7 Steps of Love

Step - 7.5: Blue Sky

3 Days Later

Lilly at this point was obviously worried about Yousef, as he had disappeared again, she called him and his phone was ringing. Him, on the other hand saw her incoming call but didn't attend it and out his cell phone on silent.

Lilly was upset about him not picking up her call, but she thought it was better to concentrate on her work rather than something that might hurt her again. Yousef played with his nephews and spent his time with his family. He also went to visit the house, he had bought his parents, to see the progress of renovation.

He went there alone and sat there for a few moments, until he got a call from his manager telling him that he needed to stay in New Jersey as he was to make an appearance in YouTube creators' summit. Yousef didn't want to attend it as he knew Lilly would be there as well.

7 Days Later

 Lilly and a bunch of others flew to New Jersey for YouTube's creator summit, Lilly was in her hotel, not knowing Yousef was in NJ as well. Yousef didn't attend any calls from his manager, who then went to Alex, who at that time was with Lilly and Lauren, to convince Yousef to attend the summit.

"We need him here, have you heard from him?" Alex asked Lilly.

"No, I haven't" she said.

"We need to get him here, now isn't the time for his disappearing acts" Yousef's manager said.

Lilly was clearly disappointed in him for acting like this, she called him again, only to be ignored by him the third time in a week. She decided to not contact him anymore.

"We can go pick him up from his house" his manager said.

"Wait, what? He is in New Jersey?" Lilly asked.

"Yes he is here" his manager answered.

He went to his house to convince him to attend the summit, and Yousef decided to go with him. Lauren and Lilly were at the breakfast table in cafe booked for the creators.

"I know you and him are having a hard time" Lauren said.

"Maybe that's how relationships go... Ups and downs..." Lilly said.

"Yeah but it is going to be fine, with time" Lauren said.

As they finished their conversation, Yousef entered the room, Lilly gave him the look and stared at him he looked at her and instantly broke the eye contact.

The summit was over and everyone was heading back to their hotel rooms, Yousef sat in the corner when Lilly approached him.

"What were you doing in New Jersey?" Lilly asked.

"I came here to see my family" he answered.

"Your family..." Lilly said.

There was a silence of two minutes.

"How was the summit?" Lilly asked.

"It was good. I enjoyed" Yousef said.

"We would've come here together, but I didn't know where you were" she said.

"You knew I was going to come back" Yousef said.

"No I didn't, I can't read minds" Lilly said.

"The first time I called you, I thought OK I think he is busy, the second time I called, I thought maybe he forgot calling me back, the third time I called I thought he is hurt again, he got in an accident" she continued.

"I didn't mean to scare you" Yousef said.

"Well you did scare me" Lilly replied.

"I am sorry.. I am working through something, I just need some time and space to think. I can't soldier on like you, Lilly" he said.

"I know you are upset, I am upset too, but I can't just run away from my work. This work is too important to me" Lilly said.

"I understand" Yousef said.

"What can I do to help you figure things out?" Lilly asked.

"I just need time" Yousef answered.

"OK, I can give you time... But I want something in return from you... I want you to not ignore my phone calls like that" she said.

"OK. I wont" Yousef said.

Lilly got up from her chair and went to her hotel room, and Yousef got back to his house. Both knowing it was a hard time decided to give each other some time and space, so they could both decide what they wanted to do with this relationship.