Chapter 17

Chris watched Lily from where he was seated as she swam. She seemed to be having fun as she swam.

After a while Lily gets out of the pool. She placed her hands on her hair and squeezed the water out. Chris felt shivers down his spine as she did that.

She looked smoking hot. Her long legs complimented her beautiful face. Lily picked her tower and wrapped it around her waist before walking to join Chris where he was seated.

"That was a nice swim, I feel more relaxed now," she said to him.

"I guess." He replied.

It's been over two days since they called a truce and so far she's been doing well and so has he.

"It's refreshing out here. I kinda kiss partying and wanna go clubbing but I don't feel like it at the same time," she said to him honestly.

She wanted to go clubbing but then again she asked herself other than drinking and partying, what would she do? She literally had fun with her ex friends, not anymore. Now all she cared about was her own growth and development.

"Then don't go for it." He said.

"I won't." She replied.

"Tell me what other talent you got besides looking handsome?" She said, trying to start a conversation.

"Besides being handsome?" He scoffed. He loved when she complimented him even when she acted as if she wasn't.

"I don't know. Other than being handsome I love loving handsome," he teased and she chuckled.

"Quite a bragger, aren't you?"

He shrugged, "I know right."

"But for real, what do you enjoy doing? Do you have a hobby?"

Chris sighed, he leaned back to his chair as he thought of his hobbies. It's been quite a long time since he did one of his hobbies which was painting and drawing but now he had none.

"I love to paint," he said. Lily's eyes opened with excitement.

She gasped. "OMG! I can't wait for you to paint me," she said.

"Really? You want me to paint you?" He asked and she nodded her head with excitement.

"I don't think I will be able to as I love painting naked people and you won't like that?"

Her eyes widened in bewilderment. She couldn't believe he was saying that when he had seen her naked before.

"I cannot believe you!" She exclaimed.

"And why is that?" He asked her.

"You..." she leaned him closer to him as she didn't want anyone hearing what she had to say by chance. "Have seen me naked, should you have forgotten."

Chris was taken aback. He wasn't thinking of such when he said so. He opened his mouth to say something then he closed it and chuckled.

"So you want me to paint you naked?" He asked.

"What do you say? I do not mind?" She raised her brows at him teasingly.

"Okay, I will put you into consideration," he said and she scoffed.

"You have got to be kidding me." She chuckled.

"You are going to think about it? I mean is that even a thought?" She asked him. She could believe he was going to take him home to think if he should do it or not.

"You are funny Chris. You should do it. I wanna see if you are as good as your face you know," she raised her brows teasingly and he laughed.

"No flirting, remember?" He reminded her.

"No flirting," she replied. She was glad they were starting to speak comfortably with one another compared to before. She knew sooner of later, she'd get him to love her.

For Chris he loved his new relationship with Lily. She kept true to her words and has been adjusting for the benefit of them.

Just then Lily's phone beeped. The phone lit up and the person who messaged her name showed on her screen.

LIAM: Want to catch up?

Chris' eyes quickly glanced at it before she took her phone. A smile lit on her face. "I guess he is free now," she muttered to herself.

He had been busy for the past two days and told Lily which was why he hadn't been able to come see her.

"Liam?" Chris asked although he already saw the name.

"Yes." Lily replied.

Chris cleared his throat, "He seems to like you...a lot more than you think," he said, trying not to sound jealous.

"Really? He likes me as a friend. I mean anyone who knows me will like me, aren't I gorgeous?" Lily said, checking herself up.

Chris chuckled, "You are okay, I guess." He replied

Lily gasped, "OMG! You did not just say that. I feel hurt." She placed her palm on her chest feigning hurt.

"I thought you saw me as a goddess like every other man but I guess not," she pouted and he chuckled.

Her babyish voice sounded very pleasing to his ears. He could hear her speak all day and not be bored as long as she spoke that way.

"You are quite okay. You shouldn't think too much about yourself. You are okay but not as much...as you think."

