Live Again // Bradley Simpson

Chapter 31: Goodbye

It came in waves, the happiness and the sadness. However, this time as the waves came crashing down, she knew if she couldn't keep balance, there would be someone ready to catch her as she falls.

The road to recovery is long and windy, and there are pit stops along the way. Sometimes you stay for a while, and sometimes you have to travel back to them. Sometimes, people join you for a few miles, and then they leave. Then there are others, who get in and stay for the long run, whether it would be the company you enjoy or not.

Bradley Simpson may have only joined the journey recently, but he had buckled in and helped her steer the way.

Bradley sat there in the moonlight garden, with the yellow lantern lighting up his face. The green hedges closed off the garden from the vying eyes of the public. Eyes were following them around everywhere they went these days.

Charlie sat across from him, her arm rested on the glass table as she soulfully stared into his dark brown eyes. This was the garden where they had their first date, a monumental night that went ahead to shape a smoother road for Charlie. 

The wind provided a frigid breeze, and the two snuck their jacket zips up to their necks. As Charlie looked at him, she half expected him to not physically be here - until she realised that Brad was back home, as he had been for the past few blissful weeks. The sight of the curly haired, brown eyed boy that sat directly in front of her was enough to make her smile.  

"Do you remember on our first date, how I spilt the wine everywhere? It was the first time I heard a genuine laugh out of you." Bradley reminisces, as he noticed Charlie's gaze.

Charlie looked down at the grass, remembering how the expensive bottle of red stained the fresh green grass. She grinned to herself, "I really enjoyed that night."

Brad reached over and placed his hand on Charlie's. 

Charlie turned her hand over, and slowly intertwined her fingers with his.

"I remember you told me that you would help me live the dream, the dream to perform," Charlie remembers as she looks back at Brad, smiling. 

Brad realised something as Charlie spoke, and with his free hand reached into his pocket. He grabbed his phone and placed it on the table. Quickly, he typed in his password and opened his photo album.

"Remember the gig you performed, where we all came and watched and Dean took photos of you?" Brad asked.

Charlie looked at Brad, quizzically. 

Brad flicked to his favourite photo, Charlie standing in the crowd afterwards, with Casey to her right side, and Brad to her left, congratulating her. The photo had Charlie smiling, Brad smiling, and even Casey. 

It was the first photo Brad saw of that gig, and he had even printed off a copy for her.

"I never found the right moment to give you this picture. After the whole Casey thing, I threw it out. But now I wish I kept it. You were happy." Brad explains, knowing Charlie may not fully remember the night. "But, now since you've signed the record deal, been on tour across the country and really found yourself a place in the music industry. It was about time I showed you these photos."

That was two years ago. Charlie realised as she flicked through the photos on Brad's phone. The photos were not just of her, but members of the audience, who were smiling, holding their hands up and taking photos. There were photos of the boys. There were photos of Casey and her ex-boyfriend Hanny.

They were memories, She thought, good memories.

Charlie nodded, "I didn't think I'd be ready. But hey, look where it got me, right?"