All Chapters of Beneath her Skirts: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The dual messages hanging in the dark between them marked a turning point. Lila and Eli sat up in bed, phones glowing in their hands, the earlier physical closeness now overshadowed by a heavier silence. No frantic kisses or desperate touches tonight. Just the raw weight of someone actively trying to tear them apart. "We need to stop reacting and start digging," Eli said finally, his voice low and steady. He set his phone aside and took her hand. "This isn't random. Someone knows details only a handful of people would." Lila nodded, leaning against his shoulder. His arm came around her, warm and solid, but the comfort felt edged with exhaustion. "The texter mentioned my mother again. And money you supposedly still owe Reyes. We should talk to both of them." Eli's jaw tightened. "I'll handle Reyes tomorrow. You talk to your mom. But we do this carefully. No more letting them get inside our heads." They spent the next hour piecing together what they knew: the Seattle incident, the o

Dawn broke gray and heavy over Port Haven, matching the mood in Lila's apartment. The photo from the anonymous texter lay deleted but not forgotten—Eli with another woman, close and intimate, from the painful period just before he had left nine years ago. The image haunted the space between them as they sat at the small kitchen table, coffee growing cold. "I don't remember her name," Eli said quietly, staring into his mug. "It was one night. I was angry, drunk, and convinced I was doing the right thing by leaving. It meant nothing. But I should have told you there were others before I came back." Lila reached across the table and took his hand. "I'm not angry about the past you had. I'm angry that someone is weaponizing it. This isn't about your mistakes anymore. It's about control." They spent the morning trying to play detective. Eli called old contacts from his construction days. Lila reached out to a friend who worked in tech to see if the anonymous numbers could be traced. The

The hospital became a strange kind of home over the next two days. Lila and Eli moved between Marco's room, the cafeteria, and the uncomfortable waiting room chairs in a rhythm born of exhaustion and love. Marco's condition remained fragile—good hours followed by frightening dips—but he was fighting. Eli rarely left his father's side. Lila stayed right beside him, bringing coffee, forcing him to eat, and holding his hand through the long silences. Their physical intimacy had taken a backseat to something quieter and perhaps more important: the simple, steadfast presence of the other person. On the second evening, as rain lashed the windows, Marco was stable enough for a longer conversation. Sofia sat on one side of the bed, Eli and Lila on the other. "The man's name is Victor Lang," Marco said, voice weak but clear. "We had… dealings years ago. Gambling. Loans. When things went bad, I borrowed more than I could repay. He lost money when I couldn't deliver on a favor. He's been pati

The rain had eased into a persistent drizzle by the time Lila and Eli returned to the hospital the next morning. Marco's condition had improved enough for him to be moved to a regular room, but the doctors warned that stress could trigger another setback. Victor Lang's shadow loomed over everything, the scheduled meeting at the old pier hanging like a storm cloud. Eli squeezed Lila's hand as they stepped into his father's room. "We tell him the plan together. He deserves to know." Marco looked better—propped up against pillows, color returning to his cheeks. Sofia had stepped out for coffee, leaving the three of them alone for the first time in days. The old man's eyes brightened when he saw them. "My two favorite people," he said, voice still raspy but warmer. "Come sit." They pulled chairs close. Eli updated his father on Victor's latest threats and their decision to meet him directly. Marco listened carefully, nodding slowly. "Victor was always a proud man," he said. "Dangerou

The hospital corridors felt endless as Lila and Eli rushed toward the ICU. Sofia met them at the doors, eyes red from crying. “They’re stabilizing him, but it was bad. Another respiratory failure. The doctor said the stress isn’t helping.”Eli’s hand tightened around Lila’s. She could feel the tremor in his fingers—the strong, steady man who had become her anchor now needed one himself. She squeezed back, offering what little strength she had left.They were allowed in briefly. Marco looked pale against the white sheets, machines beeping steadily around him. His eyes fluttered open when he heard them.“Eli… Lila…” His voice was barely a whisper. “I’m sorry. For everything. Victor… I brought this on us.”“Don’t talk,” Eli said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Just rest. We’re handling Victor.”Marco’s gaze shifted to Lila, filled with deep regret. “I never meant to scare you yesterday. The drugs… my mind wandered to places it shouldn’t. Forgive an old fool.”Lila nodded, throat tight.