Un-Break my Heart: Book 2 (The Heart Trilogy) (8 page)

“Are you ok now” I asked. Sarah nodded and gave me a weak smile.

“I’d better head off as Charlie will be wondering where I am and I promised to pick up pizza’s on my way home” I said.

“No problem, give my lovely god-daughter a hug from me”

“Don’t forget you know where I am” I said

A bigger smile now covered Sarah’s face as I waved from the car and headed home.

Chapter 15

As the doorbell rang, Charlie leapt off the chair and rushed to let her friend in.

“Hey stranger” Julia said, spotting the huge grin on her friends face. She knew there must be some seriously good news that was trying to escape already.

“Come in, Mum’s at work so we have the house to ourselves”

Julia nodded and they headed through the kitchen, grabbing drinks on the way.

“So spill the beans then” Julia said, jumping onto the sofa while Charlie sat in the chair.

“Mitch and I are going to be appearing in a music video” Charlie said, her voice moved up in pitch. Inside she could feel the butterflies of excitement waking up under her ribs.

“How, who, why, where” Julia asked, absolutely stunned by this news.

“Well, you know when I was staying with Mitch last week; well we went to an audition together i
n
Birmingham. Then we had to go back in and dance again for them and they told us they wanted us” Charlie stopped to breathe and looked across at her friends shocked face.

“You guys must be the luckiest people I know” Julia said “First Arlene Phillips talks to you and now you get to dance…..”

“And get paid for it” Charlie interrupted “Not sure how much yet”

“Who is it” Julia asked, with curiosity.

“Ne-Yo” Charlie said, hugging herself and remembering how Mitch had pinned her against the wall on their way back from the pub.

“Fucking hell, that’s fantastic, when do you start filming?”

“Well Mitch has got to send the paperwork back and then they will contact us with a date for the studio which is fantastic” Charlie said, almost jumping up and down in the chair with excitement.

“This could be the start of something wonderful” Charlie sighed.

“Dancing or Mitchell” Julia asked.

“Both, he takes me to that other level, really pushes me on the dance floor but when we get it right it just seems to be effortless” Charlie gushed.

Julia waited as Charlie drifted off in front of her. With her eyes closed a pink blush spread over her cheeks as she remembered all the times that they had made love, each time it got better and better.

“Sorry I drifted off” Charlie said, opening her eyes and blushing even more.

“It’s ok. I’ve been talking to Simon on Face Book” Julia said.

“We saw him at the audition, he never said anything” Charlie said. She was shocked that her friend hadn’t said anything to her, although she did know that Julia had snuck into the hotel with him the night of Rock on the River she hadn’t seen her friend since.

“So you and Simon then” Charlie asked.

“Yes, well we had a bit of fun the night of the event and just been chatting ever since” Julia said, it was her turn to blush.

“You mean you did” Charlie said.

“No, but plenty of other stuff you know” Julia replied “He’s a fantastic kisser”

Just then Charlie’s phone beeped and she picked up her phone and smiled as she read the message.

“Lucky star, missing you shining brightly by my side, hope to talk to you later, about nine” Mitch said.

“Mitch I can’t wait, been thinking about you all day” she replied.

“How much”

Charlie handed her phone to Julia, with the camera turned on.

“Can you take my picture” she asked. Smiling at her friend she held her arms out as wide as they would go and waited for the flash. Quickly she sent it over to Mitchell and waited. A few minutes later he sent one back of him standing with his arms open too. She wished she was standing inside them now and not so far away.

“You really love him, don’t you” Julia said, seeing it clearly in her friend’s eyes. It was like a shining rainbow of multi colours that almost blinded her.

Just then she heard the door open as her Mum arrived home.

“Hi girls” I said, as I wandered into the kitchen and saw the two of them sitting in the conservatory.

“Hi Mum, that food smells nice” Charlie said, wandering through, Julia just behind her.

“You girls tuck in, I’m just going to have a quick shower” I said. I still felt shaken by the raw emotion of Sarah’s grief and wished there was some way that I could help her.

After my shower I changed into some comfy clothes and pulled my phone out. The girls had already eaten and headed to Charlie’s room to listen to music so I sat alone in the kitchen. I had the radio on in the background and read his message.

“Would you like to come over to my place this weekend, you can meet Darren if you feel ready for that x”

Thinking about actually meeting the whole reason for our split still had me shaking with nerves. After all I was quite happy with Mitchell who was also a product of their relationship so I knew that I should just meet Darren in the same way.

“Yes that sounds like a good idea, I will be nervous but with you by my side I know I will be fine” I replied. After a few moments a reply came back.

“We can talk about it later. I will ring you when I am free after nine”

“Looking forward to it” I replied.

I re-heated the remaining slices of pizza and found my book on the table in the conservatory. However I struggled to get into it as I thought about Sarah and Chris. I knew they would be fabulous parents as I had seen them wit
h
Charlott
e
throughout her life and it just seemed so wrong that they had been unable to have their own family. I was still pondering this question and any possible solutions when I heard footsteps on the stairs and the sound of Julia leaving. Charlie appeared in the kitchen and curled up on the sofa next to me.

“So Mum” she asked, her green eyes gazed at me with a mixture of hope and fear.

“So Charlie” I replied, making my daughter wait.

“You and James, is it going to work” she asked, in her usual straightforward manor.

“I can’t say at the moment” I paused as I remembered a line from Top Gun

“But it’s looking good so far” I finished, laughing as I said it.

