Healing In Love With You

Chapter 1: A Chance Encounter

It's 7:00 AM, and Lily is peacefully sleeping when her phone buzzes. "Bestie" flashes on the screen—her childhood friend, Riley Williams.

"Who the heck is calling me this early?" Lily grumbles, grabbing the phone.

"Hey, sleepyhead! Time to wake up!" Riley's cheerful voice cuts through the morning haze.

"Well, I am awake now because of you, you morning psycho," Lily retorts, rubbing her eyes. "Now, what do you want?"

Riley scoffs on the other end. "Honey, you should get ready. I bet your date is already on his way."

Lily's eyes widen. "Shit, I almost forgot!" She jumps out of bed, still holding the phone to her ear. "Do your thing and update me later. Good luck!"

"Yeah, right. Bye now!" Lily hangs up and places her phone on the desk.

Riley set up a blind date for Lily, hoping to spice up her life and help her start a love story instead of just writing all day and night.

Lily Smith, 28, is single and a book author of various genres. Her childhood friend, Riley Williams, is also 28, single, and the CEO of her own cosmetics company.

After 30 minutes of rushing to get ready, Lily stands in front of her full-length mirror. She ties her long, red, wavy hair with a pink scrunchie and adjusts her black midi dress before slipping on her black stilettos. Taking a deep breath, she whispers, "You can do this, Lily." She grabs her bag, car keys, and phone, then heads for the door.

The café where Lily's blind date is set to take place is a quaint little spot not far from her home in Vancouver, Canada—the land of the maple leaf.

As she settles into her car, she glances at the time on her phone. "Shit, it's already 8:00!" The blind date is at 8:30, but it's close enough that she won't be late. By 8:30, she pulls into the café's parking lot. It's a small, quiet place, perfect for those who enjoy solitude or a chat with friends.

She approaches a waiter. "Excuse me, where's the table reserved under the name Riley Williams?"

The waiter smiles and points to a table behind her. "It's right over there."

Lily reads the name tag on the waiter's shirt: Coleen. "Thanks, Coleen!" she replies with a smile.

As she walks toward the table, she spots a very handsome man sitting cross-legged on a chair. He has striking green eyes and brown hair, dressed sharply in a suit. He stands as she approaches. "Lily Smith?"

"Yes, sorry I'm late," she says, a nervous smile on her face.

He extends his hand for a handshake, and she takes it, noting how much larger and rougher his hand feels compared to hers.

"I'm Gabriel Jackson, by the way," he introduces himself, flashing a warm smile.

"Hi, again, Gabriel," she replies, her heart racing.

They sit down and order food. As they wait, Gabriel breaks the silence. "So, Riley mentioned you're an author."

"Yep, that's me," Lily responds, feeling a mix of pride and nervousness.

"What kind of books do you write?"

"I write in different genres—romance, thrillers, you know, those kinds of things."

"Oh, I see." Gabriel nods, clearly intrigued.

This is Lily's first blind date at 28, and she can hardly contain her nerves. As she reaches for her glass of water, she catches Gabriel staring at her. Those green eyes are mesmerizing. Just as she lifts the glass to her lips, the intensity of his gaze makes her choke, and she coughs.

"Are you okay? what are you, nervous much?" Gabriel stands and hands her a tissue.

"Thanks," she says, taking it gratefully. "Nervous? When someone stares at me like you do? Yeah, I think anyone would be nervous."

He smirks in response, a playful glint in his eyes.

After a few minutes, their food arrives, and they dive into casual conversation, sharing hobbies and interests—the usual chatter between two people getting to know each other.

As they finish their meal, they exchange phone numbers. Lily notices Gabriel watching her as she types her number into his phone. "What?" she asks, puzzled.

"Nothing, Lily. You just look adorable," he says, making her cheeks flush.

"Thanks," she replies, handing back the phone.

"It was nice meeting you, Gabriel," she says with a smile.

"Nice meeting you, too, Lily Smith," he replies, his gaze lingering on her lips. Butterflies flutter wildly in her stomach.

They walk outside the café together, and Gabriel holds the door for her. "After you, gorgeous," he says, and she smiles, stepping out into the fresh air.

Twenty minutes later, she's at home, fumbling for her keys when her phone rings. "This impatient girl," she mutters before answering.

"Hey, how was the date? He's handsome, right?" Riley's voice bursts through the line.

Lily chuckles. "Yep, he's definitely handsome and a bit of a flirt."

Riley laughs in response. " Just a minute; I'm changing into my PJs."

"Take your time, honey," Riley replies.

After changing, they talk about the date as Lily lies on her bed, ready to sleep. Just as she's about to drift off, a notification pings on her phone. It's a message from an unknown number: Hello, Gorgeous. Sleeping already?

Lily smiles. It's Gabriel.

"I was about to, before you sent me a message," she types back.

"Oh, sorry, gorgeous. Goodnight then. Sweet dreams, Lily," he replies.

It takes her a moment to respond, and she finally types, Goodnight, Mr. Gabriel. She saves his number, labeling it "Mr. Flirt," before turning off her phone.

"I can finally sleep," she sighs, yawning.