“Lily honey wake up.” She heard.
“Lily you have to be at work in two hours.”
Lily’s eyes fluttered open. She was in the bed, in shorts and an oversized t-shirt, and Elle was busy opening the curtains.
“What?” Lily questioned.
“I said that you have work in two hours. I’ll take you home if you get up now, I have a meeting in about forty five minutes, if I can get you home now you won’t have to wake until Orli wakes up.” Elle explained.
“Which involved me sleeping more?” Lily said groggily, rubbing her eyes.
“Wait for Orli to get up, which will probably be in an hour or so. I’ll tell him to drive you home then.”
“Ok,” Lily said, rolling over in the bed. “That’s a plan, Sam.”
Elle laughed. “Always so sleepy.”
She walked over to the bed and sat next to Lily. Smiling, she whispered, “I love you my Lily. I’m glad I’ve finally found you.”
Lily smiled behind her closed eyes. “I love you too Elle.”
Elle left the room quietly shutting the door behind her. Lily stretched and yawned, then fell, again, into a deep sleep.
________________________________________
There was a soft knock on the door, and then it opened about an inch. Lily stirred in the bed, seeing it was 11.
“Lily, time to get up.” Orlando whispered.
“I’m up.” She said, throwing back the covers and swinging her legs down over the side of the bed. “Thanks.”
He opened the door a few more inches, Lily looked over at him, becoming more aware of her feelings for him. He wore khaki shorts and a tight green t-shirt.
“I’ve got to leave in about twenty minutes if I’m going to get you home and get to work on time.” He explained. “Want any food?”
“Nah, I’m okay. Thanks though.” She said. “I’ll be down in a minute to get something.”
“Alright. I’ll be downstairs with Atti, he’s gonna come into work with me. See a few old friends, give some enemies Hell. That’s what Atti does.” Orlando laughed.
He left the room before she had a chance to respond, leaving her in a brightly lit room. She got dressed and made the bed. Putting everything back perfectly, the way Elle would like to see it when she got home. She smiled to herself, thinking of how Elle looked so happy and content being with Orlando. How he would kiss her cheeks lightly and she would blush like crazy.
Lily snapped out of her daze and went into the hallway, shutting the door behind her. She could see out to a beautiful day as she walked down the large spiral staircase.
Then she heard the frantic call of Atti.
"Orlando,” He called. “Orlando get in here now.”
“What is it?” Orlando lazily called back, mouth full of food.
Lily came down to the hallway, seeing Orli cross to the living room.
"What is it?”
“Look.” Atti ordered. Lily inched her way towards the living room, not wanting her presence to be known. Atti was standing next to the large television, the morning news on.
“This is such a tragedy Joan,” The male announcer said. “She was so young, only 25 years old in fact, with nothing but a promising future ahead of her.”
“Atti what is it?” Orlando said getting impatient; he was standing a few feet back from Atti.
“Just wait. Wait till they show the crash footage. Someone wrecked their car…there.” Atti said.
The TV flashed the view of the worst car wreck Lily had ever seen before. A telephone pole was hit by a green SUV. Wait…a green SUV? Lily thought to herself.
“Wait…” Orlando whispered, putting his food down on the coffee table. “That looks like…”
Lily stared at the television, Please, please, please don’t be her care…please tell me that she already got to work this morning, please don’t do this to me…she pleaded with herself.
The male announcer continued.
“What a horrible sight. She crashed her car this morning on I-95 I’m so sorry to say. She had such a promising future ahead of her, such a beautiful girl.”
“That’s so true Tom,” Joan continued. “We actually have some pictures of her latest photo shoot. Here is Elle Harris at the last photo shoot before her tragic death. Now the doctors have in fact retrieved her from the car and confirmed that she did pass away.”
“No!” Orlando screamed. Lily’s eyes filled with tears, her world began spinning. Elle? Dead? She couldn’t be dead. She was only 25. She had so much in store for her, her career had taken off. She was so beautiful, how could she die? Orlando walked closer to the television.
