Love You Forever (2013 Wattys Finalist)

Chapter 17 - Aftershocks

Robert laid on his bed with the crook of his arm over his throbbing head while his stomach churned. "I'm never drinking again," he groaned.

"That's what they always say," Darrell muttered darkly, making Robert feel even more like crap. He wished he hadn't said it now. He knew Darrell was referring to his dad's heavy drinking.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"It's alright," Darrell replied quietly, with a sigh. "I've said it once or twice myself. Y'know you probably ought to eat a little. It'll help."

"D'you think?" Robert asked plaintively. He felt so awful, it seemed unlikely a little food was going to make any difference.

"Right! C'mon Robbie! Time to get up, yeah?" Darrell said firmly, and Robert felt him grab onto his arm so he could pull him out of bed. He groaned with the effort to make his hungover mind and body stand up. His stomach roiled but he felt like he probably wouldn't have to vomit, at least not anytime soon.

He staggered down the stairs, but tried to look like he wasn't hungover when he entered the kitchen. His mum and dad looked up from the kitchen table where they'd just eaten and were finishing their tea.

Robert's dad eyed him carefully as Darrell said, "John. Alice. Good morning," and walked over to give his mum a kiss on the cheek as she murmured 'good morning' to him.

"You look a little worse for wear, Robbie!" his dad said sharply.

"I guess, I had a – late night," Robert said, walking to the tea kettle, avoiding his dad's eyes, trying to ignore the throbbing in his head and the churning in his stomach.

"Well, I'll start breakfast for you lads," he said, sounding angry. Robert knew he hadn't fooled him.

"Cheers, John," Darrell said brightly, attempting to take the heat off Robert. The two of them sat down at the table once they had their mugs of tea, Darrell taking Betsy's chair again.

As he sat slumped over his mug, breathing in the steam, letting the soothing smell help his stomach and head feel better, Robert could barely believe he'd gotten so pissed that hooking up with Bridget had seemed like a good idea. They'd had a spectacularly bad breakup just months before he'd been kidnapped, due in no small part to her constant, over the top theatrics. Just like the stunt she'd pulled at the club over two months ago. How could he have forgotten he was still mad at her for causing what happened between him and Georgie?

---Then---

"What?" Robert asked, scarcely able to believe he'd heard right. Georgie kept her eyes on her hands, refusing to look at him as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I – I'm going to go to Chicago – to Grandma May. Maybe she can let me live with her again – or help me find a place to live." Robert was suddenly finding it difficult to breathe as he felt the walls of the room closing in on him.

"Don't you want to be with me?" he asked faintly. She finally looked up at him, her eyes filled with pain.

"I just think it would be better for you without me," she said tremulously.

"What are you talking about? How the hell could this possibly be better for me?" he asked with shock.

Her shoulders hunched and she looked at him with resignation before saying quietly, "You already know why, Robert." He couldn't believe this was happening.

"I don't know why! D'you think after everything I went through to get you away from that fucking bastard, I'm going to just sit here and let you leave?" he said loudly. Her shoulders hunched even more and she looked at her hands again, her mouth set in a grim line as tears ran down her cheeks, refusing to answer him.