A Collection of Short Stories

Someone Like You

I've heard that you're settled down,

That you found a girl and you're married now.

Nevermind I'll find someone like you,

I wish nothing but the best for you too,

Don't forget me, I beg.

I remember you said, 'Sometimes it lasts in love,

And sometimes it hurts instead.'

Juliet pushed the door to the coffee shop open cautiously. It was the first time she'd left the house since the end of her relationship with Jeremy, but that was mainly due to catching a cold. It wasn't that it hadn't hurt, but compared to the hurt she had felt before it was nothing. Jeremy was lovely, charming and funny, but he couldn't make anything like the scars on her heart that had been there before.

She looked around and quickly spotted Grace sitting on a sofa by the window. She slid into the chair opposite smiling.

"How are you?" asked Grace.

"I'm fine thanks. My cold's almost gone. I feel much better, although I guess that's pretty easy, since I felt absolutely rotten these past few days."

"Good, that's good. How's... everything else?"

"You mean Jeremy? I'm fine about it. Seriously don't worry about it. Or me. I'm fine. I'm not about to go into depression or anything."

"No we wouldn't want that." Grace said wryly, but concealing her genuine worry for her oldest friend. "No one would."

"So, you said you had something important to tell me?" Juliet asked, in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

"Oh yes," exclaimed Grace, suddenly remembering her purpose in organising the meet up so urgently. Her face took on a grave expression and she swallowed because her throat had gone completely dry. "Well, the thing is, I was um, emailing my cousin, you know the one living in New York, and she mentioned something I thought you might... be a little interested in." she paused, gauging Juliet's reaction, but seeing nothing amiss continued. "A story in the New York Times. About the marriage of Catherine Stillerson."

"The socialite? Why would that... interest me?"

"Well, I just thought that since... it'stoCharlieCampbellyoumightliketoknow." she finished rapidly, the words blending into one.

Juliet's heart sank. A lot. "You know, despite the speed at which you said that was incredible, but I still picked it up."

"Are, are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Besides, Charlie Campbell is surely a really common name. It could be anyone. Anyone." she repeated, in a vain attempt to persuade herself that it was someone else, despite the fact that she knew, in her heart, it was the same person as the one who had caused her so much pain - albeit, she hoped for his sake, unconsciously. Even though she still couldn't think of anything that reminded her of him, or her childhood, or hear the name Charlie or think of her school or look at pictures of him, or her as a child, she refused to believe that it had been his intention.

*****************************************************After******************************************************

Juliet grabbed her suitcase off the conveyor belt and cursed Grace for suggesting it, and then having the rare drive to see the absurd plan through. If only it could have been something less... painful, like... buying a private airplane. She walked over to Grace who was pulling out the retractable handle of her acid green wheelie bin. "Are you ready to go?"