“Am I hallucinating, or did my brother really bring a woman home?” Rachael said dramatically as she hurried down the stairs.
“Oh my goodness! You are beautiful!” She clapped happily and pulled Lily for a hug.
“Stop it, Rachael. You’ll make her uncomfortable.” Tony sighed and tried pulling her hands off Lily, but she shot him a harsh glare and pushed him away.
“Hello, I’m Rachael, Tony’s sister. What’s your name?” She asked, smiling from ear to ear. Lily looked at Tony and then back at Rachael before clearing her throat.
“I’m Lily. Lily Arnold.” She answered, and Rachael hugged her tightly.
“Lovely to meet you, Lily. You have no idea how happy I am to see you.” Rachael confessed, beaming with joy.
“Believe me, we can all see, but she’s not that kind of friend, Rachael. Don’t get too excited.” Tony said, and Rachael’s expression saddened.
“What are you talking about?” She asked, and Lily smiled apologetically. It mmm
“She works at the hospital but will be staying here from now on for personal reasons,” Tony explained, and both Lily’s and Rachael’s jaw dropped to the ground.
“I did not agree to that, Miss. I promise.” Lily shook her head at Rachael, but instead of being angry, a smile appeared on Rachael’s face.
“This is the strangest thing that has happened since we returned from New York, but hey, I love it! I have no problem with her staying here, Tony. I look forward to spending time with you, Lily.” She threw her hands over Lily’s shoulder and hugged her again.
“Get off her, Rachael.” Tony scolded and pulled Lily away. “I know you won’t excuse us, so we’d leave instead. I and Lily have something very important to talk about.” He said and pulled Lily to walk with him while Rachael stood there with a broad smile.
“You can have your conversation for as long as you want, guys! I won’t disturb you!” She yelled, and Tony threw a harsh glare her way.
He took Lily into his study and made her sit.
“What was that about me living here, Dr Martinez?” Lily asked as soon as she was seated.
“I meant every word I said, Lily. Now, I want to hear everything.” He demanded sternly, and Lily looked at him with a confused look.
“What do you want to hear?” She asked, and Tony raised a brow, wondering if she was joking or she genuinely had no idea of what he was talking about.
“Fine. I’ll ask the questions then.” He said and rubbed his hands together.
“Why are you still with a man that has no respect for you?” He threw the question at her immediately, and Lily almost choked on her spit.
“Excuse me?”
“After witnessing what happened today, I could tell that he was the reason you ran out of the hospital like you were being chased two days ago.” Tony tried not to sound like he pitied her because he knew it would only worsen things for him.
“He hits you regularly, doesn’t he?” He asked calmly, and Lily lowered her head as she didn’t have a reply to give him.
Tony sighed and ruffled his hair out of frustration. “Why don’t you want to leave him if he abuses you, Lily? Why have you been putting up with him all this while?” He wanted to reach and hold her arm, but he didn’t.
Lily said nothing. She couldn’t bring herself to open up to Tony about her relationship with Louis. She knew that he was going to take matters into his own hands if she did, and that might cause problems for her.
She didn’t want problems.
“Answer me, Lily. Please.” Tony couldn’t recognize his voice. He had never been this way, not even with Harriet.
What he felt for Lily was different. It made him question if he ever truly loved Harriet or if he just loved the idea of being with her.
“Why? Why do you even care? Why are you doing this for a mere employee, Dr Martinez?” Lily asked weakly.
She didn’t understand why he couldn’t just look the other way.
Tony looked like he was fighting with himself.
He stood up from where he sat and went to Lily, holding her chin up so she could look at him.
“You aren’t a mere employee to me, Lily. You know that. I care so much about you even though I met you a few days ago, and the last thing I want is you returning to that bastard. I don’t care if I have to kill him myself just to make sure that you are safe. Now, tell me, Lily. Why can’t you leave him?” When he finished, Lily’s cheeks had a red tint, and her heart was racing so much she thought she would faint.
Tony had just confessed his feelings to her in the most unlikely way.
“W-well, I.. I.” She stammered, unable to form a proper sentence with his face a few inches from hers.
Tony noticed her discomfort and moved backward. Once he was gone, Lily cleared her throat and started.
“It’s not that I do not want to leave him, Dr Martinez. I can’t. I can’t leave Louis.” She explained, and tears clouded her vision.
“That’s what I want to know, Lily. Why can’t you?” Tony asked, her tears breaking his heart much more than he thought it would.
“Louis is a member of a gang, a really dangerous one. He didn’t want me to know, but I found out, and now that I know, I’m at risk. If anyone finds out about this and he hears of it, both I and the person could die. That’s why he made me cut all ties with my family and friends. He made me dependent on him so that I wouldn’t have anyone to talk to aside from him. So that I won’t have anywhere to go but his house.” Tears gushed out of Lily’s eyes uncontrollably as she spoke.
Lily welcomed the tears. Her heart was heavy, and this was the only way to free herself.
“You are not dependent on him, Lily. I don’t know what makes you think that.” Tony said truthfully.
“You are a grown woman who can make her own choices. You even have your job, so how on earth are you dependent on him?” Tony could sense that her boyfriend had brainwashed her into believing that he was all she had and that she was utterly dependent on him.
It was bullshit. That was his way of keeping her under his palm.
“The only reason he let me work is because his finances got tight a few months ago. Before then, he never let me go anywhere. He provided food and shelter for me. All I had to do was obey him and do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted it done.” Memories of times when he raped her flooded her mind, and she shivered.
Tony didn’t need anyone to tell him that her boyfriend had been exploiting her sexually. That thought made him furious, and he wished he had done more than punching the idiot in the face.
“Look at me, Lily.” He held her chin up and made her look at him; then, he used his thumb to wipe her tears away.
“You no longer have to put up with him. There’s a reason fate brought me into your life at this moment, and it’s to save you from that bastard. You have nothing to be scared of, Lily. Absolutely nothing. I’ll make sure he can never torment you again. Leave it to me.” He assured her and grabbed her arm.
“You are my person now, and no one hurts any of my people and goes scot-free. Wipe your tears, Lily. You won’t need to shed them anymore.” He assured. Lily sniffed and did just as she was told.
Maybe he was right. Maybe fate did bring him into her life to help her. She had been praying for a helper, and now, God had finally sent one.
“You’ll live with me until I sort things out with your boy…. ex-boyfriend. Once he’s behind bars and we’re sure you’re safe, we’ll get you a house. Is that okay?” He said, and Lily nodded.
She couldn’t believe she had finally ended things with Louis and no longer had to see his face every morning.
Even though it might take a while to get him off her back fully, she would trust Tony.
That was the only option she had.