If We Fall Again

Chapter 24

Elise woke up early, nerves keeping her from resting fully, and decided to prepare breakfast as a way to busy herself. She slipped into the kitchen, hoping for a quiet start to the day, but her heart skipped when she saw Lily already standing by the stove, stirring a pan with focused intensity. Elise felt her steps slow, a wave of tension rolling over her as she took in Lily’s stiff posture. She cleared her throat gently.

“Good morning,” Elise greeted softly, trying to sound calm.

Lily glanced over her shoulder, her expression unreadable but her eyes cold. “Morning.”

The silence between them was thick, heavy with everything unspoken. Elise hesitated, then stepped forward. “Can I help with anything?”

Lily’s response was sharp. “I’ve got it covered, thank you,” she said, her tone polite but clipped. “Why don’t you sit and relax?”

Elise’s fingers curled into her palms, feeling the tension settle deeper. She didn’t sit; instead, she leaned against the counter, trying to find her footing in the quiet. After a few more minutes of silence, Lily’s voice broke through, tinged with resentment.

“So… it’s been a while. How’s life treating you these days?”

Elise swallowed, sensing the bitterness in her words. “It’s been alright,” she replied carefully, trying to keep things light. “I’ve been… finding my way, I guess.”

Lily’s gaze remained fixed on the pan, her movements precise. “Finding your way,” she repeated, her tone flat. “And now you’re here again. Just like that?”

Elise flinched at the remark, but she kept her voice steady. “Yes, I’m here now. I came back because I love Nate, and I want to make things right.”

Lily stopped stirring and turned fully to face her, her gaze fierce. “Do you have any idea what he went through after you left?” she asked, her voice low but laced with anger. “You broke him, Elise. He was a mess, and it took him years to put himself back together. Do you think you can just walk back into his life and everything will be fine?”

Elise felt her stomach twist, guilt rising in her chest. “Lily, I know what I did was terrible. But I left because I thought it was what he needed. I thought…” Her voice faltered as she tried to gather her words. “I thought I was holding him back.”

Lily’s eyes narrowed, disbelief etched on her face. “Holding him back? Where would you get that idea?”

Elise took a deep breath, steadying herself. “I overheard you and him talking one night,” she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. “You told him I was a burden to him, that I was stopping him from reaching his full potential. And I… I believed you.”

Lily’s face registered shock, then a flash of something that looked almost like regret, but it quickly hardened again. “So you left without even talking to him? Without giving him a chance to explain?”

Elise nodded slowly, unable to look away from Lily’s piercing gaze. “I didn’t think I needed to. I thought I was doing the right thing by letting him go.”

Lily crossed her arms, her stance rigid. “So you just left him broken, confused, with no explanation. Do you have any idea how much he blamed himself for you leaving? He thought he wasn’t enough for you. That he couldn’t make you stay.”

Elise felt tears prickle at the corners of her eyes, her chest tightening with the weight of Lily’s words. “I didn’t mean to hurt him like that. I thought… I thought he’d be better off without me.”

Lily’s expression softened slightly, but her voice remained harsh. “And now, suddenly, you’re back, expecting to pick up where you left off? Just like that?”