My promise to him

Chapter 6

He unlocks his door and locks it again behind us. I take a deep breath in relief. Frank usually calms down in the morning when he's sober and it won't be so bad. 

Zack watches me, "Emma you've got to tell me what's happening, I was right wasn't I, and those marks on your arm were from someone, from him." He holds me close to his chest, "Zack, it's not usually this bad, it's worse when he's drunk, please you can't tell anyone, my mum is so happy and he only does it when I do something wrong-" "What did you do wrong," He says. 

"We took longer than we were meant to tonight-"he stands back, "We stopped for what 10 minutes? Emma that's not something wrong, that's him manipulating you!" he exclaims angrily. 

I put my hand on his chest to calm him down, "I promise it's not that bad, please don't tell anyone, just forget about it, you'll make it worse." He rubs his hands over his face, sighing. "Does Louie and Olly know about this at least?" He asks stroking my face. 

Louie and Olly are my two brothers. I wrap my hand around his neck shaking my head, "No, Emma you need to tell them, It's just going to get worse, promise me you'll tell them when they come up tomorrow?" he says to me seriously. 

I nod kissing him and he sighs giving up and kissing me back. I kiss him for a couple of minutes until suddenly I remember what happened before and pull back smiling, I'm used to acting normal after anyway- I've had a lot of practice.

"I just wanted to tell you that I broke up with Brandon," I say shifting uncomfortably on my feet. He smiles, "what? Really?!?" he exclaims grinning. 

I look at him and he quickly adds, "I mean oh no," trying to cover up his smile. "I had to be honest with him about you." He gives me a concerned look, "Are you okay?" I wipe my eyes, "I will be, I just want to be with you right you now." 

He steps forward, pulling me closer. I put my arms round his waist and he pulls me close to his chest and wraps his strong arms around me tightly. Nothing in the world has ever felt so right.

I lie in his arms that night and we chat about old memories and funny things. It's nice not having to banter with him all the time and just be honest with each other - not hide our feelings. 

He has his arm around me lying on his bed when suddenly he has a more serious tone to his voice and he leans close to whisper in my ear, "I have a confession, moving away from you was the biggest regrets of my life, and I'm not just saying that, I really did miss hanging out with you so much, I wouldn't come out the car for 3 hours when we first moved." 

I laugh and push his arm playfully. "No way, you're lying! You seemed so excited to leave, you wouldn't stop talking about it," I laugh. "I was trying to make you jealous," he laughs back embarrassingly. I lean my head into his chest, sighing. "What's wrong, not having regrets are you?" he says acting like he just joking but I've known him long enough to sense some kind of worry in his voice.

I sit up and he follows, "It's just...How are we going to make this work, I mean we live so far away and even then, what? In a year we go to college, get a job?" My eyes full with water, "I don't want leave you again." He strokes my cheek, "I will make sure you don't have too, I promise, nothing and no one is going to get in the way of us being together," he pulls me into himself. 

He whispers something so quietly I can barely hear it, it kind of sounds like I love you – wait?!? 

I sit back up. "What did you say?" I say in a whisper. He breaks eye contact looking embarrassed then biting the bullet takes my hands, "I love you, I was meant to tell you before i left, I guess I always have, I was just too much of a dick to admit it" he says nervously. 

I trail my hands round his neck, then smile pulling him closer so his forehead is pressed up against mine, he tilts his head but I dodge his lips stroking his cheek for a minute watching his expression and then we kiss. 

We keep kissing till 1pm and I have to go. I pull back slightly, blushing. It's strange how far things have come between us within 1 night. I mean, only this morning we were basically hating each other and now he's told me that he loves me and that he always has. It's all to fast and i need a moment to actually gather my thoughts. "I'll see you in the morning," I say. 

"You sure you'll be alright, like Frank-wise?" he asks, watching me closely, a concerned look masking his face. "Yeah, he'll be out for hours yet," I respond. He smiles, hugging me again. I give in for a few minutes before forcing myself away, "c'mon let me go," I say to which he moans. 

I stroke my hand across his cheek, pushing his sweaty hair off his eyes, "We have all week, remember" This causes him to grin, hugging me one more time before rolling of me so I can head back to my room.

"Where have you been?" Mum asks me as I walk to my room. She's been waiting for me. I smile to myself and the thought that I've nearly spent all night with Zack in his room but I don't dare say that, "with Zack," I murmur as I pull my duvet over my head. 

She sits up. "A few hours ago, you were begging me to take you home so you didn't have to see him, what changed?" she says. I sit up, "I broke up with Brandon," I whisper, it still hadn't set in, all that happened. "No, why, he was such a lovely boy that one," she exclaims. 

Grimacing, I bury my face further into the pillow. "Don't make me feel worse than I already do!" I mumble. She comes over and I feel her sit on the edge of my bed. 

"Sorry sweetie, but why did you break up with him, I thought things were going well?" I sigh, I should probably tell her. "Because, because of Zack, there's something between us, like one minute we're arguing and the next he's kissing me and I'm so confused at what I feel about that, that and I had to be honest about that with Brandon," I say all too quickly, realising how weird it must seem to her. 

She nods though, "I'm proud of you for being honest but make sure you know you're making the right choice." I shake my head sighing, "I don't know, how I find out?" I ask desperately, she smiles, "You just have to follow you heart with these things," she says before squeezing my hand, saying goodnight then walking out. 

She makes it sound so much easier than it is.