Always You

Chapter 2

{Layla}

I'm pulling up to park when my phone starts ringing. With the engine turned off I pull out the noisy device. Display reading 'Jonesy'. Well, this is unexpected.

"Well, if it isn't my missing roommate. You're still alive then?"

His deep chuckle flows down the line. "Hey Rugger." Max 'Jonesy' Jones says. We'd been roommates since he moved to our station three years ago. I'd bought the house shortly after moving to the area and had the spare room. Tired of coming home alone I started renting the room out. Jonesy and I bonded quickly and thanks to our different shifts the situation worked. Jonesy was a part of blue crew whereas I was red. We were the better crew.

We were already ships passing in the night most of the time but for the last few months it's gotten worse. Practically the only time I see him these days are during the shift swap. He'd been dating this girl for over a year but recently it seems to have gotten a lot more serious.

"So, what's up butty?" Even though he has the most Welsh surname ever Jonesy was actually English. Therefore, we take every opportunity to wind-up the foreigner. Calling him only by his surname, saying butty instead of mate. Every now and then he'll respond with an eyeroll but for the most part he takes it on the chin. That's part of being a firefighter, you develop a dark sense of humour that only another person in the service understands. You spend your whole shift with your crew so they become your family. I gained a lot of brothers when I joined up. All of them have the annoying quality down pat.

"I wanted to see if we could arrange a time to meet up on one of your off days. I'll cook." He propositions.

"Are you asking me on a date Jonesy? Because your nice but you just aren't my type."

"Darling my cooking could convert a nun." He boasts. I'll give him that his cooking is good. Every firefighter is expected to take a turn cooking among the other chores we complete around the station. No gender roles assigned in that department, everyone chips in.

After checking no-one is coming down the road, I climb out the car. Locking it and moving to the safety of the pavement before carrying on the conversation.

"Well, I'm on nights today and tomorrow but Monday should be fine. Any time from the afternoon onwards is fine with me."

"Great, I'll prepare us a feast for tea."

"Sounds good. What's this for anyway?" I ask.

"Oh. Well. I'll talk to you Monday. I've got to go now. Bye." He says, hanging up on me.

Strange. That was very evasive, leading me to believe there are a possibility of three things he wants to talk about on Monday.

One, he's moving in with Nat, his girlfriend. Well officially moving in, he practically lives there now anyway. Two, he's going to propose to Nat. They do have a strong relationship; people have gotten married in less time. And thirdly, he's knocked her up. Of course, all three of these have the possibility of crossing over. He may tell me all three are true. In which case I better practise my surprised face.

Any way I look at it, it seems like number one will be coming true, which means I may need to start looking for a new roommate.

Putting my phone away I turn towards caffi lleol and see her. The one. The first girl I kissed. The first girl I fell in love with.

The one I let get away.

"Meg?" I feel like I whisper it but the beauty in front of me stops. "Meghan Carter?"

She turns slowly to face me and I get my first real glimpse of the girl I haven't seen in ten years. Here she stands in front of me, no longer a girl but a woman. All the old feeling come rushing back. Why did I ever let her go?