Chapter 10 – Who Are You?
Luke – 22 years old
I ’ve been trying to decipher my nerves on the trip over to Harpsden.
Good nerves or bad? Most people assume being nervous is a bad thing. I’ve always liked to put a positive spin on things.
My heart rate has slowly picked up momentum over the last hour. The sickly feeling and the knotting in my stomach build up each minute I get closer to my destination. I’m scared. So much time has passed, and there’s so much riding on what happens next. The fear of the unknown lingers around me like a dark night’s sky. But beneath all that, I have excitement. My hands tap the steering wheel along to the beat of the music, and the smile hasn’t left my face since I drove away from Nana’s party.
This could end badly, or this could end up being everything I’ve dreamt about. Every argument with my father, every time I’ve helped my brother out from whatever gutter he’s got himself into. Every late-night breakdown I’ve heard coming from my mother’s room. It could’ve been part of the process, part of fight to get to where I need to be in life.
Today marks the day of no more regrets.
My old hometown is only two and a half hours away from my home in London. The number of times I sat in my running car over the years, wanting more than anything to return to that sleepy hollow and take back what was once mine. Then Hadley’s voice would come to me and remind me of what would happen if I didn’t do this the right way.
Technically, I haven’t done it the way I planned, but Nana and Liam were right. If I didn’t get out of there now, I was never getting out. I countered I could just end Dad’s empire once I took over, but Liam had informed me Dad had put in measures to stop that from happening since I’d threatened it before.
As much as I wanted to be there to flip him the bird when he attempted his big reveal, my twin was right. Dad is not stupid, and he must have found a loophole to stop me from fucking up his life’s work. It would take me years to find it and work around it.
I have no idea if Hadley still lives in Harpsden or if she’s moved on and gotten married. She might even have a kid or two. If she does, then I have my answer. If the gods are on my side and she hasn’t, then it’s show time. I swear to the younger me who wanted this moment all those years ago I’ll work the hardest I ever have to win her back. I’ll prove to her exactly how lonely and miserable I’ve been without her.
I will show her every day how much I love her.
After formulating a plan of action, I have come up with a plan A and plan B.
PLAN A - Hadley has not moved on …
Move into a cheap apartment.
Find a job.
Fight every day for her heart.
Plan B – Hadley moved on …
Drive to Scotland
Start fresh.
Remove all parts of Hadley from my life. (Get rid of photos)
First, I need to find out which plan I’ll be implementing. I pull up across the street of Hadley’s parents’ house, which is only a few doors down from my old home and sit in my truck sipping the last of my cappuccino and watching kids run around the front lawn. It reminds me of Liam and me when we were that age. I smile at the tree that is still there and the rope swing I put up with the help from one of Dad’s friends. The little girl places the doll she had in her hand onto the swing and gently pushes it back and forth.
It’s the strangest feeling how everything has changed but has stayed the same too. I look up towards the house I used to call a home, and it looks the same. Yet you’ve not lived there in six years.
Shaking my head, I turn to Hadley’s home. At least her parents still live there. It’s covered in the same Christmas decorations I grew up watching Mr. Jones put up every year. They were always the first to put them up on the street. Mainly because Hadley and Margo had their dad wrapped around their fingers and loved Christmas so much.
As the sun sets and night takes over, the house lights up, twinkling multi-colours around the roof. The tree in the front lawn is lit up with handmade baubles the girls made as they were growing up.
Giving myself one last pep talk, I open the car door and make my way across the street. As I open the small gate at the bottom of Hadley’s home, three small boys appear at my side. Stepping back, I eye them, and they look identical? Triplets maybe?
“Who are you?” the middle kid asks.
Smirking, I ask, “Who are you?” Then I told my arms across my chest, and the three boys mirror my movements, and we have standoff for a few minutes.
Then the one on my left points to himself. “I’m Ozzy.” Then he points to the one in the middle, who hasn’t broken eye contact with me yet. “This is Oliver,” then he smacks the baseball hat down onto the third kid’s head, letting me know it’s Oscar before laughing. It isn’t long before all three are laughing and fighting.
I stand in the middle to break them up and realise I made a big mistake when they turn their attack from each other to me. Laughing as small, clenched hands hit my legs, arms, and stomach.
The three hooligans stop attempting to end me when a sweet voice calls out, “Hey, Satan’s kids, knock it off, don’t hurt the strange man.”
I turn slowly to see Margo walking towards us. Wow , she looks like Hadley. Only difference between them is they’re hair colour. Margo’s naturally blonde like their mum, and Hadley’s is dark like their dad’s.
Recognition crosses her face as she steps closer, her eyebrows raise, then turn down, and she smiles but covers it by pinching her lips together. I cannot figure out what she might be thinking.
“We’ve asked him who he is, but then he asked us who we are, weirdo.” I step back and scowl at the little shit as Margo laughs.
“It’s okay, Oliver, I know who he is.” Margo grins and winks at me while she ruffles Oliver’s hair, making his cheeks turn red.
Rubbing my hand across my stubbled chin, I ask, “You do?” It is almost a whisper, so I don’t know if she heard me.
“Of course I do. I’d be a pretty shitty sister if I didn’t.” My eyes fly open at her admission; the possibilities and meanings of her words bring a surge of hope, and I can’t help but to return the smile to her.
Oliver asks, “Who are you?” while poking me in the stomach with his finger.
Covering my mouth with my hand to hide a laugh, I reach out with my other for him to shake. “Luke Walters.” He looks up at me, then down at my hand as Margo whispers for him to shake it. He grumbles, then relents.
“Ozzy, Oscar, Ollie, time for bath and bed,” a woman shouts from down the road.
“Hurry, go, be gone, you smelly gremlins,” Margo teases as she kisses each of their heads. They hurry down the road in a sprint.
“Do they live far?” I ask, pointing down the street, slightly concerned for their safety at this time of night. Although, I dare any mugger to take on those three at once.
“Yeah, they live right there, it’s okay. This street is safe. Not much has changed since you left.” I follow her line of sight, and the boys greet a woman at the end of the road, making her laugh at whatever they said before running up the driveway.
“Anyway, you want a cup of tea. It’s just me and Mum tonight. Dad’s out with his friends, and Hadley’s at the farm.” When I hesitate, she adds, “Hads will not be back until half nine so you’re safe to be here for an hour or so.”
If I can find out information from Margo and Mrs. Jones, then I will know what my plan of attack is before I see Hadley for the first time.
Nodding, I follow Margo inside.