Page 65 of Dead in the Water
“I’m a little stronger every day.”
“That’s good to hear.” Lily walked her to the door and stepped out into the sunshine with her.
She stayed there as Glynis ambled away, basking in the warm rays and fixing her attention to the beach where families played on the sand. A boy and his dad threw a frisbee between them and the simple joy on the boy’s face was infectious.
“You’re looking cheerful!”
The voice drew Lily’s gaze to Seren, striding towards her.
“Just enjoying the sunshine.” Her smile faltered. “I have a bone to pick with you.”
Seren winced. “What have I done now?”
“Flynn was lurking outside my place when I got home from dinner last night.”
Surprise flashed in Seren’s eyes. “I told him to give you space. He promised he only wanted to know you were okay.”
Lily glanced into the shop, eyes landing on Jessica chatting with a family at the counter. Then she tipped her head and wandered towards the beach with Seren.
“I should have known you were asking where I was for him. I’d been ignoring his calls and messages.”
“And I should have known he would have ignored me and gone to track you down.”
“It’s okay.” Lily paused to remove her shoes and socks when Seren slipped her sandals off. “I’m not actually annoyed with you. We can both be annoyed at Flynn instead.”
Seren gave a non-committal grunt. “I’m struggling to be annoyed with him in this instance.”
Lily cast Seren a sidelong glance – an action that sent strands of hair whipping across her face as the wind caught it. “I thought you’d told him to give me space. I assume you hadn’t intended him to track me down when you told him where I was?”
“No, but it’s also hard to be angry with him about it.”
“Why?”
Seren slowed her steps. “He was really concerned about you last night. It totally freaked him out, not knowing where you were and if you were okay?”
“I’m an adult. There wasn’t any need for him to worry just because I ignored his calls for a day.”
A rumble of laughter erupted from Seren. “That may be true for most adults, but you going off radar is definitely cause for concern. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but you’re pretty good at getting yourself into dubious situations.”
“Yeah, okay, maybe. But it’s not like it’s dangerous or anything.”
“Not so far. But you can see why Flynn would worry.” Seren stopped and turned to Lily. “He wassoworried.”
Lily glanced up and down the beach, focusing for a moment on the salty air. “I should probably have just messaged him and told him I was okay, but I was annoyed with him.”
“I think you have every right to be annoyed with him,” Seren said as they set off back the way they’d come. “But after seeing him last night, I really don’t think he called off your date because he doesn’t have feelings for you. I think the guy is genuinely terrified of getting his heart broken by you.”
Lily shifted her shoes from one hand to the other. She’d said the same to Flynn – that he was a coward.
“I feel the same,” she said eventually. “And I think he made things easier for me when he cancelled our date.”
“How so?”
“It’s easier to be angry with him than to think about him leaving. I don’t want to think about that.”
“Because you’re terrified too?”
Lily nodded. “I feel sick whenever I think about it. So I just avoid thinking about it.”
