Page 116 of Taming Grumpy Dr. Beast

“Maybe.”

I looked at her again, taking in the blond hair piled in a messy bun, her t-shirt that read, “I like big books and I cannot lie.” There was no spark of recognition on my part. “Do we know each other?”

“In a way.” Her wry tone didn’t escape my attention.

“I don’t know what your fucking problem is. I just want the book, and then I’ll be on my way.”

“We’ll see.” She tilted her head toward the back of the store. “Hey, Lily.” She called over her shoulder. “Can you grab that book I put on hold? It’s in the back room.”

Lily.Surely not my Lily. But—she’d said she worked at a bookstore. Could it be her?

“Yeah, sure. Just give me a second. I’m finishing up with something.” Her honeyed voice floated out to me.

I swallowed hard. I’d know that sound anywhere. Itwasmy Lily.

My eyes flicked up to the girl behind the counter. It was then I noticed her nametag. Cece.Oh, fuck.

The glint in her eyes proved she saw the panic crossing my face and knew I’d figured out who she was. She glared at me. “You better make this right, asshole, or I’ll curse you and make your fucking dick fall off.”

“Sorry, that took a second.” Lily breezed out between the stacks, dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie. With her hair pulled up in a ponytail, she looked like a typical young co-ed. I’d never seen her look this casual. She was adorable.

I’d imagined this moment all week, wondering if we’d bump into each other in town and how I’d react. Nothing could have prepared me for the sledgehammer that pounded into my heart as her gaze met mine.

She froze. “Holy shit. What. Are. You. Doing. Here?”

“Lily.” I breathed out, drinking in everything about her, needing to commit each small detail to memory.

Patches took the moment to run out behind Lily and came straight at me. I leaned down to rub at the back of his ears and his belly when he laid on the floor and rolled over. Even with the joy I felt at seeing the pup I couldn’t take my gaze off of Lily.

“And you.” She narrowed her eyes and looked behind me.

I followed her gaze and noticed Jess and Alden entering the store.

Turning back to Lily, I finally found my voice and said the first thing that came to mind. “Thank you for the letter.”

While her body remained rigid, her eyes softened. “You’re welcome. I knew it was important to you.” She bit her lip and looked away, but not quick enough to hide the pain and sadness reflected in the lines on her face.

“Will you please talk to me?” I begged.

“Jaxon, this,” she gestured to Jess and then me. “This is my happy place. Having the two of you here is really hard. If you have any respect for me, you’ll go. Please, just go.”

I took a step toward her. “I love you.”

She inhaled a sharp breath. “Please, don’t do this.”

Jess finally spoke up. “We were never really engaged. I swear to you, Lily.”

She glanced at Jess, anger sparked in her eyes. “That’s not what I heard.”

“You heard the lie we told our parents.” Jess moved closer to Lily. “Jax was trying to save me.”

Lily rolled her eyes. “Save you?”

“My parents were forcing me to marry a man I don’t love. They have a business arrangement with him and I was nothing more than a transaction to them. In a moment of panic, I told them Jax and I were engaged, so I wouldn’t have to go through with it.” She gestured to Jaxon. “And he’s such a good friend he went along with it.”

“How could they do that?” Lily sounded horrified.

“While under my parents’ thumb, I don’t get to make my own choices. I needed time to figure out if I could support myself, and that’s when I knew I could walk away. One month, turned into two, which turned into three. I kept up the lie because it was easier than admitting the truth and dealing with the fallout.”