It Ends with Us

Ryle visits Lily at her flower shop again. They sleep together there and as they lie together afterwards, Ryle’s mother calls. Lily asks about her, as well as Ryle’s father. His parents live in England, and Ryle has already told them about Lily. She asks about the brother that passed away and learns his name was Emerson. 

Since it’s his day off, Ryle and Lily have decided to have dinner together and spend the night together. Ryle is in good spirits because he has a rare surgery scheduled for the next week and jokes about how special his hands are. Lily has been drinking while making their dinner, and Ryle makes the mistake of taking a tray from the oven without gloves. Tipsy, Lily laughs when Ryle’s hand gets burned, and he drops the casserole. In response, he shoves her and she runs into a cabinet door handle. Lily immediately knows his reaction was excessive, stating, “My tears, my heart, my laughter, my soul. Shattered like broken glass” (185). Lily immediately makes the connection to her father’s abuse when Ryle starts apologizing. “I don’t hear Ryle’s voice this time,” she says, “All I hear is my father’s voice” (186).