Julian untangled his arms from Clara just as Mitch placed glasses on their table. “Ah, beer, the real hero!” he said and picked up a mug. He brought it close to his chest and hugged it.
“Congrats, mate,” Mitch said to Alex before returning to the bar.
The conversation between the group continued loudly and Julian glanced at the empty seat next to his. He looked around the pub to see Stephanie was nowhere in sight. Without a word, Julian set his beer on the table and made his way to the counter. When he reached it, he stared at every blonde but none had been her.
“She walked out,” Mitch said the moment Julian made eye contact with him.
“How long ago?”
“Right after she ordered. She asked me to bring them to the table. She’s not looking so good,” Mitch added.
Shit.
“Thanks, man,” Julian said quickly as he raced to the door, pushing past people and causing beer to spill on his arm. He didn’t care. He’d let it stick to his skin.
When he reached the door, he pushed it open. Stepping out into the warm air, Julian scanned the car park, but he couldn’t see her. Stephanie’s car was still there, but he couldn’t find her. Something sent her running out of PJ’s and he was determined to make sure she was okay.
Was it because I held her hand?
She remembered more than she wanted?
Too much, too soon?
Julian headed towards her car. If it were locked, he’d start walking to her apartment. Something was wrong and he wanted to be by her side. Stephanie was okay when they were in the pub. It must have been the hand holding. She didn’t want it. He had to remember that she was the one who was running not him. He had to make her stay. Make her realise that they could be something, anything that would let him be hers.
As he got closer to Stephanie’s BMW, he heard voices and then a sob. Julian reached the bonnet and peered over towards the driver’s side door, careful not to make noise.
Stephanie was on the ground, staring at her phone in her hands. She was sobbing and the sight and sound caused his stomach to twist. She pressed the end call button on the screen and then pressed on a contact. Julian stood still, watching her; he was afraid of what his presence could do to her.
“Hey, it’s Charles. If it’s Saturday, then you know I’m watching the Spurs. Not sure why you’re calling, ya bellend. I’ll get back to you. Stay excellent!”
Stephanie sniffed and hung up.
Then she dialled the number again.
“Hey, it’s Charles. If it’s Saturday, then you know I’m watching the Spurs. Not sure why you’re calling, ya bellend. I’ll get back to you. Stay excellent!”
She hung up once more and then repeated her previous actions.
“Hey, it’s Charles—” Instead of letting the voice message play, Stephanie hung up and cried.
Charles.
Not me.
Stephanie covered her face with her hands and phone. She was crying because of a ‘Charles’ and a Charles who had a British accent.
Every piece of him ached. It was over him she cried. It was someone else. And it was painful to see her against her car, sobbing. As selfish as it was, Julian wanted her to cry over him. To love him.
Stephanie sniffed, wiped her cheeks, and dialled again. Julian listened to Charles’ voice and this time Stephanie let the message play. She took a deep breath and released it once the loud beep filled the empty car park. “I’m breaking the deal. Not until my degree is finished, I know. But I can’t do this anymore, Charles. I can’t—God, I miss you.”
She misses Charles.
She never missed me.
She never tried to find me.
“I hope you’re okay,” she said sadly and then hung up. Stephanie kept her eyes on her phone as the screen illuminated her wet cheeks.
He hadn’t moved, unsure of what to say to her. He couldn’t take his eyes off Stephanie. He’d never seen her so sad. Julian remembered her smiles, her laughs, and the way she looked out at the water and would let out a sigh of content. The woman on the concrete ground wasn’t the Stephanie he knew. But wanted to. While she was in his arms in Thailand, that was all he wanted. All and everything.
“I’ve only ever been in love twice.”
Twice.
He let his head fall as the realisation tore a hole through his heart.