Colton's Miracle ✔️

21. Remember

Tw: mention of physical abuse.

*****

Lily:

Colton is in room one with a client who wants a dragon tattoo on his bicep. Currently, I'm at the counter with Liam, recapping to him my whole friendship with Luke.

"Uh, excuse you, sir, but that's fucking rude." Liam scoffs sassily when I get to the end of my story.

I nod my head in agreement.

"And he calls that half assed sorry an apology? You're better off without him, my Anne." He assures me, his hand squeezing mine gently and I beam at him, because he's right.

"I know. I didn't come here for drama. My life had enough of that before." I sigh, a little sad that I've lost a friend, but still glad that I don't have to deal with the that type of burden.

Liam looks at me for a moment before he frowns, his expression more serious than a minute ago. "You didn't have a good childhood either, did you?"

I momentarily stiffen at his question before I relax soon after. Because if anyone can understand, if anyone can on some level relate, it's Liam and Colton, who have shared an awful childhood too. So I gibe him an honest answer. "It used to be good, I guess."

Liam remains silent, letting me decide whether to go on or change the subject here. I choose to open up a little. "I can't remember much about that period, because I was really young, but I do remember a time where my family was as normal as any other. And then things just began to change. I never knew why but it kept getting worse and worse, and no one noticed except me. Because it didn't affect anyone else, but me."

My heart aches at the memories that play for me, and I try to ignore them, to pretend they're not still vividly imprinted in my head, but I can't.

"And then one night everything changed. Bad things happened that night, horrible, terrible things. Things I will never be able to forget. After that, life just got... even harder, somehow. Until I left." Taking a deep breath, I release it with a long sigh. "So technically speaking, my life began here. At least the only life that counts."

Liam has a sad expression on his face, with soft hazel eyes that look like warm honey. "I'm sorry, for everything you have gone through."

"So am I." I nod sadly, regretfully, because I deserved none of it. Anne deserved none of it either.

"I'm glad you made it here, Lillian." Liam says, and I know he means that. I love the irony of him choosing this certain sentence to end it with my name, and not Anne's. He'd be surprised how much of a difference that makes. He'd be shocked to know what I had to do to actually end up here.

The door to Colton's room opens, and the client walks out with a smile. He waves at me and Liam before silently heading to the door.

Colton exits the room too and makes his way to me to me with a soft smile. I stand up and walk around the counter to meet him half way, more than desperate for his affection right now. He wraps his arms around my waist in a second and I rest my hands on his chest.

"Are you okay, baby?" He asks, gently tucking a strand of my hair behind my back, and I almost giggle at how he never fails to notice my mood swings.

"I'm good." I assure him with a nod and a smile. "You done with the tattoo?"

"He'll come back next week to finish it. I told him I was busy for the rest of the night." Colton smirks at me and my heart skips a beat.

I feel my excitement intensify at the mention of our date, and when Colton sees my blush his eyes darken and his arms tighten around me. He dips his head down to catch my lips but I quickly shake my head and look at Liam who's busy with his phone. "Liam is right there."