Dawning (Dysmorphia Series #3)

Two Hearts

She had never seen that girl before because surely a face like that was born to be remembered, a straight nose and long brown hair in a shining wave down to her waist dressed in a white shirt, red skirt and black blazer with heels she would have tripped in had she been wearing them.

Next came the slamming realisation that just for a second she had forgotten that Chase was gone and now her heart was broken all over again, for a moment this had been like watching Chase walk into a room with another girl, but it wasn't it was Cole and she had no idea what he was doing here, they hadn't spoken in three years and here he was.

"Who's that?" 

Andrew's sharp voice broke her out of her reverie as she gazed ahead like in front of her stood a dead person.

"Thats... thats.."

"Cole Roberts"

She jumped seeing that Cole was right next to them proffering a hand to Andrew and looking politely interested in their conversation, looking at him closely she could see his brown hair had lightened whether by the sun or from hair dye she didn't know, she didn't even want to know.

His eyes looked more bright than she had ever seen them and there were small lines around his eyes that weren't there before.

Brunette Girl was beaming around at the room like it was a fairytale palace and not an average cafe, and then suddenly she was back to that awkward date with Alex to the fighting and the jealousy and Florence was reminded of why she had left and why her life had been better without Cole in it.

"As in the Cole?"

Andrew was looking like he was on guard now, he'd straightened up and was eyeing Cole appraisingly.

"The very same, and you must be Andrew, Mrs Clarke hasn't stopped singing your praises has she Steph?"

Steph seemed delighted to once again be in the loop.

"Yes! You must be the famous Florence, me and your Mother volunteer at the same local hospice and she's always telling me about how proud she is of you and your new life, I'm Stephanie by the way"

Stephanie held out a hand which she took, Andrew seemed to be trying to form daggers with his eyes as she turned to him.

"Hi Andrew, this is weird like I know all about you but to you I'm basically a stranger"

She giggled, Stephanie was a giggler.

Andrew barely looked at her and seemed to disregard her attempt at making light of the situation.

Cooper arrived from where she had disappeared at the back brandishing a bottle which she handed to Amberly who began sucking enthusiastically.

"Oh hey Cole, Steph" she turned to both of them.

Um... Cooper had known about this Stephanie and hadn't thought to inform her?

But why should she be informed? She had no divine right to know anything.

This was going to be a night of cringing and regretting, she could tell.

Her parents arrived in the nick of time, Cole and Andrew seemed to be engaged in the most intense staring contest in the world, Cooper was jostling Amberly trying to make her drink more and Stephanie was reapplying lipliner seemingly oblivious to the palpable tension in the room.