Bright Lights

By Jessica Morphew

A debut novella from J.M.Morphew.
Telling the story of young love and reaching for your dreams.
Lily-Rose and Luke have been friends since school but their blossoming romance has never been acknowledged. As they grow older together, their lives force them apart; with Luke heading to the city.
With Lily-Rose remaining in the small town, she starts to feel like those she loved are leaving her behind. They're all off in their dream jobs, whilst Lily's working the night shift in a hotel bar. She dreams of city life, the buzz and the bright lights. However she feels they're too far away.
When Luke appears in the bar, Lily-Rose is overjoyed. This could be her chance. The chance they never gave themselves as kids.
But is all as it seems? Is Luke here to stay or is it a flash in the pan? Could this be her ticket to the bright lights or is she blinded?
Bright Lights tells the tale of love, friendship and growing up. It's about following your dreams and believing in yourself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Feb 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9781678099640

Book preview

Bright Lights

Jessica Morphew

2020

Copyright © 2020 Jessica Morphew

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review.

Cover Image Copyright © by Tristan Morphew

EBOOK EDITION

Copyright © 2020 Jessica Morphew. All rights reserved.

Published by Jessica Morphew

ISBN 9781678099640

A note from the Author

I am so grateful to everyone that’s helped make this book reality. I’m lucky enough to have always been surrounded by people who support my dreams, crazy or not. From my mum who’s spent my childhood taking me to and from various performing arts classes, shows and letting me know it's okay to chase your creative dreams. To my friends who read all my writing and gave feedback and sometimes even helped me write! I love you all so very much!

Also a huge thank you to Tristan, my talented uncle who I’ve drafted in to make my front cover.

Jess

"Why did I write?

Because I found life unsatisfactory…"

Tennessee Williams

Chapter 1

"Our faces illuminated by the same moonlight,

My final chance to say goodnight,

I can’t say it now, it will break my heart.

I need to go now, before my flight departs"

You weren’t even going to say goodbye?.

I could hear the pain in his voice. I’d done this to him. I’d caused the hurt. Right now, I stubbornly couldn’t bear to look him in the eye.

It was a cold evening in October, there were a few people dotted around the platform of my small town's train station. Every one of them was minding their own business, most of them alone, some with partners or friends, although, they still played on their phones in a world of their own. Funny how even when you’re right next to someone, you just want to block them out. That's how I felt right now.

The weight of my guilt encompassed me. I wished the ground would swallow me up but it didn't. Instead, leaves swirled around my ankles in the cold breeze. All whilst his gaze burned into the side of my head.

I look further down the platform. Everyone here has a story. I assume that the other people on the platform are married, some likely single, some in a relationship. I read somewhere once that 36% of people asked, have admitted to infidelity on a business trip. I see people in suits and well… you never know where they’re going, do you? That’s not where I was going, the blue eyes shining in my peripheral vision didn’t belong to my boyfriend.  Luke was just a friend. Just. A. Friend. Always.

I focused on the train line in front of me; wondering how long this specific piece of railway track has been here. Anything to take me away from reality. You always see litter on the grassy bits next to the line, a shoe, bottle, cuddly giraffe. Have you ever stopped to think of it’s story? As a writer, I'd always enjoyed imagining the stories behind them. Perhaps the shoe was from a drunken stumble off the train after a night lighting it up in the city? Or had the owner's foot become trapped between the train and the platform, only to then be saved by a mysterious man. Did they then fall in love and travel the route together now, catching sight of the shoe every journey as a subtle reminder of the past? I’d always loved a story with a happy ending. Never had my own though.

A station announcement about an incoming train bellows over the tannoy. The interruption snaps me back to my present reality; back to him.

Why are you doing this? Why now, why Scotland?. His words cut through me. Spoken like he doesn’t know me at all when on the contrary he knows me better than I know myself! Is this the end? he continues, I grip the suitcase in my hand that bit  tighter. The break in his voice is becoming more apparent now. It hurts to hear. Why can't he just leave? He could do so much more without me. He could get on a train, go in the opposite direction. Back to the bright lights and the big city that he calls home now. I still haven’t even glanced in his direction. I can’t. It can’t be the end, you know, our story hasn’t even begun yet…

Our story? No, I could never write something as beautiful as that. There was no story. No happy ending. Just a possibility, an idea, a mystery. And that's how it would remain.

Another station announcement over the tannoy.

The train now approaching platform 2 does not stop here. Please stand back from the platform edge the rattle and clanking of the train speeding down the tracks explodes through the quiet platform. The draft from the train blows through the space between me and Luke. It seems like the train takes forever to pass. The rushing beat of the train seems to be on par with my heartbeat. And then it tapers off. In the distance it fades to a steady beat. My heartbeat, not so much.

As if to mirror my emotion, it began to rain. The rain had clearly woken up some of the sleepy commuters. People had started to glance up from their phones. Luke and I were in the middle of the platform. I'd stood under the light, originally for safety, but now I regretted it. It now felt like a spotlight on a stage. The other people on the platform were probably wondering why on earth this man is putting in so much effort for someone who clearly doesn't care. Maybe they had their own idea of what was happening. Maybe they'd created a story for us. Would they talk about us when