Outside after the service, he stood with Emily who was talking to him excitedly. Yet he still felt distracted and he continued to look around for Charlie, but he couldn’t see her anywhere. He tried to engage himself in conversation with people, and he stood for a while making polite chit chat with Bex’s parents while Emily held his hand tightly as though to remind him that he was there with her.
It was only when he was stood talking and laughing with Rich, as the photographer took photographs of the two of them, that he finally spotted Charlie. She was stood talking to his parents and he stopped laughing. He looked at the photographer and asked; “are we done?”
The photographer looked shocked by Matt’s sudden change of demeanour, and he nodded. Rich nodded too, as a sign that it was okay for him to walk away from his best man duties for a while.
Matt walked quickly over to where Charlie was stood with his parents, and as he reached them he put his hand on his father’s shoulder briefly and kissed his mum on the cheek.
“Hi,” he said quietly to Charlie. She smiled in response.
“We were just telling Charlie that she must be living it up in London too much to have lost all this weight,” his mum said; “but that we do like this fancy new haircut of hers.”
“I wasn’t actually,” Matt’s dad said. “I was just telling Charlie that if I was twenty years younger and not her father-in-law…”
“Okay dad, I don’t think any of us need to hear the end of that sentence,” Matt said interrupting his dad just in time and making his parents and Charlie laugh.
“Matt,” Emily said from behind him before putting both of her hands on his right arm.
Matt’s mum, dad, and Charlie, all looked from Emily to Matt. He looked from Emily to all of them, but his eyes lingered on Charlie’s as he tried to make a silent apology to her.
“Hi,” Emily said holding out her hand to his dad.
“Dad, this is Emily. Emily this is my dad,” Matt said as Emily shook hands with his dad. “This is my mum,” he continued as she shook hands with his mum; “and Charlie you know,” he finished almost ashamedly.
Charlie smiled at Emily, and then with a laugh she said to Matt’s parents; “with introductions like that, maybe Rich and Bex should’ve sprung for name badges.”
Matt’s parents laughed, as did Emily, but Matt just looked at Charlie.
“Matt’s dad is Robin,” Charlie said to Emily as Robin laughed again; “and this is Marie,” Charlie added sharing a warm smile with Matt’s mum. “Hi,” she finally said to Emily before hugging her and astounding Matt.
Emily pulled back from Charlie and said to Matt; “Bex is demanding that you get back over to her and Rich. As best man I think you’re supposed to be in most of the photos.”
He could feel his mum scowling at Emily, and so he said; “okay, well I’d better get back then.”
As he walked away from his family he tried to guide Emily in front of him, but he was mortified when she stopped and took his hand in hers before continuing back towards the main party.
Matt wondered what his parents were making of his new girlfriend. He knew they wouldn’t be enamoured, but then Emily hadn’t done herself any favours in coming over when they were talking to Charlie. His parents loved Charlie. Although he now felt guilty that he hadn’t bothered to speak to Charlie before today. He knew that he owed it to her, or to the old her at least, to have found out where she’d moved after Cheddar and to have told her that he was with Emily.
He also couldn’t believe that he’d just embarrassed himself in front of his parents like he had. Charlie had had to introduce them to Emily properly, because he’d been so uncomfortable with the introductions that he’d forgotten to tell Emily his parent’s names. It was a disaster he thought. Yet at least as they reached Rich and Bex, Emily stopped holding his hand so tightly.
Matt exchanged a look with Rich as he positioned himself on Rich’s right hand side, and Emily nestled up against him. He saw Claire in front of him and she looked furious. She stared daggers at him, and then she turned and walked over to where Charlie was now stood alone. Matt wished he could hear what was being said, but then thought that maybe it was better that he couldn’t. This day was turning into a nightmare he knew, and the reception hadn’t even begun.
“I hope your speech is clean Matthew,” Bex’s mum said to him.
