If It Gave Us Time

Carefully turning onto his side, Gerard spared a soft sigh, his eyes landing on the empty space in the bed beside him. It wasn’t the first time he had found himself staring at it, when he had retired to bed the previous night, he was confident that he had spent at least an hour just staring at Isla’s empty pillow before he’d eventually dropped off into a fitful sleep, but he couldn’t himself, even if he knew why she wasn’t there. The idea that he couldn’t reach out and touch her bump or push her hair back off of her face was something which unsettled him.

Eyeing the empty pillow, he allowed another soft sigh to tumble out of his mouth before he squeezed his eyes closed, trying to shake the thought of Isla and Sergio, which had been quick to flash through his mind, from him his head. He knew that it was nothing to Isla, the look on her face the previous night when she had explained what had happened had confided it to him instantly, but still it had hurt him, playing on little insecurities that he had had since Sergio had reappeared in Isla’s life. He knew Isla, he knew her well enough to know that every time she had insisted that she wasn’t interested in Sergio, she had meant it, but still he was unsettled by the other man, something the kiss that he and Isla had shared had exacerbated.

Keeping his eyes closed, he took in a couple of breaths before a distant thudding filled his ears, something which caused him to startle slightly before he shook his head. Reluctantly sitting up, he listened for a few more seconds, willing the sound to stop, before he groaned, shuffling back to his feet. Padding out of his bedroom, he slowly stepped down the stairs before he reached the front door, pulling it open.

Rodrigo, who stood on the other side of the door, looked up at the sound of it opening, a faint half-smile briefly passing over his features as he looked the defender up and down. “You didn’t get my sister’s text?” he prodded.

Gerard opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, surprised to see the other man, before he shook his head. “Uh, no” he stumbled out “I’ve...uh, I’ve not been up for long and I’ve not have the chance to look at my phone yet. What’d she say?” he asked.

“She wanted to tell you that I was on my way over to grab a few things for her” Rodrigo replied “I mean, she thought about coming herself, but she didn’t want to impose on you so soon after last night” he added as Gerard stepped out of the doorway, allowing him to step past him.

Gerard shook his head, pushing the door closed gently. “She’s not an imposition” he replied “This is her home” he added.

“She just felt a little awkward about it” Rodrigo returned “I mean, from what I hear, you guys got into something last night and I think this is her way of trying to give you space” he added, offering the defender a small, sympathetic smile. He didn’t know what had happened, when he’d arrived at his parents’ home to find his little sister curled up on the couch, he’d been more than a little surprised, but he knew that it must have been something big if Isla had stayed with their parents, something which had him worried, knowing just how much Isla had grown to adore Gerard.

Gerard offered him a slightly uncertain look, but didn’t say anything, causing Rodrigo to clear his throat slightly, trying to alleviate the silence which had fallen around them. “Can you show me up to your room?” he asked.

Gerard nodded his head stiffly. “Sure” he mumbled “Follow me” he added as he stepped past Rodrigo, making his way up the stairs.

Rodrigo hesitated for a second before he wandered after Gerard, following him into the bedroom he and Isla shared. Stopping in the doorway, he watched as Gerard slowly stepped across the room and sat down at the foot of the bed before he shook his head, awkwardly clearing his throat. “You don’t have to stay” he mumbled “I’ll only be a few minutes and...”

“It’s fine” Gerard interrupted.

Rodrigo offered him an uncertain look, wordlessly asking if he was sure, before he nodded his head slowly, making his way towards the wardrobe.

Gerard watched him, allowing an uncomfortable silence to linger between them as Rodrigo looked through the cupboard, before he cleared his throat. “Lala” he murmured “How...?”

“A little tearful” Rodrigo quipped, knowing precisely what the question was “But alright” he added.

Gerard nodded slowly, a small smile passing over his features fleetingly. “Did she tell you what happened?” he asked.

Rodrigo shook his head. “I only saw her for a few minutes” he quipped “Was it that bad?” he asked tentatively.

Gerard exhaled a sigh. “Depends” he muttered “How bad do you think her ex-boyfriend kissing her is?” he asked.

Rodrigo, who’d been placing a set of clothes into a bag, stilled for a second before he turned, offering Gerard a glance over his shoulder. “Sergio?” he prodded.

Gerard’s expression twitched a little before he nodded.

Rodrigo was quiet for a second before he nodded his head slowly. “You think she kissed him back?” he asked.

“She says that she didn’t” Gerard replied “And I think she meant it” he added.

“Then why is she staying with my parents?” Rodrigo countered “I mean, if you think she was telling the truth, why is it a big deal?” he added.

“She kissed someone else, Rodrigo” Gerard quipped as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Someone else kissed her” Rodrigo countered.

“Not just someone else” Gerard noted “Someone she loved, Rodrigo” he added.

Rodrigo’s expression softened a little before he shook his head. “Gerard...”

“He was the first one she loved” Gerard interrupted “How could she not still see something in him?” he pressed, his voice softening slightly.

Rodrigo quirked a faint smile. “He wasn’t the first one” he mused “You were” he added.

Gerard shook his head. “Rodrigo...”

“My sister’s loved you forever and a day, and if you can’t see that, then you’re a complete idiot” Rodrigo interrupted sharply “You broke her heart when you left, you broke it again when you stopped calling her, and she’s still as smitten as ever with you. She might have made it hard for you to get close to her at the start, but look at you now, you’re so serious in no time at all, and that’s because she’s in love with you, more so than she has been with anyone else before. This isn’t Isla’s problem, Sergio’s always been an idiot and he never took their breakup up well, but Isla would never risk you for him, so if you think she could, then this is very much your problem. She’s never looked at anyone else the way she looks at you, and if you can’t see that, then that’s your problem. Your insecurities are yours, don’t put them onto the woman who loves you” he grumbled before he hoisted the bag up from the floor, tossing it over his shoulder.

Gerard just stared at him.

Rodrigo shifted his feet slightly, trying to think of what to say next, before he shook his head. “Just talk to her” he muttered before he stepped out of the room.

Gerard stood still, listening to Rodrigo’s footsteps down the stairs and the sound of the door closing, before he closed his eyes, allowing Rodrigo’s words to linger in his ears.