Immortal Lovers {Run 2}

22. Revisiting the Past

Harry

The wind rushed past me and for the first time in a while I felt alive. Despite my ability to run faster than any human, the feeling of speeding down the motorway on my bike, my tight grip on the handlebars and the noise of the engine was something I would never get tired of. I darted between cars, feeling the freedom a bike ride always gave me.

However, I knew I couldn't hide the nerves I was feeling. I had been able to track down the four people in the high school photo online. One had moved away and the other refused to talk about her times at the school as if it was full of bad memories. The other two still lived in the area and, after some convincing, they both agreed to meet me.

I passed the welcome sign and felt my stomach violently flip over. My heart was beating dangerously fast and my grip on the handles was getting tighter by the second. I sped down the streets, not recognising a lot of it. I saw a cinema, a park, a few shops – everything a normal town would have. I wondered if my parents ever went to that cinema and saw a movie together? Did my dad ever take my mum on a date and buy her gifts from these shops? How normal were their lives?

I slowed down as I entered the town centre and found a place to park up. I turned off the engine, took off my helmet and gave myself a moment to collect my thoughts. I had no idea what these people were about to tell me about my parents' past. Would they tell the truth about what happened? Was I going to hear something that would break me?

I climbed off the bike and wandered down the street, admiring the Georgian buildings and the vines and flowers growing up them. Each place I passed was small and quaint with wooden window panes and small doors. Young couples and parents with pushchairs strolled past me. The shops were bohemian, selling candles, antique furniture and vinyl records. There was the light sound of a water fountain across the road and as I gazed over at it, I brought my hand up to shield my eyes from the bright sun over me. The town was peaceful and picturesque. I had grown up here, but remembered very little about it. It wasn't a place I believed to have so much drama behind the scenes.

A small bell rung above my head as I let myself into the café. I had studied the images of the two people I was meeting today so I could recognise them. I glanced down at my phone and read the two names. Alan Thomas and Lydia Knight. Best friends to my parents and Samuel. I took a deep breath and let my eyes wander around the room. Parents with small children and teenagers drinking coffee sat at the tables, laughing or trying to calm down their tired children. In the far corner were a middle-aged man and woman sat together exchanging quiet words and smiling at each other. With my chest puffed out and my chin high, I sauntered over to them.

"Hi," I blurted out. Both turned to me. The woman's face broke out into a warm smile. "I'm Harry."

"It's so lovely to finally meet you. I'm Lydia," the woman said. "Please take a seat."

I nodded and sat down with them. Alan suddenly offered me his hand. I took it with hesitance. His handshake was firm. "I'm Alan."

I smiled and we sat in an awkward silence. I could feel my heart beat at an impossible rate. I lifted my eyes from my lap and noticed Lydia gazing at me with a smile. "You look just like your mum," she said in a murmur. Her eyes began to fill with tears.

Alan hummed in agreement. He cocked his head to one side. "It's the eyes definitely."

I looked away again and tried to cough away the hard lump in my throat. "I'm here to see if I can understand my parents more." Lydia and Alan nodded. "So, how did you know my mum and dad?"

Lydia and Alan shared a glance. After a drawn-out pause, Lydia turned to me and said, "We were close friends. Anna and I attended the same junior school. We met on the playground on the first day. I had been pushed over by another girl and Anna did what she did best. She helped me up and made me feel like a friend. Your mum was a lovely woman, Harry."