Chapter 1

The past one week has been the hardest for Lily and Chris. They both had a lot of awkward moments. It was crazy as it was hard for Chris to work beside Lily and the attitude she was giving him.

Lily would say a few words to him and walk away asking him he needn't follow her and Chris would get hurt if she wasn't speaking to him. Anytime Lily was going out and Chris followed, she'd tell him his service wasn't needed.

It was as if she wasn't letting him do her job which was guarding her and he prayed her father would not come to find out as it was his job to go everywhere she wanted whether she wanted him to or not.

Considering her father's social status, there were many who looked forward to bringing him down and by any means. The easiest means was kidnapping Lily and using her against him knowing well he'd even give his life for his daughter's life.

The situation got worse that Chris would have to hide or stay away from the house whenever Lily was away or most times he would stalk her to make sure she was safe.

Her relationship with Liam developed to the extent she hung out with him more than her friends.

Their awkward relationship continued like for days and days became weeks and yet nothing seemed to happen.

Liam's birthday was fast approaching and Lily had told Stacy and Dorothy about it. They decided to go shopping for it. They could see the way Liam looked at Lily and they shipped her with him.

Liam was caring and a good listener and they wished they could see someone like him.

The day they were at the mall, they had spoken to Lily about Liam. "Do you think this would fit?" Lily asked her friends, showing them the blue glittery dress on her hands.

Stacy placed her hands on her jaw as she looked at the dress. "It's good but I do not like it, too flashy for me."

"I like it but then again, I do not like the colour blue." Dorothy added.

"Okay." Lily said before dropping the dress back and searching for another.

"Lily, what do you think of this?" Stacy asked after coming out from the fitting room dressed in brown leather pants and white armless crop top.

"Wow, you look good and different." Lily complimented.

"Thank you." She smiled at her friend.

"Wow, didn't know you could look decent for once," a familiar voice that was definitely not from Lily or Dorothy said.

The three girls turned their direction to where the voice came from and it turned out to be Ariana.

"Hi there, besties!" She greeted me with a smile on her face.

Stacy glared at her, Dorothy hissed and Lily shook her head in disbelief.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Dorothy spat out.

"What's with the face bitches? Are you guys still holding grudges? Is that why you came shopping without me?" She blinked her eyes at them.

"That's it. What the fuck is wrong with you or your memory?" Lily confronted.

Ariana faked confusion. "What is happening? Did I say something bad?"

Stacy rolled her eyes. She clenched her fist and then she scoffed. "You are stupid!" She deadpanned.

"You come in here and give a comment.not needed and then you act all good and nice as if we give a damn about you!"

"Relax Stacy! Do not act so tough because we both know you ain't." She snickered before turning her attention to Dorothy.

"Dorothy, do not tell me you are taking their sides without hearing my side?" She asked rhetorically.

"What's your deal Ariana? Stop acting as if you are a saint when we all know you are just a bitch who likes to be in charge!" Lily countered.

Ariana laughed sarcastically. "You have got to be kidding me Lily. Says the one who rubs her father's money in the faces of everyone."

"At least she aint a bitch like you who sees her friends as a pawn!" Stacy defended.

"Hmm...I see. You have all decided to be against me but it's fine." She smiled.

"I do not need any of you because I will be fine just alone." She snarled.

"That being said fuck off our faces." Lily spat out.

"Watch how you speak to me Lily, I won't mind teaching your ass a lesson if you act all strong in front of me bitch!" And that was the trigger before Lily raised her hands to hit her right across the face.

Ariana gasped. She placed her hands on her cheek that Lily had slapped.

She couldn't believe Lily would ever be able to man up and hit her and she felt embarrassed by the action.

She raised her head back to stare at her ex three friends. "I won't ever forget this humiliation." She pointed her fingers at them.

"Well do not bitch because we are waiting for you damn sorry ass!" Stacy spat out.

Ariana huffed before turning on her heels and leaving the mall in anger.

"Good riddance to rubbish!" Dorothy heaved a sigh.

"I cannot believe we ended her for so long!" Stacy heaved a sigh of relief.

"My mood is ruined and thanks to that girl. How the hell were we friends with her and to think she doesn't even care about our feelings makes me so angry with myself for not noticing!" Lily said.

"I'm so glad she's out of our lives. She's so toxic." Dorothy said.

************

The night of Liam's party came and the girls were all set and ready. They had gone to the party in Lily's father's limousine together with Chris as their bodyguard.

That night all Liam cared about was the presence of Lily. He searched all around for her and when his eyes finally set on her, it was as if she was the only human present there.

