“Wish me luck.”
“You don’t need it, just go”
“Good luck!” Jake grabbed Elise hugging her before pouting at Nate.
Elise set off across the busy concourse. A few times she felt herself pushed off course and hand to stop to stand on tiptoes to check she was still on track to intersect Gwen. Gwen in the meantime was checking her watch, worrying her friends wouldn’t make it in time to say goodbye to her. She had cried earlier at the thought of leaving, her mum had held her and told her that once she was back in New York she would find it easier. Kristal had been happy to hear she was coming back, joking that it had cost her a fortune in takeaways with no one to cook for her. Gwen pulled out her phone and called Nate.
“Where are you?”
“We will be there in a few minutes, don’t panic.”
Gwen had just slipped her phone back into her bag when she looked up to see Elise stood in front of her.
“Hi, I just rung Nate guessing the boys need the bathroom.”
“Hi, yeah something like that. Listen there is something I need to say. That night…”
“Honestly, you don’t need to say anything, I shouldn’t have sprung something like that on you, its fine.”
“No, you don’t understand. I never meant... I didn’t know how… Oh fuck it. Gwen, I love you. I always have, it was just the timing that upset me.”
She reached up and pulled Gwen towards her. Her lips found Gwen’s, they resisted for only a moment before a hand tangled in her hair pulling her in deepening the kiss. Time stopped and the people around them disappeared, in that moment they existed in their own perfect bubble. It was Gwen who slowly pulled back, her breathing heavy with desire. She became aware of Nate and Jake stood beside them both of them with huge smiles on their faces and happy tears running down their faces. Just at that moment the voice over the speakers announced that it was time for her to go.
“No! I can’t go now!”
“Yes, you can. Have a safe flight and call me when you get home, we can talk then and it’s only a couple of weeks before you come back. We have the rest of our lives to work things out.”
“I’ll call you when I get back to New York, but this is home, it always has been I just never realised it. Everything I need is here. I love you all.”
After hugging Nate and Jake she grabbed Elise giving her one more kiss before heading through the gate, it was going to be a long couple of weeks but then she would be home again and soon she would find away to come home for good.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in Leeds, currently living in Huddersfield, Paula Acton is many things, an author, a mother to two amazing kids, grandmother to two gorgeous little people, and a slave to a dog, and a cat. She also has two horses which she claims are cheaper and more effective than therapy.
She has a tendency to write fantasy with a dark twist but also writes the occasional romance after success in various anthologies trying out different genres.
When not writing she can frequently be found wandering around randomly with her camera or with her headphones in listening to True Crime Podcasts.
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YEARBOOK BY STACEY BROADBENT
A SHORT STORY
Ballbreaker. That’s what they called her, because she was good at taking the prosecution by the balls and bringing them to their knees. Kate spent her days defending criminals and getting them off Scott free. She didn’t like to say it was her calling, but it took a certain type of person to be able to put their morals aside and do such a thing, and Kate excelled at it. She prided herself in being the smartest in the room. Always. She had to be at the top of her game every single day. She had to show them she wasn’t a pushover, and she wasn’t one to play games. Cross her, and you’d know about it.
But today… today was a day she wished she wasn’t so good at her job. Today was a day she’d regret forever.
Pulling into the garage, she let the car idle while she stretched her neck side-to-side. The courthouse chairs are not known for their comfort, and she couldn’t wait to get inside and let the overstuffed cushions of her couch envelop her. She switched the car off and grabbed her briefcase from the passenger seat. After unlocking the front door, she threw her keys into the bowl on the armoire, then double checked each of the deadbolts were pulled and locked. Kicking her shoes off, she padded through to her bedroom, unzipping her tapered skirt as she went. Her sweatpants were calling her, as was a large glass of pinot gris.
With some smooth jazz playing on the stereo, Kate grabbed her laptop and sat on the couch. She pushed the screen up and pressed the button to boot it up. While she waited, she poured herself a much-needed wine and sat back. It had been a rough day. One she was desperate to put behind her.
We find the defendant, not guilty, Your Honour.