"So how's life been treating you two lately?" Mick asked Willow and Patricia kindly. Mick was a lovely guy, Patricia could definitely see him and Willow getting together.
"Brilliant actually. I just got promoted. Big pay rise," Willow squeaked.
"I dumped Ben last week then I actually bumped into Eddie today. His new girlfriend reminds me of you so much," Patricia laughed to Willow. "She's so perky and sweet," she continued smiling.
"Oh honey, I'm sorry," Willow rubbed her arm.
"I don't care. I got over that guy a long time ago," she shrugged. She did genuinely believe she was over him. When she met them today, she didn't feel jealous or anxious or anything. "What about you Mick?"
"Life's been brilliant. The manager is brilliant to us. I still can't believe I made pro," he beamed.
"We all knew you would," Patricia smiled supportively but Mick was too busy staring at Willow to acknowledge her kind words.
It was funny how although these two were complete opposites in a way they were perfect for each other, just like Jerome and Joy or Amber and Alfie. It was the opposites attract type thing in this house, well for the couples that lasted. Patricia and Eddie were mental twins but their relationship failed and although Fabian was back with Nina, it was their similarities that drove them apart in the first place. Patricia felt like she was better off without Eddie anyway.
---
Eddie sat on the couch with Isabella curled into him. He loved Isabella but something kept making his mind drift back to that red headed girl from all those years ago. She had walked into his life today and left without a trace. She had left him longing to speak to her again.
He looked down at the girl before him. She looked so beautiful as she watched the screen in front of her. They had been together for three years now. Sure there was a massive age gap but it didn't matter.
He looked around the living room of their apartment, this was so not him. He would admit he had changed for Isabella but only because he loved to see her smile.
He brought out his phone and looked at the contact named Yacker. It was Patricia's number in it, not Isabella's. Maybe he should feel guilty about doing that as Yacker was his affectionate name for his girlfriend but Patricia was the original Yacker. He had tried so hard today just to remember her name was actually Patricia and not Yacker.
She didn't look hurt when she heard that his new girlfriend was nicknamed Yacker. She didn't look anything but devious. She only elaborated on it to make him panic, there was nothing more to it and for some reason that upset him. He wanted her to feel jealous. He wanted her to feel how he felt when she said Mick was a nice guy. He wanted to feel how he felt when he thought she was with Ben. He wanted her to feel the hurt than had burst through his body. He put his phone away and decided that he was better of without her.
"I love you boo," Isabella spoke up from her place on his lap.
"I love you too," he replied. He meant it. He did love her but that was the moment that he realised that hearing her say it didn't make his hair stand up on his back the way it did when Patricia said it. It didn't make him go weak in the knees. It didn't make him feel like if he died there and then he would die happy, safe in the knowledge that she loved. It didn't pass from his ears sending joy all through his body. It didn't make his heart swell in content. I didn't do anything. It had become routine to say it back.
When he thought about it, he was never the first to say it. She always said it and he replied. He never spontaneously told her just how much she meant to him. He never loved her like he did with Patricia.
Patricia.
That girl it had taken him seven years to get over. That girl he was now realising wasn't fully over.
"I'm going for a walk," he shifted Isabella from his body and kissed her cheek before walking out the door and into the cold English air.
---
"See you guys," she called to the taxi which Mick and Willow were still snuggling in. Tonight was the night they got together. She smiled as she walked up the street to her apartment building. As she was turning the corner she bumped into someone.
"Sorry," she murmured grabbing the bag which had feel from her hand.
"It's fine," he replied looking up. "Oh hey Yacker." He slammed a hand over his mouth.
"It's fine," she laughed.
"Force of habit," he laughed awkwardly.
"Good news. Mick's got a new girlfriend," she smiled.
He felt a pain in his chest, a pain he had only felt once in his life. It was the pain he felt that day they broke up. It was that pain that had gnawed at him for seven years. That pain that only started to leave when he met Isabella.
"Oh I'm happy for you guys," he spoke bitterly but she didn't notice his tone.
