This Is England » Freddie Highmore

47.

     "I LOVE YOU." I pant as I collapse on Amelia. She stares at me in the most adoring way, and all I wanted to do was take a snapshot of that moment. If it were possible, I could have frozen the moment in place and just enjoyed it a little longer.

  She strokes my face with her thumb; smiling warmly at me. Every time she smiled, or even placed her angelic fingers on my skin in an affectionate manner, my heart jolts and it's as if a fire ignites within my body.

  "Is that why you wanted to see my mother, so you can tell her I'm going back to school?" Amelia asked, playing with my hair. I nod, smiling weakly at her.

  "Yeah," I replied. "I also wanted to surprise you with that. I didn't want to see you sad anymore."

She sat up and ran her hand through her hair, staring out the window. She turns back to me, looking timid.

"Freddie," she says, "what are we, exactly?"

I sit up and look at her. "We're friends, no?"

Amelia groans. "Friends don't just have sex. I don't recall of us ever agreeing to be friends with benefits either."

I bite my lower lip. "Well, you broke up with me because ye had trust issues. I was always open for you to take."

  "Yeah, but you were always cheating on me!" she snapped. "You have a big reputation, Freddie. You can have any other girl but yet, you somehow choose to take me and break me."

  She pulls the comforter off from her body and slips on her panties, bra and tank-top. I watch her with a sympathetic look. I didn't know what to say.

  "Haven't I showed you I loved you?" I asked, trying to get her to stop walking. Amelia stops dead in her tracks, turning to face me.

"You have," she says, "but what I'm afraid of is things going back to the way they were. I don't know if I can handle being with you like that, Fred."

"Come here," she sits at the edge of the bed. I pull her close, cupping her face in my hand. "what I told your mother yesterday was how I truly felt about you. I know you're scared, but I promise you I won't hurt you again. And I mean that."

". . . Are you sure?"

"Remember," I said, nearing closer to her lips. "You are the solution to my problems."

I press my lips gently against hers; enjoying the sweet taste of them.

I pull away after a moment, looking into her hazel-green eyes.

"So," I said, rubbing her shoulder. "Will you take me back?"

Amelia bit her lower lip, then looked up to meet my gaze.

"Yes."

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