CHAPTER 4

Lily’s POV

“Lily.” 

“Lily.” 

“Lily.”

A voice muffled in my ears as I felt a gentle tap multiple times on my shoulder. 

“It’s me. Wake up, Lily,” the voice continued. “Wake up.” 

A pain ran through my forehead as I forced myself to rise from the bed. I rested my back on the headboard. Through blurred vision I saw Shawna. She was on the bed. Her right hand was on my leg beneath the blanket. 

“What's wrong, Lily?” she asked. 

She turned my head toward her. “Have you been drinking?” 

The room was dimly lit. The window was closed. My dresses were on the floor. Everything was out of place. Three empty bottles of alcohol along with an opener sat on the nightstand. 

“What day is it?” I asked, squinting my eyes at Shawna who raised her eyebrows. 

“It's Tuesday,” she answered.

Shawna walked to the window. She drew the curtain and rays of light shone directly into my eyes. My head turned away sharply. 

“What's wrong? I thought you would still be with Dorian for the vacation,” she said. 

I stood up from the bed. The wooden floor felt warm on my legs. 

A bottle of whiskey lay at the edge of the window. I reached for it but Shawna snatched it from me. She then placed it on the center table, away from my reach. 

“What is wrong, baby girl?” she asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. 

“Where is Dorian?” she asked. 

Hearing his name again toppled my thoughts as I burst into a gentle sob. 

“Oh. Dear,” she said in a low tone as she cupped me in a hug. God knows I needed it. 

She pulled back to look into my eyes. 

“What did he do?” 

I could feel her softening gaze on my face as she held my shoulders with her two hands. 

She brought out a handkerchief and cleaned my tears by herself. She guided me back to the bed and we both sat down. 

My body shook with a sob. “H he broke up with me.” 

Shawna fell silent for a while. She bent her head down to look at my face. 

“Sh-sh-sh. It's okay girl. I've got you,” she said. 

“You don't have to hold it together right now,” she continued. 

She pulled back a strand of hair on my face over my ear then wiped my face again. 

She exhaled “Do you want to tell me about it now? Or I can just sit with you for a while till you are ready.” 

“Bella,” I blurted.

“What?” 

“I caught him fucking Bella the other night,” I continued. 

“Bella who?” she asked. 

“Bella Jamie.”

“The only Bella Jamie you know,” I continued. 

Shawna drew back a bit. She pressed her lips into a thin line then drew her brows together. “That son of a bitch.” 

“How can he disrespect you like that?” she said, raising her voice. 

“How dare he do something like that on your anniversary?” she continued. 

She stood up from the bed then placed her hands on her waist. “That isn't just disrespectful, it's cruel.” 

She sat back beside me on the bed. Her expression was calmer now. She moved close, her breath hitting my cheek. 

“Don't blame yourself for this,” she said. 

“This is on him. All of it.” 

My hands trembled in hers. “I kept wondering if I missed something in our relationship.” 

“Maybe I didn't satisfy him enough.” 

She tightened her grip, “Shh. Lily. Stop.” 

“He left you because he couldn't see the value in you. This is his loss not yours,” she continued. 

“Always remember that.”

“I should have known better. Men like Dorian are scumbags. They just try to use people and dump them whenever they like,” she said. 

“Have you had anything to eat?” she asked. 

“I don't think I want to eat anything,” I answered. 

“Just let me have the bottle please,” I said, gesturing to the whiskey on the table. 

“No. Don't tell me that,” she insisted. 

Her hands went beneath my armpits and she pulled me up.  

“You know what? You will get into that bathroom,” she said. 

“Have a good bath,” she continued. 

“Then we will find a good restaurant to eat.” 

“Will that be okay with you?” 

“Okay.”

Though she's a friend, Shawna is like family to me. We have become closer ever since my mother got bedridden. I've known her since college. She knows everything about me from the type of dresses I like to the kind of men I want. 

I entered the bathroom. Something I haven't done in two days. I started with my teeth then took a warm bath. 

By the time I came back out, Shawna had already selected a dress for me. She laid a casual crop top and jean trousers on the bed. 

She helped with the earrings then watched me dress up. I took out ballet flats footwear from my shoe rack then slid my legs into them. 

We stepped outside the house. At the front, a silver-colored sedan car sat. It was Shawna's husband’s car. 

By noon we hit the streets of New York. 

“So where would you like to go?” she asked, keeping her eyes on the road. 

“I don't know. Anywhere will do,” I said. 

“Come on. Let’s pick a good restaurant to get some food.”  

I readjusted myself in the seat. “I don't think I care too much where we eat, Shawna,” I answered. 

After driving for about five more minutes we finally arrived at a Chinese restaurant. Shawna got out first. 

“Come on. Let's get those Chinese foods you like so much. 

I hesitated for a while before finally alighting from the vehicle.

We sat at a table in a corner of the restaurant. A waiter soon arrived to give us the menu. 

Shawna glanced through it. 

“This. General Tso’s chicken,” she said, looking up at the waiter. 

She looked at me for confirmation and I nodded. 

A few moments later the waiter returned. She set a tray of deep-fried chicken pieces coated with a sticky sauce on the table. 

We began eating the food. The meal wasn't delicious this time unlike previous times that I have been here. Maybe it's just my mouth. 

Just a few minutes into it, my phone buzzed and an unknown number flashed on the screen.