Here we are! The next part. It's soundtrack is Aimee Mann's 'You could make a killing.'
PART 12
‘Are you sure he doesn’t mind me being here?’ asked Hannah as she stood by her much taller friend.
‘Two Carling, a white wine and Bacardi and coke,’ John Paul instructed the volunteer behind the bar before turning to the small blonde beside him, ‘Of course he doesn’t. He told me to ask you along once he found out we were supposed to meeting. Plus he’s asking you like a billion questions Han, I think he’s genuinely pleased to see you. Why, don’t you wanna be here?’
‘No, no,’ a guilt stricken Hannah flustered, ‘God, no. It’s just…I’ve gate crashed a funeral, haven’t I?
John Paul paused before responding, she had a point he thought.
‘Yeah, but…well I suppose he’s glad to have a bit of distraction from all this, what with not seeing you for so long.’
‘Yeah,’ Hannah nodded.
John Paul’s attention was momentarily distracted from Hannah when the girl from behind the bar reappeared with his drinks request.
‘Thanks,’ he smiled as he handed two of the beverages to his assistant and took two himself also.
‘Don’t you find it a bit weird?’ she asked him as they both turned around to make there way back over to the table which they had forsaken for their drinks quest.
‘Find what weird?’ John Paul quietly quizzed, all too aware that the proximity between the pair and the table was narrowing.
‘This,’ Hannah exclaimed, only in a hushed tone to match her friend’s, ‘Sitting here with the love of life and flaming fiancé!’
John Paul stopped in his tracks and flashed a look towards his companion which demanded she do the same.
‘Firstly,’ he seethed through his clenched teeth, ‘He isn’t the love of my life and secondly,’ he relaxed his tone on seeing Hannah’s perplexed expression, ‘She seems nice, I’m genuinely happy for him. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.’
‘Okay,’ Hannah resigned, ‘Sorry.’
The pair smiled at one another, calling a silent truce and began their journey to the table once more.
John Paul couldn’t fault Hannah for being worried for him; if anything she knew better than anybody else how much he had been in love with Craig. Whether that was due to the fact that it had been her that he had first confided in after that fateful kiss in the gym, of whether six years of loyal ‘best friend’ service had granted her such an understanding, he wasn’t sure, but he appreciated the concern nonetheless.
Hannah had been the one consistency in his life that he was truly grateful for; over the last few years she had stuck by him through heartache and tough times; he of course had returned the favor for her. She was a very special girl to him, because he knew that on some level, he truly did love her and if things were different, she would almost certainly be the girl for him. Not that he would ever tell her that; he knew how cut up she had been when he came out to her, how heart broken she had felt, admitting this small truth would only rub salt in an old wound. But then he thought about this, Hannah had clearly moved on, that was clear from the amount of times she had fallen in and out of love with other blokes and had went through the motions with them.
‘So Hannah,’ Craig declared, interrupting John Paul’s thoughts as they rejoined the group, ‘How’s the old love life going? You can’t tell me you’re still on the shelf?’
Hannah grinned at her old friend as she passed him his drink. Her look of glee had appeared for two reasons; firstly because of the compliment which was woven into Craig’s question and secondly because she had a very satisfying answer to it.’
‘It’s going great!’ she announced, still in her Cheshire Cat state, ‘Been seeing Mark now for oh…three years!’
‘Good,’ Craig warmly nodded, ‘What’s he like, how did you meet?’
Hannah and John Paul exchanged knowing glances at one another, something that didn’t go a miss by Craig.
‘It’s Mark, Mark,’ she told him, ‘You know him,’ she hinted.
Craig pondered this over for a second as his eyes flitted between his two smiling, in the know friends. Then it hit him; the only Mark he knew was…
‘Mark!’ he exclaimed in surprise, which received a nod to indicate he had guessed right.
‘Wait,’ came a voice which had been a pretty silent force at the table all night.
‘Who’s Mark?’ Evie asked, confused by the look of shock on her fiancé’s face.
‘Mark’s John Paul’s ex, David’s, best mate,’ Hannah replied when it was obvious Craig was still too shocked to answer.
A look of realization and embarrassment swept over Evie’s face on hearing this.
‘Oh,’ she said, ‘Erm, right…David. So I take it you’re gay?’ she finally asked.
Once again, John Paul and Hannah flashed one another a look. It was clear that Evie hadn’t been told about his and Craig’s past. His suspicion was further confirmed when he turned around to look at the boy in question; it was clear he was uncomfortable with this conversation.
‘Yeah,’ John Paul smiled as politely as he could, trying to disguise his slight annoyance over the situation; clearly Craig was ashamed.
‘So are you seeing anyone just now?’ Evie asked, clearly comfortable with the new piece of information she had just learned.
John Paul smiled, he liked Evie; she seemed friendly and eager to make an effort.
‘Yeah, his name is Stephen, he’s a college lecturer and he’s well…well that’s it,’ he laughed.
‘And he’s absolutely adorable,’ Hannah input, ‘I don’t know anybody who wouldn’t like him.’
John Paul wasn’t sure why Hannah had felt the need to make this statement, he knew she adored Stephen, but her saying this seemed to be for another benefit than making this clear to Evie. It was as if she was addressing it to someone else; the uncomfortable one sitting in the corner.
‘So,’ he finally piped up, ‘Tell me you’re not like this one and you actually enjoy you’re job? What is it you do again?’
