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My breathing hitches at his sweet words.

He likes me.

Zane Torres really likes me.

I can't quite believe it, but the intense honesty in his eyes tells me that he's speaking the truth. I grab the back of his neck and kiss him.

He kisses me back instantly. His arms slide around my waist and he pulls me to his chest. Our naked bodies touch and desire blooms inside me again. I have to force myself to pull back.

'I really like you, Zane,' I tell him.

I blush at the school-like confession I've just made. Zane reassures me by smiling widely.

We leave the bathroom and return to the living room. Like nothing just happened, we get dressed and Zane gives me back the laptop so that I can finish reading his work.

We discuss the first draft for a while afterwards whilst cuddling on the sofa. Zane leaves later on in the evening, before it gets late.

I get into bed with a contented smile on my face. I really didn't expect the evening to go like that, but it was incredible.

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'You had sex.'

My mouth drops open at Pippa's observation. It's half eight in the morning, how can she possibly know?

'Pardon?'

She crosses her arms over her chest and raises her eyebrows at me.

'Don't deny it. It's written all over your face.'

My hands instinctively reach up to cup my cheeks.

Is it really all over my face?

Can other people tell?

'Relax, girl,' Pippa says, nudging me. 'How was it? Was it awesome?'

'It was freaking amazing. He's incredible.'

Her eyes light up with excitement and she grins.

'I knew I had a good feeling about you two. This is perfect. This is exactly what you needed.'

The bell chimes and the door opens.

'Oh, speaking of the sexual stud...' Pippa drawls as we watch Zane enter the café.

I shove her to the side and step behind the register. Zane surprises me by swerving the counter and coming behind it.

'Um, hello? Baristas only, Torres,' Pippa says behind him, but he ignores her.

He walks up to me, gently cups my face and then kisses me. I sink into his touch and wrap my arms around him. He smells sexy and comforting and like Zane.

He pulls back and smiles at me. 'Sorry. Couldn't resist.'

Swoon.

'Hi,' I reply shyly. 'Coffee and a croissant?'

He chuckles and winks at me. 'You know it.'

I get Zane a cappuccino and a croissant. Pippa makes kissy faces at us from behind the counter when I sit down at his table with him.

'I want to take you out tonight,' he says. 'Do you want to go to the Indian tonight?'

I went there with Caven on one of our dates. It's a small town, though. I can't avoid places we went to, it would be silly.

'Sure, I'd like that.'

'Great. I'll make a reservation.'

We talk a little more, but when the café starts getting busy, I have to return to my job. Pippa and I power through the customers until everyone is served.

'Did I hear that you have another date? Seriously girl, you're so popular in this town, I don't know how you find time for us girls,' she says sarcastically.

'Whatever. And could you stop listening to our conversations, please? It's rude.'

'You're rude.'

'No, you're rude.'

'Shut up.'

'No, you shut up.'

'Um, excuse me?' We both turn to see a woman looking rather irritated behind the counter. 'Can I get a breakfast tea, please?'

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I pick Lily up about fifteen minutes before our reservation time. I tell her how beautiful she looks when we start walking, it's no word of a lie. She's stunning.

I don't know why this gorgeous blonde decided to come to this town, but I am so grateful that she did.

The last week or so, spending time with her, I've finally felt like myself again. The last few years, it's felt like my life has been on pause. I've been surviving but not really living. Lily has changed all of that, and she doesn't even know it.

She has no idea what a positive effect she has had on my mental health and my way of thinking. Everything is better when she is around.

The Indian is busy and I'm glad I booked. We are seated near the window and Lily shuffles her chair closer to mine.

There's a couple of people who look over and obviously talk about us to one another with no shame, but we ignore them and discuss what we're going to order.

I'm used to being the talk of the town. I'm used to the whispers and the stares. I can only hope that Lily has a thick enough skin to withstand the attention she is going to get for dating me. People in this town have too much time on their hands, they're nosy as hell.

We enjoy our meal, tuning out everyone else and talking continuously. It's great night and I don't want it to end.

After we've paid up, I suggest a walk along the high street. We walk hand in hand. I love the feel of her skin on mine. I couldn't help myself the other night at hers. Her touch is addictive. I've never felt a connection like this.

'Lily?'

High up on my list of people to avoid, is Caven McCrawley. What an asshole.

'Oh, hi.'

I can hear the cautiousness in Lily's voice and I squeeze her hand. She steps subtly closer to me.

Caven looks between both of us, narrowing his eyes. His expression turns into a sneer and I brace myself for whatever it is that he is going to say.

'You two are dating now?' He asks, sounding amused by the idea.

'Yes,' I reply.

'Have a good evening, Caven,' Lily says with a clipped tone.

She goes to step around him, tugging me with her. Our eyes meet and we glare at one another.