He was grateful for the distraction and he reassured her that it was – well, to the most part.
***
Matt was stood by the bar with Nick and Ben. They were talking, but he was also watching Charlie who was on the dance floor with his dad.
“Your dad still has some pretty sweet moves,” Nick commented as they all watched Matt’s dad spin Charlie and then pull her back into hold whilst she laughed.
Matt nodded as he looked away from them and asked Nick; “have you spoken to Claire today?”
Nick shook his head and said; “I was gonna go over and say hi, but then I overheard Rach and her mum talking about the fact that they couldn’t believe that she’d had the nerve to come to the wedding with the guy that she’d cheated on me with. After that, I sought of lost my nerve.”
“Ouch!” Ben said.
“Guessing you definitely haven’t spoke to him then?” Matt asked.
“Nope,” Nick said. “You know what’s weird though? Seeing her wasn’t as bad as I’d imagined it being. She seems happy with him, and I’m not that jealous.”
“That jealous,” Ben said.
“Oh come on. Claire can be a bitch, but she’s hot as hell. Always has been,” Nick said as all three of them looked over at where Claire was sat talking to Adam.
“Speaking of hot,” Rich said coming over to join them. “How hot is Charlie looking today? Oh and nice man,” he said to Matt. “The speech,” he added when he saw Matt’s confused expression. “You know that Bex is going to kill me later when there are no witnesses around.”
Nick, Ben, and Matt, all laughed.
“In fairness Rich,” Ben said; “you were the one shouting about it at the end of your stag night.”
“Shit, was I?” Rich asked Ben whilst eyeing Matt warily.
Nick, Ben, and Matt, all laughed again.
“Let’s just say that we’re all square now,” Matt said.
“I don’t think Bex is going to see it that way,” Rich said before ordering a pint from behind the bar. “Who were you deciding was hot or not by the way when I came over?”
“Claire. But then you said Charlie, and I agree. She’s looking hotter than I’ve ever seen her, and I’ve always thought that she was fine. Although don’t tell Rach,” Ben said lowering his voice.
“I gotta say” Nick said to Matt. “I’d happily trade places with your old man right now.”
“Great! So now we’re all decided that Charlie’s hot, is it possible that we can talk about something else?” He asked knowing that there was a slight edge to his voice.
“Okay, how about the look on Bex’s face when Matt made reference to the school games shed?” Ben asked before laughing yet again.
“I wasn’t sure which one of you Bex looked most annoyed at,” Nick said also laughing once more; “but I’m kind of leaning on Matt.”
“Yeah,” Ben said smiling; “but I reckon Claire looked even more annoyed at Matt than Bex did.”
“True,” Nick said; “but do you know what I thought was really weird though.”
“Charlie’s face,” Matt said answering Nick’s question for him.
“Yeah,” Nick replied. “She looked embarrassed one second, and then amused the next. Then when she noticed that people were looking in her direction, she suddenly looked like she didn’t understand why anyone was looking at her at all.”
“I saw that too,” Matt said; “but I thought it was just me.”
“I’m lost,” Ben said. “What are you saying? It was as if she remembered and that’s why she was embarrassed? Or she was embarrassed because she couldn’t remember? It could’ve
been that she was just amused at the thought of ever having been stupid enough to have slept with Rich.”
Matt and Nick both shrugged.
“She obviously didn’t remember,” Rich said; “amnesia!”
Matt looked from Rich to Charlie, and he could’ve sworn that she’d been watching him less than a second ago. Yet he could now see Emily watching him, and he turned back towards his friends.
“I think I’d better go and ask Emily to dance before I die from a withering glare,” he said.
“You’d also better dance with Bex,” Rich suggested; “and maybe apologise.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Matt said as he started to walk over to Emily; “but you know she already knew right?”
Nick and Ben both laughed again as Rich looked completely shocked.
