Mesmerized

sleep. Lily curled up in Jake’s arms and he caressed her body, which tingled with every touch. Jake was in only a pair of boxers, and Lily ran her fingers up and down his smooth chest. 
    The power inside of her was rising. She wanted to be close to him. She needed to be with him again. It was a desire so strong she couldn’t hold back. She kissed his chest and then made her way up to his neck. She brushed her lips against his. 
    He pressed his lips back against hers. Then he pulled off her nightgown and ran his hands down her arm. “You’re so beautiful,” he said.
    “Make love to me again...please, Jake?”
    How could he resist that? He grinned at her and took her in his arms. 
    ***
    In the morning, Lily sipped a glass of orange juice while sitting on the balcony. Even though it was early December, it wasn’t too chilly to enjoy the morning outside. She had tossed and turned a lot of the night, worried about Jake’s troubles. She loved him, she knew that without a doubt, and she had to fix the problem so they could be together. She’d have to call her mother. 
    Peeking in the bedroom again, she made sure Jake was still sleeping. He looked so peaceful, she really only wanted to crawl back in bed with him. No. She had to figure things out. Not wanting to wake him up, she decided to find a phone on her own. She grabbed his wallet out of his pants that were lying on the floor and took out some money. Then she left a note in the kitchen promising to be back soon.
    Lily asked the woman at the front desk where she could get a prepaid phone. Since it was a tourist area, there were a lot of shops around. She walked down to a store and bought one of the disposable phones that Jake had showed her. 
    She walked until she found a quiet area. Being that it was off-season, there weren’t too many people around. She found a nearby bench and sat down. She dialed her mother’s number.
    “Hello?”
    “Hi.”
    “Oh, Lily,” her mother sighed. “Are you okay? Where are you?”
    “I’m fine, Mom.” She purposely didn’t answer the second question. “Is there news?”
    “We are up in New York right now. The boy is the same, but we have taken care of the police. It’s okay. You can come home now. Dad and I think it would be best if maybe we just homeschool you instead. We’ll be leaving here tomorrow.”
    Lily rolled her eyes. “Thanks for taking care of it. Are you really sure everything is okay?”
    “Yes. We can explain more later. Where are you?” she asked again.
    “I’m fine.”
    “Lily! Did something else happen? The school told us there’s a boy missing, a Jake O’Connor. Did you do something to him, too?”
    “No, Mom. Jake is with me. I haven't hurt him.”
    “Lily! That’s too dangerous.”
    “It’s not, Mom. But, you have to listen. We need you.”
    “What is it?”
    “I can’t hurt Jake. He can’t die. And…we love each other.”
    Her mother was silent for the first time in her life. “You’re only seventeen. You’re too young to love somebody. And what do you mean, you ‘can't hurt him’?”
    “You always told me that age didn’t matter,” Lily answered annoyed that her mom thought she was too young for love.
    “I meant that in a different context. Seventeen is too young.”
    Lily sighed. “Mom, please listen. There are people after Jake because of what he is. We need your help so they stop chasing him.”
    "I don't like the sound of this. What do you mean ‘what he is’?"
    Lily told her mother the story about the curse and the family that had been chasing him.
    "Oh Lily, leave it to you to find a boy that is cursed. I'm going to have to think this over, and decide the best route to go. I have to contact some people. Can you call me back tomorrow at the same time?"
    "I can try. Thank you, Mom. I miss you."
    "We miss you too, honey. The house is not the same without you. Oh, your friend Hannah has called several times. She is very concerned about you."
    Lily felt horrible about not telling Hannah where she was going. "Can you call her and tell her I'm okay? Make something up."
    "Okay. Don't forget to call me tomorrow. I love you."
    "Love you, too." Lily hung up the phone. When she looked up, Jake was standing in front of her and staring at her. He didn't look pleased.
    "Lily. What are you doing out here? You know it's not safe," he said in a hushed tone.
    "I had to call my mom. She thinks she can help us. I didn't want you to talk me out of it." She crossed her arms