Monster on Bed

Lily's heart raced as she found herself sprawled across Chris's muscular chest, her parents' shocked voices ringing in her ears. This was definitely not how she'd planned her morning to go.

"Mom, Dad," she stammered, her mind racing for an explanation. "This isn't... it's not what it looks like!"

She scrambled to her feet, her face burning with embarrassment. Her father's eyes were wide with disbelief, darting between Lily and the man now rising gracefully from the floor.

Lily's brain went into overdrive. She knew if any of them spoke, her carefully constructed house of cards would come tumbling down. So, she did what any rational person would do in this situation - she decided to weave the most ridiculous tale she could think of.

"Oh, silly me!" Lily exclaimed, forcing a laugh that sounded more like a strangled hiccup. "I know this looks crazy, but let me explain. This guy," she gestured dramatically to Chris, who was now smirking like the cat that got the cream, "he just looks like Chris Eaton. Can you believe it? But he is not really Chris Eaton—he just resembles him. Talk about a doppelganger!"

Her parents exchanged skeptical glances as Lily plowed on, her words tumbling out faster than a runaway train.

"I met him at a bar last night. You know, just casually hanging out, as one does on a Tuesday evening." She waved her hand dismissively as if frequenting bars on weeknights was a completely normal activity for her. "And get this - he was wearing these absolutely fabulous million-dollar Bulgari Flora sunglasses. I mean, who wouldn't want to borrow those, right?"

Chris raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the show. Lily shot him a pleading look signaling him, 'Please don't rat me out,' and then she turned back to her parents with a grin that threatened to split her face in two.

"So, being the responsible borrower that I am, I told him to swing by this morning to get them back. And then, well, you saw what happened. Clumsy me, always tripping over my own feet—and I fell over this man."

She let out another forced laugh, praying her parents would buy this ridiculous story. Her father's face was a mix of confusion and suspicion, while her mother looked like she was trying to decide whether to laugh or call a psychiatrist.

Lily turned to Chris, her eyes silently begging him to play along. "So, um, thanks for stopping by to get your sunglasses, Mr. Evan Everdeen." 

Chris, bless his devious heart, seemed to understand her desperate plea. His smirk widened as he nodded sagely. "It was my pleasure," he said, his voice smooth as silk. "It was nice meeting you all."

As he turned to leave, Lily felt a mix of relief and panic. She'd bought herself some time, but at what cost? Her parents were sure to have questions - lots of questions.

The moment Chris disappeared from view, Lily's father cleared his throat. "Lily," he began, his voice eerily calm, "I know that it was Chris Eaton and would you care to explain what is your deal with him?!"

Lily gulped. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, as they say. As she opened her mouth to spin yet another outrageous tale, she couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, telling the truth about her accidental marriage might have been easier after all.

But then again, the truth would be a much harder pill for her parents to swallow. It would worry them to their bones. So she decided to come up with a half-truth, conveniently leaving out the dangerous parts.

…

Taking a deep breath, Lily began, "Mom, Dad, the truth is... Chris Eaton has been trying to get me to sign a contract. I've refused so far, and that's why he came here today - to convince me."

Her mother remained silent, seemingly dazed by the morning's events. Her father, however, leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Lily," he said slowly, "I sense there's more you're not telling us."

Her father sighed heavily. "Let me tell you about Chris Eaton's mom Hannah Eaton," he said. "Liam trapped the billionaire's daughter Hannah in the name of love when she was very young, just your age. He lured her into his dangerous mafia business. He used her as a pawn, putting her life in danger countless times. It was sheer dumb luck that she survived and managed to escape."

Lily felt her heart racing, shocked by the parallels to her own situation. Her father's next words hit her like a punch to the gut. 

"I suspect you're planning to romantically involve yourself with Chris Eaton. He is no different than his father—," he said, his voice grave. "Why else would you be on top of him? Lily, if you do this, it's equal to signing your own death warrant."

"No, Dad!" Lily protested, her voice shaking. "I'm not planning anything like that. I'll... I'll try to stay away from him." 

But even as the words left her mouth, she knew it was already too late. The contract was already signed—and Lily wasn't bold enough to tell the truth to her parents that she was already in grave danger. 

Her parents exchanged worried glances, clearly unconvinced. Feeling suffocated by their concern and her own guilt, Lily excused herself and retreated to her room, shutting the door behind her with a soft click.

As she turned around, her heart nearly stopped. There, lounging on her bed like he owned it, was Chris Eaton. He winked at her, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "So, can we continue where we left off?" he purred, his voice low and seductive.

Lily felt her knees go weak, a mix of fear and something else - something dangerous - coursing through her veins. At that moment, she couldn't help but think of her childhood fears. She used to imagine monsters under her bed, but now? The monster was very much on top of it, and he was devastatingly handsome.

"You monster!" she hissed, keeping her voice low to avoid alerting her parents. "You still didn't leave? How did you even get in?"

He chuckled, the sound sending shivers down her spine. "Oh, Lily. You should know by now that locked doors mean nothing to me."

As he rose from the bed, moving towards her with feline grace, Lily felt her resolve weakening. She knew she should scream, should call for her parents, should do anything but stand there, mesmerized by his approaching figure.

But as Chris reached her, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Lily realized a terrifying truth. The real danger wasn't Chris Eaton - it was her own heart, betraying her with every quickened beat. And she was a traitor!