Under the stars || James McVey

chapter fifteen

Katherine’s POV

James took us to a little café in town, where he ordered us two plates of pancakes with syrup and forest fruits, and two coffees. Leaving the house was a bit of maze, trying not to step on smashed glass or someone’s vomit. We tried looking around in the small crowd for any of our friends, when we saw Rich coming out from the kitchen.

“Hey there guys. You alright? Not too sore I hope, Katherine,” I roll my eyes at him, remembering all of his crude remarks from high school. He was a couple years older than me, but friends with my brother seen as they were both playing for the same football team. He always liked teasing me because he knew I wasn’t experienced when it came to boys, or sex for that matter, which is why he flung his head back and belted out a loud laugh.

“Wait, you two know each other?” James asks, looking between us both. Rich chuckles and wraps his arm around my shoulders.

“Unfortunately,” I mumble, trying to pry myself from his arm. “Rich, have you seen Chloe or Mags anywhere?”

“They went home around five, I think sweet. You were too busy cosying up to James here, so they left.” He says with a smirk. “So how do you two know each other? Was she feisty?”

I elbow him in the ribs and scowl at him. “You’re not funny, Richard.”

“I guess that answered my question,” He sniggers at James, who rolls his eyes and gives me a sympathetic look. Much to Rich’s dismay, we both bid him and goodbye and left him to finish tidying up the house before his parents got home. James’ friends had crashed upstairs and were sleeping off their hangovers. After seeing Connor and Brad last night, I’d say they deserved it. Which reminds me of Tristan last night, when James fainted, he looked so worried. I shrug the thought out of my head as James takes my hand and leads me out to his car.

Sitting in the café, across from James, with a warm cup of coffee in my hands, I was starting ease up and relax whilst the hot, soothing liquid trailed down my throat and warmed up my chest. Every now and again, I caught James’ staring at me, and before I could speak up, he sparked up a conversation.

“How come we’ve never met before? I mean, you know the same people I do, like Rich, and you’ve been to his parties before, so why’ve we never crossed paths?” His question made sense. We’d lived, near enough, in the same area for years, we know the same people, go to the same places, our parents know each other, but we just never met before.

“I’ve no idea. I guess it’s because of our parents past, and I’ve only ever been to two of Rich’s parties. The one last night and another about a year ago.” Before everything went wrong. I didn’t say the last part, it would only spark up more questions. I’m sure he had a lot from last week at my house when I broke down, I didn’t want to give him more reasons to investigate me.

“Why only the two?” He asks, smiling up the waitress as she puts our plates down and starts digging in. “Thank you,” he mutters before turning back to me. I smile at the woman, whose name was Rachel – from her name tag – and tucked in myself, seen as my stomach wouldn’t stop whining.

“I’ve never really been a party girl. The parties I mainly went to were from my brother’s year, or my year, because I knew most of the people that went.” I reply with a simple shrug. “Do you go to all of Rich’s famous parties then?”

He laughs at my remark and sighs. “I used to, but I haven’t for about a year.”

“How come?”

“A lot of things happened,” He says solemnly. I decide to leave it at that, not wanting the frown on his face to grow with his sadness. A part of me wants to know what happened, but I know some secrets are best left hidden, for the good of other people. That much I understood clearly.

We managed to steer out of our awkward silence by starting a game of twenty questions. The uncomfortableness from before had vanished through our random conversations to the point where our problems had almost dissolved for the time being. Almost.

Saying farewell to James, I get out of the car and thank him politely for breakfast. I’d offered to pay for myself but he insisted after last night. I told him it was repayment for his good deeds, but he still waved it away, said it was his treat. i gave up in the end, letting him pay the bill. I wave him a goodbye as I reach the top of the drive and trace the steps of the porch, hearing his car pull away and the beckoning calls of a good, hot, well deserved shower.

However, stepping through the front door and into the porch, I see the one person I never thought I’d see again.

“Katherine, how wonderful to see you again.”