If Matt had thought that the wedding and early part of the reception had gone slowly, it was nothing compared to when the party on the dance floor had gotten under way. Once he had asked Emily to dance, she’d taken this as a sign that he was showing everyone there that they were a couple.
She had made him stay on the dance floor for twenty minutes, and she’d spent most of the dances pressed up against him almost inappropriately until he’d finally put a bit of space between them. When he had managed to shake her from his side completely, and had left her happily talking to Bex and her bridesmaids, it had been half past twelve and Charlie had been nowhere in sight.
“She’s prettier than I remember her being,” Claire said to him as he stopped by the bar near to where she’d already been stood.
“Hmm,” Matt said distractedly.
“The girlfriend,” Claire said. “Although has there been any need to flaunt her around quite as much as you have been doing. You are aware that your wife’s also in attendance right?”
“I wasn’t flaunting anybody,” Matt said angry with himself for sounding defensive.
“Touchy!” Claire remarked instantly.
“What do you want Claire?” He asked dropping any pretence of politeness.
“I’d like for you to stop hurting my best friend. But tell me? Did you come here with that as your sole intention? Flaunt the new girlfriend around, and then make some unfunny derisive remark about Charlie in your best man’s speech. Did Emily think that was funny?” She asked.
Matt could feel his temper rising and he said angrily; “fuck off Claire. I don’t think you have the right to talk to me about Charlie. Where were you after the accident?”
Claire was about to respond when Charlie said; “Guys. It’s Rich and Bex’s wedding, don’t argue.”
They both turned to look at her, and it was clear that neither of them had seen her arrive.
“Matt it wasn’t a shock for me to see you with Emily today,” she said. “I’m guessing someone had obviously told their mum or dad, and you know how these things go with our families. Plus when I left, I never expected you to stay single. So don’t let Claire wind you up, because honestly no one thinks you’re flaunting Emily around.” She then smiled at him reassuringly.
He didn’t reply, and she smiled at him again and said; “can you give us a sec?”
Matt nodded and walked away, but as he sat down at an empty table across from them he couldn’t help but watch the exchange that followed. He’d never seen Charlie like this before. She was clearly angry with Claire for something, but he couldn’t understand what Claire had done.
Normally he would’ve thought that if Claire was being yelled at it’d be deserved, not that Charlie would ever have agreed with him about that. Yet tonight, Claire had been taking Charlie’s side. How could that have annoyed Charlie so much he wondered?
The argument continued, and Matt couldn’t tear his eyes away. He saw Rich walk over to them, and he contemplated stopping him. Any man that was about to come between Charlie and Claire was a braver man than him, but Rich didn’t. Rich didn’t come between them. He took Charlie’s side instantly, and when Claire turned her back on both of them Rich walked off with Charlie. What the hell was going on Matt asked himself bemusedly?
He got up to go over to where Rich and Charlie were now stood talking to find out, but he could see that Rich for some reason now looked upset and that Charlie was consoling him. It didn’t make any sense, and he decided that enough was enough. He didn’t see why he had to be in the dark about whatever was going on, and he quickened his pace over to them. Unfortunately Emily suddenly appeared in front of him.
“I’m tired,” she said.
“Go to bed then,” he said shortly irritated that she was here. He then looked past her to Charlie and Rich. They were now hugging, and he felt an old feeling of jealousy rise up inside of him.
“That’s not very nice,” she said pouting as she always did when something wasn’t going the way that she wanted it to.
As with all traits that seem attractive at first, Matt had long since grown to hate her pouting and now found it widely annoying and childish. He didn’t say this though, he instead said; “sorry, but I can’t go to bed before the bride and groom. It’s part of my best man duties,” he lied pulling her into a hug so that he could survey the situation behind her more closely.
“Oh okay,” she said nestling into his hug and holding him tightly.
He fought the urge to roll his eyes at her, but as he did he saw Rich and Charlie look in his direction. Charlie smiled across at him, and then she said something to Rich. Matt returned her smile somewhat weakly, but this seemed to prompt Rich to smile at him as well.
