Never Summer Again

Chapter Fifty-Four - Is This All In My Head?

Lydia

Score: Hello - Adele

Three months later...

"Don't forget to bring ice lollies," Gloria's voice comes through the speaker. I move the phone from my left ear to my right, to make it easier to dig into my bag.

"I won't," I say, finding what I've been looking for. Right at the bottom of my mum's old Louis Vuitton Neverfull, of course. My fingers close around my employee ID card and I wrap the cord around my wrist. "I'll pop into Primark and H&M after work, just to pick up some bits and bobs, and I'll be right there," I say, moving up the line at Bean Masters. I try to shake off the uneasy feeling I've been having all morning. Like, I'm forgetting something, or like something's about to happen, or as if someone's watching me...

I hear Gloria's grunt on the other side of the line, taking me away from my thoughts.

"Do you want me to come with?"

"Gloria, we've been through this already," I say, shaking my head, even though she cannot see me. "You know what happened the first and last time you ever came shopping with me since I moved out..."

"I promise, I won't annoy you all the time, and I won't run off, screaming, like I did then," she says and I can practically see her roll her eyes.

After my meeting with Patrick and after he gave me the fifty thousand pounds, I decided that I would make the most of the cards I'd been dealt. I realized that, thanks to my friends and to pure luck, I have so much to be thankful for, after all. I have a job. I have a place to live. And, with the money from the stupid poker game, I've been able to actually start a decent, normal life.

The first thing I did was move out of Gloria and Liam's flat. Not that I wasn't thankful for having a place to stay, but sharing a space with a couple, so much in love and so happy as those two, was, to say the least, nauseating, in my current situation. They were trying to be respectful and to spare the three of us any awkwardness, but, by the end of the first month, it was clear that this wasn't working for me. I was feeling like breaking into tears every time I caught them holding hands, cuddling on the sofa, cozying up to watch a movie, or kissing, while making dinner, so, when Liam mentioned that the studio upstairs was vacant and his dad's company was putting it out on the market, I was more than happy to rent it.

It is a cute, tiny place, with a joined living room and kitchen, and a small bedroom, but it is perfect for one person. Gloria had insisted that I take it rent-free, and Liam had agreed, but I wouldn't allow it and we all finally agreed that I'd be paying my rent as a normal person. To this day, I'm certain that, despite my insisting that I pay the full market price, Liam's given me a lower rate, but, after weeks of arguing, I finally gave up. So that's that.

It is really convenient that I'm still so close to Gloria and Liam, and the building is at a great location, so, that's worked out pretty well.

"I can't wait for Liam's present to arrive," Gloria squeals through the phone. "Alright, babes, see you later, love you, bye!" Gloria says and hangs up.

Today is Liam's birthday and she is planning a secret birthday party over at their flat. It is the last weekend of university, so everyone should be coming back for the Winter Holidays. I'm really excited to see Alex and Nate again. I've gone up to Birmingham twice to see Alex, but I miss having her around all the time, and I know we have so much to catch up on. I want to hear everything about her first semester in uni.

I lower my phone from my ear and open Instagram. This has become my morning ritual. Going to the Bean Masters, closest to the office for coffee and a granola yoghurt on my way to work, and checking Instagram while waiting in line.