The One That Got Away Read Online Free Page A

spent together reminded me of the feelings I’d once had for her. It wasn’t the easiest subject for us to discuss, but I felt we’d needed to talk about our past.
    Things got a bit strained between us when I admitted I’d made a mistake and how I’d almost turned up at her door, begging forgiveness. When she asked why I hadn’t, my excuse was lame and we fell out of touch for a while, until Sam began arranging the reunion. Heidi had contacted me then, and we hadn’t stopped talking since.
    Knowing I had at least four hours until I reached London, I pulled out my phone and opened up my instant messaging app. Call it masochistic, or even paranoia, but I wanted to revisit our conversations to see if there was something between the lines. Anything to tell me how it would be appropriate to act when I saw her again.
     
    S. I’m surprised you accepted my friend request.
     
    H. Why wouldn’t I?
     
    S. Well . . .
     
    H. That was a long time ago. Besides, I’m a bit shocked you remember me.
     
    S. That’s just ridiculous. How could I ever forget you? ;)
     
    I’d gone back too far, back to the very beginning, but I didn’t scroll forward. Seeing the two of us reconnecting on the screen in front of me, made me smile. Ignoring the world around me, I carried on reading.
     
    H. Sometimes I wish I’d done the uni thing after school.
     
    S. You would have loved it, and all those guys falling over themselves to buy you a drink at the Union.
     
    H. Ahhh, I bet that was your signature move, back in the day.
     
    S. ‘back in the day?’ You make me sound ancient. I’m not much older than you, remember?
     
    H. I remember, and I also noticed you didn’t answer my question.
     
    S. Not ignoring, merely avoiding, for fear of dredging up embarrassing memories. I wasn’t the silver-tongued lothario you seem to think I was.
     
    H. Somehow, I don’t believe you. Eighteen, away from home, and surrounded by other eighteen year old bundles of hormones. The words ‘revolving doors’ spring to mind.
     
    S. Hardly. Yeah, I played around a little bit. Who wouldn’t?
     
    H. I didn’t.
     
    S. Well, it didn’t last too long. Mel made sure of that.
     
    My smile faltered as I remembered that was the conversation I’d admitted to Heidi about how much regret I’d lived with after breaking things off with her. Following that up with her questions about Mel and my own about Jason. Not wanting to relive that awkwardness, I scrolled down a bit further.
     
    H. Hey yu!
     
    S. Hi. How are you?
     
    H. I’m gooood. Wine feells great.
     
    S. Miss Johnson, are you drunk?
     
    H. Mayyyybeeee. What gav it away?
     
    S. Your abysmal spelling is a big clue.
     
    H. Nuthing wrong with my spells. I passed English.
     
    S. Sure.
     
    H. Hav yu heard bout the runion?
     
    S. What reunion?
     
    H. Sam Walker orgnisin it. Cant member when, but it wud be good if you came.
     
    S. You gonna make me?
     
    H. If you want me too. ;)
     
    S. Want isn’t quite a strong enough term.
     
    H. Shane Hughes, are you flirting with me?
     
    S. Oh, the spelling’s corrected itself suddenly.
     
    H. Shut up! You have a hapy knack of avoiding questions.
     
    S. What do you want me to say? Do you want me to tell you how much I want you to make me come? Not just to the reunion.
     
    H. Yeah, I do.
     
    That was the first time we moved beyond harmless flirting. I got completely caught up in the moment, but soon felt guilty about living with Mel, yet having virtual sex with my ex-girlfriend. Not guilty enough to stop me doing it again, and getting off on it, though.
     
     
     

Chapter Two

     
    Heidi:
    Our pre-ordered taxi arrived on time, and we were soon on our way. My nerves started to kick in while we rode across a darkening London. For all my bluster on the phone with Angela and Samantha about showing any exes—read: Shane—what they’d missed out on, the thought of coming face-to-face with him at last made me tremble. I'd been chatting with Shane via