Until Then (Cornerstone Book 2) (39 page)

“Get out!” Maggie yelled. She had lost her usual kind demeanor.

Michelle had never seen that look in Maggie’s eyes before. It was anger, hurt, and betrayal all rolled into one. It was like she was looking at a whole different person.

“Maggie, please.”

“Get out of here! Get out of my life!”

Tears streaked down Michelle’s cheeks as she bolted out of the building. She had done what she knew God wanted her to do. She had told the truth, but her worst fears were realized. She had lost Maggie in the process. And she didn’t blame her one bit.

When she arrived home, the pesky light on the answering machine was blinking.

“Michelle.” Simon used her full name, and she knew it wasn’t going to be good. “How could you? How could you do that? Why did you have to ruin what’s supposed to be a really happy time for us? I will never forgive you for this.”

Michelle sank onto her couch. The pain in her chest was almost too much to bear.

Oh, this hurts so much, Lord. I pray one day they will find it in their hearts to forgive me.

26

Alone.

The three most important people in her life were no longer a part of it, and she felt lost again. Only this time, it wasn’t about her career. She had great plans to begin studying for her masters degree, but she had no one to share her excitement with. It put a serious damper on her plans.

She had been honest with Sean about her past, and everything had fallen apart. He said they would talk soon, but he hadn’t called. As three months passed slowly by, it became more and more obvious that he wasn’t coming back into her life. She wished there was something she could do, something she could say to change his mind. But if he couldn’t forgive her for what she had done, especially considering what he had done with Lindsay, then he wasn’t the man God had for her. That wasn’t easy to accept, but she trusted God, and she believed His plan for her life was far greater than anything she could dream up for herself.

Pastor preached a wonderful sermon the Sunday before the Thanksgiving holiday all about counting your blessings. She thought seriously about that. She had her health, a place to live, and food to eat. She had a job she enjoyed and plans to get more involved in counseling through her education. And she had Jesus, the greatest blessing of all. He was more than enough to meet all of her needs. Even so, she was sad.

Her attempt to make things right with Maggie had lost her both of her best friends in one fell swoop. She couldn’t imagine going through life without them. How could she embark on this new career path without their encouragement and support? She needed them.

Lord, you see straight into my heart and you know exactly how I feel. I’m missing my friends so much, and I could use a little encouragement right now.

On Thanksgiving day, she drove to Lake Michigan and sat on the beach in her winter coat, all wrapped up in a blanket. She stared out at the waves lapping against the shore. The steady, cool breeze turned her nose red, but she didn’t care. In her quiet apartment, she felt alone. Sitting next to this massive body of water, she felt closer to the one who made it, the one who made her.

Something wet suddenly touched her cheek, and she turned to see a golden retriever’s nose sniffing at her.

“Sammy!” his owner cried. He ran over and grabbed the dog’s leash. “I’m so sorry.”

Michelle petted the dog’s shiny coat. “That’s OK. He’s cute.”

The dog circled around her and sat at her feet, warming her legs.

“And friendly,” Michelle said with a laugh.

“He is that,” the owner replied. “I’m Mike.” He was an older gentleman with salt-and-pepper hair and warm brown eyes.

“Nice to meet you.” She felt a little wary of this stranger, but there was something about him, a calming presence.

“May I?” he asked, pointing at the spot next to the dog.

“Sure.”

Mike sat down and petted Sammy’s back. “It’s a little cold for a day at the beach, isn’t it?”

She nodded and laughed. “I just had to come out here to clear my head.”

“Yeah, fresh lake air will do that for ya’.”

“Sammy doesn’t seem to mind the cold.” She rubbed her fingers on the top of his head, and the dog looked at her with an understanding that surprised her. “Wow. I feel like he sees right into me. Like he knows me. Does that sound weird?”

Mike shook his head. “He’s always felt like a wise old soul to me, too.”

“Do you live around here?” she asked.

Mike nodded. “Just up the beach.”

“How nice. I would love to live on the lake someday.”

Sammy barked at some people that walked by, and they laughed.

“I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but you seem troubled,” Mike said.

She looked over at him, and like Sammy, she felt as if he already knew her.

“Maybe I can be of assistance. Sometimes a listening ear and a fresh perspective can be helpful.”

