I walked over to the table with him, to see someone that I definitely recognized. With his dark, messy hair and boyish beauty; it was definitely Tom Sturridge; Rob's best friend. I had seen enough pictures of him in the press before.
He was definitely a lot more beautiful in the flesh though, bless him. His dark hair was possibly more erratic looking than Rob's own hair, which was saying something what with how Rob always ran his hands through the very top of his messy hair.
His fringe was displayed messily across his forehead, just above his strange, light grey eyes. He was wearing a loose, white shirt and black trousers and was sat at the table with a blonde Girl, talking to him.
''Hey Tom,'' Rob called above the jazz-styled bar music. Tom looked up after sharing a joke with the Blonde Girl sat next to him and grinned at his best friend. ''This is Charlie, the Girl I was telling you about.'' Rob added, making me confused.
I glanced at him confused, wondering what exactly he had said about me. I mean, it definitely couldn't be all good things what with the way I behaved back in America with him. It got me worried.
He turned to look at me, appraising me for a long moment like a best friend should, before nodding his head once in appreciation. It was real hard for me not to blush bright red in response, but I managed it somehow.
''So this is the young lady that my best buddy's so infatuated with.'' Tom grinned at us both, watching us as if it was all some big joke, before laughing his sentence off easily how like a best friend probably would.
But me? I found it a lot more awkward for me to take in. And why, I hear you ask? After all, I should have been delighted with this idea. But in all truths; I found it very awkward due to Tom admitting it to me.
And I looked to my right to see that Rob was having the same trouble accepting that his friend had just blurted out this news to me. His right hand ran to the front of his hair like normal with his embarrassment, and not only that either.
His cheeks turned from the pale, light color that they were, right to a bright red color; almost giving me some competition there; what with how much I blushed all the time in response to the smallest things being said.
''Ur…thanks Tom.'' Rob replied awkwardly, before quickly looking away after he had noticed that I was watching him. I turned away quickly too; ignoring Tom's laughter and Rob's embarrassment.
They both made me feel awkward, beyond compare; if I was being honest. I wasn't used to Rob getting so embarrassed over me and it felt weird; being the cause of that blush on his cheeks, and not really in a good way either.
''Don't mention it buddy.'' Tom replied casually-not sounding at all bothered over Rob's embarrassment-and winked at his best friend, playfully. He wrapped an arm around the back of the pretty blonde Girl sat next to him, and drank a swig of beer from his bottle.
I followed Rob around the table, and sat next to him as he took his place next to his best friend at the table, feeling slightly unsure if I should actually be here or not. I mean, he had invited me over, but…it felt weird to be sat next to Rob like this, and so casually too; after everything that had happened between us two.
Tom went back to talking to the blonde Girl then, which left me and Rob in utter silence as he drank his beer, and I drank back my tonic water. I wasn't too sure what I should say to him, if I was being truthful.
''You know,'' Rob began. I turned my head and look at him in time to see him leaning closer slightly so that he could talk to me easier. ''I really could punch Nick for him throwing you out like that.'' He admitted sheepishly.
He watched me take that in, and I did try to smile in response, though it was hard. You see; I was a typical Beatles fan at heart, a hippie, and I didn't like violence. That was the one thing I hated in this world, along with hate and wars, and I didn't really like hearing that from him.
''Well…I'm sorry to say it but…violence wouldn't get you anywhere.'' I admitted, because it was true. ''You would only get into a fight with him, and either way; win or lose, you'd both be losing for getting down to his level.'' True, I liked to think.
''You're right.'' Rob agreed with me, nodding once in response. I smiled and quickly looked away again. ''But I still think what he did was wrong. I mean…let me just get this straight; he dumped you because he's some star now?'' Rob asked me confused.
I huffed. ''That, and the fact that I wouldn't go near him with a barge pole.'' I admitted, because it was true. ''We were supposed to be dating, but well…I think that he pretty much guessed that my feelings had turned into nothing a few days ago.'' I admitted truthfully.
''Why is that? I mean, why do you feel like you don't feel absolute anything for him now?'' Rob asked me confused.
I looked back at his confused face, and smiled. I knew perfectly well why. ''Because he knew what I knew; as soon as we had reached London, I was mourning for someone else…I was mourning for you.'' I spelled it out for him.
He nodded, watching me closely for a moment, before looking away quickly as he thought on something or other; pursing his lips and furrowing his forehead as he thought hard about me admitting that.
''Well, what about the Girls? I mean, you're on good terms with them, right?'' He asked me confused. I could clearly hear a small amount of hope in his voice as he asked me too. I kept my eyes to the floor as I replied.
''No exactly. I left ten minutes after you and Rachael was still adamant that she didn't want me coming back to LA again, anytime soon.'' I confessed, because it was true. He nodded in response, looking somewhat upset about that prospect after I had looked back up at him for his reply.
''God…and you're not on good terms with any of them?'' He asked me in shock. I shook my head.
''Not really. I haven't spoken to any of them since.'' I replied truthfully. He nodded again, still looking in shock.
