ELEVEN

Dallas still wasn't sure that going out was what she wanted to do even as they sat in the back of the uber, Violet chatting away about which type of wine she wanted. Every now and then, Dallas would make a sound of agreement as she stared out of the window. The passing streetlamps glowed against the surrounding night that threatened to swallow them whole, but still they soldiered on.

They passed by groups of friends, small and large, laughing and joking with one another. At one point, Violet squashed her out of the way to wave at a group of darkly dressed girls in their high heels and short dresses. They all waved back with grins. Several of them held up their drinks to Violet.

When Dallas asked who they were, she said old friends.

What she meant was the friends I made after you abandoned me. Dallas knew that as she felt the guilt rising up again, itching at her. Guilt had become an all-too-familiar feeling lately, but she didn't quite know how she'd ever shake it. There was little she could do about her choices now other than stick to them and try to make amends with those she'd left in the red dust.

"Right," The driver said, slowing them to a halt. "This is it."

"Thank you," Violet replied, pulling the money out of her purse and handing it over to him. "Have a good evening."

"You too," He said, but he couldn't have possibly looked less interested in them as they clambered out of the car, heels rapping against the pavement.

Dallas sorely regretted her choice of heels the moment they stepped out. Nando's wasn't anything fancy, but looking flawless was and always had been her  priority when it came to going out. With Violet's help, she'd come close to it with her little black dress and matching heels (Yes, she always had to match).

Violet looped her arm through hers and grinned as they walked along the pavement, hurrying through the cold, to the entrance. "I hope you're hungry because I sure as hell am."

Her skin pricked for the chill, forming into goose bumps, and her teeth chattered, but the door wasn't far away so she didn't dare complain. They told her to be positive about even the littlest things.

"Here goes nothing," Dallas mumbled as they entered, the warmth surging over them in crashing waves. Violet elbowed her discretely, earning a small yelp.

They walked right in, Dallas still on Violet's arm because she assumed and hoped that she knew exactly where everyone was seated.

Her pink lips rose into a beaming grin at the sight of everyone. Although she hadn't been close to them before she'd left, she knew how much they meant to Simon. Plus, Josh and Ethan were always kind to her in her last months where she'd actually made an effort to talk to them. They were sat on one large table, crowed in and laughing like they were brothers.

When Cal saw Violet, he smiled and waved her over. Dallas heard her exhale, trying to cover her laugh at his wide smile. Her hand slipped into Dallas' and pulled her along behind her, letting go as she sat down in the seat beside Cal and leant to kiss his cheek, to which he responded by turning his face at the last second to kiss her lips. She slapped him lightly on the arm, but kissed him again.

Awkwardly, Dallas sat down in the seat opposite to Violet. Instantly, she looked down at the menu on the table and picked it up to distract herself from the earthquake in her stomach.

She almost dropped it at the sound of a voice beside her. "I didn't think you were actually going to come," They said, causing Dallas to jolt within her skin. That voice brought back so much to her.

"Violet persuaded me to come," Dallas said, spreading her palms across the table as she forced herself to look at Simon. To look into his electric blue eyes that sent shock waves through her veins, straight into her heart. "And I'll bet that she set it up so that we ended up sat together, huh?" Dallas laughed, but Simon just smiled that smile that she remembered so well.

"No," He replied. "I wanted to sit by you. I saved you a seat just in case you decided to come."

"Well, thank you." Now that she was looking at him, she couldn't take her eyes off him. He looked completely different, and yet exactly the same. Between his eyes that sparkled when he smiled and his hair she'd once run her fingers through, she wished she'd never left.

She pressed her lips together. No, she'd needed to leave. If she hadn't, she would be in a very bad place right now, just like she was back then. She thought she was managing to keep afloat, but she was drowning. Now, she was swimming like she was made for the water and there was little that could change that. Moving forward was the only option.

"Dallas?"

"Sorry, did you say something?" She asked, blinking herself back to reality. An unfamiliar feeling overcame her as her cheeks flushed hot, burning red as she glanced away from him, brushing her hair behind her ear.

She met eyes with Violet, who gave her a look as if to say 'talk to him, woman', before she turned back to Cal to argue about why spicy food was good.

Dallas herself turned back to Simon just in time for him to ask, "Yeah, I just asked how it was in LA." He was still looking right at her, shamelessly. She'd never felt so flustered in her entire life. "Are you blushing?"

"It was nice," She replied, ignoring his last question. "But it is nice to be back home. LA just felt like an extended holiday, even if I did still have to go to school." She pushed her hair behind her ear, even though it hadn't fallen, just to distract herself from the way he looked at her like he didn't believe she was really there.

"A very extended holiday."

"Mhm," She hummed, looking down at her menu, not being able to withstand his eye contact any longer. It just brought the guilt of leaving back all over again.

-

Dallas pushed her sweet potato fries around her plate as she listened to Violet and Cal talking about moving in together, at last, and she was happy for them, but she wondered whether it was really what Violet wanted.

Tuning out, she stabbed her fork into several of the fries and stuffed them into her mouth. She almost groaned at the flavours, she'd missed this.

"Why did you come back?" Simon asked suddenly from beside her.

Out of all the questions he'd asked, Dallas had been expecting this one and knew it would only be a matter of time before he asked it.

She could feel more eyes than just his on her. They were all listening, even if they were trying not to seem like it. Although, the man sat beside Josh made it more than obvious, even as he played with Josh's fingers.

Dallas swallowed and slowly placed her cutlery down. "Simon.."

"Because it wasn't just for me, was it?" He narrowed his eyes slightly. He'd definitely been thinking about it all night and now his frustrations were coming out.

"I don't think... I... Um..." Dallas stuttered, feeling smaller than ever.

"Why don't you two go and talk about this outside. We don't all need to hear it," Violet suggested from across the table, smiling softly at Dallas, who nodded her head and stood from the table.

To her relief, Simon stood too. They walked out of the restaurant distant and silent.

-