If It Gave Us Time

Pulling her sweatshirt around her shoulders a little more, Isla let out a quiet sigh, her eyes staring out across the garden which sat ahead of her as she enjoyed the quiet which filled the air. She had been out there for a while, with her parents having invited some of their friends over for dinner, she had spent a while out in the garden, trying to avoid it, but she knew that it wouldn’t be much longer before someone came to look for her, even if her mother, father and older brother were inside. She knew that it could only be a matter of time before she was needed to say her goodbyes.

Fiddling with the zip her of her sweater, she pulled it halfway up before she lifted her hands, gently readjusting the ponytail that she had her blonde hair tied in.

“Are you not cold?”

Isla shook her head, but didn’t shift her eyes, instead keeping them firmly fixed on her feet. “I’m fine” she mused simply.

Gerard, who was stood in the doorway behind her, rolled his eyes a little before he pulled the door closed behind, allowing him to take a few steps before he sat down beside her, depositing the spare sweatshirt of his that he’d bought out with him into her hands. “You’re a bad liar” he commented.

Isla rolled her eyes, but didn’t say anything, instead opting to quietly wrap the jumper around her shoulders

Gerard watched her for a few seconds, allowing the silence to linger between them, before he shook his head, letting out a quiet laugh. “Are you just going to say nothing to me?” he quipped “I mean, you do know that I am leaving tomorrow, right?” he added, trying to keep his voice warm and playful.

He knew that she knew that he was leaving, when he’d first made the decision to leave for Manchester, Isla had been one of the first people he’d told, but he wanted to try and coax her into talking, even if it did mean poking and prodding at something he knew that she wouldn’t want to talk about. He just wanted her to say something to him.

Isla, who’d been quietly pulling at a loose thread which poked out of her jeans, rolled her eyes before she lifted her head, her blue eyes mirroring his. “You think I could have forgotten that?” she asked, her voice a little sharp.

Gerard grinned at her boyishly. “I made you talk to me, didn’t I?” he chirped.

Isla scoffed, shaking her head to herself as she pushed herself up to her feet, moving a few paces away from him. “You’re an idiot” she pointed out.

“You say it like it’s news to you” Gerard quipped as he stood up, following after her “Lala, you’ve known me forever. You know I’m an idiot” he teased as he stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Isla jumped, not having noticed that he’d followed after her, before she shook her head, her fingers messing with the watch which sat on his wrist. “You know I hate being called Lala” she grumbled “I’ve told you that a million times” she added as she leant her head back, looking up at him.

Gerard grinned down at her. “You know you love it really” he teased.

Isla rolled her eyes again before she pulled away from him, taking a few more steps across the garden.

Gerard stood still and watched her for a few seconds before he shook his head, opening his mouth to say something.

Isla, however, was quicker, cutting him off before he had a chance to get anything out. “Are you excited about going?” she asked, the tone of her voice difficult to place.

Gerard blinked a couple of times, surprised that she had cut him off, before he shrugged his shoulders gently. “I think so” he noted.

“You think so?” Isla retorted, turning her back towards him “I mean, you’re going to go and play in Manchester for one of the biggest football teams in the world, and you only ‘think’ you’re excited?” she pressed, trying, and failing, to subtly lift her hand to wipe at her eyes.

Gerard noticed the movement of her hand, but didn’t say anything about it, instead opting to let out a slightly breathy laugh. “When you put it like that...” he teased.

Isla let out a snuffly laugh, something which made Gerard laugh again before he stepped towards her, happily wrapping his arms around her. Isla jumped, once again surprised by his hug, before she turned into him, clinging to him for a few seconds before she stepped back, wiping her eyes gently. Shaking her head, she ran her thumb under her eyes before she caught Gerard’s stare, something which caused her to quirk a watery smile. “Sorry” she mumbled sheepishly.

Gerard’s lips quirked upward slightly, like something amusing had crossed his mind, before he shook his head, pulling her into another hug. “You know I am going to miss you, right?” he mumbled into her hair.

Isla scoffed, her fingers gripping his shirt tightly so that he didn’t pull away. “You’re just saying that” she muttered.

Gerard smiled against her hair. “Who else will I annoy endlessly?” he teased.

Isla let out another snuffly laugh, hugging him a little tighter. “I’ve said it a million times, but...”

“I know” Gerard interrupted “I’m an idiot” he added.

Isla giggled as she pulled away from him. “You took the words out of my mouth” she grinned.

Gerard smiled back at her for a few seconds, admiring the tearful expression that she wore on her face, before he took half a pace forwards, his thumb lightly brushing a few loose tears off of her skin. “Isla...”

“I’m going to miss you too, of course” Isla interrupted, ducking away from his hand “It’ll be so weird, not having you around all of the time” she added, shyly pushing some of her blonde hair off of her face.

Gerard frowned slightly, a little surprised by how quickly she’d pulled away from him, before he shook his head, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “There’s always the phone” he quipped “And I am sure that we can arrange for you to come out and visit me sometime. I’ll probably come back here eventually...” he trailed off as he watched Isla shake her head.

“What?” he pressed.

Isla shrugged. “You” she replied.

“Lala...”

“Don’t make promises we both know that you can’t keep, Geri” Isla interrupted “Things aren’t going to be same. They’re just not, and it’s just something we both need to get used to. Things can’t be the same with you there and me here” she added, wiping a few more tears away from her eyes.

Gerard was quiet for a second, allowing her words to hang around them, before he shook his head, moving to pull her into another hug, something Isla didn’t hesitate in melting into, her face hidden in his shoulder. “We’ll be fine, Isla” he mumbled quietly “I mean, there’ll be teething problems, but I am sure that we’ll be fine. I’ll call all of the time, we’ll arrange visits...I promise, me and you, it’s not going to change, Ok?” he asked, leaning back so that he could look down into her eyes.

Isla looked up at him for a second, her blue eyes searching his, before she quirked a half smile. “Whatever you say, Gerard” she quipped, rolling her eyes playfully in an attempt to distract him from the tears she knew were shining in her eyes.

Gerard snorted out a laugh, something which made Isla giggle gently before the sound of her mother’s voice reached her ears, causing her to shake her head. “We should...” she trailed off.

Gerard, who’s stare had momentarily flicked down towards her lips, blinked a couple of times before he cleared his throat, nodding. “We should” he agreed, offering his hand out towards her.

Isla glanced down at his hand before she placed her own into it, following him back into the house. She knew that things were going to change, and she knew that he knew it too, but she didn’t want to press it, not wanting to spoil the last moment that they had together before he left by dwelling on what was almost certainly going to happen.