Page 64 of Wish You Once More
Bree let out a laugh. “No drama? With Scott Lincoln around? You’re kidding, right?”
“Okay, maybe a little bit of drama. But with Rosie by his side, there’s been so much less of that recently.” I sensed I was convincing her, wearing her down bit by bit. I didn’t want to lose her this time, but I also couldn’t stay in Darthampton. In spite of everything, my life wasn’t there any longer.
Her fingers stretched out towards the studio information her head tilted to the side as she glanced over them again. “This one is quite similar to what I’ve already got…”
“Does that mean you’ll think about it?”
Bree turned; her icy blue eyes boring deep into mine. “It might not be a bad idea. But I’ll need to give it some proper consideration.”
I traced a line along her jaw. “Okay, but I need to head back to Manchester soon whatever happens, whether you’re coming with me or not.”
She nodded, face set in a serious expression. “I promise not to take long.”
Bree
How the hell did I end up here?
Two months after Mat had first suggested me moving in with him, I stood by the bar at The Matchbox club in Manchester, flanked by Rosie Tatton and Ellie Porley. Despite my protestations we were unlikely to be friends; they had taken me under their wing since I moved. Initially, I’d been wary about seeing Ellie, knowing of her interest in Mat. But we’d gone out for a coffee and had a long chat about everything. Ellie admitted she had known Mat hadn’t been serious about her, despite Rosie trying to push it. She told me she could sense there as something between us at the Dart Sundowner, but she’d tried to ignore it.
I’d agonised over the decision to make the move. I hadn’t told Callie straight away and she could tell there was something bothering me. One night, shortly after Mat had gone back home, she took me to The Black Cap. She brought a bottle of wine - a sure sign she was determined to get to the bottom of whatever was going on - and settled me down at the same bench in the beer garden we’d sat at the night before the Dart Sundowner, when I’d seen Mat for the first time in years.
“I know you’re missing him already,” she said, sloshing a healthy amount of wine into our glasses. “You’ve been moping about like a wet weekend.”
I couldn’t deny it. Having been in the position of having him around twenty-four-seven for several weeks, to going cold turkey, I missed him. Simple as that.
“When’s he coming back?”
I fidgeted with my wine glass, twirling the stem around between my fingers. “He’s not.”
Callie did a fantastic expression of a goldfish, mouth flapping open and closed. “Does that mean you two broke up?”
“Nope.”
“Ah, a long-distance thing.” She took a swig of wine.
“Callie, I’m actually going to move in with him again. In Manchester.” Once the words were out, I found it easier to breathe.
“Oh, thank God for that.” Callie lifted her glass into the air. “Congratulations, Bree, I’m so pleased for you.”
“Really?” I frowned. “I didn’t think you’d approve.”
“Well, apart from the fact it means I need to find a new flatmate, you and Mat are meant for each other and you deserve the happiness.”
I leaped up and dashed around to the other side of the bench, enveloping her in a hug. “Thank you, Callie. I was so scared about telling you.”
“I knew something had been up. Seriously, Bree, it’s great news. Maybe I should have brought champagne instead.”
Once everything was out in the open, I put the plans in motion to actually make the move. I gave notice on the studio and roped in Harry to assist me with transporting all my stuff. I finished any existing projects and sold them off so I had some money to put down as a deposit on a studio space. There was one I particularly liked and had made tentative enquiries into. It was close to Mat’s apartment and relatively cheap.
It was strange being back in Manchester, where we spent our university years. For the most part, nothing had changed. But given Mat had gone up in the world, the apartment we now shared was a cut above our uni digs. Each time I woke up and looked at the view of the city from the window, I couldn’t believe how far we’d both come.
“When did you last see Mat play?” Ellie asked, jolting me out of my reverie.
“Unless you count his guest appearance with The JRs…” I screwed up my nose. “I think it was shortly before he took off for the States with Trash Gun four years ago.”
“Seriously? You’ve never seen him play in the band?”
“Not since they became famous.” I placed the last word in air quotes. “I did follow them around the uni circuit and a tiny UK tour they did in the early days.” Back then, they were squashed into a van with all their equipment and shared hotel rooms were a thing. I shuddered at the memory.
