Guarded Heart (The GH Series)

Chapter Thirteen

The journey home was painless but seemed endless. I had arranged to stay with Sarah, and she was eager to see me once I had parked my car in her driveway. She was like an excited puppy, bounding out of the doorway and ran towards me.
"Callie!!"

"Hey you..." Her body slammed into mine and took me into a familiar embrace.

The one that said that she missed me, the one that says she will always, always have my back. "You better come in. We are so in need of a catch up."

Making our way into her home, we finally settled in the living room, drinks in hand and it was comforting being back in a familiar setting. "You have met someone, haven't you?"

My eyes went wide at her silence breaker. "Erm, kind of." Then the typical excited squeal parted from her lips and looked at me eagerly.

"I want details please!" I had to laugh at how eager she is.

"Well, her name is Ashley, or Ash...and she is twenty-five years old and lives a few streets away from me." Then I knew the questions were going to be rapid.

"How did you meet?"

"In a bar."

"How far has it went?" I looked at her sheepishly then. "Oh, you dirty minx!"

"It's not like that Sarah, well not completely." Staring into my drink.

"Ah so you are still giving but not receiving. Callie, you really need to move past that." She looked at me sympathetically and I caught her gaze.

"I know, believe me. Ashley is an amazing woman and she has been very patient so far."

"Does she know?" enquired Sarah.

"About Amanda?" Sarah nodded her head. "She does. She knows that I am here this weekend to pay my respects to her on her birthday tomorrow."

Sarah's eyes went wide with the information that I had just let spill out of my mouth. "Wow. There is some trust there. That is massive for you."

"I know. It is just the next massive step that needs to be achieved next." I am slowly letting my guard down; I can feel it within me.

"It will happen. You will know when the time is right." Sarah patted me on the knee reassuringly.

"I know that this is going to sound completely daft but at times, it feels as though Amanda has guided Ashley towards me." It gave me comfort thinking that.

"Well, maybe she did, we will never know. So, when are you planning on going to see her?"

"Around lunch time tomorrow." I put my mug down on the coffee table.

"So, we can relax this evening and have a few glasses of wine then?" An excited looking Sarah grinned at me.

"Sounds like a plan." Grinning back at my best friend in the world.
Needless to say, we enjoyed a few drinks that night and it help me relax somewhat knowing what tomorrow would bring.

The next morning, I awoke at a reasonable hour for a change and got up, had my shower and had myself organised. Before I knew it, I was standing beside Amanda's grave. One of the few things that is left of my former love. I bent down and placed the flowers I got her at her graveside.

"Hey, you...I know you can hear my words bounding out into the universe, but I wanted you to know that I am here babe. You are twenty-six today and seven years we have been robbed of you and it...it is only slightly easier. I wish sometimes that you would talk to me in my dreams, telling me that I am doing alright or if at least, that I am heading in the right direction.