Part Eleven

                                    

                                          
After about ten minutes of crying in the toilet, I sorted myself out and headed back to the studio room.
                          
"Did you get lost on the way back?" Kieran laughed as I walked in.
                          
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." I sighed, slumping down on the chair opposite him. Kieran was one of the first people I'd met when I moved to London last year and we'd grown incredibly close. I even told him about Aston.
                          
"Serena, you know you can tell me if something's bothering you." He said with a sweet, caring smile.
                          
"I saw Aston." I mumbled.
                          
"No way!"
                          
"Yep, he just sent me flying in the corridor," I laughed slightly, Kieran frowned "It's not what you're thinking, I was on my phone and wasn't looking where I was going."
                          
"Did he say anything?"
                          
"Nope, we just stared at each other then I ran off to the toilets without a word said," I sighed again, "Knowing my luck, he won't remember me. I'm not the same person I was five years ago."
                          
"You should've said something to him." Kieran said, here comes one of his lectures.
                          
"I was scared and nervous! I haven't seen him for five years and all of a sudden he appears out of no where!"
                          
"Okay calm down, let's take your mind off it and talk release dates."
                          
~*~
                          
I was heading down the corridor on my way to the elevator when I felt someone tap my shoulder.
                          
"Excuse me," I turned round, only to be met with the same brown eyes from earlier.
                          
"Oh, hi." I smiled, he really did look like he didn't remember me at all.
                          
"Do I know you from somewhere? You look really familiar." He asked.
                          
"Well I'm in the press a lot recently?" I decided to act coy about it in hope that he'd figure it out without any hints.
                          
"It's not that, have I met you before?" He genuinely looked so confused.
                          
"Hmm maybe, but if you can't remember it's cool." I turned back and began making my way to the elevator, pressing the button and waiting for it to reach my floor.
                          
"I think I've figured it out," he appeared beside me, looking straight into my eyes as I turned to face him. "Serena?"
                          
My insides flipped, he actually managed to remember me!
                          
"Yep." I whispered, I could feel a lump in my throat as I fought back the tears. The doors of the elevator pinged open and I hastily walked in, pressing the G button.
                          
"Wait!" Aston shouted, stopping the doors from closing and joining me in the lift. "Is it really you?" I nodded, staring down at the floor. I felt him turn me round a bit to face him, then he cupped my cheeks. I took a chance and looked up at him.
                          
"You're more beautiful than I remember." He whispered, studying my face. Luckily the doors pinged open at the ground floor.
                          
"Goodbye Aston." With that, I left.
                          
"When will I see you again?" Aston asked, following me out.
                          
"I don't know."
                          
"I've missed you." As happy as I was for finally seeing him again, everything he was saying was really overwhelming me and it didn't take long for the tears to return.
                          
"Please can round to mine tomorrow, we need to talk." I nodded. He then asked for my number which I gladly gave him before we went our separate ways.
                          
~*~
                          
The next afternoon, I made my way to Aston's. He'd text me his address earlier today and I roughly knew the area.
                          
I pulled up at his house after the short journey, slid out of my car,headed to the front door and rang the doorbell. Aston answered within seconds and greeted me inside.
                          
"Make yourself comfortable in the lounge, do you want a drink?"
                          
"Just water please." I said, heading into the lounge and sitting down on one of the big leather sofas. A few moments later, Aston came in and handed me my drink.
                          
"So.."
                          
"So.."
                          
"How've you been?" He asked.
                          
"I've been good, you?"
                          
"Good, and same for me." There was an awkward tension between us, which made me feel uncomfortable.
                          
"Are you still with Ryan?" I shook my head.
                          
"Nope, not for the last two years thankfully." I sighed.
                          
"What happened?"
                          
"He didn't believe I could make it in the industry so I broke up with him. I'd been with him for five years! My mum hated me for a while for doing so, she sided with him when it came to opinions towards my career. She got over it, eventually."
                          
"I always thought he was a complete arse tell you the truth." We both laughed at what he said.
                          
"He was a decent person right at the start but then he just... I don't know, changed? He wasn't the one I naïvely fell in love with when I was thirteen." I admitted, it felt weird saying I was in love with Ryan, that changed by the time I was old enough to know what love was.
                          
"Did he ever find out about us?" Aston asked, shifting in his seat.
                          
"No, and to this day he still thinks he was my first." Aston's face dropped, I guess him knowing that Ryan had touched me the same way he had five years ago hurt him, especially after how quickly he fell for me on the ship. That first time must've meant so much to him, at least it meant a lot to me.
                          
"What about you? You seeing anyone?" Aston just shook his head, tears lining his eyes, I made a mental note not to bring up that conversation again.
                          
After an hour of talking and getting to know each other again, the doorbell rang through the house.
                          
"Shit," Ast mumbled, "I'll be back in a sec." He stood up and headed out if the lounge. I could hear him talking to someone, laughing along with whatever was being said. A few moments passed and I heard him close the door before making his way back to the lounge. He appeared in the doorway, and not long after a young girl was stood beside him. She was the spitting image of Aston, cute light brown curls, light mixed skin tone and the most gorgeous brown puppy eyes I've ever seen. Safe to say I was shocked as I glanced from Aston to the girl and back again.
                          
"I guess I've got some explaining to do." He sighed, sitting down opposite me and pulling the young girl onto his lap. "Where should I start?"
                          
"The beginning."
                          
"Okay, here goes..."