Amazed

Chapter Thirty Four

SIX YEARS LATER
CASPAR POV
My head hurts and I have a really annoying Carly Rae Jepsen song pounding through my head.
"Get up, Caspar." I tell myself, and force myself out from between the purple flowery bed sheets.
Wait, purple and flowery?!
Oh God. This isn't my house. I don't remember whose it is. The last thing I remember is leaving that party...
I see my jacket and jeans strewn on a chair in the corner and quickly put them on before anyone catches me. There's the noise of a shower in the room next to me, signalling I'm safe for a bit. I don't care where I am, I just want to get out. I rush out and quickly find the front door. I've just got my shoes on when the shower stops. I need to be quick.
Then I check my phone.
Uh oh.
It's 9am on Saturday the 14th of December. There's a notification that has popped up "Bree's 6th birthday party, 10am".
I look to see where I am. The other side of town. I need to get to my house, get washed, changed and to Joe's in an hour.
Bring it on.
****
I'm just about to leave when I get a text. I check it, and it's from an unknown number.
Hi. Didn't c u b4 u left. Thx for a good night. J xx
I gave her my number? What was I thinking?! I don't even know her name! I text a reply.
Sorry. I had to leave. I think yesterday may have been a big misunderstanding. Bye.
I reach for Bree's present and leave. I'm probably already late.
****
I walk in and go to find Joe. He's stood in the kitchen while Eva and Zoe sort out games for all of Bree's friends. I put the present on the table with the others and go to talk to him, when I realise there's a girl there.
"Hey, Caspar." He says, and the girl turns around. She's wearing a red dress and tartan hair bow, with strawberry blonde hair and rimmed glasses.
I know her. I know her too well.
"Oh, hi Caspar." She smiles shyly, just like she did that night over five years ago.
"Hi Lillie." I say, looking to the ground. She hasn't changed, which is a problem because it makes me want to kiss her more. But I lost that right three years ago.
"It's nice to see you again." She says, clearing her throat.
"JOE! ALFIE AND MARCUS ARE HERE!" Zoe shouts from the other room.
"I've got to go. Two minutes, sorry." Joe rushes out of the room, leaving me alone with her.
"How are you?" She asks.
"I'm..." I nearly say great, but that would be a total lie. "I'm not too good at the minute."
"Why's that?"
"It doesn't matter. How are you?"
"I'm okay," she says, running a hand through her hair. "Are you...with anyone?" She adds quietly.
"No, I-" The door slams open and Marcus and Alfie walk in, followed by Joe and Niomi.
When Bree has opened her presents and thanked everybody one by one, all her little friends go home and it's just us, plus Darcy, Louise and Matt.
There's a lot less tension than I expected there to be if I ever met Lillie again after that day when we argued for the first time. She wasn't right for me. I should've known. I don't even remember why we argued, but we did and then she decided she didn't want to see me again. She seems to have changed her mind.
"So, what did you get up to last night?" Joe asks me quietly whilst Zoë is plaiting Bree's hair.
"You know, I'm not really sure. But I woke up at someone's house, and then she text me, and I don't know what happened because I legged it."
"You legged it?!"
"Yes..."
"Oh, Caspar-"
"Hey, Bree, why don't you show Lillie, Darcy and Caspar your new wallpaper." Interrupts Eva.
"Okay." Bree says, walking past me and grasping my hand to drag me upstairs. Lillie and Darcy follow us; I've got a feeling this is a set up.
Bree shows us her new Disney wallpaper and then she and Darcy sit down to look at her new dolls house.
"I've missed you." I say quietly to Lillie without thinking.
"I've missed you too." She says, looking up at me.
"I'm so so sorry. About everything." I reply.
"I know you are. I am too." And then she reaches out and takes my hand. And I don't let go.