“Please no,” he begged, his voice cracked and he covered his mouth with his hands. “Please.”
Atti walked towards Orlando and held his hands on his shoulders.
“Come over here, mate, come sit down here.” Either Orlando was too weak to argue or he didn’t hear Atti. He blindly let Atti lead him to the couch and sit him down, Lily could see his tear covered face. Suddenly the phone rang and they all jumped, Lily stared over to the phone that sat on the kitchen counter.
“I got it.” Orlando said standing.
“Let me.” Atti pleaded.
“I said I got it Andre.” Orlando snapped. He walked over to the phone quickly and picked it up.
“Hello?…Yes sir that’s me…I just saw it on the news but-…well couldn’t you-…no sir…no sir she was healthy, there was nothing wrong with her…but she was so young couldn’t you have done something-…yes, yes I know…I can be there in a half hour…that’s fine, I’m not concerned about the car…are you sure that’s nothing at all you could do?…Me too…thank you.”
He held the receiver in his hand and put it down, closing his eyes shut Lily could see more tears dripping from his eyes.
He back up a step into the living room, then turned, locking eyes with Lily. She could see his eyes, his bloodshot eyes from all of the tears, and five more fell freely down her face. Her lip trembled, not knowing what to do.
“Lily I’m so sorry.” He said, rushing over to her, holding his arms out.
She backed up, gasping between sobs, shaking her head.
“No, no Orlando she’s fine, she’s going to be fine. Nothing’s wrong with her, she’s alive. I know she is, she can’t be…she’s not…” She sobbed. But she couldn’t say the word dead. It wasn’t possible. Orlando stopped.
“Lily, I love her to. Don’t argue with yourself, please.” He pleaded with her. “I don’t want to believe it either…but the doctors said there was no way she would be okay.”
“No!” Lily shouted. “She’s not dead!” Orlando looked at her through his tear filled eyes. His normally bright brown eyes seemed so dark, and full of pain. He put his hands in his back pockets and looked down to the floor, sighing loudly.
“Yea, Lily…” He said, looking back up to her. “As much as I hate to say it…it’s confirmed. Elle’s dead.” Lily backed up from him, until she backed into the wall, lightly shaking her head.
“I never really thanked her.” She said, averting her eyes over the whole room. “I never thanked her for what she did for me, I mean I tried to thank her but she wouldn’t listen. She doesn’t realize what that meant to me…”
“She did, Lily.” Orlando said to her, taking a step towards her. “She didn’t want you to get hurt, so she did everything in her power to stop that. She loved you so much, Lily, please don’t do this to yourself.”
“Orlando…I just…” She stuttered. He rushed to her and pulled her in for a hug. Suddenly Lily felt like every problem was gone, everything seemed better being in her arms. She cried in his arms, he cried holding her, and Atti stood off to the side for what seemed like an hour.
“Would you like to go with me to the hospital? They’re taking her…they want me to go there.”
Lily nodded her head lightly. Orlando took her hand, her trembling hand, in his and went to the kitchen.
“I’ll stay here.” Atti said, without Orlando saying a word. “I’ll stay here.”
“Thanks mate.” Orlando said quietly. He got his keys from the top of the microwave and walked into the garage. He pulled Lily along with him through the large empty spot in the double garage where Elle had parked, towards his small green Golf. He opened her door and helped her in.
I can’t do this…Lily thought to herself, this is too hard. Her world was spinning, she was trying to take in everything that had just happened, but she was in a daze. Her messy bun had strands lying beautifully across her tear stained face. Her normally blue eyes had turned gray, and hurt from shedding so many tears.
Orlando quietly got in the car and started it, immediately turning off the music. Lily squinted as the car pulled into the sunlight. Ironic, Lily thought, such a beautiful day. Elle would’ve wanted it this way. Lily laid her head back, and fell asleep for the short twenty-minute drive to the hospital.
Chapter Five
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Dreaming of You