'You know you can do a lot better than that freak, right?' Caven says as we start to walk away.

I grit my teeth and clench my fist. I want to beat the shit out of him, but that's what my punchbag at home is for.

Lily ignores him at first, but then turns back around.

'I thought that I wasn't all that, anyways?' She retorts. 'And don't call him a freak, Caven. You, quite literally, know nothing. Goodbye and fuck off.'

My eyebrows shoot up my forehead at Lily's reaction. She starts walking again and I go with her, holding her hand tightly. Behind us, I can hear Caven shouting profanities.

He calls her a bitch and something in me snaps.

'Zane, don't,' she says softly when I stop walking and let go of her hand.

'Just one punch,' I tell her.

I spin around and stride over to Caven, who's giving it big licks on the side of the street. He straightens his shoulders and eyes me wearily as I approach him with speed.

When I get close enough, he holds his hands up to defend himself and takes a step back. I pull my fist back and his eyes widen. I swing my arm forwards and catch myself last minute.

Caven has his eyes closed and his hands in front of his face to protect himself. My hand shakes with the need to hit him, something, anything. I grab his t-shirt instead and press him up against the wall of the building behind him.

'Don't talk to my girl again,' I warn lowly. 'Don't contact her. Don't look at her. Don't go near her. Or me, for that matter. I'm not someone you want to mess with, Caven. You tell everyone that I'm crazy. Do you really want to piss off a crazy man?'

He doesn't say anything. His jaw is set and he's glaring at me. His ego is wounded and he's not taking it well.

'Leave us alone,' I snap and release him.

I walk back over to where Lily is waiting for me. I take her hand and lead her down the road.

'You didn't hit him,' she says. 'I'm glad. It's not worth hurting your fist over his stupid mug.'

'I know.'

We walk in silence for a while, the both of us processing what just happened. I'm glad that I managed to contain my anger and stop myself. If I had hit him, he could have pressed charges and that wouldn't be good publicity.

I look around and realise that we're walking past the graveyard. Although it has iron fencing around it, there's no gate so it is still open to the public at night.

An idea comes to me, but I don't know if Lily will be up for it.

'Do you..do you want to meet my mum and my sister? They're buried in there,' I ask her nervously. 'I won't be offended if you say no, I know it's weird.'

She smiles at me. 'It isn't weird. I'd like to.'

I lead her into the graveyard. We walk amongst the tombstones. I immediately feel better, being near my family. The graveyard has that effect on me. I come here so often that the silence is comforting.

I point out their headstones, engraved with their names, their dates and a small epitaph of how much they are loved and missed.

'I want to tell you something,' she says, sounding serious.

I pull her over to a nearby bench and we sit down. Fortunately, we're both wearing jackets and it's a warm evening. Lily turns to face me and I'm alarmed to see the seriousness on her face.

'My original name is Jennifer Hughes,' she says. 'I had my name changed a while back to Lily Wilson. It was my mother's favourite flower and her maiden name.'

I ponder this for a moment and then smile. 'I think Lily really suits you.'

'Thanks,' she replies quietly. 'Not long after my mum died, I found out my boyfriend was cheating on me.'

Anger fills me. Who does that? Who cheats anyway, but then cheats on someone who is hurting?

'It was a bad time in my life and I kind of stuck all of that negative energy on Jennifer Hughes. I decided that, if I changed my name, I could change my baggage. I could change my past and be a new person.' She looks down at her hands. 'I understand now that it was a naïve hope and I'm always going to be that person and have that baggage, but being Lily Wilson has allowed me to shed some of the weight.'

'I think we need to do whatever we have to to be able to get through times like that,' I reassure her. 'That's why I started writing; to escape. I guess, in our own ways, we've both tried to escape from our pasts.'

She smiles at me. 'Do you think we've done it?'

'We've certainly helped the process, I think. You're right to realise you're always going to have that past and have that inside of you, but it's not going to define you. You've made a new future for yourself, that's what matters.'

Instead of replying, she leans in and kisses me. My lips respond to hers instantly. I love her kisses.

When things become heated between us, I break the kiss and take her hand. It's the quickest walk home of our lives, going back to her house. She unlocks the door and lets us inside. We shed our jackets and our shoes, but that's as far as we get.

Her lips find mine again and we kiss passionately in the corridor. With our lips locked, we strip each other of our clothes, breaking the kiss only to remove items of clothing. She jumps up and I catch her. She wraps her legs around my waist and I press her back to the wall, rubbing her body when I feel her shiver from the cold surface.

It only takes a single thrust for me to be inside her, joining us together. We rut against the wall, meeting each other for every thrust. When we climax, we climax together, holding on like we are the most precious things in the world to each other.

Whatever her name is, whatever her past is, I'll take her any way that I can get her.

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