"God Eddie as if is ever date Mick, he's too happy and preppy," she snorted. "He's with Willow," she laughed.
He didn't know why but that sentence took away the pain instantly. That laugh finally made him properly smile for the first in ages. That voice that had comforted him in his darkest hours and teased him like there was no tomorrow. That voice of the girl he longer to hear say, "I love you."
"It's funny actually. Mick's so happy and carefree and Willow's so upbeat and positive about everyone and everything. If they had a child he could cure depression throughout the world," she giggled.
"What makes you think it'd a boy?" Eddie teased.
"Have you not seen Willow's life plan. Change the unknown to Mick and then it's finally happening. She is having a boy as her first child then twin girls which could be a problem considering none of them are twins," she dragged on but Eddie didn't care, he just wanted to hear her speak.
"Care to walk with me?" he asked her oh so formally. She smiled and turned away from her apartment to walk into the unknown with the boy she once trusted with her life, literally.
"So you still don't like preppy type people," he laughed. She shook her head. "You would hate Isabella then," he continued to laugh.
"Oh she seemed so sweet and kind and totally like Willow and Amber had a baby," she said sarcastically.
"She's fine when you get to know her. At first her voice did my head in but it's nice now," he trailed off realising that was only because half of the time he wasn't listening.
"She doesn't seem like the sort of person to listen to Sick Puppies or anyone of that genre," she prodded his shoulder.
"Nah, she likes Justin Bieber and The Wanted, people like that," he shrugged his shoulders. "Dragged me to a Justin Bieber concert last year. I swear that was perhaps the second worst night of my life," he laughed.
"What night could've been worst?" she raised one eyebrow.
"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me," he finished it there. She didn't have to know that it was the night they broke up. She didn't have to know what that did to him.
"Amber actually wanted to take me to a Small Mix concert, someone like that," Patricia laughed.
"Little Mix," he corrected.
"Ah, Eddie knows his pop music," she teased him again.
"Everyone knows Little Mix. Only cause Perrie's dating Zayn though and they should totally last forever, Danielle and Liam were better though," even he sounded surprised at himself.
"I swear I don't even know you anymore," Patricia continued teasing.
"That damn girl's brainwashing me. Teenagers and their obsessions," he tutted.
"That 'teenager' is you girlfriend," she put lots of emphasis on the word teenager. He glared at her. "Hey I'm the one sticking up for her," she smirked.
"No you were taking the mick," he rolled his eyes.
"No I wasn't," she pouted innocently. "I was merely stating that the girl who's expense you were laughing at is the girl your in love with," she said in a matter of factly tone.
"Maybe not," he shrugged, "that's why I came a walk. I need air to think straight."
"Yes well if you're needing to think then I'll be leaving, my blubbering in clearly won't help you think," she smiled.
"Don't you get it. That's the problem. You're the reason I need to think," Eddie ran a hand through his hair.
"What?" she asked worriedly. She was sure he didn't still love her or anything.
"When I spoke to you today I realised how different me and Isabella are. How much she's changing everything I do. She's painting our apartment yellow for god's sake," he groaned in frustration.
"Usually I would laugh at you here but this doesn't seem like a good time," Patricia mumbled.
"Tell me what to do," he begged.
"I can't tell you what to do. I've not spoke to you for eight flipping years and now you want me to tell you what to do in the most important decision of your life. I can't do that," she sat down on a wall and he say beside her.
"This isn't the most important decision of my life," he admitted. She looked over at him. She looked him in the eyes and saw hurt and distress but she also saw that way he used to look at her hidden in there somewhere. She saw her own eyes reflected and realised she still looked at him that way too.
"What was," she but her lip anxiously. She knew what she wanted to hear but he was with Isabella now, he moved on.
"Letting you go was."
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So this is really long but I needed a good cliffhanger.
This is gonna be a three shot so one more chapter after this. When I started writing this and I was doing all the pairings I realised how cute Willow and Mick would be since I don't ship Walfie, I love Amfie too much. But seriously how amazing would they be together.
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Sibuna !