Matt suddenly felt like he was sixteen again. He was once more watching his two best friends share something intimate. He wondered what it was that Charlie was saying to Rich, and he followed his best friend with his eyes as he walked away from Charlie and over to Bex. He watched Rich drag his new wife away from her adoring bridesmaids, and take her out onto the dance floor. Yet when he looked back to where Charlie had been stood, she’d gone.
“On second thoughts maybe we can go to bed. I think Rich has everything in hand,” Matt said.
He felt Emily lift her head from off his chest, and she took his hand in hers. He knew that when they got back to their room she’d try and initiate sex, but he really wasn’t in the mood. So when they got back he deliberately asked her to go and put on the sexy little night dress that he’d seen her pack, but whilst she changed in the bathroom he lay on the bed and feigned sleep.
Matt heard her sigh as she realised that he’d fallen asleep, and he kept his eyes closed as she tried to wake him. Finally she lost interest and got into bed to go to sleep. Unfortunately while he continued to lie still, his mind was transfixed on the image he had of Charlie as she’d turned round to look at him at the reception desk. He felt the familiar pull on his heart as he tried hopelessly to shut her face out of his thoughts, but as he lay awake he felt increasingly irritable and he longed for some drugs to take.
Charlie
The wedding had been the wakeup call that Charlie had needed. Even though she’d seen Matt with Emily in Birmingham, there had been a part of her that had hoped he’d be at the wedding alone. She’d thought that if he was, then maybe surrounded by the romance of a wedding there was a chance that he might realise that he still loved her and would tell her. She could then reveal to him that she was his old Charlie, fully recovered and memory intact.
Unfortunately it hadn’t played out like that, and Emily had been with him. Charlie had also seen for herself that they really were a couple, and on top of this they were happy. She’d watched them over the day, and she’d seen that Matt had moved on with his life.
Charlie’s heart had stung, but as the pain had seared she’d realised that she hadn’t moved on. Even though she’d moved to London with the intention of starting a new life, she hadn’t allowed herself to relinquish her ties to the past. She’d been holding out for a story book ending with Matt, and she hadn’t wanted to admit that she was actually a single woman in her early thirties.
What had made things worse was that in the l
ead up to the wedding, she’d managed to convince herself that she’d been too kind to Matt in her recollection of how he looked. She’d told herself that in reality he couldn’t possibly be as good looking as he was in her head. Yet seeing him at the wedding had dashed any hopes that she’d had that Matt was just average.
As she’d turned round to face him when she’d been at the reception desk checking in, he’d actually taken her breath away. She hadn’t in fact been able to believe the kind of disservice that she’d being doing to him in her mind.
The real Matt was so much more handsome than the one in her head. He still had that cheeky smile which had always set girls hearts on fire, and had often gotten him out of trouble with everyone’s mums and all the female teachers at school. His eyes had still been the same dazzling hazel colour, and they’d still lit up when he’d smiled.
Charlie had known that when she got back to London she’d have to start dating again. She’d also known that Claire would be the best person to help her do that. So even though she’d been angry with Claire for her actions at the wedding, she’d forgiven her knowing both that she needed her help and that her intentions had been good.
During the wedding, it had become clear to Charlie that Claire was looking for any excuse to tell Matt about her memory. Yet what had irritated her more was when Claire had let slip the fact that she’d already told Rich.
Charlie had to admit though, that the one good thing to come from Claire having told Rich was that she’d got to congratulate him on his wedding day as herself. There had been no having to pretend that she had no memory, and it had been clear that Rich had been touched at this. Although she had felt awful about making him upset, and she’d asked him to stop looking so sad. He’d smiled and said he was just feeling guilty about Matt though. Yet she’d said that there was no reason to, and she’d told him to look over at Matt who she’d already spied hugging Emily.
Splintered Memory Page 19
