Lost Without You

Chapter 38

Friday 21st July 2017

"This is a good idea, isn't it?" Dianne asked for the hundredth time. She was officially moving to London, hopefully long term this time, and had been questioning everything there was to question.
"D, of course it is. You've always wanted this. It's always been your dream to live in London and be on Strictly and now you can do it!" Katie said, giving Dianne the same answer she had given the previous times she'd been asked. "Right, have you got everything?"
"Yes." Dianne looked around her feet where she had the biggest suitcase she could find, full to the brim of as many of her necessary things as possible. Anything she couldn't fit in or could live without for a while, she had sold or binned and would replace over in London.
"Okay. Well Dianne Buswell, this is it!" Katie said, struggling to hold back the fact she was sad to see her friend go.
"Thank you for everything Katie, you've been an absolute saint."
"And you've been a dream of a roommate" Katie said with a smile. "I'll see you on the other side, eh?"
"Oh definitely, I'll be back in Oz for Christmas don't you worry. You'll have me for another fortnight."
"Okay" Katie laughed through the tears. "Come here." She took her friend into her arms and cried into her shoulder. As they pulled away, Katie wiped the tears from under Dianne's eyes and kissed her cheek. "I'll see you soon babes."
"Yeh, babes, soon!"

Dianne joined the long queue of people at her gate waiting to board the same flight as her. As she stood on her own, she let her mind wander. Wander to London, to a boy with scruffy brown hair and piercing blue eyes, the boy she had once called her boyfriend. She couldn't help it. This was what they had both wanted to happen back when she had to go but, now that it was actually happening, Dianne wasn't sure how she felt. Did she want to see him? Or did she want to carry on like he never existed? The queue started to move and she followed suit, getting onto the plane and finding her designated seat for the many hours she would be on it.

"Thank you!" Dianne thanked the air hostess as she stepped off the plane and into the British summertime. She took a deep breath and followed the flock of people making their way down the steps and through a tunnel into the airport. She was through to baggage claim fairly quickly and stood around waiting for her bag for what felt like ages. As soon as she saw the bright red case appear at one end of the conveyer belt, Dianne dived through the crowds and pulled it off the belt before it could disappear through the other end. Once she had all of her things, Dianne followed the signs and found herself in the main body of the airport.
"No way" she muttered, seeing a familiar woman in front of her. "No way." Without a second glance, Dianne hurried over and, leaving her case to one side, threw her arms around the familiar Russian.
"Luba!" She squealed, happy tears forming in the corner of her eyes, "how did you know I would be here?"
"You told me your flight number silly, I've been tracking it. I wanted to surprise you" Luba laughed, a couple of tears dropping from her eyes.
"Well, you certainly did that!"

"I can't believe it, I really can't!" Luba said, her eyes focused on the road ahead. Dianne, who was sat in the passenger seat, shook her head.
"Neither can I. We are both going to be on Strictly and I'm living in London. It's crazy this stuff happens isn't it?"
"It sure is. I'm so happy we are going to be roommates too! I've missed you so much, I've got so much I want to tell you. Good and bad!"
"Speaking of bad" Dianne started, "your ring. What happened?" It was one of the first things Dianne had noticed, Luba was no longer wearing her engagement ring.
"Oh that" she waved her hand, "his true colours came out pretty quickly once he thought he had me for good. He was wrong."
"Good for you Luba, you deserve someone much better than that."
"Thanks hun, did you make any friends, male friends to be specific?" Luba asked suggestively, winking as she did so.
"Uhh about that. I was seeing my dance partner for a while, turns out he was with his girlfriend who he had told me he'd broken up with at the same time."
"Idiot."
"Yep, other than that, not really. I want to stay single for at least a year, I've had enough heartbreak to last me a lifetime now."
"Oh same here. But..."
"Oh god" Dianne groaned, thinking she knew what was coming, "what's the but for?"
"What about if you saw him again?" Dianne didn't need her to de-code the message. She knew what Luba meant by 'him'.
"I don't know" she sighed, "he's been on my mind the whole time but well, I broke his heart. Why would he want me back?!"
"I bet he does. If your broke it that much because you had to go, it means he really cared, hang on, careS about you" she said, empathising the use of present tense in her speech.
"But I...I bet some other girl is with him though. I mean, surely?"
"He was with a lass called Megan for about three months."
"What?" Luba's words stung more than Dianne had expected them to, "he's not with her anymore?"
"Nope, they broke up on New Years Eve."
"Huh, that's funny" Dianne thought out loud, "Joe and I had an argument on New Years in 2016. Maybe it's a tradition for him now."
"Maybe" Luba laughed, "but as far as I'm aware, he's as single as you right now and something tells me he would definitely want you back in his life."
"Oh I don't know Luba. What if everything had changed beyond the possibility of everything being how it was before?"
"But what if it hasn't? You never know until you try."