Before You Leave Me

22. Everything Has Changed

November 19th, 2022.

Something in my heart fluttered the moment Vic said she had thought about me too. It felt great, it was the amazing feeling of your feelings being reciprocal.

But I've come to realise that the way we thought about each other was not actually thinking about the other, but remembering them.

I didn't think of Vic everyday, but I thought of her from time to time, when something reminded me of her. Same goes with her. I'm 100% sure she didn't think of me everyday. But she remembered me from time to time.

It's inevitable.

There are certain things: objects, places, songs, smells... that you associate with someone. Whether it is because they loved it, because you had been there with them, because you heard it playing a day you were together... it doesn't matter. The thing is that once it's happened, you will always associate them to it. And they'll come to your mind when said something happens again.

I haven't seen Vic since the day I was discharged from St. Thomas' Hospital. While I was still in the hospital, she only came once after the afternoon she came as a friend; and on that visit she came as a doctor accompanying Dr. Ferguson, so we were never alone and we couldn't have a proper chat.

I attended my sister's wedding and my recovery couldn't have been better. I now have a pretty big scar on the right side of my head, but my hair has grown back long enough to cover it, so we could say everything has gone back to be the way it was.

"C'mon buddy" I say walking in Regent's Park, my dog at my heels, ready for an afternoon of running around and playing together.

I always remember Victoria when I come to this park because I remember the day we came here with Natalie, Liam and his dog, Willie's dog, her and... her husband.

To be honest, I never thought her and Niall would actually get married. Yeah, they were a great couple and all, but I didn't have the feeling that they were forever.

Turns out I was completely wrong. And turns out, that if I actually wanted to know what had happened to Vic, I would have only had to search her name in Google.

The news of her wedding with Niall and some blurry pictures (Apparently it was quite an intimate ceremony so the paparazzi could only do their best at trying to get the slightest glimpse of it) could be found on the internet. There are other less blurry pictures on Instagram taken by the guests that attended the wedding: I've recognised Louis as one of Niall's best men, and the boys from 5SOS in a picture Ash has uploaded of them with Vic congratulating the bride.

Vic's friend, Valeria, has also uploaded some pictures of the two together. She's gained some fame because she has hundreds of thousands of followers and her Instagram bio says she lives in Seoul now. She's no longer with Harry because there are some pictures with her and another boy kissing and cuddling. Then again, it's been four years since I last heard about her so it's not surprising that many things have changed.

"Dan!"

A voice I'd recognise anywhere brings me once again back to reality.

I turn around to see Vic waving at me from a couple of feet apart. She's not wearing the tight dress nor the white coat, but the jeans, the sweater and the boots fit her perfectly and she looks younger than her age.

I walk towards her and greet her with a smile.

A smile that fades away when I see she's not alone.