The Monroe Legacy - Gen. 4 Chapter 14 - The End of Avoidance

 She's hoped he wouldn't come - that he'd run away like she had but vanishing had never been Noki's style. He was on time, looking only a little nervous which somehow made Lillia's sweaty palms even clammier. She gestured at the next sun lounger, slightly further away than would make for a comfortable conversation. A calculated move to try and keep things short. Impersonal.

"Hi," he said. It didn't feel impersonal.

"You wanted to see me?" Despite everything Rose had said, everything Lillia knew to be true in her cousin's outburst the night before, she still didn't know how to have this talk. She didn't know what she wanted so she figured it was best to let Noki take the lead while she tried to work things out.

"Um. Yes. It's about Lucky Palms. Well sort of. It's about you and Lucky Palms, you in Lucky Palms... am I making any sense?" He stumbled for words and Lillia couldn't help the affectionate smile that quirked her lip. He's never been unsure in college, until that last time, and it reminded her of - no. She didn't want to think about that.

"So far I've understood you have something to say about me and/or Lucky Palms in various configurations", she kept her tone light, and he looked at her, something of the old dynamic snapping between them.

"Right." Noki gathered himself. "So I've had an offer. Two actually. One of a job, here in Lucky Palms and another from the University to buy Yellow Cottage for more than it's really worth. It's a chance for me to have a real fresh start, one that I could never afford otherwise... but I know that this is your hometown. "Your family is here, Rose is here, and I've made things hard enough for you. So - I wanted to give you the chance to tell me to stay away. And I will. I can look for another job".

He tailed off. Lillia stood and walked towards the water. She knew without looking that he had followed. She paused.

"You know, I really liked that Yellow Cottage" she mused, "I got the impression you did too?"

Noki agreed. "I did. I do. But I can't really afford to keep it. Nobody's hiring anything close to what I'd have to pay to keep it up.

"Your parents still haven't reconsidered?" Lillia was surprised. Was it really so terrible to not go through with an arranged marriage in the 21st Century. On look at Anoki's face told her that apparently it was. He looked sad, angry and resolute all in the fraction of a second.

"No," was his only response.

"Well Lucky Palms is a pretty big town, and I assume you're not planning to work for any of my family's businesses? Lillia asked.

"The job is just out of town, New Business Junior Associate at Rowson Hydroelectrics. It sounds boring as hell. It is  boring as hell but it pays, and they didn't make my dad's list of companies to call and tell not to hire me so..."He sounded matter of fact, resigned to his limited options and Lillia almost envied him the simplicity of his choice. She still had no idea what to pursue.

"You should take the job" she said. "What happened between us was a mess and a mistake but we don't have to keep paying for it forever." Lillia couldn't quite believe how simple it sounded in clear air. 

"Really?" Noki sounded doubtful, but pleased.

"What?" Lillia joked, "Surely I wasn't that big of a controlling bitch at college that you expected me to ban you from an entire town for my convenience?"

"Weeeellllll-oof", he started, before Lillia punched him in the arm.

"And there I was about to take you up on your long ago offer of friendship Anoki Moon. Such a shame your sense of humor is still that of a grade schooler". He grinned at her and she suddenly remembered why he'd been so dangerous, what his smile - the real one rather than the knowing smirk - could do to her.

"You really wanna be friends with me?" Noki sounded so hopeful that Lillia didn't have the heart to say no, even as all her cautious braincells screamed to run, maintain distance, guard against the man who was somehow standing much closer than she'd thought he was. 

"Sure." She shrugged, stepping back. "I think we can probably manage friends. Rose asked me to tell her what you wanted so I will make sure she's cool with it before we plan any bar crawls or... friendship bracelet ceremonies."

Lillia's sentence trailed into silence. Had she given away the flip her stomach still did for Noki in the pause when she desperately racked her brain for platonic activities they might do together. Had he caught the faint blush that chased the definitely not platonic activities that had briefly flirted on the edge of her mind. Had he-

He stepped forward and took her hands. 

"Thank you Lillia. You've made all this sound easy but I know it might not have been. I appreciate the second chance. I owe you a beer."

"Third chance." She lightly stepped out of his reach, keeping her tone light and even. "So I think you owe me three beers!" She walked away before he could see that her hands were shaking.

The Monroe Legacy - Gen. 4 Chapter 13 - Who Are You Punishing?

"Of course you're here." Lillia didn't care that her voice carried a little too far across the empty terrace. "It's 5AM Noki, do not try me".

He crooked an eyebrow but otherwise didn't react to her harsh welcome. 

"Hello Lillia. It's nice to see you too. I know it's early but your mum told me that you finish at 6 and I would really like for us to talk when you're done? I wanted to give you some time to think about it. I figured if I came at 6 you'd just run." Noki sounded the same as always, though the smug confidence that had carried him through college was gone.

He fidgeted on his chair.

Lillia frowned.

"You want me to think about whether or not I want to talk to you while I wait on you?"

Noki shrugged. "I can go wait somewhere? In the park round the corner? Come back at 6? Or I can stay, I promise I'll leave a good tip".

"I don't want anything from you!" It escaped before Lillia could realise what she was saying. Noki's eyes went big as she clapped a hand over her mouth. "What I mean is that I don't want to feel like I owe you a chat. I'll talk to you if I want to, not because you threw money at the problem. We're not in college any more and I'm trying to be different".

He nodded slowly. "You know I was jo- you know what never mind. I'll go wait in that park. Come by if you want to see me Lillia. I would - well - just do what you want okay?"

Lillia didn't watch to see if he looked back on his way out, wiping down the table with excessive vigour and dumping the cleaning kit back behind the bar. Sparky looked at her with the sort of kind curiosity she'd spent months trying not to attract.

"You wanna tell me why you're scaring off paying customers Miss Lil?" he asked.

She shook her head. "He's... just a guy things ended weirdly with Sparky and - ," Lillia's sentence hung unfinished as she stared at a spot on the counter, twisting a pen in her hands.

Sparky smiled, nodded, this made more sense than the nothing he'd had to go on before. 

"Why don't you finish up a bit early? Go do what you need to. Mitch and I can handle things," he said, and then held his tongue and his neutral expression until Lillia had crumpled up her apron and dashed for the door.

She stood for a second, looking in the direction of the park, with a curious expression, then
got in her car and drove home as the sun rose over the desert.

The Monroe Legacy - G.4. Chapter 12 - Now... Where Was I?

 

I suppose you're wondering how we got here. How is it that after six years of silence and a cliffhanger that must surely have been fatal to your interest by now, Lillia Monroe is standing in her wedding dress as if no time has passed. 

We last saw her, humbled and heartbroken by the loss of a friend, a possible romance dead on arrival and facing the disapproval of her family. Home from college but with no idea where to go, who to be, and on her own for the first time without the shield of popularity and her family's legacy to uphold.

How could a young woman, only just beginning to reckon with the harms she's caused, the lives her lies so carelessly derailed, get back to a place where she could peacefully walk down the aisle? Could that self-centred child ever be ready to start a life with a partner that would stand the test of time?

Well, if you'll bear with me, I'll tell you...