RPOV
Perfect...everything was perfect now. Charlie looked absolutely stunning as she showed off her engagement ring to Ashley, Nicki, Kristen and Hannah. All the girls were giggling like crazy. I took a swig of my lager as Kellan, Jackson and Peter walked over to me. Each of them hugged me in turn, patting my back and congratulating me.
"Well done mate!" Kellan smiled.
"Congratulations Rob. I'm so happy for you" Peter added.
"Thanks guys" I grinned like a mad man. I really could not have been happier in that moment. "I don't know what I have done to deserve her" I say honestly. I watched her with a huge grin on my face. My vision was blocked as Jack walked over towards me. I could feel the tension radiating from Kellan, remembering the first time we had met Jack. It was certainly not a good experience.
"I just wanted to say congratulations Rob" Jack smiled as he handed me a glass with what looked to be whisky in it. I eyed it warily but took it eventually and knocked it back in one, before placing the empty glass on the table next to me.
"Thank you Jack" I say genuinely.
"I just wanted to apologise for my behaviour the first time I met you. I admit I was a little concerned when I first heard about you and Charlie, but she's happy. And that's all I can ask for" Jack smiled holding out his hand. I taking his hand in mine and shake it.
"That's all I want...for Charlie to be happy".
"Well I'll leave you guys to celebrate. I was meant to be taking my date to the new Chinese restaurant in town but I had to come and say congrats before we went. Have a good night Rob" Jack smiled.
"Yeah you too" I say before he walked over to his date and led her over to Charlie. Jack hugged Charlie and kissed her cheek before leading his date out of the bar.
"Well that was weird" Jackson commented.
"Yeah" I agree with him.
"I still don't trust him" Kellan said in a low voice.
"He's alright. We just got off on the wrong foot" I say defending Jack. Who would have thought?
The next person to come over to us was Kristen. I couldn't read her expression.
"Hey Kris!" Kellan smiled.
"Hey guys" she smiled though I could tell it was put on. I take Kristen's hand and pulled her to one side.
"You okay?" I ask quietly. She nods slowly but doesn't look at me.
"Once upon a time I thought it would have been me that you would have given a ring to" she said sadly not meeting my eyes. I look at her confused.
"Kristen...I...I don't know what to say" I say honestly.
"Don't say anything Rob. I'm just being stupid. I've had a bit to drink that's all" she tried to argue. I could see that she was completely sober. I went to open my mouth to say something but she walked away from me, her head dropped low. My head started to spin with Kristen's words but I was soon brought back when Charlie kissed my cheek before dancing her way over to Jazz. I took a few seconds to look around the bar. It was filled with all of the people Charlie and I loved, all happily chatting amongst themselves. Kristen's words were soon forgotten as I concentrated on enjoying the night.
A few hours later and our guests started to leave to head for their homes. Charlie and I said our goodbyes, hand in hand, a symbol of what was to come. Kristen seemed almost herself when she said her good byes and even hugged Charlie before she left. After a while it was just me, Charlie, jazz and one other member of bar staff left in the bar. Jazz was running around like a mad man, trying to tidy the bar whilst the bar staff, a young girl with jet black hair made a poor attempt to collect the empty glasses. Music played across the speakers softly and the candles were all still lit creating a warm glow around the bar. I felt a pair of warm, familiar arms wrap around me.
"Dance with me?" Charlie's soft voice asked...as if she even needed to ask. I would do anything for her.
Without taking, I walked her away from the bar and wrapped my arms around her as she rested her head on my chest.
"I love you" I whispered in her ear.
"I love you too" she breath out pulling me closer to her. For a couple of minutes we didn't say a thing. We just got lost in the music and each other as we danced.
"Aw bless him" Charlie said suddenly. I looked over to where she was looking to see Jazz on the verge of pulling his hair out. I could tell that he was trying to show her how to break down the beer taps to be cleaned but the girl just wasn't listening. Charlie and I watched as the bar maid pulled off her apron, threw it on the bar and then walked out.
