Three Years On

Chapter Twenty-Six

Okay guys, I know this is kind of short, but I'm uploading! It's an exciting one too.... kind of the beginning of the end :S There aren't that many chapters left now, another four or five maybe :O Thanks for your patience while I was away, I hope the long gap hasn't lost me any readers. There were people I wanted to give dedications to, but I can't remember who because it's been so long, but if you comment I love you! 

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     They ran the distance to his car and jumped in. When Michael looked back at the door, he saw that it was closed and Alfie and his mother were inside. He was slightly out of breath from the short sprint, so he paused a moment before starting the car and turned to look at Debby. She was panting gently too and there were a few tears running down her face.

     ‘Why are you crying?’ he asked. ‘I would have thought you’d be happy.’ He reached out and placed his hand on hers, giving it a small squeeze.

     ‘Sorry,’ she said, her tone of voice not matching her face. Michael knew that when she was upset, she sounded upset. Although she was crying, she didn’t really seem phased.

     ‘Just scared?’ he guessed.

     She nodded and wiped her face. ‘It was all just very dramatic,’ she told him. ‘I don’t really know why I’m crying.’

     ‘What now?’ he asked her.

     Debby shrugged her shoulders. ‘Go back to mine?’ she suggested. ‘I mean we’re hardly going to drive all the way back to Warwick.’

     Michael sighed and dug around in his pocket for his car keys. ‘Well, that was a short visit then. But I’m sure we’ll have more.’

     He turned the key and the car came to life. During the drive back to Debby’s they were still in shock, and so didn’t say a word the whole way. Half an hour later, when he had parked the car on Debby’s street, Quickwell Hill, he climbed out. Debby didn’t show any signs of moving, so he walked round the front of his car to open her door for her.

     ‘You okay?’ he asked, as she stepped out, taking his hand.

     ‘Yeah, just…’ she hesitated, and pulled him closer to her. ‘Just grateful. Seriously, it was amazing that you did that for me. You’re the best boyfriend ever.’

      He grinned. ‘Only because I have the best girlfriend ever,’ he teased, kissing her lightly on the lips.

     ‘And we’re like the most disgustingly romantic couple ever,’ she told him.

     He let out a barking laugh and kissed her again, before leading her to the other side of the road, where he pushed open the wooden gate to the front garden. He rung the doorbell and Debby squeezed his arm. ‘I don’t think anyone’s in,’ she told him. ‘My mum and Rob are probably at work.’

     ‘It’s a Sunday,’ he reminded her. They waited for a moment, but there was no response.

     ‘You have keys, don’t you?’ Michael checked.

     Debby pulled a face. ‘Nope,’ she told him. ‘We used to have a key hidden in one of the pots though. Not sure if it’s still there, or if I can even remember which pot it was.’

     Michael shook his head at her. ‘Great,’ he murmured, spinning on his heel. He began to look through all the pots in the small garden systematically, while Debby just watched. Eventually he felt something cold, hidden just under the brim of a large one containing a plant with bright pink flowers, a slightly darker shade than that of the walls of the house.

     ‘This it?’ he asked, making his way back over to Debby and holding up the small bronze key.

     ‘Yep,’ she nodded. ‘Thanks babe.’

     ‘Thanks for helping,’ he teased her, placing it in her hand. She slotted it in the door and pushed it open.

     ‘Anyone home?’ she double-checked. There was no response, so she closed the door behind her. ‘They must be out.’

     ‘You don’t say,’ Michael responded.

     ‘Whatever,’ she said, walking down the corridor to the kitchen. ‘Why do you always have to be so condescending?’

     ‘I’m not that condescending,’ he contradicted, following her.

     She didn’t say anything to him until they were in the kitchen. ‘You are sometimes,’ she told him. She turned around and pulled an unopened packet of chocolate digestives out of the cupboard, ripping it open.

     ‘Well, I’m nice most of the time,’ he pointed out. ‘Remember that time, oh, about forty-five minutes ago, when I punched your ex-boyfriend for you?’

     This made Debby smile and she held out a biscuit. He took it and popped it into his mouth. ‘That was pretty cool,’ she admitted.

      ‘I think it was more than just pretty cool,’ he disagreed, devouring the biscuit quickly. ‘I love how the first thing you do whenever you get home is eat.’

     Debby ignored the last part, and placed the packet on the counter. ‘It was actually kind of hot,’ she told him, moving in closer with a grin. ‘Like something out of a movie.’

     ‘I knew it,’ he gloated, slowly sliding his arms around her waist, the contact feeling good. She moved in to kiss him, but just before her lips met his she stopped. The suspense of that kiss was almost as good as if they had actually been kissing. Michael thought he was going to burst with uncontrollable desire, but he resisted and held back, prolonging the moment.

     Eventually she gave in, and slammed her lips against his urgently. He found himself pushing against her, desperately trying to leave as little space between them as possible, but it only resulted in her stumbling backwards, until she was pressed up against the counter and couldn’t go any further. Her arms were folded awkwardly in front of her, her fingers curled up tightly in fists around the material of his shirt. Without breaking their embrace he took her hands in his and gently loosened her grip, then directed her hands around his neck, so that he could move in closer. All he wanted was to feel her body against his, to know she was there – really there.

    Instinctively the both broke away at the same moment, and found themselves with their faces inches apart, panting hard. He could feel the rhythmical motion of her lungs against his chest and even her heart pounding too.

     ‘Michael,’ she whispered, more because she was out of breath than because there was anyone to overhear. ‘Now.’

      Michael knew what she meant. He looked down, right into her eyes. All the other times she’d wanted to do it, he’d found it easy enough to refuse because he’d known he was doing the right thing. But he didn’t have that this time.

     This time he only felt an impossibly strong craving to give in. It was the first time that he’d really, desperately felt the need to be with her, in a way that was out of the question to ignore.

     He hesitated a few more seconds, waiting for his breathing to slow. He gently brushed the hair back out of her face and pressed his lips firmly against her forehead. ‘Are you sure?’ he asked.

     Debby nodded almost imperceptibly. ‘Yes,’ she told him. ‘So sure. I’m seventeen, don’t you think it’s about time to go there again?’

     ‘And you won’t blame it on Beth this time?’ he checked.

     She laughed slightly, but it seemed a little forced. ‘I’ll remember it this time,’ she pointed out. ‘So there won’t be anything to be mad about.’

     She grabbed his hand with hers, interlocking their fingers easily, and pulled him towards the door. She wasn’t quite running, but her pace was urgent – they needed to do this. She practically dragged him up the stairs and down the corridor to the door of her room, which she pushed open. She dropped his hand as they entered the room, and Michael turned back to close the door.