Eyes full of stars | ✔️

Chapter 16: I won't let you go

"And if there's love just feel it

And if there's life we'll see it

This is no time to be alone, alone yeah

I won't let you go"

-James Morrison

*

"Can you tell me where we are going, please?" I asked for the tenth time, as Felicity drove through the busy streets of London. She had dragged me out of bed at six in the morning and pushed me inside the car she had borrowed from her brother, giving me enough time to go to the bathroom and change clothes only.

"You'll see" she replied, half of her face covered by her huge sunglasses.

"I should have killed you for waking me up on Saturday morning" I mumbled, arranging my cashmere wrap around my shoulders. It was cold, even for English mid-May standards, but the sun was already shining.

"You won't have the strength for doing that before you drink some coffee" Felicity pointed out. "And your killer instinct will die as soon as you hold a hot cup of coffee in your hands, trust me."

I snorted and closed my eyes, which I couldn't keep open even though I was wearing sunglasses too. When I opened them again a minute later, I noticed something familiar in the area where Felicity was slowing down the car.

White houses, black railings, small park full of trees.

"Is this Sebastian's home?" I whispered, lifting my sunglasses to have a better look.

"You tell me" she said, turning the wheel. Then she moved her chin towards something. "Look."

I turned towards the direction she indicated, that was, of course, Sebastian's front door. I gasped, Toby was sitting on the staircase, a book in his hands, three Starbucks paper cups on the floor on his left and a duffel bag on his right. He raised his head and Felicity pulled over just in front of him.

"There you are" he smiled, standing up. He took his bag and put it in the trunk very quickly, then he grabbed the paper cups and sat down in the backseat cheerfully saying "Good morning!"

I glared at him, then at Felicity. "What the fuck is going on here?"

"Did you really think that your friends would have given you a crappy birthday?" Felicity said, driving away. "No way, baby."

Toby put Felicity's hot tea in the cup holder and handed me one of the other paper cups. "Latte for you, right?" 

There was written "Birthday Girl" on it and that made me smile. I looked him straight in the eye and thanked him. He smiled back and put on his own sunglasses.

What a lovely start of my day.

***

After a long journey, we finally arrived to our destination... Kent!

On the road, I learned that Felicity and Toby had sort of conspired with each other all week to surprise me for my birthday. We were about to spend the weekend in a dreamy bed & breakfast in the middle of nowhere, all paid by the two of them. I was so happy that, when we pulled over in the accommodation facility yard, I rushed out of the car and squeezed them both.

The place was really dreamy and romantic. A medium-size mansion surrounded by meadows and woods, flowers scattered everywhere, there was a fountain too. We checked-in and went to our rooms to freshen up for dinner. We girls shared a double room, Toby's room was just across the corridor.

Felicity had also packed for me in secret, inside my suitcase I found all the prettiest clothes and shoes that I owned. After a quick shower, I put on a peach and low-cut sundress she had given me the previous year and yellow open-toe shoes that matched with the little flowers of the dress. Felicity picked white skinny trousers and a navy blue and white striped blouse, crimson high heels at her feet.