If It Gave Us Time

43: It Should Have Been Our Mess

Letting a soft sigh fall out of her mouth, Isla stared at her phone which sat on the bedside table, vibrating with her mother’s name written out across the screen. It wasn’t the first time that she had called, in the couple of days that had passed since Rodrigo’s revelation, both Eva and Daniel had called their daughter numerous times, but Isla hadn’t answered.

Gerard had answered, on a couple of occasions, he had picked the phone up in order to assure the older couple that Isla was fine, she was just angry with them, but still it didn’t stop them calling, even if Gerard had been quick to insist that they let Isla contact them on her own terms. They still called at least five times a day, hoping that they could convince Isla to talk to them.

She knew that she would have to eventually, regardless of what had happened, they were still her parents, and she didn’t want their relationship to fall apart entirely, but in that moment, it felt hard, something which encouraged her to ignore the calls when they came through. She didn’t know what to say to them, even after the conversation that she and Gerard had had, she didn’t know how she really felt about what had happened, and until she did, she didn’t want to talk to them, not quite sure what to say.

Blinking a couple of times, she stared at the phone for a few more seconds before she felt an arm reach past her, lifting the phone up from its spot on the end table. Turning over, she watched Gerard press the phone to his ear, before she offered him a small smile, mouthing the words ‘thank you’.

Gerard returned her smile gently before he shook his head, Eva’s voice snipping into his ears. “Hola, Eva” he mumbled softly “Yeah, it’s me again. Isla’s...she’s as good as she was the last time we spoke” he added.

Isla, who’d moved to lay close to him so that she could hear her mother’s side of the conversation, shifted her arm around his waist, offering him a small squeeze which wordlessly thanked him. She knew that he didn’t like doing it, the small frown he wore whenever he did it spoke volumes, and Isla was grateful to him, knowing that he was doing it to enable her to take some time to think.

Gerard wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her close as he listened to Eva speak, before he shook his head, a quiet sigh falling out of his mouth. “I know that you want to speak to her” he mumbled “But Isla’s just...she’s not quite ready yet. She’s upset, Eva, and she needs some time to figure things out. You’ve just got to be patient with her. She’ll call, I know she will, but it’ll be on her terms. You know how she can be” he added, flashing Isla a slightly cheeky smirk.

Isla rolled her eyes, but didn’t say anything, instead opting to listen to her mother’s reply before Gerard pulled the phone away from his ear, placing it down on his bedside table. “She asked for you to call her” he mused gently “She insisted that you don’t have to speak to your papa if you don’t want to, but she just wants to hear from you. Apparently, as lovely as speaking to me is, she’d much rather hear from her own daughter” he added, his voice caught between playful and soft.

Isla nodded, but again didn’t say anything, something which caused Gerard to lean down slightly, pressing a soft kiss against the top of her head. “You are going to have to talk to them eventually, nena” he announced quietly “Even if it is just to yell at them, it’s something you can’t keep avoiding forever more. They’re your parents, Lala” he murmured into her hair.

“I know” Isla mumbled “And you’re right, I am going to have to call them eventually. I just...I don’t know what to say to them. I don’t what my mama knew, but she didn’t look that surprised when Rodrigo blurted it out. And then there is my papa. I know we’re together now, and you know that I am so happy that we are, but we could have...without him sticking his nose in, we could have been together before and I just...” she trailed off, stuck for the right words to say.

Gerard rubbed her shoulder comfortingly, encouraging her to take her time in thinking of what she wanted to say.

“It could have been a mess” Isla announced quietly after a few seconds of quiet “You were in Manchester, I was here, it could have been a complete and utter disaster. But it should have been our disaster, our mess. I know he wasn’t trying to hurt me, and I know that he only played a small part in why things changed between us, but it still wasn’t his decision to make. It could have been our biggest mistake, but it could have easily been the start of our happy ending, and he just...I know he didn’t anticipate you reacting the way you did, but he still shouldn’t have done it. It was our call” she added, her words careful and precise.

Gerard, who’d been rubbing her shoulder softly, leant down, pressing a soft kiss against the top of her head. “I told him the same thing” he mumbled “I told him that whether our relationship then was worth the risk was a decision that we should have gotten to make, and that he took that decision away from us. I can’t lay the blame entirely on him for what happened, though. I still got jealous, and instead of being brave and talking to you about that, and the feelings I was sure I had for you, I hid away and ruined things between us, but hey, it worked out in the end, didn’t it? He messed up, I messed up, but look at where we are, Isla” he added.

Isla tilted her head, looking up at him. “What are you saying?” she asked.

“We’re still together” Gerard replied “I mean, Ok, there was a long time where it looked like that wouldn’t happen, but it did happen. You’re here, in my bed, with your stuff in my wardrobe. We did it, regardless of your papa’s meddling and my stupidity, we still got to this point anyway. Don’t get me wrong, I am furious at your papa, of course I am and you have every right to be too, but it’s easier to get over it when you realize that we’re still together, in spite of everything. We’re still here, together” he added, a warm smile lighting up his face.

Isla stared up at him, marveling at the smile that had brightened his features, before she shook her head, smiling despite herself.

Gerard caught her smile, his own widening a fraction, before he leant down, kissing her softly. “You’ve still got me” he mumbled between soft kisses “And I am still crazy about you, as much as I was when we were younger. It worked out, Lala” he added, pulling back to meet her eyes.

Isla held his stare, her blue eyes searching his, before she let out a soft sigh, leaning over him to collect the phone that he had placed onto his bedside table. Offering him a slightly nervous look, she moved to dial the familiar number of her parents’ home before she pressed the phone against her ear, something which caused Gerard to lean over, kissing her temple softly as she mumbled out a quiet greeting to her mother.

He knew that she had every right to be upset, he had been upset since Daniel had explained to him what he’d done, but he still wanted to encourage her to talk to her parents, wanting to see them make amends. Daniel had been wrong, his interfering, whilst done with Isla’s best interests at heart, had still ended up with Gerard hurting his daughter, but they had still worked out, even if it was years down the line. Gerard and Isla were still together, still happy, and it wasn’t worth losing her parents over. They still had a shot at making things between them work out.
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Thanks to FootieJo for the comment :)