Page 12 of Never Too Late

Thankfully, with it not being term time for the students attending the nearby university, the pubs are quiet as they aren’t surrounded by drunken bodies dancing and shouting to one another.

The only time I'll enjoy being out with the guys is when I know it won’t be busy.

“Hi, I’ll have two beers and two waters please... Actually, make those two Diet Cokes. Party hard,” I asked the server.

Luckily, Isaac doesn’t drink alcohol either, so I’ve never felt the impulse of drinking when I’ve been around him. Like I once used to before joining the army. He’s shown me the meaning of having fun sober, and I’ve been able to enjoy myself more than I have in years. After securing the tray and slowly making my way back to the table, I noticed a group of guys from the corner of my eye – since I moved onto the barracks here, I’ve become used to seeing regular people and learning the names of familiar faces. But this group stands out.

“Pool?” Isaac suggests to which I reply with a nod of my head.

I’ve never been a fan of the game, but it passes time and I’ve noticed I’m good at it regardless.

After collecting the cues from behind the bar, the four of us make our way over to the table with Noah and Max arguing instantly over who’s first and who’s playing against who.

“I’ll take the winner...” A deep voice breaks through my focus. Not one I’m familiar with, heavily accented.

Automatically, I know the owner of the voice isn’t from around here and the most probable reason for that is that he is a student. Even though the UK is a small place, it’s obvious where people are from by the tone of their voices, especially with us being in the Midlands, and this is a strong northern accent, which isn’t what I’m used to hearing around here.

Before I'm able to reply, I find myself coughing multiple times, my drink going everywhere and the guys breaking into laughter.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to shock you. You, okay?” the deep voice asks.

“Yeah, um hey. Sure. You take the winner, that cool lads?” I reply timidly.

Max is the first one to speak up, obviously.

“Yeah, man! Bring it,” he squeals – his enthusiastic cockney twang could be heard from miles away.

That’s always been the one thing I’ve been jealous about when hanging out with the boys, how easy they find it to talk to other people, where most of the time, I enjoy keeping to myself.

“Cool. I’m Dax by the way, this is Isla and Ace. We’re just heading out for a smoke, but we’ll be back after.”

“Sweet, cool, yeah. I’m Jae. This is Isaac, Max, and Noah.”

Dax replies with a nod of the head and the most beautiful smile I have ever seen, and I can’t help but watch as he and his friends walk towards the door, unable to take my eyes away from the back of him as he makes his way outside.

“Jae, mate. Everything okay?” I hear Isaac say, coming up from behind me to join me at my side.

Without turning to face him, I keep my eyes on the door Dax and his friends walked out of.

“I’m fucked, Isaac. That’s what I am.”

“Yeah. It looks that way too, mate.” He laughs, squeezing my shoulder.

I blink away the memory after slowly getting under my duvet laid on top of my makeshift bed. I quickly fall asleep while staring up at the ceiling, playing the same images over and over in my mind and thinking of the same blue eyes while silently knowing that they will forever haunt my mind.

Chapter six

Jae

“When you’re back, I’m never letting you go back on tour again. I mean, I’m going to try anyway.”

It’s been almost two weeks since I moved into the new house, and I don’t think I'll ever be sick of the views from the bedroom window, or the sun which greets me every morning, instantly bringing me a feeling of serenity. The last few days have been filled with endless amounts of online shopping, half of which I don’t need. However, going from living in dorms on an army barrack to having my own space, I’m taking every chance I get to make sure this place feels like a home and not a bachelor pad.

Since the only form of interaction I’ve had apart from watching endless amounts of Grey’s Anatomy reruns is texting Isaac and Bee for the thousandth time that I’m okay, I decide to take another walk around the neighbourhood, taking advantage of the good weather. I have to repeatedly remind myself Jackson and Sloan will be there upon my return.

I’ve always been grateful for being introduced to this town. Living in barracks or being on tour didn’t allow me to really appreciate the world around me. Being here has allowed me to do that in such a short amount of time. Coastal views and green fields now surround me instead of destroyed buildings and debris. Even in the short amount of time I’ve been here, I understand the power this town has to make people feel so calm.

More importantly, I understand what it is about this town that made Dax feel so calm.

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