Un-Break my Heart: Book 2 (The Heart Trilogy) (26 page)

Chapter 38

The house was a hive of activity by seven the next morning as Mitchell needed to be a
t
Birmingha
m
airport two hours before his flight at midday. With the warm water raining down on me I tried to compose my thoughts and contain my feelings about how difficult today was going to be, not just for my baby girl but for James too. Once dried and dressed I headed downstairs and was just in time to pick the phone up as it rang in the hallway.

“Hello”

“Oh hello, is that Stephanie” the voice said.

“Yes, is that Darren” I asked.

“Yeah, I wanted to have a quick word with my brother before he leaves the country”

“Sure I’ll give him a shout for you”

“Mitchell, phone” I shouted upstairs and moments later he was downstairs, looking smart in new jeans and a jumper. With Mitch out of the room Charlie took the chance to quickly unzip his suitcase and place her surprise gift inside.

A few minutes later she heard her Mum shout upstairs.

“Breakfast’s ready Charlie, are you coming down”

“Yes I’ll be right there” she responded. Running a hand through her hair she quickly plastered on a little make-up to try and hide her pale, blotchy skin. When she emerged through the kitchen door I immediately noticed this, she looked vulnerable and younger than her years as she plastered a smile on her face for Mitchell’s benefit. Although the radio played cheerful songs we all sat in relative silence, the mood sombre and it was the same in the car. Pam and Peter had appeared in the driveway to say a final goodbye to their grandson and I watched the tears well in Pam’s eyes.

“Take care over there and don’t get too blinded by those spotlights, we want you back here with us” she said.

“I won’
t
Nan, I promise as I have something very precious to come back here for” Mitch said, so softly that only she could hear.

Charlotte and Mitchell sat quietly in the back of the car and I cast a furtive glance back at the two of them to see they were just holding each other’s hands, so tightly, so desperately. The bustle of the airport meant that James dropped the three of us at the Terminal entrance and then went to find a parking bay. Charlie stood with Mitch at the check-in queue whilst I headed off to the nearest café to collect four cups of coffee. James soon appeared and once his luggage was through we all sat together as Mitchell didn’t want to head through to departure until the very last minute. The anguish on his face was truly awful and only really matched by the same look on Charlie’s.

“Shall we pop for a quick walk” James said.

“Yes” I replied, and we left them to have some more time alone.

“God this is awful” I said when we were out of ear shot.

“I know, but if it’s what they have decided then we have to accept their decision” he replied.

Pulling me into a small alcove his arms reached around me and held me close.

“We’ve got to be strong for them, wherever their lives eventually lead them” he said, brushing his lips against mine.

“I know but it’s so hard” I murmured, responding more fully to his light kiss, until he was kissing me back.

“Shall we grab another coffee before we head back” I said, checking my watch. James nodded and with my hand in his wandered on to the next coffee place.

Once they were alone Charlie moved onto Mitchell’s lap and wrapped her slender arms around his neck. He nestled into her and breathed in the wonderful scent that defined her.

“I can still stay” he whispered.

“No you can’t, think of all those people you would be letting down at the last minute” Charlie replied, her voice started to tremble a bit at the end. She was desperately trying not to cry again, he had seen too many tears last night. Moving slightly he reached a hand into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small black box.

“This is for you, because I love you so much and I’m going to miss you more than I can imagine is possible” Mitch said. He placed the box into the palm of her hand “I hope you like it”

For a few minutes Charlie was stunned into silence at the sight of a box that could only contain jewellery. Mitchell had already bought her loads of things, the bike helmet and leathers, underwear and now this. Carefully she clicked open the box and the shine of the pink heart shaped sapphire on a delicate silver chain nestled against the velvet padding.

“Wow” she stammered “It’s the one I saw in the shop the other day…it’s stunning and beautiful”

“Just like you are” Mitch murmured; his lips capturing hers as they kissed passionately and the outside world dropped away. The tears that had been teetering on her lashes slid one by one down her cheeks.

“I love you too Mitchell” she breathed. Mitchell took the box from her hand and pulled the necklace out and then fastened it around her neck.

“She’s taken my heart, but she doesn’t know what she’s done” he said, his lips so close to her ear.

Charlie smiled as her hand reached up to touch the jewel that now hung by her throat. The lines that Mitchell had spoken were from their favourite song and she didn’t know how to say thank you any better than moving her lips to his. Her tears were now a mixture of joy and sorrow, her heart was beating hard in her chest and she wished that they had one more night together so she could show him how she felt. Instead she ran her hand down the outside of his jumper and then up and underneath and rested it on his heart, it was beating as fast as hers.

“I’ll look after your heart until you come back” she murmured “You know that you have mine”

His hand copied hers and he found the warmth of her skin beneath her top, moving upwards to the thin fabric of her bra that couldn’t contain the nipples that sprang to life under his quick brush. He rested his palm on her and felt the beat; it was the beat they danced too.

For many moments they were fused together in silence, until the tannoy announcement brought them back to reality.

“I’ll have to switch my phone off on the plane but as soon as I land I will call you and let you know” Mitchell declared.

“Ring me whenever you can, I don’t mind if it’s the middle of the night, text me loads and when you can we’ll Skype and play together” she said.

“Six weeks just seems so long” he said.

“Don’t forget I’m coming out to see you for the last week and your Birthday” she replied.

