These Are Their Songs

Shit. I’m late. I hate being late. He’s gonna think I didn’t show up because I hate him or something. Bugger.

Yes, Jenny is late to her meeting with Liam. The wind is blowing in her direction and it doesn’t help that she’s walking as quickly as she can so that Liam doesn’t think she ditched him.

Holding her favorite hat to her head, she can't help but think of the memories that go along with it. I knew I should have grabbed the brown one.

Jenny smiles when she sees Liam through the window of the little Asian place. Upon entering, she gets greeted by the tiny Laotian lady who knows her by name and knows her order by heart. This place has been her favorite since she moved to London with Julie to go to cosmetology school.

Liam sees Jenny and a smile shoots across his face. She takes her hat off, laughing at his extremity. He’s up from his seat halfway across the restaurant and attacks her in a hug, burying his head into her shoulder. She rubs her hand over his short-haired covered head.

Sitting down and giving her drink order to a woman, Jenny starts off; placing her hat on the extra space of the booth they’re sitting in, “So how are you Liam? You and Dani still together?”

Jenny sees his face light up. She wishes that her face would light up like that when she talked about David. But she doesn’t. “We’re as happy as clams. We still live together and I think we’re going to-”

I was laughing again. I was dancing around the kitchen in my underwear and one of Lou’s shirts. We were dancing together while I attempted to make breakfast. He would just keep . . . distracting me. He placed me on the counter and started kissing my jawbone while I flipped over the French toast so it didn’t burn.

“Jen,” he smiles up at me. I can’t stop grinning. Lou always put a smile on my face that never seemed to be able to leave. I look him in the eyes, but the grin still can’t seem to leave. “Jen, Jenny. Move in with me.” There was a spark in his eyes and my permanent grin grew wider as I slid off the counter and wrapped my legs around his torso.

Nodding blissfully, I then kiss him fiercely, slipping away from the cooking food.

Jenny, thinking about how Harry had been at the flat that morning, smiles. He had smelt burning food and turned it off before walking in to yell at us for leaving it. He didn’t know what he was walking into.

“So you think it’s a good idea then?” Liam looks so happy that she was happy. Jenny can only think to say yes, so she does. “Great. That’s really great. Dani’s wanted to see you again for so long, and we’ve all missed you so much. I can’t wait to tell them. They’ve wanted this for so long-”

Fuck. What the hell did I just get into?

Inside, Jenny goes blank, but, outside, she puts on a smile and nods. They continue for a few minutes until Jenny’s phone lights up and vibrates on the table. “I-I-I’m sorry. I have t-to take this.” She picks up the phone. “It’ll only be a few minutes. I promise.” Scurrying out of the café, Jenny takes the call quickly from her mum, worried that it was something about her health.

Across the street, a shop door opens. Beanie and sunglasses in hand, he walks out of the tea shop. He looks stressed. He looks sad. He looks . . . depressed. Her phone had slipped from her grasp and hit the concrete. Jenny picks it up hurriedly and runs back into the diner, broken phone in hand while breathing heavily and clasping her chest.