Always, Lily

?? Twenty

"Yeah, just a few minutes now." I looked at my phone and added, "I need to go meet them. Everything is okay?"

"Umm..." She looked around her while straightening the edges of her dress.

"It's perfect." I tried to reassure the doubting look on her face. "He'll definitely love it."

Her face lifted and after another word of encouragement, I left to meet Oliver and Lorenzo.

"Lily?" Hazel called before I disappeared and I turned around, thinking she had missed something.

"Thank you for helping today." I waved at her, saying it was nothing but she blew me a kiss and urged me to bring her her man.

I spotted Oliver and Lorenzo standing outside the building the latter had mentioned and I skipped towards them in a smile.

They were awkwardly standing next to each other and as I got to them, I almost laughed at what I heard.

"Where is this friend of yours?" Oliver whined, his hands on his waist.

"I haven't seen you talk to anyone here yet you say that we're here to see a seriously ill friend?"

"What are they even doing here? Is this a prank man?" Oliver sighed while turning to Lorenzo.

He struggled to come up with a lie and looking away, he spotted me and I could see the relief on his face.

He walked towards me in two strides, his arm lifting to rest on my shoulder as he gave me a once over.

I passed him a thankful smile for fulfilling his assignment just as Oliver turned around and saw me.

"Lily! You're here too?" He briefly looked between Lorenzo and I with narrowed his eyes.

"Did he also tell you about his sick friend?" I tried to hold back my laughter when Lorenzo shifted closer to my right.

"You know I'm supposed to be preparing for-" I nodded my head in acknowledgement and took out a small card Hazel had written.

She'd said that when Oliver saw the message, he'd know what to do. I didn't know what was written but Oliver's face brightened as he screamed one word.

Where?

I figured it was where Hazel was so I pointed the way I'd come and he sprinted off before a word was said.

I smiled at how fast he ran, satisfied that those two were finally going to see each other after two months.

"You're happy?" I turned to Lorenzo, my cheeks warming when I realized how close he was standing.

"I-I like surprises," I shyly glanced at him, my eyes darting to his lips as our last encounter replayed in mind.

"I could tell," he touched my right cheek with his left thumb and I slowly looked up.

Our eyes met and for a second, he looked at my hair. I saw him smile, his thumb subconsciously rubbing over my cheek.

"Lovely," he whispered, but I couldn't even tell what he was talking about when he took a step closer.

I stared at his chest as my cheeks heated up. "Lilith?" He called in the most tender way that my eyes almost closed to his soft voice.

"I missed you." He engulfed me in a bear hug, his scent filling my nostrils as I buried my face into his chest.

My hands rested on his lower back, my hug almost as tight as his.

It had been two days since that evening. I held onto him for almost a minute until we both reluctantly let go of each other.