"What the hell?" Charlie said as she pulled away from me and walked over to Jazz, who looked ten years older in that moment. I followed Charlie over.
"Where did Beth just go?" Charlie asked.
"She decided that she didn't want to work here anymore" Jazz said shrugging his shoulders before looking around at the mess he had been left with. I immediately felt guilty. It was my idea to have the engagement party here. Charlie turned around to look at me and I knew what she was thinking. She is selfless and amazingly generous. I nod my head knowing that she was asking my permission. She hugged me and placed a soft kiss on my lips.
"Go on back to the hotel. I won't be long I promise!" she whispered.
"It's okay my love, I'll wait" I offer.
"No Rob, honestly it's fine. Besides, I think you might want to get some rest before I get back" she smiled wickedly that made me hardened at the thought of it.
"Don't be long!" I smiled and then kissed her cheek. Charlie made her way around to behind the bar just as Jazz looked up.
"Oh no! Don't even think about it missy!" Jazzy said shaking his head.
"Jazz, don't be so god danm stubborn. There is no way you can get all of this done by yourself!" Charlie said firmly. I smiled at how Charlie made every single person she came into contact with stop and listen to her.
"Char, it's you freaking engagement party! Don't you think you might be needed elsewhere?" Jazz said wiggling his eyes brows.
"Yeah later but right now, I'm going to stay and help you" Charlie smiled sweetly as she began to expertly break down the pumps. I smile at her stubbornness. Jazz walked over to me with a sympathetic look.
"I could order her to go home...as her boss!" Jazz considered.
"Yeah, but you know that wouldn't make her leave!" I laugh.
"You sure Rob? you guys should be together tonight!" Jazz said.
"We have forever with each other" I say genuinely and then cringed at how lame I sounded.
"I won't keep her long, I promise!" Jazz said holding his hand out. I shake his hand before saying another goodbye to Charlie and then got in a taxi and made my way back to the hotel.
In some ways, it was a good thing that Charlie stayed behind cause it gave a little while to check out the hotel room. I had paid for the honeymoon suit and gave the hotel staff some specific requests on how to decorate it. Sure enough, the hotel team had done an amazing job which left me with nothing to do but wait...
There hours later and I was beginning to get worried. It was now almost one in the morning and there was still no sign of Charlie. I must have checked my phone at least a hundred times to see if she had called me and somehow missed it. I gave up, the worry finally getting the better of my and tried to ring her mobile. I held the phone to my ear as it went straight to voice mail. I heard Charlie's sweet voice speak.
"Hey, this is Charlie. So it looks like I'm busy...sorry about that, but I'm sure it's something important so leave me a message and I'll call you back as soon as I can! Promise! Byeeeee!" I smile a little but it does nothing to hide my concern.
"Um my love, it's me. I'm not checking up on you I promise, but it's getting later and I'm really worried! Where are you? So um...I'll try ringing Jazz and the bar! I miss you and I love you" I hang up and instantly find Jazz's number. Again it went straight to voice mail. And the bar's number wouldn't even connect. I tried to talk myself out of being worried...I mean there was a lot of cleaning up to do...or maybe Charlie decided to stay and have drink with her best friend? Maybe she was in ataxia n on her way over now? But no matter how much I tried to talk myself out of being worried, the sick, twisting feeling at the pit of my stomach told me something was wrong. A few seconds later and my phone rings. I grab it quickly expecting to see Charlie's name on my screen but instead it was Ashley.
"Ash, it's one on the morning! what on earth are you still doing up?" I ask.
"Rob where are you?"
"At the hotel. Why where are you?" I ask.
"Rob , turn the TV on now!" Ashley breathed out. Her voice shook as she spoke. Quickly I grabbed the TV remote and turned it on. I watched as the screen went from black to a familiar image...