She was hesitant, but almost without knowing, she started spilling her guts about everything — her family situation and rebellious teen years, her time at Cornerstone, the horrible betrayal, and on until the present day.

Mike listened intently to every word.

When she had finished, it was like a gigantic weight had been lifted from her.

“I can’t believe I just told you all of that. I don’t even know you.”

Mike laughed. “People always tell me I’m a good listener. It’s my gift.”

She smiled.

“I have but one piece of advice for you. The Bible says ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.’ The book of Proverbs. I believe you
are
trusting God, young lady. He has guided you to this career in counseling, where you will do so much good for others in His name. Do not lose faith. All the rest will fall into place.”

“Thank you for saying that, Mike.”

He reached over and patted Sammy. “Well, we better get back. It was nice meeting you.”

“You, too.” She hugged Sammy and got another lick on the cheek. “Bye, Sammy.”

As they were walking away, he turned back to her and said, “Keep trusting the Lord, Michelle. He loves you, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

She waved at them, then turned to face the water.
Thank you, Lord, for letting me meet them tonight. It was just what I needed, and I know you brought them to me. I’m so thankful …

Suddenly, she realized what Mike had said.
Keep trusting the Lord, Michelle.

Her head whipped around to where they were walking, but they were gone. She should have still been able to see them, but they were nowhere in sight.

She started to laugh.

I never told him my name.

When she returned to her apartment, she let herself in and nearly jumped sky high when she saw Simon and Maggie seated on her couch. “Oh my gosh!” She laid her hand on her chest. It took half a minute for her heart to return to its normal rhythm.

“Sorry to scare you. I still have a key,” Simon explained with a shrug.

Michelle closed the door and set her things on the kitchen table. “That’s OK,” she replied quietly. “What are you guys doing here?”

Maggie’s eyes looked slightly puffy, like she had been crying. “We’ve been talking.” She squeezed Simon’s hand and looked into his eyes. “A lot.”

He nodded at her reassuringly.

“I wanted to come here and tell you that …” Maggie struggled to find her words.

Michelle’s chin began to quiver in anticipation of what Maggie might say, what she hoped her friend would say.

“The past few months have been really hard for me. I was furious at first. Then I felt hurt and betrayed. I wanted to be angry at Ben and blame him for everything. That would have been so much easier. But you were the one that went to his place, and that was the hardest thing for me to understand. You knew how much I loved him and how much I wanted to marry him, but it was you who broke us up.”

“Maggie …” Michelle started to speak, but Maggie held her hand up.

“But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that you saved me from making a huge mistake. Ben wasn’t a good guy. He was selfish and unfaithful, and I know you saw that in him long before I ever let myself see the truth.”

Michelle’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

“I’ve been talking to my mom and Vi about everything, and they both encouraged me to forgive you as God has forgiven me. I know you’re sorry that you did it. And … I forgive you, Michelle.”

Michelle covered her face and wept.

Maggie stood and went to her, wrapping her arms around her friend.

“I’m so sorry, Maggie,” Michelle cried.

“I know.”

“If I could take it back, I would.”

“I know that. But if you hadn’t done it, I probably would’ve married him. And then where would I be today?”

Simon wrapped his arms around both of the girls then. “And where would I be? Probably still single, living in my parents’ basement in California.”

Their laughter broke through the tears.

Simon looked Michelle in the eyes. “Hey, I’m really sorry for what I said to you on that phone message, Michelle.”

“It’s OK. I deserved it.”

“No, you didn’t.” He kissed her cheek, then released the girls from his hug.

The three of them moved to sit on the couch.

Maggie began to talk. “I’ve been having these weird dreams the past few weeks. Maybe they’re suppressed memories or something. I don’t know. But it’s like I’m at the engagement party, and you’re standing on the patio watching Ben. At first, I feel really jealous because you’re staring at my fiancé, but then I see what you see — Ben sneaking around the side of the house into some dark corner with another girl.”

“Yeah, that wasn’t just a dream,” Michelle interjected.

Maggie nodded sadly. “I thought so.”

“You’re so special, Maggie, and I always believed God had someone better for you. Someone really wonderful like you.” Michelle glanced over at Simon. “But He brought you this guy instead.”

“Hey!” Simon playfully smacked her arm.