Under Cover || N.C fanfiction. COMPLETED

32

Neal

'We need to talk, I'll see you at home tonight.' Lily's text read on my phone. I know shes annoyed at me by the urgency of the text. But the fact that she said 'home' gave me comfort. It was our home. If she saw that or not wasn't the problem.

"Neal?" Mozzie urged, "are you clear about what's happening?" He asked as I nodded, letting the plan run through my head. I would have to tell Lily that I was going to take a few days off... tell her I was doing something personal. We knew where Keller was thanks to Mozzie's state of the art equipment. The only thing was I needed to take my anklet off. We had to get rid of Keller, god knows he wasn't going to come quietly.

"Yeah, I know what's happening." I said, looking down at the message. I hope everything is okay, it was now 5pm and Lily would be home. I needed to go back to her. I took my gun out of my belt and placed it on Mozzie's desk. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you later Neal." Mozzie replied as I opened the door to walk out. "I hope you and Lily are going to be okay." He said as I stopped halfway through leaving the house.

"Me too."

Lily

Where the hell was he? It was 5:30 now, and he still wasn't home, I haven't seen him since he walked out at lunch. Was he seeing someone else? If Peter thought so then maybe it was true. I sat on the bed, our bed. If I could still call it that. I picked away the black nail polish from my fingernails, I used to do it out of habit when I was younger; and now I'm starting to do it again. Out of habit.

I heard the door open and I sprung out of my position to stand up and walk to the kitchen table. How was I going to do this? Would he end things with me? True, we never really told each other we were together but at the same time it was the most serious relationship I had ever had. He couldn't leave. Not me.

"Hello?" Neal's soft and warm voice entered the apartment. It hurt to hold back the smile that his soothing voice gave me. I watched as he walked in the apartment, hanging up his leather jacket that he wore through the day and closing the door behind him to face me. When he did there wasn't a trace of a smile like there was every other time.

"Where have you been?" I asked harshly, noticing how the tone in my voice startled Neal. His eyebrows furrowing as he looked at me. God I just wish I was over reacting. "I haven't seen you since you stormed out at lunch." I said looking away from Neal's face and walking over to the kitchen. Pretending to look busy, distracting myself.

"I've just been for a walk." He stated walking towards me as I scoffed.

"Sure, for five hours?" I laughed at him, was it a fucking  joke to him? Was I a fucking joke to him?

"What's matter Lily?" He asked, his soft and demanding hands around my waist. Spinning me around so I looked him straight in the eye. Oh if only he was less pretty. His blue eyes looked concerned as they roamed over me.

"I don't know what's the matter Neal, I thought you could tell me that." I snapped, turning my face away from him and trying to turn back around but he held a tight grip.

"Lily." He said tilting my face towards his with his hand. "Just tell me." His voice was soft and hurt as he looked at me. Just because he'd been caught out. I told myself

"You've been having phone calls with people you won't tell me who, you've been going out at god knows what time of the night; and now at work storming off and not returning until five hours later?!" I raised my voice, breaking out of his grip. I had to get out of here, I couldn't look at him. The fact that he'd been with someone else, touched someone else. It sickened me. "I should've known it was all too good to be true, I knew it from the start." I laughed at myself as I grabbed a bag and started to through clothes from my wardrobe in them. Shirts, trousers, whatever I could find. I needed to get out.

"Lily stop." Neal said rushing over to me, I heard his voice break and that was just enough for me to crumble and hold him. But I didn't I needed to leave. His hand touching mine, I quickly took it out of his reach.

"No Neal you don't understand. You never have, have you?" I laughed, I could feel tears pricking at my eyes. I wasn't going to cry in front of him. Again. "Even Peter knew something was up. I was so fucking naïve  wasn't I?"

"What are you talking about?-"

"Oh don't put that crap on me Neal." I snapped, closing the bag and putting my shoes on. "Your mysterious phone calls, walking out at times of the night, snapping at me at work. I should've known from the start." I tangled my hands in my hair as I sat on the ground. I wanted the floor to swallow me whole. Please will this nightmare leave me.

"Lily." Neal said softly, embracing me in a hug. I could smell his scent which I loved so much. This is what he didn't realise. I was falling in love with him, I am in love with him and now. Now it gets thrown in my face. Like all the fucking time.

"Let go of me!" I shouted breaking free from his embrace. "How can you touch me? I know you've been seeing someone else." I cried, tears falling from my eyes like a waterfall that I couldn't stop; they just continued to fall and fall... and fall.

"Listen to me, I haven't been seeing anyone." He said urgently and in that moment all my worries slipped away. "I just ... I need a few days away."

"Why?" I asked, I watched as Neal walked away from me and paced around the apartment. It scared me, he never looked like this before. He continued pacing and then stopped. Looking at me dead in the eyes with no emotion behind his eyes.

"You're right." He stated. "I have been seeing someone."

I crumbled again, I couldn't explain what it felt like. It felt like I'd been stabbed, punched in the face and told I wasn't good enough all at once.

"You really thought it was real?" He questioned, laughing at my naivety. "You really thought I liked you? You must be fucking delusional. All I wanted you for was to fuck you from time to time."

"Neal you don't mean that" I tried to explain, tears continuing to fall. Not this, not again. Never, Neal would never do this to me.

"Oh I don't?" He questioned darkly, "You really thought that we were the real thing didn't you?" He laughed at me. He laughed at my face. "Sweetheart I'm a con artist, always will and always am."

I couldn't breathe. I felt like my lungs had been ripped out. Like my heart was ripped out from my chest. I grabbed my bag and stood up in front of him. Looking him up and down, like I was looking at a stranger. I didn't even know him anymore, and I didn't want to.

"You know." I said, looking into his eyes. I wanted to believe that it wasn't true. A part of me knew it wasn't. "All of this was a fucking shit show" I stated gestured to the both of us. I really that that he was the one. I looked at him one more time, but something in his eyes looked at me pleadingly. Begging me not to leave.

I opened the door and slammed it behind me, running down the stairs and unlocking my phone as I did so.

"Hi, can I come over?" I asked trying to wipe away any tears as I walked out of the house and into the rain.

Hi guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, the book is coming to an end soon but I'm thinking on writing a second book. If you'd like that please let me know with votes and comments and I'll be sure to update soon. Lots of love, Lily.