𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇 ME|| 𝐓IMOTHÉE 𝐂HALAMET

25 || read my mind

2 years ago, April
Naples, Italy

"Baby!" Lou cried as she slammed her way through a crowd of Italian men to hug me. Vivien arrived shortly behind her and once the the welcoming's were over we erupted into laughter.

"I've miss you guys so so much! I don't even know how to explain it!" I grabbed a few of their bags for them and got us a cab.

"So much has happened it's crazy." Vivien agreed, huffing as she stuffed her luggage in the boot.

"I can't believe you guys are here, I might just cry I'm so excited and relieved." I said as I started tearing up.

"Oh Cara, as if we were going to let you disappear out of our lives." Lou said jumping in the back seat.

She pinched one of my cheeks like I was a kid. "We're so so proud of you honey."

"Oh jesus let's go home and get drunk and celebrate!" Vivien joked and we all made whooping sounds to the dismay of our cab driver.

Once the girls piled into my tiny apartment it was all 'ooh's' and 'ah's' proceeding with a lot of shrieking once they say my wardrobe and bookshelf.

"You're getting properly published baby!" Vivien shouted as she undid a cork screw.

I looked at my girls. My family. My little odd family which we had made all on our own.

Only a year a half had passed since our lives really began and yet so much had changed.

"I can't believe it. I can't believe any of this. Thank you guys so much for coming to see me." They grinned back at me.

Vivien poured us our glasses as Lou poked her head out my balcony to see the cars struggling to get through the tiny street below.

A woman with a basket of tomatoes whacked a teenage boy on a scooter around the head for nearly knocking her.

Causing Lou to fall onto my bed sighing.
"This is so Italian!"

"How've you guys been? I want to know everything. All of it!"

I beckoned for them to spill the gossip and we sat around my kitchen table like we had around so many others together.

Smoking, drinking, chatting and laughing.

They were both still at uni, both still struggling to keep afloat with school work and bills. We were all still dreamers and optimists and romantic.

Lou was still with Adele and very very much in love. Viv had started seeing some sort of artsy guy. Which left only my love life in question.

"Have you heard from Timothée?" Lou enquire leaning forward like a detective in a bad 80's movie.

"No." I answered smiling, for them.

"What? But you sent him your book write? The one that's about to become fucking famous?"

Vivien sounded astounded.

I took a sip of my drink before correcting both of them.

"One, I have no clue how well the poetry will do and two, yes I sent it to him - I used the address Lou over here sneaked into my moving bags. I've heard nothing."

I looked out the window, I tried not to visualise his face when she said his name.

"How do you feel about that?" Lou asked soothingly.

"You know, honestly, it hurts. Of course it does, but it will be okay so I'm okay. Does that make sense?"

They nodded their heads.

"Besides I've sworn off men and romance and everything for a while. I just want to keep doing what I do best which is write." I continued

"Yes but Cara, darling, you're forgetting two very important things." Vivien got straight to the point.

"What are they?"

"One you're in Italy, you can't avoid men here and honestly why the fuck would you want to? And two, you can't write what you don't know?" She looked scared to continue.

"But i know about love!" I was indignant about my lack of romantic relationships being positive.

"You know what it is to love, you never really got to experience what it is to be loved back."

She tried to say it in the kindest way. It still fucking hurt though.

"Damn Vivien great way to start our holiday." Lou choked on her wine.

"Hey I didn't mean for it sound harsh, not at all. I want you to be happy baby, I want you to get everything you deserve. Besides who the fuck is Timothée anyway?" She said turning to me and smiling.

"Uh ... a movie star?" I replied.

"Yeah yeah, overrated you could do so much better." She giggled and waved her hand like he was nothing.

I laughed at her, and stood up. "Okay it's time to have some fun and celebrate."

"- To friends, to love - real love, the kind that sometimes can only be found with your friends." Lou interrupted

Vivien finished in true Viv style, with drama and flare.

"Here's to us. Here's to life and here's to the official publishing of When It Pours by Cara Villin!"