“I know and I can’t wait for that, we’ll be on the East coast by then, down i
n
Florid
a
an
d
Miami” he said “I’m going to take you to Disney, Universal Studios and definitely the beach” Mitch promised.

“I won’t care where you take me I will just want to be with you” Charlie finished and sealed her words with another lingering kiss that swirled around his body.

As the call for his flight came again they broke apart and spotted James and Stephanie hurrying over.

“I guess you’d better get going or you’ll miss it” James said, as Charlie stood up and Mitchell followed suit.

“I know Dad, and thanks for all your help and support over the years” Mitch replied as they hugged.

“You will always have it” James managed, he couldn’t say anymore as the words got stuck in his throat.

“Look afte
r
Charlott
e
for me” he said, as I pulled him in for a hug too.

“I will Mitchell, I will” I promised. We watched as he turned to pull Charlie into his arms once more.

“I love you so much” he breathed.

“I love you too Mitchell” she replied, neither of them could stop the tears that were flowing down their cheeks. He kissed her for a final time and then grabbed his small travel bag and hurried towards the gate.

“Mitchell” Charlie shouted and he stopped and turned.

“There’s a present in your suitcase” she said, running and jumping into his arms for a final time.

“There’s something else for you at home, you just need to find it” Mitch said, kissing her once more before he untangled her from him. I stood in the circle of James’ arms, he rested his head on my head and I could feel his body shaking with sobs that could only be felt on the inside. He was holding the tears in, even as a couple slid down my cheek and dropped to the floor. Charlie’s fingers were the last to leave his grasp as he backed towards the doorway and handed in his pass to go through. He paused a final time and blew Charlie a kiss and then he turned and walked away. She was frozen to the spot, watching until she could no longer see him anymore. Her fingers grasped around the heart at her throat, the other hand tried to dam the waterfall over her cheekbones.

Turning back to her Mum and James she slowly walked towards them. I broke out of James’ arms to take my daughter into mine and held her close. Suddenly we felt another set of strong arms around us both; I looked up into the blurred blue eyes of my true love. The sound of plane engines starting up made us part and Charlie ran to the window of the terminal to watch the next one taking off. She didn’t know if it was the one that Mitchell was on, but she stood and watched it anyway, inside she felt hollow. Her phoned beeped with a message and she pulled it out of her bag. It was a photo of Mitchell sat in his seat on the plane with the words “Missing you already” Charlie did the same and pressed send, hoping he would get it before he turned his phone off.

Slowly we made our way back to the car, a depleted group now that Mitchell was gone. The radio covered the silence of the journey back and then once home Charlie fled to their room. Jester seemed to sense the mood and wandered around the downstairs rooms and then upstairs where he pushed his way through the door of Mitchell’s room.

“Cup of tea or something stronger” I asked.

“Tea will do” James said, noticing how quiet the house was without Mitchell. The studio room next to the kitchen was silent and upstairs we could just make out the faint sobs, muffled by pillows. I made 2 cups and one of Hot Chocolate and carried it upstairs.

I tapped the door and went in.

“I bought you a drink honey” I said, placing it on the bedside table. I spotted Jester curled up at the bottom of the bed.

“Thanks Mum” she managed.

“I’ll give you a shout later for tea” I finished. Her head nodded and her hand reached down to ruffle Jester’s velvety ears.

“I just need a bit of time, but I’ll come down in a while” she replied. Leaving the room I felt better, she was going to be ok, she was much more resilient than I had been at her age. When her tears eventually dried up she remembered Mitchell’s words and sat up to think. Then she recalled their conversation a few weeks before and she pulled open her underwear drawer.

Tucked inside her new pink bra was a note which she opened.

             
“Dear Charlie, I did a recording of our new dance it’s on an email that I sent you before I left. I have a copy with me so that while we are apart we can still see each other. Love Mitch x”

She quickly picked up her tablet pc and fired it up to her emails. She spotted a couple waiting to be opened, one from the college, one from Shelley and one from Mitchell. She clicked to find the attachment and then waited for it to load onto the screen. Watching intently the sight of the two of them dancing to “She’s like the wind”, also on the file was the Ne-Yo video and finally the recording of “I’ve hand the time of my life” She watched them over and over, and at the same time wondered how much longer until his plane landed i
n
America.

Eventually she opened the other two emails, the college one was of her class rota, locker number and a few other things that she needed to know for tomorrow. Shelley’s told her where she would be waiting in the morning and wishing her good luck for today. Charlie quickly sent a reply.

             
“Hi Shel, just got back from the airport, it was awful but Mitch gave me a lovely necklace. I’ll show it to you tomorrow at college. See you at 8.30. Love Charlie”

She could hear the sound of her Mum and James downstairs in the kitchen, music was playing and she knew that it was going to take Mitchell ten hours before he landed. Jester looked up at her with his sorrowful eyes, as if he were feeling exactly the same without Mitchell.

Reaching for her phone she pressed the button for Julia and waited until she picked up.

“Hey Jules how are you” Charlie said, trying to make her voice sound cheerful.

“Hi Charlie, what’s up, there’s no use trying to disguise your voice”

“Mitch left for the States a couple of hours ago and I’m missing him so much I feel sick” Charlie said, trying to hold back more tears that were threatening to fall.

“You know it will be ok, you just need to remember that he loves you and will be feeling exactly the same” Julia replied “I’ve seen the way he looks at you when you are together; he is totally fucking in love with you”