Me. Her. Him - Chapter 43

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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January 2000 

William steps out of the shadows. His face falls into the light, and the corner of his mouth twitches, when his eyes meet mine. Every muscle in my body tightens. What is he doing here? I told him to fuck off. I remember the menace in his eyes as I said that. Of course he wasn’t going to let me forget that. He’d near enough threatened me when I last spoke to him.

I look off at Stevie, who’s staring at William with big dreamy eyes. Of course she’d find him attractive. I know she’s going to want to ask me who he is and what he wants with me. I’m not sure I’ll be able to lie to her. She’ll be able to see the lie in my eyes. My nose is stinging.

‘This way,’ I say, keeping my voice low, walking over to William and grabbing his arm, which sends an electric shock pulsing through me.

I lead him to the back of the shop. My head is screaming. He shouldn’t be here. This is wrong. Caz’s face fills my mind.

‘Look, I’m sorry I . . .’

‘How did you find out I work here?’ I cut across him, pushing him into the staff room at the back of the shop and slamming the door behind me.

It isn’t really a staff room. It’s a small kitchen. It’s the only place in the shop though where we can get five minutes to ourselves. I picture Stevie running over to the door to try and listen to our conversation, although I’m sure she’ll be able to hear from the front desk. The walls in here are paper thin. I have to hope that a customer doesn’t walk into this shop right at this moment.

‘Caz mentioned it,’ he says, placing his hand on the back of his neck. ‘Look, I’m sorry to come here, but I thought it was better to meet you here than back at your flat. I . . . I wanted to apologise for what I said on New Year’s Eve.’

‘Apologise,’ I say, leaning back against the door. I hadn’t been sure if that was even a word in William’s dictionary.

‘I shouldn’t have said what I said to you. I’ve been going over and over what I said in my head since; I couldn’t not see you again. You mean far much more to me than just a one night stand,’ he says, this time lowering his voice as though he believes Stevie is outside listening in.

He leans in closer to me. My heart rate increases. My eyes are darting all over the kitchen, as I try to make sense of what he’s telling me. I was so angry with him on New Year’s Eve and yet he hadn’t seen fit to leave, after I told him to. He’d stayed with us and given Caz a kiss when the fireworks lit up the Thames. Even though he did stay out of my way, it had really spoilt the rest of the evening for me. I couldn’t even bring myself to sing Auld Lang Syne with everyone else when Big Ben struck midnight. A new Millennium was meant to be a momentous occasion, a night everyone would remember, but for me I can’t stand thinking about.

‘So why did you tell me that all you were interested in was a one night stand?’ I hiss, groaning inwardly at the thought of Stevie hearing what I’m saying. ‘You told me you weren’t interested in a relationship. That’s not what you told me on Halloween. Have you any idea how cut up I’ve been about this?’

‘I was dick. I behaved atrociously at your party. I just got a bit over excited.’

‘A bit over excited.’ This time I can’t help the tempo in my voice rising.

‘I’m sorry, Angela. I fully understand if you don’t want anything more to do with me, but I, I just had to tell you I’m sorry, and if you’re prepared to take me back.’

He’s giving me puppy dog eyes. My chest is burning. I feel like I’m standing on the edge of a trap door. My body is swaying.

‘So . . . so.’

‘I’m going to finish things with Caz, Angela,’ he says. ‘I’ve had enough of her. She’s never been serious about us staying together long term. It’s you who I want to be with. You’re far more important to me.’

‘I . . . I don’t know. Caz and I . . . we’re friends, and if she finds out . . .’

‘Friends come and go though, don’t they?’ he says, shrugging. ‘It’s who you’ve got by your side forever that counts, isn’t it?’

Michelle’s face pops into my head instead of Caz’s. I’ll lose her and Caz if I decide to get with William. There’s no way Michelle will want to continue to stick around. She’ll tell her dad we’re all ready to move on and that he should sell the place. Could I move in with William if that happens?

‘I . . . I need to think about this. There’s this course I’ve got coming up . . . I’ve got to.’

It’s like he’s some sort of drug. There are alarm bells flashing inside my mind, pinging like the warning noise at a level crossing, when a train is fast approaching. I know he’s bad for me, but at the end of the day, I can’t resist him. What the hell am I doing?

‘I’m going to speak to Caz this week, we’ll sort things out between us, and when I have I’ll come and see you. You can give me your answer then,’ he says. ‘Can I kiss you?’

Tell him no. Tell him to stay away. I shouldn’t be doing this. I nod. Stupid. Stupid. How thick can you get?

‘Yes,’ I gasp.

He leans in closer and kisses me on the lips, softly, and I feel exactly how I did on Halloween. It lasts only seconds before he pulls away and reaches for the handle on the door.

‘I’ll see you soon, Angela. I promise,’ he says, before he makes his way back out into the shop. 

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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

William Harris - Angela's former friend 

Caroline (Caz) - Angela's friend 

Hayley - Angela's former friend

Lauren - Angela's former friend