Fallen From Grace

Reconciliation

Lily’s POV 

It was Wednesday afternoon and I was feeling anxious. Tonight I was seeing Caleb and I knew I should be happy but I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that he was hiding something from me. I was determined to try and uncover what it was tonight, even though I knew it wouldn’t be such an easy task. Things were still a bit awkward between me and Mike. He apologised for telling me to not see Caleb and for the way he acted on the weekend. I told him I forgave him, after all he’s always tried to look after me and I knew he was trying to protect me in his own way. I felt distant from him though, I hadn’t told him I was seeing Caleb and lied to him when he asked if we had spoke recently. I hated not being honest but I couldn’t risk arguing with him or a repeat of last time. Instead it seemed better to wait before I mentioned that sensitive topic again.

I had barely spoke to Caleb but presumed he was busy. He had text me this morning that he would come to pick me up but instead I opted to meet him at the restaurant. It was a part of my ‘not very thought out’ plan. If I did need to stay away from him, it was smart not to let him know where I lived. A girl always had to be careful, even with a guy that was a literal dream come true. I was just about to leave the restaurant after my shift when Mike pulled me over. 

 “Hey Lily. Crazy day today, right?” I saw his small smile as he spoke and felt guilt run through me as I remembered how I had lied to him. He was trying to show he was sorry for what he said and I knew his intentions were good. This awkwardness between us was horrible. 

“Hey Mike, yeah it’s been so busy. I’m so glad the day is over.” 

“Yeah” he replied while nodding his head in acknowledgement. Silence took over as we both stood there, unsure of what to say to each other. I went to speak but before I could, he cut me off. “Look Lily, I just want you to know that regardless of things, I’m still here for you. You don’t have to lie to me about seeing Caleb. I want to keep you safe but I always want to keep you happy. Just, I’m always gonna be here for you and I hope you choose not keep your distance from me.” He went to walk away but before he could I grabbed his arm. 

 “Lily-“ Before he could speak I wrapped my arms around him and hugged my best friend. The only reliable person I’ve had. After my life in the orphanage, he’s been the only person to care for me and I hated seeing him upset. Before I let go of him, I spoke up. 

“I’m sorry Mike, I’m so grateful for you. I love you, you’re the family I never had.” I looked away and to my surprise, there was a bit of hurt noticeable in his eyes. I wondered what I said that hurt him like this. 

“I love you too Lily.” The hurt was replaced by his love and I knew he meant it. Our bond was too special to be broken over a trivial disagreement. I stepped away and decided to stay here talking to him for a bit longer before I left. I could at least tell him my news. 

 “I don’t know if you heard but my chef assessment got pushed back. The head chef has been off ill and is likely to be gone for a week or two so they’ve decided to postpone it until further notice. I only got told this morning so I’m not sure who else knows yet.” 

 “That’s a shame, I know you were looking forward to it. Are you okay with waiting?” 

 “I don’t mind Mike. I figured it gives me more time to prepare and make sure I don’t end up burning the food on the day or making a silly mistake. I’ve already got my certificate for hygiene in the kitchen but I don’t want to end up failing my exam for something silly because I’ve forgot something small. I heard someone last year failed because they used the wrong chopping boards for the meats.” 

“Don’t worry about it. You’ve been preparing for months and you’ve done well in all the practice assessments you’ve done. Let me know when you find out the date and I can come over and help you, okay? I’m not gonna let you miss an opportunity like this, I know how much you’ve wanted this promotion.” I looked at the sincerity in his eyes and felt so cared for. He really did want me to succeed. Some people laughed when I told them I dreamed to work as a chef but Mike just supported me along the way. Yes it may be an odd dream to some but I’ve always loved cooking. It’s gave me a different type of peace over the years. 

“I’ll let you know, but for now I’ve got to go. I have some plans tonight so don’t want to be late. I’ll see you tomorrow though Mike, bye.” 

 “Bye Lily.” With that I rushed out of the restaurant and went home to prepare for my date. It was only 4pm so I still had another 2 hours until we were meeting. 

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  Mike’s POV

I watched Lily leave and couldn’t help but feel a bit betrayed knowing she had lied to me. I knew she was meeting Caleb tonight and hoped she would come forward and be honest. I needed her to be open with me. If anything happened, I could help her. But if she didn’t trust me enough, I would be in the dark and she wouldn’t be so safe. 

Part of me was frustrated but I knew that she didn’t mean to hurt me like that. Besides, my only reason to be here is to watch over her. So of course as usual, I’ll be watching her from afar and have the angels nearby in case we encounter any demons. It felt wrong to spy on her without it her knowing but it was for her safety. Perhaps that is why I fell so in love with her, I saw how she was in her everyday life and just couldn’t help but admire her beauty. And I didn’t just mean her exterior looks, I meant her heart. She was so full of good, of course she was part angel. 

Then a thought dawned on me. I would have to watch Lily while she was on a date. My heart started to break at that thought while jealousy crept in. It wasn’t going to be a fun night. I’d seen her on dates before but it was obvious she was never as interested. She either looked bored as they droned on about themselves or it was obvious that there was no chemistry. However after seeing them on their little coffee date, I had a feeling that this dinner was going to be the same. Just Lily falling for him while he pretend to reciprocate it. 

 I left the restaurant to go alert the angels that were with me to stay more aware tonight. I would have to tell them that Caleb was a fallen angel because it was obvious those who didn’t know would immediately figure it out once they saw him. This was an opportunity to find out more about his intentions and we all needed to look intently at how he behaved.