Grace Taylor hasn't seen Elijah since he kicked her from his band. Since then, she has worked ruthlessly to build her own career. But when a mutual friend reintroduces the pair, can they keep past feeling behind them?
I wake up at 2pm the next day, my head pounding as I remember the night before. I'm meeting nieve at 4:30, that gives me enough time to get ready.
I shower quickly and make sure I get rid of any leftover makeup. I put my hair in rollers and scramble through my drawers to find something that matches. I pull out a yellow cropped vest with a star in the middle, and some leather look trousers. It's basic but it's trusty, can't go wrong.
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I get the tube to Canary Wharf and switch on the DLR to get to Limehouse. London is still so confusing. I keep walking, staring at my phone, and when I turn the corner I see a long queue of people waiting outside of the venue. Troxy.
As I walk up to it people begin to notice me, a couple look over and then to their friends, and as I walk closer some begin to stand up and make their way towards me. I've not had this experience too much, it still makes me nervous but I'm very happy to talk to them.
As I'm talking to the girl I turn to see the sign posted outside: Inhaler 4 Nov. Surely not? There's no way for nieve to have known about my past with Eli but I wish she would've said who she was supporting.
The few girls that came up to me took their pictures and when more started to come over my I begin to go light headed. As I turn around looking for a way out of the crowd my eyes begin to blur and my heartbeat fastens. All of a sudden I'm saved by the soft calling of my name,
"Grace!"
I turn around to see nieve waving me over into a side door of the venue. I quickly say goodbye to the girls and run towards Nieve who greets me with a big hug.
"I'm so happy you came! Come through here and meet the band".
She grabs me by the hand pulling me behind her as she makes her way through the venue. My excitement to see nieve has turned into fear of seeing Eli and the rest of the band, I need to find a way out.
As we enter the green room, the only people I see are Nieve's band who she promptly introduces me to. Though they're perfectly nice, and seem equally as happy to meet me as Nieve was the day prior, I can't help but search for an excuse to leave.
"I need to pee." I say abruptly.
"Oh... okay, just down the hall there's one there" Nieve smiles.
I awkwardly smile back while reaching for the door behind me, slowly stepping backwards. As I walk down the hall my heart begins to beat increasingly heavier, and as I enter the room I assume to be the toilet I quickly close the door behind me and rest my head against it.
I focus on my breathing, trying to prepare myself to go back and see Nieve and potentially inhaler, but as I'm counting to 5 I hear a low mumble behind me.
"Grace?"
It was so obvious. I don't know how I hadn't smelt the strong stench of his cologne or the burning cigarettes. The scent immediately threw me back into my teen years, his soft voice reminding me of home and all that is sweet.
I turn and stare at the shadow of my past, Elijah Hewson, staring at me....
