For Everything by Rae Spencer Read Free Book Online Page B

whispered in her ear, telling her to buy something today as he exited the car for another round of meetings.
    She gulped, knowing she wouldn’t. He would have to be mad at her.
    The girls went into clothing stores. She browsed again. She enjoyed looking at the clothes she would never wear. The low cut blouses, the backless dresses, and the midriff baring shirts.
    She heard Melissa behind her. “Why don’t you try the shirt on?”
    “Oh no.” Lily felt heat race over her face at being caught looking at the shirts.
    “Why not? Part of the fun is trying the clothes on,” Melissa said, gesturing toward the racks with the shirts.
    She stepped away. “No, thank you.”
    Melissa stood in front of her, “Come on! Spend some of Clay’s money.”
    Her face got hotter. “I can’t, Melissa.”
    “Why?” Melissa asked, “You are his girlfriend.”
    She gulped. “I don’t like trying clothes on.”
    “You two ready?” Amy called from the aisle.
    “Yeah,” Lily replied, walking toward Amy, Melissa next to her.
    At the next store, they again went their separate ways, but this time she stayed away from the clothes. She didn’t want to be caught looking at them again.
    She meandered through the house wares, caught Melissa and Amy talking out of the corner of her eye. She knew they were talking about her, but didn’t care. Let them tell on her. She only had two and half more days left before she could go hide again.
    To her lonely apartment, her one room lonely apartment. She hadn’t accomplished much in her life, at twenty-one – she was already washed up, used and doomed to wither away a wallflower.
    “Lily,” Amy motioned to the others, “we are ready to head out, you?”
    She sat in the car listening to the three women talk. One name caught her attention. Jason! Lily listened to the conversation. Jason was friends with Clay and Tom.
    Her heart raced, Clay knew Jason, she never thought, it never occurred to her.
    Amy leaned forward, clasping Lily’s hand. “Lily, are you okay?”
    “What?” She snapped out of her daze.
    “Your face went white,” Melissa said, “are you okay honey?”
    Lily forced a smile. “Yes, I am fine.” She took a deep breath walking inside with the girls. She saw the frown in Clay’s eyes, knew he was angry with her. She wondered which of the girls ratted on her or if he was still upset over this morning.
    ****
    They arrived at the hotel, no words spoken since leaving the restaurant. She smothered a yawn as the elevator doors opened. Clay opened the suite door and she went directly to her room, changing quickly, she lay down.
    Clay walked into her room, wanting to talk to her. Twice now, she had left him hard. Twice she had run away on him. Twice she had refused to spend his money. He didn’t understand her.
    Melissa told him Lily refused to try clothes on at the store, had gotten panicky when confronted about it. He never heard of a woman not wanting to try clothes on or buy them.
    He stared at her sleeping face, tomorrow in the morning he would have a conversation with her. Find out the truth. For now, he wanted to sleep with her in his arms.
     

Chapter 10
     
    Lily woke feeling so warm, so safe. She didn’t understand why at first, but quickly recognized the weight on her waist, the warmth against her back. It was Clay.
    She glanced over at the clock it was only 5 a.m. She should go back to sleep, but knew she wouldn’t, couldn’t with him behind her.
    It was wrong to lie in his arms, to let him hold her, to believe in something that was nothing more than a temporary fantasy.
    She eased out of his arms and went to the kitchen, making some coffee. She sat at the table watching the skyline as morning broke. The light shone through the windows casting shadows against her coffee cup.
    She wondered for a brief moment what could have been with Clay, stupid she knew, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. She arched her neck rubbing the tendons.
    He stood in the doorway watching