I'm On a Trip

Chapter 12

John's P.O.V

I ran over to her calling out her name. She looked up confused to see me running towards her. "SURPRISE!" I shouted to her as I got closer and closer to her. No-one else was bothering to run so I was on my own for a bit. I had this idea planned ever since she mentioned them, I asked Sophie about them and she agreed that it would completely shock.

"I thought you would like to feel a bit special," I smiled before stepping aside to hopefully reveal This Century.

"What?" she questioned.

"Hey," they chorused, Joel, Sean, Alex and Ryan.

"Hi," she jumped up, a genuine smile on her face, something that I hadn't noticed for a while. She pulled them all into a hug, before turning towards me.

"You came up with this?" she smiled towards me properly.

"I sure did, I knew this would cheer you up and make you smile," I replied smiling back at her.

She wrapped her arms around me and snuggled her head into my chest, "thank you so much," she repeated over and over again. I couldn't help but take in her sweet scent, she made me feel guidy. The fact that I managed to make her smile, by doing a simple gesture, this is something that she will always remember, it was special to her.

We spent the rest of the afternoon all talking, Charlotte was talking openly to everyone and not remaining in her little shell. Every now and then I would glance her way and she would glance back with a smile, this make a spark egnite inside of me, I had made her happy and open rather than withdrawn from everyone else. I managed to steal Joel away from everyone else for a little while, we went to grab a drink at a pub at the top of the beach.

"So you like her?" Joel asked, with a smirk on his face.

"Um...yeah, she's lovely and I like making her smile," I replied being completely honest.

"But do you love her?" he asked, seriously.

"Well...I don't know...no, she is broken and I've only just broke up with my ex, it would be a disaster," I replied, it wouldn't work we were just friends.

"If you say so, but I would say give it time," Joel replied. Those last three words kept repeating through my head, I couldn't believe it. No way.

We had a drink and continued our chat. Joel wouldn't drop the subject.

"I honestly think you really like her," he started up again.

"Look I know what you think, but I don't think that, she doesn't like me," I replied finally breaking down to the fact that she was out of my league and she wouldn't like me, I wasn't her true love. She had already had a true love.

"Something tells me you are wrong with that one," Joel smirked as he stood up and we walked back down the beach towards everyone else.

The day was drawing to a close and we all decided to pack up and head home. I took the girls back to the hotel that they were staying at and as soon as I dropped them off and I drove around the roads, trying to clear my mind, it was an hour until I got a text and picked her up.

...

She ran out of her hotel in a state, I wanted to know what had upset her, I allowed her to cry into my shoulder as soon as she got into my car. Once she was settled enough I drove her to my house which wasn't too far from the hotel they were staying in. I spoke to her once we were inside, she was perched on my sofa, so I went out and grabbed her a glass of water and some tissues, incase she needed them.

"So what's the matter?" I asked as I sat down next to her, facing her, placing a hand on her knee, to make sure she knew she didn't have to tell me but that I was here for her.

"I can't hold it back in front of her, Sophie, she just booked her plane ticket home and started packing some stuff, she's leaving me," she stumbled over her words, taking in sharp breaths ever few seconds.

"She's leaving you in Arizona, to go back home?" I pushed a little.

"Yeah, she needs to see her family. She gets home sick and she is so excited to make plans with her family and go home and see them but I don't want her to go," she sighed. After a few seconds she added, "I'm so selfish!"

"You aren't, you're joint at the hip with her, it's not going to be easy to part with her, but you can do it, be strong for her, because inside she is probably hurting too. You wait until the day she leaves, she won't want to part with you, but maybe it will help both of you," I advised her, hoping she agreed.

"You're right, she is probably feeling the same way," she smiled back, but it was fake.

"You know ever since we have meant we have never been so far apart from each other. I'm not even joking, whenever we went on holidays I would take Sophie with my family and whenever she went on holiday with her family, I would go with them, after much persuasion," she giggled.

"You two really are attached," I smirked back at her.

"I can't tell her though, because, well, I'll break down in front of her and I don't want to hold her back, she'll just get too upset but then she'll regret it if she stays for me, I won't let her, I won't let her stay!" she decided.

"You sure are subborn," I smiled to her.

"I know," she sighed smiling at me.

We spent the rest of the evening watching movies, it was beginning to get late and I was exhausted afer our day at the beach so gradually I began to fall asleep. I checked on Charlotte before I shut my eyes. She was peacefully sleeping while resting on my chest, she had her legs curled up on the sofa. I slouched down in my seat and closed my eyes, I laid there for a few more comfortable moments until I drifted into a peaceful sleep...zzz...