RECONCILE- J.B

11- 'You remembered'

'THEA!'

The word instantly woke me, my eyes struggling to open. "I'm up. I'm up. Damn could you be any louder?" I asked to Bella who was bouncing on the edge of my bed.

"I'm sorry, I just heard something and wanted to ask you about it." She traced her fingers along the flowery print of my bedspread and she fell silent and a small smile made it's way onto her lips. Ok now she had my attention, what did she know that I didn't?

"I'm waiting." I spoke back, eagerly waiting for her to start talking again.

"So I heard, which may or may not be true, that you KISSED a special someone last night. Again it may not be true, but my sources are very credible."

"Umm, I'm guessing Matt told you then?" I replied, running my hands down my face and seeing the smudges of left-over mascara creating little lines on my hand.

"Oh my god. I knew he wouldn't be able to keep his hands off of you. Tell me, tell me all about it." She instantly radiated the energy of a five year old and I was thankful in this moment that she wasn't judgy about what I did.

"We kissed. Once. That is all."

"Anddddd, there's more to it than that." She crawled to the open space next to me and laid her head on my stomach, with my fingers instantly threading through her hair.

"It was a heat of the moment thing. To not happen again in the foreseeable future." My thoughts drifted back to what I could remember from last night. My face flush with Joshs', hands intertwined and the feelings of it all hit me like a ton of bricks. "Andddd, I think I may still be in love with him."

"Well duh anyone can see that dummy, but he obviously still likes you for that to happen. Like major still likes you." Her smile was getting wider by the minute.

"I don't know. It happened and then the party carried on, I hardly spoke to him after."

"Maybe I should, about now, mention that he's called you about 10 times this morning and you've slept through every ring."  She bit her lip as she looked at my phone on my nightstand.

"What, and you didn't think to tell me this earlier?" My hands instantly flew out of Bella's hair and went to pick up my phone with it's broken phone case. And so be it, there were 10 missed calls from Josh and he'd even left a few messages. I climbed out of bed and made my way to the bathroom, dialing back Joshua straight away.

"Hey, you can't just leave me." She remarked from the edge of my bed and I mouthed 'phone' to her, which earnt a nod and her pointing to my door.

As soon as I stepped into the bathroom, my eyes flickered to my reflection in the mirror. I could still see the faint line of glitter on my eyelids. Without thinking, my hands traced the line of my lips that were on Joshua's last night and instantly butterflies hit my stomach.

"Hey! I thought you were never going to pick up." A familiar voice chuckled down the phone.

"Mornin' to you too Joshy." I remarked back, which earnt a husky laugh back. "Is there a reason to why you have called me ten times, and not just to tell me you love me?"

I could hear a pause in his breath down the other end of the line and I quickly realised what I'd just said. Too soon, maybe a bit too soon.

"Ummm, I was just going to ask if you wanted to meet for coffee this morning, that's if you're not doing anything. I've also got you something to make up for last night." I could hear his smile down the line and that intrigued me.

"I'm up for it. I've got nothing else planned."

"Ok, let's say 'The Hideaway' for ten. It's literally two blocks away from where your apartment is, but I'll send you directions anyway." He said, voice getting fainter down the line.

"I'll see you there. Bye Josh." I hung up the phone without waiting for a reply and ran straight to my closet.

I could feel the Bella's eyes sending questions into my back and so without pausing or turning around, I called out, "Josh wants to meet me for breakfast. What does this mean. What am I meant to wear. Oh my gosh, my cute dress is in the wash. I have nothing." I exhaled, arms falling limp to my sides.

"Ok, let's slow down. It's breakfast, no one looks drop dead gorgeous at breakfast." I felt her arm snake around my back and my head instinctively came down to rest on her shoulder, strands of her hair brushing my face.

"Hey how about this cute number?" The hand that wasn't wrapped around me reached out to my pink coat hangers and pulled out a white floral two piece. "Accesorize the hell out of this and gosh you'll look hot."

"Hey, do I not look hot?" I asked, taking the coat hanger out of her hands and turning around to face her.

"No you always look hot, just when you've washed last nights makeup off and brushed your hair. It's a mess, so good luck with that." I laughed at her comment and ran off to the bathroom to shower.

---

30 mins later and the clock read 9:45. Not bad. All I had to do was put on my rings and then I was ready. Bella had left to go grocery shopping but had sent me a motivational text that read 'you go get it girl!' , to which I replied with a laughing emoji and the girl with the hand. It did not help my nerves in the slightest, but it's the thought that counts.

I walked over to my dresser and put on my rings, smiling to myself in the small mirror I had perched there. It's just breakfast I thought. Nothing can go miserably bad, right?

---

The walk was only 5 minutes, so I was there a few minutes early. Early bird catches the worm I suppose. Despite living so close, I had never actually stepped foot in 'The Hideaway' and so was surprised to find the coffee shop busy, walls lined with colourful books and green flowers hanging from the ceiling. There was a range of brown leather couches and high seated tables dotted around the place, the whole aura of it feeling very cozy and almost homely. I think I liked it here.

I spotted Josh sat in the corner of the coffee shop on a worn sofa, eyes actively scanning the doorway area. I raised my hand and gave a small wave when his brown eyes met mine. I would be lying if I said my heart didn't flutter at the big grin he gave me back. I pointed toward the counter and then the him and he replied with the raise of his own hand beckoning me over to him and pointing at the table that was hidden out my view.

My nerves were increasing the closer I got to him, but when I looked down toward the table and saw my usual order of berry tea sat there with an almond croissant, I nearly burst into tears.

"You remembered?" I asked, surprised that he remembered the little things from years ago.

"Of course I did. A little secret is, when I left, I know I always said I would never try that disgusting tea, I tried it and surprisingly liked it! So it's my regular order when I feel like it." He shrugged, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He reached around the back of his sofa when I sat opposite him, and pulled out a bouquet of fresh pink roses.

"And these are for breaking your phone case last night. It's the closest thing I could get to pink." He said sheepishly.

I took the flowers out of his hands when he leant over the table, and smelt the sweetness of the petals.

"How are they going to protect my phone?" I asked, laughing slightly, and laid them down next to me.

"Yeah, I'm working on that one."

We both laughed together and as our eyes met everything came rushing back once more. Yep, I was right this morning, I'm still head over heels for this boy.

I sipped my tea, eyes peering over the large coffee cup, as awkwardness settled over us.

"So about last night..." Josh spoke up after a minute or so.

And here it was.