Three Years, Five Months and Eleven Days

Chapter Fifteen

Sorry this chapter's so short, I promise sixteen will be longer!

Happy reading :D

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     The next Monday was the first of August. This did not only mark exactly one month till my birthday, it also marked one month and a day till Michael left and it was the day Robert finally came home from his trip to Europe.

     I wasn’t sure how I was going to tell Rob about me dating Michael. It seemed odd that he didn’t even know, but we hadn’t had much contact while he was away, just the occasional text to check I was fine: he trusted Dee to take care of me more than he trusted himself to. Now it felt like ages ago that it had all happened, even though it was only two weeks that we’d been together, and it felt silly telling Rob.

     I would have to do it as soon as possible though, because I always told Rob everything and it might look like I was keeping it from him if I didn’t tell him something that big straight away.

     So as soon as I got the text from him saying “I’m home” I decided to go and tell him. ‘You’re sure you don’t want me to come with you?’ Michael asked for the fourth time.

     ‘No,’ I told him again. ‘It’s better if I tell him on my own and also he’s been away for three weeks, we’ll need to catch up and it will just be awkward if you’re there.’

     ‘Fine, but you’ll text me if you want me to come?’ he asked. ‘I still haven’t even seen your house.’

     ‘You will eventually,’ I reassured him. ‘Today’s not the day.’

     ‘Just let her go,’ Beth laughed, pulling Michael further away from me. ‘Run for it Debby!’ she joked. ‘While I’m holding him back!’

     I smiled, thinking I was sad not to be spending the day with them, but I also wanted to see Rob and try to make another step towards being a better person with him.

     I was at my house in no time, and this time I had left Beth’s with my keys so I let myself in.

     ‘Rob?’ I called out.

     ‘I’m in here,’ I heard him say from the sitting room. He had been home for all of fifteen minutes and already he was lying on the sofa, snacking and watching TV.

     ‘Hey,’ I said as I walked in. He didn’t move, just waved and shoved more crisps in is mouth, as I’ve said: we’re not touchy-feely close and even when I hadn’t seen him for three weeks we still didn’t hug.

     ‘How’s my little sister?’ he asked.

     I shrugged. ‘Good,’ I replied, thinking this was the moment, I had to tell him now, or I never would. ‘Actually something big happened while you were away.’

     ‘What?’ he asked, not even seeming intrigued or especially interested, he never was big on showing emotions.

     ‘Well…um,’ I hesitated, not sure how to put it. ‘I-it’s just…’ I took in a deep breath of air, preparing myself to just spit it out. ‘Michael and I are going out.’

     His eyes widened and he turned to face me properly. ‘You and Michael are what?’ he asked.

     I cleared my throat. ‘Going out,’ I said, clearer this time.

     ‘Since when?’ he asked, not moving at all.

     ‘Two weeks today.’

     ‘Debby,’ he said, slowly. ‘You do realise that he’s my age?’

     ‘Yes, of course I do!’ I cried. ‘Look, whatever you’re going to lecture me on, I’ve already been told by Dee and Beth, they pretty much covered everything right at the beginning. Can you just be happy for me?’

     ‘You really like him?’

      ‘Yes, I really do Rob,’ I told him. ‘More than you can imagine.’

      He didn’t say anything, just sat and let the thought sink in for a moment.

     ‘What are you thinking?’ I asked him.

     ‘That if you’re happy then it’s fine,’ he said.

     ‘Really?’

     ‘No. I wish I could think that,’ he sighed. ‘But you’re my little sister. I’ve been looking after you for two and a half years. I just can’t help thinking I’ve not taught you enough about boys and how they’ll hurt you, if you’ll jump into a serious relationship with a guy way older than you the second I leave the country.’

      I actually laughed. ‘I have films and books to teach me what guys are like and I wasn’t planning for it to happen.’

     ‘Yeah, but in the films the girl always gets her guy in the end,’ he said. ‘There’s no way you and Michael will be together forever.’

     ‘Beth did tell me all this,’ I pointed out.

     ‘Did you listen to her?’

     ‘Well, yes. Partly,’ I admitted. ‘If I’d listened to everything she said I wouldn’t be going out with Michael. But I do realise we only have a month left and I want to be with him in spite of that.’

     ‘And how do you feel about that?’ he asked. ‘About him leaving soon?’

     ‘I don’t know,’ I shrugged. ‘I don’t really want to think about it, but if I could avoid it I would.’

     ‘So you’re expecting it to be hard when he leaves?’

     ‘I can imagine it will be.’

     ‘Debby,’ he sighed. ‘Do you not see what I’m getting at? If you don’t even want to think about it after two weeks, think about how you will feel in a month.’

     ‘I know it will be hard,’ I told him. ‘But I’ll handle it when it comes.’

     ‘You’ll be heartbroken,’ he warned.

     ‘Well, I’ll deal.’

     He stared at me for a few seconds, seeing that he couldn’t change my mind.

     ‘Just trust me on this,’ I told him. ‘Please just this once. And it’s not your fault at all.’

     ‘What?’ he asked, confused.

     ‘You said you think you haven’t taught me enough about boys,’ I reminded him. ‘You have never done anything wrong by me; you’ve been the best brother ever. I don’t think I tell you that often enough.’

     This made him grin widely. ‘Thanks Debby.’    

     ‘Well now you know my news,’ I said, changing the subject. ‘Tell me all about Europe.’