Watching Charlie take this information in I knew what she really wanted to know.

“We have to take things slowly but the plan is that we will eventually live together, not sure where or when though” I said. Reaching over Charlie wrapped her arms around me.

“That’s so cool, Mum” she said. Looking up Charlie noticed the time.

“Off to speak to Mitch now and then to bed” Charlie said, giving me a final squeeze.

“Ok, sweetheart, see you in the morning” Watching her saunter out the door, a definite swing in her step, I knew she was depending on our relationship working almost as much as I was.

When my phone eventually rang at nearly ten I was still thinking about my best friend’s dilemma.

“Hi Steph” James said. His low voice rumbled down through my ear and I could feel my scalp tingle.

“Hi James, how is your shift going” I asked, settling back in my chair and enjoying the sensations that just his voice could arouse in me.

“Ok, not much going on today, but hey it’s still early” he said “So how’s your day been” he asked.

“Work was good, hope you enjoyed the song” I said.

“Yes, I guessed it might have been for me, after all we are kind of new lovers”

“Yes, I keep thinking about the weekend” I sighed. Already it seemed like a distant memory now that real life had reared its ugly head. I couldn’t help but dwell on Sarah’s anguish.

“What’s wrong” James asked, he had obviously detected the tone change in my voice.

“Just my afternoon with Sarah, she had an argument with Chris about them trying again to have a baby” I said “It’s a long story I’ll tell you at the weekend”

During the slight pause in the conversation I dragged my mind back to happier things.

“So are you sure you’re ok coming to mine” James asked.

“I think so, I’ll be nervous but I can’t keep putting it off forever”

“Don’t worry; Darren is just as laid back as Mitch. I’ll sort out a family meal for us all as I’m guessing Charlie is coming this way too”

“I think the answer to that one is try and stop her” I laughed “She asked me about us earlier this evening”

“What did you say”

“Just that it was early days but that the aim was for us to eventually live together” I said “Put it this way she went off very happy and is probably telling Mitch the same thing as we speak”

“Or he is telling her the same thing as that’s kind of what I said to Mitch when he appeared home yesterday” James said.

Suddenly a loud alarm sounded in the background and James said.

“Sorry, gotta go will text you later unless you text me and let me know you have already gone to bed” he said.

“Ok, bye for now, be safe”

“I love you Steph, till the end of time” he finished and then the line went dead. I could feel my heart hammering in my chest at the thought of a possible fire; the worry fell like a cape around me. I knew that I wouldn’t sleep until I had heard back from him so even when I headed up to my room I didn’t sleep.

Charlie couldn’t wait to tell Mitch what her Mum had said so with her computer on she set up her webcam and waited for Mitch to come online so they could talk and see each other at the same time. She was feeling naughty and had deliberately slipped out of her clothes and just wore her favourite black set of underwear. She had set up her laptop on the bed and the cam on the bedside table so that Mitch could see what he was missing. She watched the clock tick by and almost to the minute Mitch appeared on screen. Mitch could hardly believe the sight of his gorgeous girlfriend lying on her bed practically naked.

“Hey gorgeous, you look amazing tonight”

“You like” She grinned as already a light tingle spread like fire over her skin, deepening it from pale to blush.

“Fuck, I wish I was there with you now” he breathed, the desire apparent in his voice.

“Me too, as I know we wouldn’t be talking”

Charlie watched as Mitch moved his camera and laptop so that she could see the whole of him on his bed. He wore his t-shirt and shorts but she could imagine the rest of him hidden beneath.

“I feel a touch overdressed” Mitch said.

“Well, perhaps you can take your top off for me” Charlie purred.

“Is this better?” After Charlie had watched him slip out of his t-shirt and shrug his shorts off to reveal his boxer shorts. Running her tongue over her lips she watched a certain part of his anatomy start to push against the confines.

“Miles better” Charlie said, feeling turned on but frustrated at the miles that separated them.

“I think it’s you that are now overdressed” Mitch said, grinning at her. It was her favourite naughty grin and she smirked back as she slowly reached behind her back to the catch on her bra.

As it fell from her body she immediately felt her nipples spring out and start to ache for his touch. Unconsciously she ran her fingers over them both and then realised and blushed a little more.

“No need to blush, you look absolutely beautiful I just wish I was there with you” Mitch said. He reached his hand out to the screen and Charlie did too, the screen and the miles the barrier between their simple touch.

“When can I see you next” he asked.

“Anytime, I haven’t got a summer job, no dance practice either” she said.

“I’m helping Simon in the bike shop until Thursday but I can come down that evening” Mitch said “I might be late though”

“That’s great” Charlie breathed “I don’t mind waiting up for you”

“Just wait up for me looking like that and I’ll be there even quicker”

Charlie heard her Mum’s footsteps on the stairs and paused for a second.

“Night Charlie” she heard her Mum shout.

“Night Mum” she called back.

“I’m going to have to be a little quiet now” Charlie said.

“That’s ok, so how is your Mum then”

“I think it’s going great with the two of them. Mum even talked about them moving in together eventually”

“Now that would be good news for us too” Mitch said “I can’t think of anything better than having you in my bed every night of the week”

Charlie grinned and watched Mitchell’s smile light up his eyes, eyes filled with desire for her.

“Can we do this every night until I see you on Thursday” Charlie asked.

“Absolutely, I may even bring you a surprise if you’re a good girl” Mitch teased.

Looking at the clock Charlie realised it was getting late.

“I guess we’d better say goodnight until tomorrow” she said reluctantly.