Chapter 14 - THE FIRST MAN WHO DIDN’T LOOK AWAY
Lily almost canceled the date.
Not because of Jack.
Because of the dress.
It was black.
Simple.
Beautiful.
And lower at the back than anything she had worn since Ethan.
The scars showed.
Not all of them.
Enough.
She stared at herself in Ruth’s mirror.
“I can’t.”
Ruth looked up.
“Can’t what?”
“Wear this.”
“Why?”
“You know why.”
Ruth stepped closer.
“My son taught you to hate a body that survived him.”
Lily’s eyes filled.
“That doesn’t disappear because he got arrested.”
“No.”
Ruth touched her shoulder.
“But you don’t have to wait until you feel fearless.”
Noah appeared in the doorway wearing dinosaur pajamas.
“Mom, you look fancy.”
Lily laughed.
“Good fancy?”
“Restaurant fancy.”
Highest praise available from a six-year-old.
She wore the dress.
Jack met her at a small Italian restaurant with twelve tables.
No private room.
No guards visible.
No orchestra.
No billionaire spectacle.
“You chose normal.”
He pulled out her chair.
“I was instructed by Rocco that anything involving helicopters would be excessive.”
“Rocco is wise.”
Dinner was awkward for the first ten minutes.
Then easier.
They talked about Noah.
Jack’s childhood.
Food.
Lily’s dream of studying accounting someday because she was tired of contracts being weapons against people who couldn’t afford lawyers.
Then she stood to remove her coat.
Jack saw the scars.
She knew because his eyes paused.
Her stomach tightened.
Old panic.
Old shame.
She almost reached for the coat again.
Jack looked back at her face.
Not away.
Not staring.
Just present.
“Are you uncomfortable?” he asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Do you want your coat?”
She stared.
“That’s it?”
“What else would there be?”
“The scars.”
“Yes.”
“You saw them.”
“Yes.”
“And?”
Jack frowned.
“And what?”
She laughed nervously.
“You’re terrible at this.”
“Probably.”
She looked down.
“Ethan used to say—”
Jack stopped her gently.
“Do you want to tell me what Ethan said?”
The question caught her.
“No.”
“Then don’t.”
Silence.
Jack continued:
“I’m not going to compete with a cruel man by giving you prettier sentences about your body.”
Her throat tightened.
“You don’t owe me confidence because I’m attracted to you.”
She looked at him.
He said it plainly.
Attracted.
Not pity.
Not inspiration.
“You can hide them tomorrow if you want.”
His voice softened.
“You can show them tonight. Either way, they belong to you.”
Lily’s eyes burned.
Nobody had ever made ownership of her own body sound so simple.
They finished dinner.
Outside, Jack asked:
“Can I kiss you?”
Lily smiled.
“No.”
He nodded.
“Okay.”
She watched his face.
No disappointment weaponized against her.
No pressure.
No sulking.
Just acceptance.
Then Lily stepped closer.
“Ask me again.”
His eyebrow rose.
“Can I kiss you?”
“Yes.”
The kiss was gentle.
Brief.
Enough.
When they separated, Lily laughed.
“What?”
“I wanted to make sure you meant it the first time.”
“I did.”
“Good.”
Then Jack’s phone rang.
Rocco.
Again.
Jack sighed.
“This man is destroying my romantic reputation.”
He answered.
Listened.
His expression changed.
“Where?”
Lily’s stomach tightened.
“What happened?”
Jack ended the call.
“Enzo Rinaldi disappeared before federal agents could arrest him.”
“That’s bad.”
“Yes.”
“Where is he going?”
Jack looked at her.
“According to a message he left…”
May you like
His jaw tightened.
“To your father’s house.”