''I'm sorry to hear that.'' He replied awkwardly; sounding as though he wasn't too sure what he should say to me now. I shrugged in response, because there was no point dwelling on it now. I would just have to stay in England.
''Don't worry about it. I tend not to dwell on it; I find it easier that way.'' I admitted, because again; that was true. When I thought about it too much, it just made the pain all that more worse; to know that I had no friends now, and over something stupid.
''Well…obviously you're staying with me and Tom.'' Rob admitted firmly, making me confused now.
''What do you mean?'' I asked him, confused.
He looked back to me, and smiled. A charming, irresistible smile at that. ''I'm not just going to let you stay wherever you are staying at tonight by yourself. You'll be staying with us tonight.'' He promised me.
''But I have a hotel. I've already paid the sixty pounds up front.'' I admitted, because it was true. I wasn't going to waste sixty pounds, just like that.
''I'll pay you the sixty pounds back.'' He promised me sweetly. However, as soon as he mentioned him paying me-no matter how much money-I instantly winched in response. I hated other people paying for me.
''Nah….there's no need for that. I don't want your money.'' I promised him, because I hated to think that he really would do that for me. I knew for a fact that he would though; I could see the sincerity of his promise in his gazing green-grey eyes.
I still couldn't decide what color they were exactly. Green or grey; they were the color of a bit of both, really.
''Well either way, you're staying with us. I'm not going to take a no for an answer.'' He told me stubbornly. I sighed heavily in response, and forced myself to nod. I would stay, just as long as he didn't offer me money again.
I wasn't a charity and I wasn't a goldigger. I didn't like people paying for me.
''Fair enough, but I'm not taking any money from you.'' I warned him, because it was true. If I'd have wanted his money, I would have asked for it. But I knew that I wouldn't have, still. Because I didn't like accepting money easily.
''Fine, well in that case; you don't have to pay any rent.'' He promised me, making me sigh heavily in response. I wasn't too sure if he thought that I was a charity case or something, but I didn't like the fact that he was doing this for me; for whatever his reasons.
''That's not fair. I'm not a charity case.'' I warned him stubbornly; sounding as pissed off as I felt. I was struggling not to glare at him at this moment; especially if he was doing this for the reasons that I thought he was.
He nodded, smiling innocently at me in response. ''I didn't say that you were. This is me; your friend, helping you out.'' He promised me.
''But…how can you say that we're friends? After everything that I did to you too?'' I asked him confused, struggling to reason with myself about why he was being so nice to me. I definitely didn't deserve it.
He smiled sheepishly and looked down to the floor as he replied to my question. ''I love you, Charlie; that you already know full well. But…I'd like it if we could be friends. It would be better that way, don't you think?'' He asked me curiously.
I nodded in agreement, because I thought that he had a valuable point there. All the stuff that had happened to us might have just been karma telling us that we just weren't meant to be together. Now that made perfect sense.
''Anyway,'' Rob sighed happily. ''Do you want another drink?'' He asked me curiously; with us both watching Tom stumble back over to the bar to get more drinks for himself. We both laughed in response.
''Not for the minute, thanks. Though I do think that somebody needs to sort your friend, Tom out. He looks completely wasted.'' I worried, because it was true. Rob laughed in response again, and sighed.
''I think you're right. Give me a sec to sort him out, and I'll be right back then.'' He promised me. I nodded and watched him walk over to Tom at the bar, and have a word with him. Tom shrugged, and went to sit back down with a bottle of tonic water in his hand.
Rob sighed and shook his head as soon as he had caught my attention, making me smile in response. It was sweet to know that Tom had Rob to look after him like that; something typically nice that Rob would do.
Rob came and sit back down next to me, with a bottle of beer in his hand. Another one. ''So…getting drunk tonight, new friend?'' I asked him playfully. He just laughed in response and nodded.
''Uh huh, and so are you, twilight bud.'' He replied, handing me a small glass filled with clear liquid in a shot glass. I giggled in response, taking the glass in my hands.
''Thanks, twilight bud.'' I replied happily.
''That's alright, I have my own.'' Rob admitted, taking his own shot into his hands. ''On the count of three?'' He asked me.
''Ah, why not.'' I agreed happily, shrugging.
''One, two, three!'' We said together before we both poured the shot down our necks, with me grimacing in response and making Rob laugh. That had been one hell of a strong, shot liquid. Maybe even stronger than vodka, if possible.
''Fucking hell; that was strong!'' I complained.
Rob laughed in response, putting our glasses back onto the table. ''I'm not a pushover. If I do shots, its got to be strong.'' He admitted smugly.
''Well…I think you should get some more in then, twilight bud.'' I grinned at him. He chuckled, and took my shot glass from me, and went to the bar to go and get some more of them shots for us.
Tom joined us after Rob walked back though, and it kinda started into a bit of a competition about who could down it faster. And the more that I drank, the harder I found it to keep my eyes off of Rob.
This was definitely going to be a wild night.
***