"What the fuck?" I breath out, completely confused by what I was seeing. I turned the volume up as loud as I could get it. I completely forgot about Ashley on the other end of the line as I listened to the news broadcast.
"Less than an hour ago, this well known and loved bar, 'The Furnace' caught fire. Little is known about the details surrounding this incident. Both the local police and fire brigade are at the scene, trying to control the fire burning away violently inside. It is known that two people, one male thought to be the bar owner and one female have been rushed to hospital after being pulled out of the blaze. The police are yet to issue a statement regarding the cause of this blaze although one officer has suggested, off the record that the fire looked to have been started on purpose. We won't know the official details until an investigation has taken place, but it could all to soon turn into a hunt for a suspect not just for arson, but also for manslaughter. We will have more on this story in our next report at three am. In other news..."
Everything went numb as the room started to spin. The only thing I could see in my head was the image of the furnace going up in flames as the fire fighters tried to stop the fire and then an image of Charlie's smiling face looked at me.
"Rob! Rob, is Charlie with you?" I could hear that Ashley was crying.
"No" I whisper so quietly I didn't think she heard me.
"is...is she still...was she still at the bar?" Ashley asked. I barely felt the cold tears running down my face.
"Y-yes" I say, my voice breaking into a sob. The pain in my chest was unbearable. I could no longer see the screen in front of me, as my tears blinded me. I could hear Ashley saying 'no' over and over again.
"I'm sending Frank to come and pick you up. I'll meet you there Rob" Ashley said before hanging up. I dropped my phone as the pain in my chest became paralysing. My whole body shook as the sobs took over. All I could think was that I couldn't lose her.
Frank was at my door in less than ten minutes though it felt like hours. I don't remember walking to Frank's car and getting in but my mind and body had gone into auto pilot. I'm sure Frank broke every rule when it came to getting me to the hospital but he made it there quicker than I could have hoped. Getting out the car, I run towards the reception in the hospital, ignoring the press that were already camped outside. How the hell did they know already?
"Rob!" I heard Hannah speak. I had completely forgotten about her. She ran over to me, her arms wrapping around my numb body as her tears soaked into my shirt. I hadn't even changed. Still in auto pilot, I begin to stroke her hair as Kellan came over and gently pulled her away from me. My eyes fell on Ashley's tear soaked face next.
"Where is she?" I breath out in a voice that didn't sound like my own.
"She's in intensive care. Rob, she breathed in a lot of smoke" Ashley sobbed uncontrollably.
"And Jazz?" He had been in there too.
"We're not sure. They're not telling us anything!" I walked away from Ashley and grabbed the first nurse I saw. She looked over my shoulder and saw my friends watching and guessed instantly who I was.
"Mr Pattinson?" She asked. I nodded.
"Okay, Charlie has been taken down to intensive care. The doctors are running some tests. She inhaled a lot of smoke. She received a few minor burns to her arms and chest which are also being tended to. She has a laceration to her head that will require stitches." the nurse spoke slowly.
"But is...is she going to be okay?" I ask, holding my breath until it hurt.
"Yes, she should be fine" the nurse spoke. I felt my knees go weak and felt a pair of arms grab me to make sure I didn't fall.
"And Jazz, the owner of the bar?" I ask suddenly thinking of him. The nurse hesitated for a split second and then I knew that Jazz might not have been so lucky.
"Mr Mathews received extensive burns across his arms, shoulders and back. Most of his injuries are third degree burns and will almost definitely leave scaring. The doctors have placed him into a coma whilst they deal with his injuries". I felt a lump form in my throat. Jazz was seriously injured.
"Can I see Charlie?" I ask quickly, sensing he nurse was needed elsewhere.
"Not right now. The doctors are still with her assessing her. When they are finished with her I will come and get you" the nurse said before leaving. For the next three hours I sat with our friends as we all silently prayed for both Charlie and Jazz.