bound to happen | complete

chapter thirty four | i love him

M E L A N I E   L E I G H T O N

"KIDS!" MY FATHER yells up the stairs. My bedroom door is open so I don't leave my bed. "We're going down the pub, you don't have to come, but if you are, start getting ready, we're leaving in an hour!"

Excitement boils in me. A reason to drink, there's nothing better than a Saturday down the pub.

I bounce off my bed and into my bathroom, quickly showering before rushing around my room trying to find an outfit. I don't really care what I wear, I just need it to be clean.

Picking up a pair of jeans, and a small top, I throw that on, with a dark blue Adidas jacket. Checking it looks okay, I take the jacket back off and start doing my hair and makeup.

I dry my hair and quickly run over it with the straighteners to take away any frizz. Applying my usual mascara, blush, concealer under my eyes to hide the redness from all the crying and no sleep because of that recurring dream, and lipgloss.

I add on my extra jewellery, small hoops, necklace and rings, my usual bracelets already on.

I grab my jacket and turn everything in my room off, leaving and meeting the rest of my family down at the bottom of the stairs. Everyone seems to be going, see, I told you, Saturday pub nights are the best.

❦ ❦ ❦

SATURDAY PUB NIGHTS are no longer the best. It was all good until we got here. He's here.

All of his friends are here. Iwan, Harry, Ollie, Dafydd and Tom. They're all in their usual seats.

The moment we walked in, Ben offered them a wave, but my eyes locked on him. He watched me the whole way in, as I followed my family to the other side of the pub.

I so badly wanted to walk over there and kiss him. Apologise for everything and tell him I didn't mean anything I said. But he must hate me now. I've been a complete bitch to him.

I sit down on the long table, sat beside Ben and Troy, Leilani and Dewi sit in front of me, colouring in the booklet that they give out. I'm not drinking tonight, I can't.

Not with him here. I'll do something stupid like admit my undying love or something.

Ben sits back down in his chair and passes me my coke. I thankfully take it and let the cold liquid cool me down.

"Mels?" My sister calls. I look up to see her holding her belly.

"What's up?" I ask, my eyes softening in on her. I don't want her to think I'm annoyed at her.

"I need a wee. Can you take me?" She asks and I nod. Standing up from the table i meet her at the end and take her hand.

Pushing her out in front of me, I hold onto her shoulders as I walk her through the crowds towards the bathrooms. The bathrooms which I forget are by their table. Fuck.

I keep my head straight as I direct her, but just when I think we've made it past them, I hear my name. "Hey, Mellie."

"Hi, Iwan." I offer him a smile as I turn. He obviously knows what's happened, but there's no bad blood there on my behalf.

Quickly escaping into the bathroom, I stand outside Lani's door keeping my foot underneath so she knows I'm still here.

We finish up in the bathroom and leave, only this time I lock eyes with Carter. He offers me a small smile, I return it, but say nothing. Quickly spinning around and walking back to the table with Leilani.

Instead of sitting down, I go over to the bar and wait for Maddie to come. "Hey, Mellie. What can I do for you?"

"Vodka and Coke please, Mads." I smile up at her as she looks down.

"Rough day?" She questions, tapping away on the tablet behind the bar. God you have no idea how happy I am Maddie's related to Jess right now.

"You could say that." I laugh, passing her the money when she passes my drink to me. "Thanks."

I make my way back over to table and sit down. Taking a big sip of the drink and letting the alcohol sink in. Yeah, I'm going to need a few more of these tonight.

❦ ❦ ❦

FOUR HOURS LATER, a whole load of alcohol and many more bathroom breaks for the kids. The pub is almost empty. It's about eleven PM now so everyone's filling out. Not us though.

My dad met with a fan and has been talking with them for the last hour, Ben is on his phone texting away. Dewi is passed out on the sofa a couple seats away. Eilonwyn is asleep on the chairs, jacket covering her. And all the other kids are dancing around the bar.

Myself included with Leilani dancing beside me. Holding hands.

Mr Brightside is playing loudly on the speakers as we dance and for some reason I pay extra attention to the lyrics. I love this song and I could sing it for hours and hours without getting a single word wrong. But for some reason, I'm really listening to it tonight.

"It started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this? it was only a kiss, it was only a kiss!" Gets to me the most. As I dance, it comes to me

I think of the last few weeks. How much I fucked up, how if I had just listened to him instead of thinking of Connor things may have been different.

He was my best friend.

It wasn't 'only a kiss' it was a lot more than a fucking kiss. It was a lot more. I started falling for him. Fast and hard.

No. I have fallen for him. He's taken my heart and fucking ran with it.

And now he's gone. He left and he probably hates me, but I don't hate him. I love him.

I love him and I want him and I want to be with him and-

Holy shit.

I love him.

Oh, of course I love him.

I'm too drunk for this, I need to sit down before I do something stupid. And I really feel like doing something stupid.

Jesus, where's Jess when I need her?

AUTHOR SPEAKS !!

wow. So now Mellie has had the breakthrough and all it took was a vodka and coke??

This chapter and the next are short but that's only because the one after is going to be, well, something you've all been waiting for...

I really hope you're all enjoying this book and I'll see you in the next,

Love you always

- kbabyyx