Another Love Story

Chapter 16

The silence is eerie. All small talk has been said, and now we are just sitting here and sipping tea. We have finally gotten to a point where Carolyn isn't a sobbing mess, and she agreed to speak on the details of Lily's behavior before her death. At least that's what she said, but she breaks down in tears every time she opens her mouth. It's understandable because she lost her daughter. I can't imagine what it feels like to lose a child.

We have gathered in the family room of Daniel's condo after the memorial service following this morning's church service. There were so many people at Daniel's parent's house, so this is a more private setting. The only people present are me, Daniel, Carolyn, and Jackson. Halona is mostly off on Sundays since we are usually gone all day, and my mother wanted to visit with Lizzie in the hospital. I told Daniel he should have this conversation alone, without me, but he refused to release my hand. It's like he's using it as an anchor to keep himself from falling apart. I had to coax him out of bed this morning.

I will stay for support, but I won't say a word. I already feel like an intruder in family matters.

"Carolyn, if this is too hard for you, we don't have to speak about it," Daniel breaks the silence. "I have been fine with not knowing, and it's not like talking about it will bring her back."

I have to bite down on my tongue to stop myself from speaking. We had a conversation this morning about him trying to wiggle his way out of this. He's only trying to end this talk because he fears what she will say. He has been so irritable all weekend at the mere mention of Lily's name, and I want him to be able to move past that. His irritation makes me irritated, so we end up angry together.

I am tired of that, so we are having this conversation today. I won't let him out of this room until we do. Luckily, Carolyn seems to be pulling herself together.

"No," she says. "You deserve to know. I've kept this in for long enough."

Sitting beside his mother quietly, Jackson offers her another tissue to clean her face. She goes quiet for a final moment, taking visible deep breaths before speaking again.

"Lily was so excited to be going to Paris. It was the first time we took them out of the country, and she made sure our first stop was the Eiffel tower. We were staying at the hotel Le Paradis, and somehow she caught the attention of the hotel manager's son. She told me he had gotten a little upset when she put him in the friend zone because of her relationship with you."

My eyes have remained trained on Carolyn's face as she speaks. Taking a peek at Daniel's face, his eyes are screwed shut, and he's rocking on the edge of his seat as if he's getting ready to bolt up and run. There is a mist in his eyes, and his face grows redder by the second. I reach to rub my hand up and down his arm, hoping to give him any sort of comfort.

"He invited her to dinner, but I didn't want her to go. I didn't trust him, but she assured me they weren't going to be alone," Carolyn sniffles. "She missed the curfew she was given, and when she finally returned to our room, her dress was ripped and...."

Daniel puts his hand up for a silent pause, then pushes it through his hair, messing up his neat bun.

"Stop, please..." he whispers.

I don't think Carolyn could continue anyway because she had begun to fall apart again with every word spoken. Daniel starts rocking back and forth on the edge of his seat, and I can tell he's about to run. Jackson finally speaks after being silent for most of the story.

"That pervert raped my sister, and they did nothing about it," he grits out as he rubs his mother's back. "His punishment was a cushy boarding school."

Daniel shoots from his seat and out of the room. I sit forward and watch him leave as my heart breaks for all of them. I knew this was going to happen when he found out. I reach for some of the tissues on the table to wipe my own tears before grabbing Carolyn's hand to comfort her.