Give Me Back Your Heart

Chapter Eleven

"She's nice," I said as I curled up on the couch feeling a little cold, "yeah," he said a little distantly, I could see something like doubt, "what's wrong?" I asked, he looked up at me, "just thinking how easy it is to talk to you.  It feels like yesterday since I last saw you, not years..." 

I nodded, "yeah, I know what you mean," I said.

"It's so weird, I never thought I'd be in this situation..."

"What situation?" I asked, not completely understanding.

"I never thought we'd ever split up, let alone think about you with another guy... It's just... weird!"

I laughed, "Oh, that situation?" I said, "No, I didn't either," I said, and I wasn't sure that I liked it, but there was nothing we could do about it.

"I really missed having you around, Cass," he said, I grinned, "so did I," I admitted.

"Matt, I'm sleepy," I said after a while, "not surprised," he said with a smile, "wanna come and watch the sun?" 

I nodded enthusiastically, getting up and following him back up the stairs, "do you think we've missed it?" I asked as we walked up, "I don't think so," he said pulling me behind him.  I laughed as he broke into a run as soon as we got to the top of the stairs to the eastern side, through one of the rooms and out onto the balcony.

It was a little chilly as we sat there, but with his arm around my shoulders I felt warm and happy.  It had been an eternity since I'd felt as happy as I did at that moment, realizing just how much his presence made a difference to everything my life meant.  We hardly spoke as we sat there, it seemed we were both on guard, it seemed funny that I was scared of forgetting myself, I mean, look at what happened earlier on, that was normal to us both, I wouldn't admit it to anyone but my feelings hadn't changed at all, if anything they'd intensified by our separation.  I wondered how on Earth I'd be able to control my actions and my words to those of a friend to a friend... I sighed which broke the silence, "that was a big sigh," he whispered which made me smile, "well it stopped me from yawning!" I said.  Once again we fell quiet almost as if we didn't want anything to ruin such a perfect moment...

The sun came up, but I found myself looking at Matt more that I looked at the spectacular view.

"Are you asleep?" he asked after a while, "nope!" I said, "just a little tired, aren't you?"

"A little," he said, "do you want me to run you back?"

"If you could, I've got a busy day ahead of me."

"But it's Saturday!"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean much to me, the only difference is that I don't have to go into work!" I said, pulling a face.

"So what are you working on now?" he asked.

"Oh, my firm's suing another!" I said, "should be fun. [i]Not![/i]"

"You're a lawyer?" 

"Um... Yes.  Didn't you know?" I asked, surprised.

"No, you didn't tell me, and I had more important things to ask you."

I grinned, "well I became a lawyer, I mean I studied in London, but I missed being here so much that I came back here to work."

What had happened was that I'd been so depressed without him that after two years of waiting for him to come back I went to New York where one of my old friends worked. I got sent to London to study Law after I'd applied for a scholarship.

I met Derrick there and we came back within a few months of each other.  That was when I gave up waiting for Matt and agreed to go out with him. 

I told him about why I was so reluctant thinking that he might get the wrong idea; that I was playing mysterious... I had been, and was still tangled up in the past.

I'd lost contact with all my old friends, and I'd been too lost to look for them.

After meeting Matt again I suddenly felt excited about contacting them all again. 

Subconsciously I'd come back to try and find him after I'd heard that he'd come back, never really expecting to, yet always on the lookout.  You can only imagine the thrill of hearing him call my name, the sudden rush of electricity that made me light headed, knocking the air out of my lungs. It was a feeling I'd never forget if I lived a million years.

"I was scared that you'd have forgotten me, or wouldn't want to remember me," I said out loud, which wasn't my intention.  

***

He wanted to tell her that what they had was special and no matter how many years would go by he'd never be able to forget her, nor forget anything she'd said to him, the way she reacted, the way she could make him feel.  

He remembered everything and the only thing he had forgotten was the way everything seemed simple when she was around, the way they could just talk for hours and ever get bored.  The way it was comfortable sitting there, the newly risen sun making her face glow. 

He felt as if nothing had changed, she certainly hadn't, she was still the girl he'd thought would be his forever. Now she was someone else's.  Just the thought of another guy holding her the way he wished he could made him almost jealous. 

"Don't be silly!" he said grinning, not saying anything else for fear of letting too much out into the open; he didn't want to complicate things for either of them. 

After all it was only that afternoon they'd met, in any usual situation he knew it would take ages to get to know someone if they hadn't met in two years let alone ten, but perhaps because he'd known Cassandra for so long, so well, maybe because she hadn't changed at all it was so easy to talk and to discover everything about her. 

He could sense that she wasn't happy.

*******

I laughed as he said that, "I didn't mean to say that," I confessed, "anyway, I'd really love to sit around and talk, but when I start to say stuff I'm thinking, it's a sign to get some rest, so could you run me back?"

"Sure, but on one condition,"

"Depends what the condition is." I said getting up, "that you'll stop by tomorrow if you're not busy,"

I smiled, "sure, I've got billiard lessons, remember?"

He laughed, "yeah, sure.  So want me to pick you up?"

"Nah, don't worry," I said as I got in the car.

"I don't mind."

"We'll see, gimme a ring when you're free,"

"Free all day!" he said easily without hesitation, which made me laugh. It also told me that perhaps he wanted to meet up as soon as possible, just as I did.  "I'll take that as a compliment," I said.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ten minutes later we were back in front of my house which looked minute compared to Matt's enormous mansion, but it was my home and I was proud of it. 

Besides, I'd get seriously lonely in a huge house, not to mention scared!

“Got your phone on you?” he asked, “yeah, why?” 

“Wanna make sure you have my numbers”

I smiled, and handed him my cell letting him save them under his name, “cell number, home and work, so no excuses for not calling!”

I grinned at him, "you've got mine, haven't you?" I asked before I got out. 

"Yep.”

"Wanna come in?" I asked, not entirely believing that I wasn't in a very realistic dream that was coming to an end.

"Nah, we'll end up talking and you really look like you need to get some rest.  You look exhausted!"

I laughed as he walked me up to my door, I turned and hugged him tightly, "It's so great to have you back," he told me, smiling a little. "It's been really great seeing you," I said, "and although it's been a while, you really haven't changed a bit!"

He laughed and kissed my cheek, "yeah, neither have you!  I'll call you later," he said as I opened the door. 

"Night!" he said, "Morning!" I answered as he walked back to the car, waving as he pulled out; I waved back and watched until he'd disappeared into the morning.

***