‘Well I’ve not actually got a job yet, still training to be a Nutrition Psychologist,’ she informed him, ‘But I’m loving it!’
Craig scrunched up his face on hearing this, he’d never put Hannah down for this type of career.
‘What made you chose to do that?’ he finally asked.
He noticed both Hannah and John Paul look awkwardly down to the table with slightly awkward expressions; they had been mirroring each others movements all night, Craig noted.
Finally Hannah raised her head and gave a slight smile, ‘I was ill when I first went to Uni…’
He noticed John Paul put a comforting arm around her as she spoke.
‘I erm…suffered from Bulimia…it wasn’t major or anything, but it was enough to make me drop out of Uni for a year.’
‘Oh God Han,’ a slightly guilty looking Craig said, he really wished he hadn’t dragged up something that was so painful for her to explain, ‘I’m sorry to hear that, I really am.’
‘Don’t be, you weren’t to know,’ she replied kindly, ‘Anyway, I’m better now and it’s led to me onto doing something I really love, where I can help people who are in the same position that I used to be in.’
Craig nodded in agreement at the positive spin his friend had put on her ordeal; it was clear Hannah Ashworth had changed over the years, no longer dwelling on the bad and focusing on the good in situations.
*
‘Well Hannah, John Paul, it was lovely to meet you,’ Evie said, giving each a hug respectively, ‘Maybe some time in the future this one will let me come back here with him and we’ll meet again.’
‘I’d like that!’ Hannah smiled, she really would, she had sat chatting to Craig’s partner all night, finding her humor and stories to her liking. Craig Dean had certainly found a good one, she thought to herself.
John Paul politely smiled in response to Evie’s kind words; he didn’t want to commit to anything, not when it was clear that Craig was uncomfortable with the whole issue of them once being together and her obviously not knowing a thing.
‘I’ll walk the pair of you to the door,’ announced Craig warmly as he watched his two friends put on their coats.
The trio made their way towards the exit, each one of them reflecting on how good it was to catch up after all these years. Sure they had experienced heartache during their time together, but that was once upon a time ago. At the end of the day they had played a significant role in one another’s lives at some point. Whether it was the boy who stole their affections, the boy who had stolen the affections of another or the girl whose affection had to be sacrificed.
John Paul opened the door of the pub, which allowed all three to step outside into the crisp autumn evening. He felt slightly sad that this point of the evening had come; saying their goodbyes and making empty promises of catching up again. He had a sneaking suspicion that Craig would do another disappearing act; not intentionally, but out of being swept away with his normal life back in Dublin. He knew that it was only certain circumstances which had allowed him to come home and indulge in his past, it would be naïve for him to think that this indulgence would filter into his present life beyond the door of the Dog.
‘So I guess this is goodbye,’ John Paul kindly smiled.
Craig stood a moment and took in the weight of his friend’s words; he guessed it was, although he wished it wasn’t. Realizing this, he allowed himself to do something that he had held back on all night. He allowed himself one indulgence, one keep sake of their night together tonight; he stared into his old friend’s bright blue eyes. Almost instantly, like they always used to, he felt himself drawn into them.
John Paul stood and held the gaze that he and Craig were sharing. There was no harm in looking at him like this; it wasn’t as if they were likely to see much of each other in the future anyway.
‘Well Craig, I’ve really missed you, more than you’d realize.’
‘What?’ Craig asked as he broke his stare with John Paul and looked at Hannah.
‘You heard me!’ she smiled, ‘Come here,’ she said inviting him for a hug.
He graciously accepted, feeling a little bit flustered from the exchange of such an intense stare with the boy he used to love.
‘Aw Han, I’ve missed you too,’ he replied, smiling into her hair as they hugged.
They finally parted, which meant one thing; he now had to say goodbye to John Paul. They stood awkwardly for a moment, both wishing that Hannah wasn’t here for this. All they both wanted was to hug one another, that’s all, but they feared someone else would interpret it too ‘intimate’ or on the other hand too ‘forced’.
‘So, erm…’ John Paul started hesitantly.
‘Yeah…’ Craig replied.
Hannah looked at the pair and huffed, ‘Will you bloomin well just hug each other, jeez!’
The two young men nervously laughed and approached one another cautiously. Soon enough, they bodies met and they locked themselves in a matey hug. John Paul thought of how weird it felt to hug him, it was like he had reached into the past and was experiencing six years ago. Craig’s thoughts were of a similar nature; he noted that out of all his time back in Chester, this was the time he truly felt at home, in John Paul’s arms.
But their time of reminiscence was short lived when Hannah interrupted.
‘Come on John Paul,’ she said softly, almost regretting that she had to be the one to force them apart, ‘We’re going to miss the last bus.’
‘Sorry,’ he said, an apology meant both to Hannah and Craig but for entirely different reasons.
‘It’s been nice seeing you again,’ Craig politely said as they pulled apart.
‘Yeah,’ John Paul nodded as he walked backwards along the path which led away from the Dog.
‘Just don’t make it another six years,’ he cheekily smiled.
‘I won’t!’ Craig laughed as he watched John Paul turn around and walk away with Hannah by his side.
‘Promise,’ he whispered to himself.
***********
Author of 'The Last Journey' and it's sequel 'Travelling Back'. And the now in production, 'Don't Look Back', a JP fic!
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