriend.

"Come on," she said. "Your daddy's gonna go get your limo ready. I'll take you girls out the back to meet it." Miley and Lilly nodded and Roxy carefully lead them away. Ultimately, their attempt to sneak out the back was thwarted by a massive crowd already waiting for them, filled with overeager fans and demanding paparazzi. Part of Miley wanted to talk to the fans, to give them the autographs and pictures they were asking for, but everything was just too overwhelming.

"Great," Lilly muttered. "Now how are we going to get out of here?"

"Very carefully," Roxy replied. "Just follow me, little ladies." The imposing bodyguard led the secret pop star and her best friend carefully back into the arena and then out of a small stage door on the far side of the arena, which led to what appeared to be a large industrial parking garage. Fork lifts, garbage trucks and other similar vehicles filled the place, along with the stench of diesel exhaust. In the distance, Miley could just see Hannah's limo pulling up to wait for them… but before she and Lilly could reach it, a crowd of overeager paparazzi suddenly swarmed around them, followed immediately by a storm of blinding flashes of light.

"Sweet niblets!" Miley shouted. "Roxy, get us out of here!" Roxy, however, was busy using herself to shield 'Hannah' and 'Lola' from the seemingly endless stream of cameras.

"Now what do we do?!" Lilly exclaimed.

"Over here!" another voice suddenly shouted. Lilly turned her head towards it, and saw a young girl about their age with long fiery red hair motioning towards them.

"Who's that?" Lilly asked her best friend.

"Beats me," Miley said with a shrug.

"Come on, I can get you out of here!" the red-haired girl shouted again. She was suddenly right beside them, pulling insistently on their arms.

"Who are you?" Lilly demanded.

"A friend," the girl replied, smiling a little. "I used to work here. Now come on, I know another way out of here!" Miley and Lilly shared a quick look. Whoever she was, neither of them sensed anything but good will coming from the young girl, and at that moment they would've been willing to do almost anything to get away from the ravenous paparazzi. Nodding slightly to each other, they turned and followed their new friend out the parking garage as fast as they could manage.

The red-haired girl took them backstage again, and then, astonishingly, down a kind of trap door in the floor itself. It led them to what appeared to be a kind of basement.

"Where are we?" Miley asked quietly.

"What's it look like?" the red-haired girl quipped. "We're in the basement. There's a stairway leading back up to the street in the rear of the building, where the garbage containers and stuff are. If you can get your limo to meet you there, you should be able to slip away without anyone noticing."

"Thank you," Miley replied. "You really didn't have to do all this."

"You looked like you needed a friend," the red-haired girl said with a smile. "I'm just glad I could help. My name's Felicia, by the way."

"I'm Hannah, and this is my best friend Lola," Miley said warmly. "It's nice to meet you."

"You put on quite a show tonight, Hannah," Felicia said with a smile.

"You were watching?" Lilly asked suddenly.

"Well… kinda," Felicia admitted. "I was actually here to help out a friend, but I happened to catch part of your show. You were amazing." She looked over at Lilly.

"Don't you think so, Lola?" Felicia asked her. The radiant smile on her face made Lilly vaguely uncomfortable, though she wasn't entirely sure why. It was friendly enough… maybe it was too friendly?

"Absolutely… Hannah was awesome tonight," Lilly agreed. She took Miley's hand in her own. "I'm really proud of her." Miley smiled.

"Thanks, Lola," she said warmly. "Well, I better give daddy a call and let him know where we are," She reached for her cell phone and flipped it open.

"You're welcome to come with us, Felicia. After everything you've done for us, we owe ya that much."

"Well… all right," Felicia said after a moment. "I think I'd like that." She smiled at Lilly again, and the blonde-haired tomboy couldn't help but smile back.

"Do you always stay in huge hotel rooms like this?" Felicia asked as she stared in awe at the massive suite that had been reserved for Miley, Lilly and Robbie Ray at the opulent Gaylord Opryland hotel.

"Don't look at me," Miley replied. "I've never been in a place like this in my life."

"I think Lola's enjoying herself," Felicia said with a grin. Miley looked up to see her best friend lying on one of the huge couches in the suite, her arms folded under her head, a contented smile on her face.

"Comfy?" Miley asked her with amusement.

"I'd be even more comfortable if you laid down here with me," Lilly replied in a teasing voice.