She walked into the hall with her friends but he couldn't care less as he admired the woman of his dreams looking effortlessly gorgeous in a silver off shoulder long dress that had a slit at the front revealing her beautiful long legs to her mid thigh.

"Welcome." He smiled at her before acknowledging her friends. He leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"Excuse us," Liam told her friends as he took Lily away from them.

***********

"Lily!" Dorothy had exclaimed once her friend walked towards her.

"That guy is hot. He is the same guy you were with the other night right?" Stacy asked.

Lily nodded her head and her friends giggled. "Is he the guy you were talking about?" They asked her.

She swallowed a lump in her throat, biting her lips from replying to their questions. She would love to tell them who the guy was but she was trying to move on and hopefully begin to like Liam.

Chris listened to the girls as they complimented Liam and shipped him Lily. He couldn't lie and say Lily wasn't an attractive person, he knew that and that was one of the reasons he was captivated.

"I guess he is," Stacy dragged, teasing Lily and she smiled at them in return. Her eyes moved towards Chris and their eyes met.

Both of them felt a jolt of electricity down their spine. They stared at each other's eyes for a while before Lily blinked away.

She didn't want to think of Chris anymore and would do anything to forget him. The words he said to her were still fresh in her memory and it aches whenever she thinks of it.

"So tell us, does he make a move often?" Stacy asked, urging her friend to reply to her quickly.

Lily smiled weakly.

Liam came to meet the girls after a while, he took Lily's hands and asked her to dance with him. She agreed easily and moved to dance with him. Her father was pleased as he had always imagined his daughter ending up with a wealthy man just like himself; one who would care and treat her right.

"Thanks for coming," Liam said.

"You have said this for over fifty times and now I'm regretting coming," she sighed.

"I'm sorry." He said and Lily sighed.

"Liam. It's no big deal. You are my friend and I am your friend so it's only normal for this right?" She raised her brows in a questioning manner and he nodded his head in confirmation.

"But what if I say I do not just want to make friends." He said after a while making Lily stiffen in his arms.

He noticed her shoulder tense up as she stopped moving, making him be the one to move around with her.

"What...what?" She stuttered and he chuckled lightly.

"I'm sure you know Lily. You must have been expecting it for a while now." He carried her hands and placed them on his chest.

"Feel my beating heart. They only beat for you." He said and she hiccuped. Her eyes blinked away from him as she had been staring at his eyes. Just as she thought of an escape, her eyes landed on Chris and she hiccuped again.

She felt as if she was doing something bad by being in Liam's arms.

"Lily, you do not have to stress over it. We can take it slowly," Liam said after a while noticing she was starting to get uncomfortable.

He always felt some kind of feelings from her and he couldn't tell what it was but he knew she doesn't see him the same way he sees him but he hopes to change her mind set.

Lily cleared her throat as she heaved a sigh. She felt bad for the way she acted and wished she could open her heart to Liam and forget Chris already.

"I am sorry Liam," She whispered.

He smiled at her, "It's fine. We will take it slowly." He said and she raised her eyes to look at him.

"Slowly?" She asked with questioning brows and he smiled in confirmation.

"I do not want to hurt you," she muttered underneath her breath.

After a while, they left the dance floor and she went back to her friends.

That night Lily and Chris found it hard to sleep. While Lily thought of Liam's word about taking it slow, Chris thought of Lily and the thought of her getting into a relationship with Liam.

He knew he was being stupid for wanting to keep her yet wouldn't give her what she wants because of his fear. He thought of how she had started to avoid it like a plague and how it hurt and affected him.

He has been acting tough for days now and he was sure he'd break down soon. Lily scolded herself for wanting someone who she knew her future wasn't assured with.

Coming to think of everything Chris had said and from his perspective, she knew that her father would be a very huge problem and she wasn't one who knew what she wanted.

She sighed. It had taken her long to know who she was and what she wanted. It had taken her a long time to know how to handle situations and although Chris had hurt her, she had used her hurt to grow.

She got up from her bed, feeling the need to stroll in the night. Just as she walked down the stairs, she had a cross path with Chris and her heart began to beat faster than usual. She thought she was starting to handle things well but seeing him now proved her wrong.

She decided to walk past him just like he had been doing for the past few days. Just as she moved past him, he grabbed her arms, stopping her from walking further.

She was shocked by his action as she had never bothered to speak to her after their last clash.

Her mouth opened slightly from that little action. She closed her mouth and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"What...what are you doing?" She asked.