Under the stars || James McVey

Chapter thirty one

Guys, I am so so so sorry for not updating in ages! I've been so busy with work and family and everything. My deepest apologies.

I've done as much as I can - this chapter is unedited because I haven't had the time to edit it thoroughly. 

We're nearly at the end of the story, and I'm so grateful to those who have been reading. It means a lot to me, so thank you.

I hope this chapter is ok... the next couple are just going to be fillers, ready for the finale.

Love you guys,

Lauren :) x

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Katherine’s POV

It had been a few weeks since what happened with James, and I’ll just say, I didn’t regret it. We’ve been spending more and more time together recently; just going on a couple of ‘dates’ here and there, and it’s been nice. I wouldn’t necessarily say we were dating because neither of us was ready for that yet, but we were close. At least I believe we are, and I think he feels the same.

I’d just spent lunch with James and now I was making my way to work for another late shift. Charlie had changed my shifts around and seen as it was coming close to Christmas, he needed me for the night time customers that we had coming in. It was always busy during Christmas, and it was always non-stop, no breaks, constant working. It was a nightmare during this period, and I was already starting to feel the effects of long hours and heavy work-loads. It didn’t really help when we had customers in that constantly bothered you whenever you walked past even though you were busy with someone else’s order. That was the real joy of working Christmas break. (Inserted sarcasm.)

I walk through the entrance of the restaurant and Charlie barely gives me chance to step behind the bar before he shoves an apron in my face with a notepad and pen. “You’re on the right today.” He says before asking for another customer’s order at the bar. I huff in annoyance with the fact that I hadn’t even got a ‘good afternoon, Katie’ or ‘how’re you today, Katherine?’, or even a simple hello would have sufficed. But no, none of that happened and I was left to go and clock myself in for work, put my bag and coat away and get myself ready for another long ass shift. “Oh. Hello Kate. Sorry, today has been hectic.” Charlie says as I walk back out to get my name tag from behind the bar. I roll my eyes at him and give him a quick peck on the cheek.

“It’s fine, Charlie. Just chill, ok? I’m here now.” I smile at him and he pulls me in for an unexpected hug. “Alright, big guy. I need to do my job.”

“Yes, you do. Now go do it.” He laughs, pushing me away. I roll my eyes at him again and make my way over to my section to start taking orders.

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Dozens of orders, dishing out, clearing up, arguing with customers and sweaty body later, I was finally able to go home. However, as I make my way to the entrance/exit, something catches my eye. It was something I never thought I’d ever see.

Cameron and Chloe were making out behind the bar. Full on, hands all over each other, making out.

“Well isn’t this something?” Charlie whispers in my ear, making me jump and drop my bag and keys. The sudden noise startled the two newbie lovers and they jumped apart, Chloe slapping Cam and trying to make it look like they were fighting, not playing tonsil hockey.

“You know we saw all that. Don’t pretend that we didn’t.” Charlie says with an evident smirk. He turns to me and I pick up my belongings and smirks again. I roll my eyes at him and he only grins before turning to the two red faced idiots at the bar. “Are you two going for the tonsil hockey championship then?” He asks and me being me, bursts into later in the middle of the floor.

“You can’t laugh missy, you play it all the time with James. It won’t be long before it goes further.” Chloe mocks me and I blush. If only she knew. But she did, at least now she did, judging from the way her eyes bulged out of her head. “Holy shit, you’ve done it, haven’t you?” I keep my head down and try to stop my face from turning at red as theirs were. “Well, well, well, boys. It looks like our Virgin Mary is not so much a virgin anymore.”

“Ok guys, see you tomorrow.” I say as I try to bolt through the front door, but Chloe pulls me back to face her. “Chloe, I’m tired. Can I just go home?”

“Nope, you have some explaining to do.” She says as she leads me to one of the bar stools and makes me sit on it. She takes the seat next to me and Charlie takes the one on my right. Cameron stands in front of me with his arms crossed, looking rather sympathetic towards me to be honest. Still, he already knows what happened because he noticed the love-bite on my neck when I come into work a couple days after. Charlie also briefly knows what happened because he walked in on Cam and I covering my neck in foundation to conceal my marks. “So? What? How? Why? When?”

Cam bursts in to laughter at Chloe’s overenthusiastic features. She’d been waiting for this moment ever since we become friends and now the day had finally come. I had found a boy and her, being the most supportive friend, latches onto my arm and grills me about him into eternity.

“There’s nothing to tell, Chloe.” I groan, but by the look of her face, I knew she didn’t believe me. “Yes, we may have… you know… but, that’s all I’m telling you. Now if you’ll excuse me, I promised my brother I’d spend some time with him and that’s just what I’m going to do. Goodnight.” I didn’t give anyone any time to respond and left the boys standing there smirking at how low Chloe’s jaw had dropped. I giggle to myself as I climb into my car and switch on the engine. Josh has allowed me to use his car today as he normally does when I have a late shift. He will not allow me to walk home in the dark late at night, not that I would. Not after last time.

It wasn’t bad. Just some drunken lads came stumbling out of a bar just as I walked past and tried shouting disgusting lines at me to get me interested. They just scared me a little but when I ran into the house ready to have a panic attack, Josh had decided that I wasn’t to walk home late at night in the pitch black. I didn’t complain; I get to use his car now. He never let me drive his car anywhere unless he was with me. He did try to say that I’d be safer with him driving me home but once I scowled at him, he’d shut up about it.

Driving home now, I feel a sudden sense of serenity. It’s only a short drive, granted, but it feels nice just being by myself, driving through town carefree and separated from the outside world. In this moment, I think of Will. Of how he’d be sitting in the passenger seat, chatting away about school or football or the song playing of the radio, and it makes me smile. I think of how happy he was, always. His smile never faltered. Not when the boys at school picked on him for not taking the bus but having his big sister dropping him off, not when he fell from a tree and broke his arm, not when he was tackled in a football game and bruised his ribs, not even when his tortoise died. I remember that day so clearly; I asked him why he hadn’t cried and he just took my hand and smiled. “There’s no point crying when you know he’s in a better place now. He had a good life with us and now he’s somewhere better, and that’s worth smiling about.”

Maybe Will is in a better place.

Maybe I shouldn’t be crying over him.

Maybe I should be smiling.