"No!" She exclaimed.

"I am beautiful! A goddess, you are just too shy to say it. But don't worry, your little secret is safe with me," she giggled before typing her reply to Liam.

Chris didn't want to keep speaking about Liam but his head couldn't keep his name off his mouth. "He does like you. I see the way he looked at you though."

"Hmm. I see and what does that have to do with me?" Lily asked as her brows raised up.

"Really? Are you kidding me? He is going to ask you to be his girlfriend soon and is that how you are going to reply to him?" Chris asked. He wished within him, she'd give him a reply now so he knows what she really felt about Liam.

"Just let's forget that for the main time and one thing is sure. I consider him a friend. Like he is one of the real ones I've met and I'm sure he feels that way too." She replied.

"You cannot speak for him, I hope you know that?" He said and she nodded her head.

"I've heard! I can't speak for him so let's get over that. When are you gonna paint me naked?" She asked.

Chris sighed, "Never." He replied firmly.

"And why is that so?" He asked.

"Because your dad will kill me once he comes to find out I have a make painting of his dearest daughter." Chris explained to her.

She laughed hysterically, making Chris wonder. "Is something wrong?" Chris asked.

"No...not at all." She said in-between laughs.

"Okay, now I believe there is something you aren't telling me. Come on, say it," he ushered.

"Okay let me tell you something I've noticed about you and that is..." She trailed off.

"That is what?" He asked eagerly. He wanted to know what it was that made her laugh so hard.

"You are so afraid of my father! You always somehow involve him in everything related to me." She finally let him know her thoughts.

He leaned back into his chair. Looked at her for quite some minutes. Opened his mouth to say something and closed his back.

She was right and he had every reason to be scared. She didn't know why but he had come across the way rich men dealt with people and he wouldn't want to ever experience it again.

"You want to say something?" Lily asked.

"I would love to but then again I can't. I have my reasons to not want any issues with your Dad Lily, trust me I do."

"And what could that be? I mean my dad isn't as harsh or mean or scary as you make him look. He is the sweetest human on Earth!" She declared.

For Lily that was who her dad was but to others, they knew the other side of him he didn't know off. Damien wasn't someone you could easily escape from when he wants to ruin you.

The power he had in the society was seeked for by many but then with him holding such power, not just anyone could take that power from him.

"You are only saying that because he is your dad and that's who he is to you."

Lily was confused. She wondered why it was what Chris meant. "I am not getting you."

"You do not need to. I mean you and I know you are the precious daughter of your dad and the person who he is more scared of losing. To you he is the best but to those who he come face to face with him when they disrespectful him and tried to show they could take him, they know what they saw."

"Wow! I'm amazed. You are scaring me, are you telling me of Mafia series I haven't watched?" She asked, trying to supress her laughter. He looked so serious describing her dad and she wondered where he saw all those because the man she knew had the best heart in the whole wide world.

"You do not have to be scared of my dad. He won't hurt you. Not at all unless he wants me to be angry with him." She assured him.

"Okay." That was his simple reply.

"So are you going to paint me naked?" She asked him, batting her lashes at him.

He sighed deeply, "We are not back to that again. I thought we were over it!"

"Come on Chris! Not like you haven't seen me naked before. I mean I literally..." He cuts her off.

"Damn! You are manipulative," he sighed.

"Fine, I will but that will be when I am ready. Are we clear?" He asked and she nodded her head with excitement.

She looked like a kid and he loved it. She didn't realise how cute she was nodding her head the way she did.

"Yes!" She exclaimed.

"Can't wait to see your skills. OMG!" I have to go and get dressed." She said,

"Are you Late for something?" Chris asked her as she was hurrying away.

"Liam will be here soon. Can't make him meet me this way," she said to him and dashed away.

For Chris it felt as if she was denying her feelings for Liam because she was hurrying to look good before he came but to Lily she had a friend. Someone who she could proudly call her friend after years.