BELLEVUE

5am. My alarm rings. But that doesn’t bother me, a ray of light cuts through my bedroom in the flat I share with my best friends, Katya, and Evelyn. When Katya’s extremely generous father offered to rent an apartment for us right in Southbank overlooking the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament it was like a dream come true.

We moved in with two rules, one, don’t trash the place, and two, as long as we don’t drop out of university we can stay here as long as we need. Hell fucking yes. Not only did I now live with my best friends, but I had some of the best galleries, restaurants, and nightlife spots in the world right on my doorstep.

I climb out of bed and head into the kitchen, the sun pouring in through the floor to ceiling windows, I pause and take a minute to breathe in the view. Katya is sitting at the massive marble dining table in front of her laptop, music blearing in her headphones so loud I can hear it from across the room. She looks up at me and smiles, I gesture at the coffee machine and she nods. I set down two steaming lattes on the table and sit down next to her.

‘Hey, good morning, thank you’ she pulls one cup towards her. ‘Are you excited to go back home?’ I haven’t been home in three months; I miss my mum and brother so much and I definitely need a break before my final exams next term.

‘I can’t wait, these last few months have really kicked my ass and all I want now is to relax so I can come back with a clear head and focus on graduating’. This has been a long time coming. All I ever wanted was follow in my parent’s footsteps, Gwen and Samuel Carter. The best business and life partner inspo anyone could ask for. Watching them build Bellevue Equestrian Centre, is what inspired me to apply for the international management programme at King’s Business School in the first place. I worked my ass off to be here and now I’m about to start the final term of my degree, just two exams stand between me and my future.

My head has been spinning since getting back from a yearlong placement in Pariswhere I was interning for one of the most prestigious business consulting firms in France. Before I returned home my direct supervisor handed me a white envelope. I opened it with shaky hands and inside was not only a job offer if I achieve my predicted grades, a generous pay packet, but also a relocation allowance. I don’t have a lot of time left to make my decision and the pressure is certainly building, LuneConseil have asked me to return my decision within a week of receiving my exam results.

I learned more than I could have ever imagined at LuneConseil, and living life as a Parisienne opened my eyes to a whole world beyond, not just London, but the Cotswolds too. As much as I loved it, it left my heart feeling heavy. I loved every minute of Paris, but a big part of me missed my family home in the country.

Memories of horse riding through the open fields of the Cotswolds with my childhood friend Liza, come rushing back to me. The feeling of the wind running through my wild red hair and the feeling of sheer ecstasy as I galloped through lavender fields with Liza at my side. Let’s not forget the snow-covered hills that made for the most magical Christmases with my mum, dad, and younger brother Kai. When LuneConseil offered me the opportunity of a life time, I knew I was going to have a very difficult decision on my hands.

My thoughts are interrupted as Evelyn stumbles into the kitchen and starts the coffee machine which begins spluttering away.

‘Good morning, Eve.’ Katya and I say in unison, the three of us laugh and Evelyn joins us at the table. As if Evelyn can see inside my head, she asks.

‘So… Paris? Have you given it any more thought?’ Evelyn and Katya both look at me with hope filled eyes. I know what they want me to do, dump Jason and move to France to live out my Paris dreams.

Jason, the love of my life. Jason and I met at a house party at the end of year 11 and being 4 years older than me at the time made him seem so grown up and mysterious. He gave off a I don’t give a fuck vibe which made me want him even more, a forbidden kind of romance, but it wasn’t until I was in college that he started to notice me.

I didn’t know he was going to be at Liza’s New Year’s Eve party and when I saw him pull up to Liza’s house on his motorcycle, I knew I needed a piece of him. Our eyes locked and we were practically inseparable for the rest of the night. I know Jason can be an acquired taste and it certainly wasn’t love at first sight for us but it was definitely lust at first sight. Being young, naïve, and completely besotted by him Idefinitely ignored a few orange flags.

Throughout the years that we’ve been together, he has shown me a loving side to him that not many people get to see, he’s had a tough childhood and as a result he’s built up the walls around him so high. Yes, he can be brash and stern but you just need to give him a chance to open up. Since Katya and Evelyn met Jason at our first Christmas party at the flat, they’ve never really got on.

‘Actually, it’s all I’ve been thinking about recently, if I choose Paris, I can’t helpbut feel like I’m leaving my family behind. But, if I choose to stay, I feel like I am passing on the most amazing opportunity.’ Evelyn offers a comforting smile, Katya adds.

‘Whatever you do it’s got to be the right choice for you, how does Jason feel about this?’ Sometimes I forget he comes into this decision too. I’ve been so wrapped up in what’s right for me, I forgot to consider what’s right for us.