Me. Her. Him - Chapter 40

by Jacob1395

Background
Angela has spent nearly half her life hiding from a man in her past. But when he finally tracks her down, it isn't him she's scared of. It's what he knows.

Background: Angela is shocked when William, an old friend from her past, who she hoped never to see again, comes back into her life, after he applies for a role at her work and successfully secures the job. William’s sudden reappearance puts Angela on edge. She’s terrified he’s discovered her secret, which she needs to protect her family from. William’s convinced Angela knows what happened to his former girlfriend, Caz, who hasn't been seen for twenty years, and that something terrible happened to her. The only person, who can help Angela, is her once best friend, Michelle, but Angela hasn’t seen Michelle for more than a decade. Faced with the threat of William’s return, they know they’ll need to work together to save their future, even if this does mean reopening old wounds, and revisiting a past they'd rather keep buried.

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December 1999

I tear out a page from the publishing magazine I’m still subscribed to, and pin it on my wall next to my bed. Excitement curls at the bottom of my spine. My heart had leapt when I spotted the course would be running next year. It’s the same dates as it was this year. I kept thinking that it wasn’t going to happen and that saving all this money would’ve been for nothing. But I’m actually going to be able to do it. This time next year, I could be working in some swish office in London, helping to edit a manuscript or helping with the marketing. I’ll actually be doing what I love.

I need to get the cheque for the course fee sent off to them by the end of January. As soon as Christmas is over that’s what I’m doing. I’ll show my parents this is the one thing I am intent on doing, I’m not going to let anyone else get in the way. They’ll be thinking, or Mum will be thinking, that in a couple of years’ time I’ll have given up this dream and that I’ll be doing something completely different. I imagine them all placing bets, with my sister over Christmas, with me not there. My sister will be the one who’ll be encouraging, and I’m sure Dad will be as well, but Mum always manages to make her voice heard over everyone else.

I leave my bedroom and step back out into the living room. Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You, is blasting out of the radio speakers. I can’t help but smile and I start to jig to the music. They do this song to death every year, but it still feels new every time I hear it.

Lauren’s standing in front of our tree which we put up the last weekend in November.

‘You’re not thinking about changing the decorations around again, are you?’ I ask, shaking my head.

‘I was just thinking about adding a bit of red,’ she says. ‘I think some red baubles will really pop out. It’s got to look right, especially as we’re having people over for a party. I spotted some in the store the other day and I might go back for them.’

‘We’ve only got a week or so left of December, and then it’ll be down. Don’t worry about it.’ This has been the fifth time she’s changed the look of it, and it’s driving me mad. I keep finding glitter all over the place and it’s so annoying.

‘No, it’s staying up until twelfth night.’ Her face is pinched with determination.

‘Whatever you say.’ I grin, and flick on the television, grabbing a mince pie out of the box left open on the coffee table.

I switch on Home Alone. I should’ve made a hot chocolate or something like that. Michelle pulls a face beside me.

‘Home Alone. Surely, there’s something more Christmassy, like A Christmas Carol, a real classic.’

‘Home Alone is a classic,’ I insist.

Michelle rolls her eyes, but I see her smile. I know she loves Home Alone as much as I do, but she just won’t admit it.

‘Who’ve you got coming for New Year’s Eve, then?’ Michelle asks, straightening herself up on the sofa.

‘Oh you know, just some of the people we used to hang out with at uni. I thought about asking Stevie, but she’s still treating me the same bloody way she did when I first joined. In all I reckon we’ve got about fifteen or twenty people coming.’

‘Bloody hell,’ Michelle says. ‘I thought it was just going to a small gathering, like you said.’

I notice Lauren’s looking in the other direction. I sort of told Michelle a little white lie, that we would only be having a few people round.

‘Yeah, it started out like that,’ I say. ‘I promise it did, but it just sort of grew a little bit. It won’t be too mad. I’ll make sure nothing gets broken.’

‘Mistletoe, that’s what we need,’ Lauren shouts, making us both turn round to look at her. Perhaps she’s trying to stop an argument happening between us. ‘Angela, you can pick some up from your shop can’t you, to hang above the front door?’

‘Yeah, of course.’

Michelle gets up from the sofa. ‘I’m going to lie down on my bed.’

I watch her disappear, my chest filled with air.

‘Ignore her,’ Lauren whispers, before she returns to making more alterations to the tree.

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Character List:

Angela Watkins - Protagonist

Paul Watkins - Angela's husband

Rebecca Watkins - Angela's daughter

Michelle Blake - Angela's former best friend

Kirsty - Receptionist (Angela's friend)

Olivia - Angela's boss