I had no idea who it was but I was scared out of my mind. If it had been Max, he probably wouldn't have bothered to knock.
Tiptoeing to the door I whispered, "Who is it?"
It was so late and I didn't want to wake the entire house.
"Chase," I heard from the other side of the door and breathed a sigh of relief.
I slowly opened it trying not to make too much noise and motioned for him to come in. He followed close behind me as I returned to my bed and sat on top of it. He sat on down too and couldn't wipe the smile off of his face.
"I'm glad you agreed to come," he said.
"Well, I didn't feel like I had a choice, especially with someone following me to my apartment."
"I am sorry about that Lillie, you must have been scared out of your mind."
"I was, trust me."
How did this guy become so sweet? He was an absolute angel and I couldn't understand how some girl had not locked him down yet. I also knew he had to have some information about what was going on.
"Chase, do you know what's going on? You must if you moved in here too."
He had the saddest look on his face when I asked him that. It looked like he was fighting with some inner demons and not sure how much he could reveal.
"Not everything. I know that some bad stuff went down with his father and it has now spilled over into Max's life. I also know that he is going to need us over the coming weeks with his father's illness."
Just like I thought, he wasn't going to tell me everything.
"So that's all I get? Some vague answer?"
He looked so sad like he was betraying his own conscience.
"Sorry Lillie, I have told you everything I can. Just know that you are safe here. Max and I will make sure nothing happens to you."
I couldn't help myself. I leaned across the bed and gave him the biggest hug. I'm sure I held on a little longer than I should have.
"Hey, what's this for?" He asked.
"Just for being you. You always look out for me."
When I pulled away from him he responded, "That's because you're so special, Lillie."
It was at that moment that I noticed the door had opened and Max was standing in the doorway watching us.
"What are you doing here Chase?" He demanded to know.
"I just came to say goodnight to Lille and tell her how glad I am that she's here."
"Well don't you think it's time you head to bed yourself and let her get some rest?"
Chase shot me a look and we both knew that Max wasn't very happy about our late night chat. I watched as Chase got up and left the room. Max shut the door behind him as soon as he cleared the doorway.
I snuggled back into bed and pulled the covers up thinking that I was about to get an ear full from Max. I wasn't even sure why he cared, it wasn't like he had any real interest in me in that way. He walked toward my bed and took a seat just next to me.
"Is everything okay?" He inquired.
"Yeah, I am just a little creeped out in this huge house all alone," I admitted.
"You're safe here Lillie, we have guards posted everywhere and the best security system money can buy."
He was trying to comfort me. I guess I was a lucky girl to have two guys so concerned about my well being.
"I know that in theory but it doesn't stop my mind from racing."
He shot me a look of sympathy and then got up and walked around to the other side of the bed and snuggled under the covers with me. I was completely taken aback and had no idea what he thought he was doing.
"Um Max, what are you doing?" I asked the highest pitched voice ever.
"Laying with you until you fall asleep. I can't get any rest knowing your in here scared out of your mind. Now close your eyes and I will be right here."
I think my heart melted into a puddle at that very moment. I, of course, couldn't let him see that. He was so hot and cold there was no way I was letting him near my heart.
I closed my eyes and within minutes I was relaxed and drifting off to sleep. Just before I finally went out I whispered, "Thank you, Max."
"For what?" He asked.
"For staying with me," I said through a yawn.
He brushed my hair back behind my ears and rubbed my cheek.
"Shhh.. go to sleep Lillie, you need your rest."
And that was it, I was out. I slept like a baby that night. Somehow just knowing he was next to me brought me peace. When I woke the next morning he was nowhere to be seen and I found myself missing his presence. Who knew that Max Livingston had a heart? What he did for me was so sweet.
That morning over breakfast the guys informed me that we had another gala to attend that night. It was a fundraiser for a local private school. Chase was complaining that he hadn't had time to find a date when a thought occurred to me.
"Chase, I can call piper and see if she wants to come."
"The girl from the coffee shop?" He asked and I confirmed.
At first, he seemed a bit apprehensive but eventually agreed. I knew she had a boyfriend but it wasn't like it was a real date. She would only be there for show.
I was so excited that I ran upstairs and called her explaining every detail. I even told her she could come early and borrow one of my new dresses. It took some convincing but she finally agreed.
The rest of the morning I spent trying to get settled. Just as Max promised, his employees went over and packed my entire apartment and delivered it to my room by noon.
Since the suite I had been assigned to was bigger than my apartment it wasn't much of a problem getting everything put away and organized.
The day passed so quickly and it wasn't long until Piper had arrived. We went up to my room and began getting ready. She went through my entire closet and found a couple of dresses she thought might work.
When she took her clothes off to try them on I just stared at her in disbelief.
"Piper, where did you get those bruises on your arms?"
She looked embarrassed and ran to a mirror to check her reflection. I watched as she ran her hand over each bruise. She was so quiet and I was growing impatient.
"Piper," I said again, that time in a much sterner voice.
She plastered a fake smile on her face.
"Oh, it's nothing. I was play wrestling with my boyfriend the other day and he must not have realized how hard he was squeezing me. You know how I bruise over every little thing."
Memories of how she had behaved a the coffee shop flooded my mind and I began to wonder if my best friend was in trouble.
As soon as the thought entered my head, I pushed it away. Piper wouldn't lie to me. If she said that's what happened then I was sure it was the truth. I shook my head frustrated with myself for doubting her.
We found a nice dress with a quarter length sleeve that hid the bruises and before long we were gala ready. When we walked downstairs the boy's mouths gaped open. They even let out a few catcalls which were actually pretty cute.
Just before we left Max stopped and said he had to go back to his father's office. He had left some files out from earlier. I told him to show Piper to the car. I knew the way to his office and would take care of it.
As I was walking away he shouted at me that they should go in the bottom right drawer. I hurried to the office knowing we were already ten minutes late.
I walked into the office and immediately saw the files on the desk. I picked them up and straightened them and then opened the desk drawer to put them away. I placed them just in the front but before I shut the drawer I couldn't help but notice a file with my name on it.
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A/N
Thanks for continuing to follow Max and Lillie's story. I would love to hear your thoughts. Why do you think Max's father has a file on Lille?