𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞, 𝐬𝐚𝐦 𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝟬𝟬. don't say that

Flirting with his favourite barmaid finally paid off when she agreed to go for a drink or two with him.

Little did the two know that it would lead them to spend the next three years together.

Three, absolutely mental, years that Sam and Bethan had spent together.

Sam was an aspiring singer and songwriter and so far was living the absolute dream. Having released his first EP 'Dead Boys' not short of a year ago and potentially a first album in the works. A few small gigs in the pubs gradually turned into bigger venues around the country and hopefully it would only get better from there. Despite his career becoming more and more busy, he made sure he always had time for Bethan.

The part time job pulling pints down the local was only supposed to be temporary for Bethan whilst she figured out what she wanted to do with her life. Now halfway through her studies of mental health nursing, you could place your bets she's always be on the opposite side of the bar awaiting to hear 'A pint please' for the hundredth time on a Saturday. Even with studying, placements and down the local every Saturday, she would always have the time for Sam.

The couples third year anniversary happened to have fallen on a Saturday. Bethan stuck behind the bar serving one after an other and Sam spending some time with the lads in the studio.

Both so busy with no time to check their phones to check in one with one another.

It wasn't all doom and gloom as Karis had stopped by for a 'drink' (or to annoy her best friend, gossiping about the locals) and kept the barmaid company for sometime.

"So, what do ya think he's got planned for your anniversary then?" Karis questioned the girl, leaning over the bar. "Something special, three years is getting serious."

Bethan giggled at the hint of sarcasm. "I don't know." She shrugged her shoulders. "We've been so busy, I don't even think we've had time to say happy anniversary."

The girl on the opposite side of the bar shook her head in disbelief. "You've not been pulling pints all day." She said, over exaggerating the last couple of words of her sentence. "Go and at least text the boy happy anniversary!"

"The thing is, I already did." The blonde let out a rather sad sigh. "He's probably busy down the studio with the lads, Sam's worked his arse off the last few months."

"But didn't you say he's been rather distant the last couple of months too?" Karis raised an eyebrow, knowing that Bethan would defend her boyfriend's actions til the end.

"Well, we've not spent as much time together as I would've liked, I don't know if he sees it that way." Bethan slyly admitted it, even if she didn't want to believe it. "You know, uni and work gets in the way of it. I've been away on placement and Sam's had quite a few extra gigs."

Her best friend just had an inkling that something wasn't quite right there. "You need to speak to Sam about it. If he keeps going the way he's going then you'll see even less of each other."

The advice went in one ear and out the other for Bethan, before she was called to serve a small group of lads.

"Just the usual for us, Beth." A voice spoke which took a minute for the barmaid to process that it was Dean, Drew and Joe stood right in front of her.

"Yeah, no worries." She shot the group a soft smile before picking up the three pint glasses and filling them. "Enjoy, boys."

"You alright? You normally stand for a wee chat." Drew raised an eyebrow, noticing something was up with the girl.

"Smashing. Just super busy as you can see." Bethan forced that smile again as she moved down the bar to serve the next person in line.

"Something's not right." Dean stated as he took a sip of his pint. "You don't think somethings happened with Sam?"

"He seemed pretty hesitant to even come here." Drew said, noticing the changes in his friends behaviour. "Never does he stay behind in the studio by himself, ever."

Karis peered in behind the group of boys. "I think it's maybe because he's forgotten it's their three year anniversary... Beth's not heard a peep from him all day."

The boys faces dropped in response to Karis' answer.

"Shit, he'll be in the doghouse tonight." Drew awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

"Can't say he didn't have time, we stopped for lunch and had a few breaks in between." Joe stated. "But I don't think it's our place to poke our noses in."

"There you lot are." The strongest Geordie accent of them all finally showed up. "Is Bethan still here?"

"Hope you've got your anniversary present in there with you." Karis poked fun, pointing at the empty pockets of Sam's jacket.

"What?" His face dropped, before he had realised what she meant. "Don't get us a drink, I'm not staying." As Sam wondered off to find his girlfriend behind the bar.

"Nice to see you, stranger." Bethan kept her tone blunt and hardly made any eye contact with him. "Literal stranger, you ignored my message all day."

"Been busy, you know that." He pleaded, trying to get Bethan to at least look at him.

"That's always the excuse, seen the lads were here a good time ahead of you." The blonde sighed as she wiped down the counter, still not looking at Sam.

Sam leaned further over the bar to try and get her attention "Beth, I think we need to talk."

"Can't, I'm working."

"Out the back, please? I'd rather we did this now." He tried to win her over which looked like it was working as the barmaid chucked the cloth down on the counter.

"Off on my break." Bethan called out to another member of staff as the couple went out the back door for a puff of fresh air. "This better be important, nothing else about me seems to be right now to you."

"I've been thinking about us and I'm not sure anymore." Sam said, biting his tongue with instant regret. "I don't think we can be together much longer."

The blonde had no response as such and instead to tried to hold back the tears. An unexpected break up was bound to hurt but even more on your anniversary.

"I'm sorry, Beth." The singer held his head low before going to take her hand. "It was never going to work with us being apart even more, was it?"

"Don't say that." Bethan pulled her hand away from her now ex boyfriend's as she wiped a few tears away. "I think you should go."

"Me as well." Sam sighed and took one last look  at the girl who was now left sitting and crying alone on the step.

Written: 29th January 2022
Edited: 4th September 2022
Published: 7th September 2022
Word count: 1169

✧･ﾟ:*

a/n: as you can see, this has been in the works for quite a while but i'm so excited to share this with you all!! 💖💓💖💘💝💕

again, please bare with me as updates won't be as regular as i would like but we will get there!

all my love, b x