"Li… Lola," Miley managed, suddenly feeling flushed. "We've got company, honey." Lilly playfully stuck her tongue out.

"You're no fun."

"Um… maybe I should go," Felicia said quickly. "I don't mean to interrupt anything."

"That's okay," Miley said cheerfully, doing her best not to let Felicia notice just how close she and Lilly truly were. "Lola just likes to joke around." Although she and Lilly were not the least bit ashamed of their relationship, the time was not yet right for the world to know about Hannah Montana and Lola Luftnagle's relationship; not if there was a possibility of endangering their secret identities.

"I can tell you two are really close," Felicia said simply. "I think it's sweet."

"Thanks, Felicia," Miley said with a smile. "And thanks again for helping us out before."

"I'm glad I could help," Felicia said with a smile of her own. "It's getting late though, and I'm sure you must be tired…"

"I guess I should be," Miley admitted, "but I'm actually feelin' kinda wired. I was thinking maybe we could watch a movie or something…" She paused, carefully choosing her words.

"Would you like to hang out with us, Felicia?" The redhead's smile grew.

"You really mean it?" she asked carefully. Miley nodded.

"Trust me, there's nothing like good quality time with your friends," she said warmly. "Tell you what – you and Lola pick the movie, and I'll go get into my pj's." Felicia nodded eagerly and Miley took the opportunity to hurry into her room so she could change. As much as she wanted to pull the already itchy blonde wig off, she knew she couldn't; not while Felicia was still around. Pulling on a simple pair of blue and white pajamas, she made her way back out into the main room.

"…you did not!" Lilly's voice echoed towards her.

"I did so!" Felicia's voice replied. "You should've seen the look on his face!" As Miley walked into the room, she saw Lilly and Felicia talking and giggling together. In fact, it looked like they were even… holding hands?

"Hey," Miley said, announcing her presence. Lilly looked up and smiled.

"About time, Hannah… we were about to start without you!" she joked.

"So I see," Miley said softly. Something in her voice immediately got Lilly's attention, and not in a pleasant way.

"Hannah, is everything okay?" Lilly asked her carefully.

"Sure," Miley answered simply. "So what movie did you pick?"

"How does Enchanted sound?" Felicia replied. "It's a really cute movie."

"It's adorable," Lilly agreed with a smile. Felicia returned the smile… and Miley felt something in her ache.

"Y-yeah," Miley added. "How about I, um… go get us some drinks? I think I saw a drink machine just down the hall…" She turned to leave without another word.

"Hannah?" Lilly called after her. Miley didn't answer. Lilly immediately got to her feet.

"I need to talk to Hannah," she hurriedly explained. "I'll be right back okay? Go ahead and order the movie." She didn't wait for Felicia to respond; she was already hurrying after the woman she loved. Mercifully, Lilly caught up with her just as she mae it out into the hallway. Fortunately, there was no one outside to overhear their conversation.

"Miley!" Lilly called out. "Please stop! Tell me what's going on!" Miley abruptly stopped walking, finally allowing Lilly to catch up with her. Lilly ran in front of her, hoping to prevent Miley from trying to run away again, only to notice her fiancée's eyes were filled with tears.

"Miley, sweetheart… what's wrong?" Lilly whispered, her heart suddenly in her throat.

"I'm sorry," Miley managed. "I didn't mean to ruin everything."

"Huh?" Lilly replied, not understanding. "What are you talking about Miles?"

"I saw you and Felicia…" Miley started to explain. "Holding hands and… and laughing…!" Lilly started at her best friend incredulously.

"Miley… she was just being friendly! We were just talking!" A terrible feeling suddenly washed over Lilly. "Miles, you didn't think…" She reached out and slid a finger carefully under Miley's chin, gently lifting her best friend's face towards her own.

"Miley… I love you, and only you. You're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, and no one else." She paused for a moment. "You know that, don't you?" Tears trickled down Miley's cheeks.

"Yes," she said softly. "Of course I do. I… I'm so sorry, Lilly! I don't know what got into me, I just…!" Lilly pulled Miley gently into her arms, lovingly stroking her long brown hair.

"It's all right, Miles," she whispered comfortingly. "I don't ever want to lose you either… and you're never gonna lose me, I promise. You just have to trust me, okay?"

"I do," Miley whispered. She looked up at Lilly again, tears still in her eyes. "God, I must've sounded so stupid!"

"No," Lilly said sweetly. "You sounded like a woman in love."