Meant For You

Turning Up In Tokyo

Chapter 34:  Turning up in Tokyo

--- Hope POV ---

It’s been almost five months now and it’s killing me.

Everyone’s noticed. Yet, nobody says anything. We don’t mention his name; we don’t mention anything relating to him.

I keep wishing that one day I’ll pick up the phone and he’ll be on the other end of the line telling me what I want to hear, whatever that is… it hasn’t happened yet…

As I walk past the mirror in my bikini and a low shirt, on the 1st of November a fleeting glance towards the reflective surface shows me something I’d long forgotten.

The snippet of black crawling up my neck intrigues me like nothing has for months. I turn my back to the mirror and pull up my t-shirt to reveal words. Words I’d long put out of my mind. Words I’d almost wanted to forget.

“I will love you until I die. And even then I’ll love you.”

That moment was like none I’d ever experienced before, the sudden realisation and the moment that it all finally makes sense. When everything is finally snapped into focus.

Can you imagine walking around blind for five months of your life? I never thought I would, but in that moment I realised that I had been so consumed by myself that I never even stopped to think of the real reason for my agony.

All of a sudden it’s just so clear. My pride melts away and my heart finally breaks through the walls I’ve sealed it in.

Five Months! It screams at me.

Then I notice that I’d stumbled back into the cabinet behind me a hand clutching desperately at my locket. There’s a burning fire rushing through my veins, emanating from my heart. This is what I’ve been blocking for all those months. Unbelievable pain. Sure I’d felt some of it but nothing like this, this was almost too much to bear.

Don’t just sit there you fool! FIND HIM! My heart screams at me. My body is in motion before I even register it in my mind.

At present I’m still on the Catamaran in the Whitsunday's because mum decided that it’d do me good to be outside for longer. Boy did it do me good.

I race up the steps of the catamaran and burst into the blinding Australian sun.

“MUM!” I scream at the top of my lungs. I know I’m probably scaring the life out of her with my screaming but I need to get to the mainland, and fast. “MUM!” I scream again and I catch sight of her frantically swimming towards the boat from the reef not too far off. I run to meet her as she hauls herself onto the boat.

As soon as she’s up and standing, she’s rushing towards me; her eyes frantically scanning me for injury.

“Hope, sweetie, calm down. What is it?” She asks panicked as she reaches me. I am so frantic that I can hardly get my words out in a coherent sentence.

“I have too… I need... mainland… plane…“ I can’t string my thoughts together. “Harry.” I finally whisper after moments of deep breathing. “I need to get to Harry.” I finally get it out and my mother’s face turns blank for only a second before a huge smile replaces it.

“Finally” She groans and I scowl at her. “I’ve been waiting for you to see sense for five months baby girl.” She stops and stares at me before running her hand along my cheek. “I do love you Hope, but you’ve been incredibly stupid for these past few months and it scared me. I thought I’d lost you, so soon after you were found again. Harry gave you back to us and without him, you went away too. I’m so happy to see life back in your eyes.” She sighs and then a mischievous glint crawls into her eyes. “Let’s get you to Japan then.” She rushes to the helm of the boat and tells the driver to set sail to the mainland immediately.