Secrets In The City

34.2: Reality

IT'S been radio silent since the day Lillian was picked up from the hospital last week. Everyone has been taking time to themselves. Brena is staying at Desmond's condo until she goes back to her old house, so she could move out her belongings. For security reasons, she is currently in search of an apartment instead of a house.

Meanwhile, Valentina has returned to Boston to conclude the rest of the spring semester and Henry went along with her. Brena and Lillian have yet to talk about how they're related. They would text regularly but neither one of them has brought it up. Lillian has locked herself up inside her house, trying to deal with the aftermath of Kevin's despicable actions.

There's been an itch to visit Kevin in jail and it troubled her in the morning, afternoon, and at night. Whenever she closed her eyes, all she would see was Kevin, the nights in the closet, the constant beating, and almost being burned alive. Lillian would wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, breathing heavily with a spiked up heart rate due to fear.

This was one of those nights.

She peels off the covers that were tangled in between her legs and swings them over the bed. Whenever this happened, she found it difficult to go back to sleep so she would go on a run to clear her fogged up mind. She places her right hand on her chest, trying to regulate her breathing. Reaching for the bottle of water on her nightstand, she tilts her head backward and takes a sip to quench her thirst.

Her breathing becomes less rigid as her mind slowly calms down. She stands up from the bed and starts to remove her pajamas. She walks over to the chair and slips on her sports bra, black Nike hoodie, and tights. After grabbing her keys off her dresser, she clasps her silver Apple Watch on top of her left wrist and inserts her Beats headphones into her ears.

All Lillian could do was think about Kevin. Why was it so easy for him to want to kill his own family? Why would he hold his only daughter hostage? Why did he take another man's wife? And why did he try to have her sister killed?

Lillian is greeted by the cool breeze that danced in the air as she ties her honey blonde curls up in a ponytail. Her eyelids are shut closed as she inhales sharply, placing both hands on her hips. The salty tang from the beach nearby combined with the sweet aroma of the roses from her garden, she pulls out her cellphone and opens the Spotify app to play a song. Throwing her hoodie over her head, Stir Fry by Migos comes on.

The hip-hop beat immediately makes her feel rejuvenated. Her black Nike sneakers pack dirt and sand as she jogs further away from her house. Bouncing up and down to the tempo of the music, warm sticky sweat gradually misted Lillian's forehead. More sweat trail down the side of her face, eventually soaking her sweater, 25 minutes into her run.

Nearly out of breath, Lillian wipes her face with her sleeves. While panting, she glances at her watch to see how many calories she was able to burn. Unsatisfied with the numbers, Lillian sighs frustratedly while squatting to tie her shoelace. With the music blasting in her ears, she didn't hear the thunder rolling overhead. As the clouds darken, the cool wind intensifies.

Darting her gaze to the blackened sky, Lillian sprints home once the rain starts drizzling. Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough. By the time she opens her front door entering her home, she's already drenched. Closing the door behind her, she shudders as the cold rainwater sticks to her bare skin. She walks fast to her bedroom and steps out of the clothes.

Strolling into the bathroom, she gazes into the clear mirror, using her right hand to lightly brush across the purple spots that are scattered underneath her eyes. They were gradually fading. She buries her head into the sink and splashes warm water on her face, wincing in slight pain. Suddenly, the sound of the gunshots from that night echoes inside her head.