This Is England » Freddie Highmore

52.

   I STARED OUT into view of the city of New York, my hands cuffed into the pockets of my leather jacket. I had a cigarette dangling in between my lips, and as I sat there, watching the lights while listening to the symphony of city madness, I started to think about my life and how it's turned out since the day I met Amelia.

   So far it hasn't been easy, being with someone as prestigious as her, but I come to find out that no matter what went on in my life, whether it'd be the death of a friend or an attack in London, Amelia was right there. Even if I pushed her away, somehow she comes running back to me. She keeps running back to fix me. 

  What can I say? I'm a broken man.

As I took out a cigarette and lit its end with a lighter, my phone vibrated rapidly in my pocket. Fishing it out of my jeans, I look at the caller ID --- it  was my younger brother, Bertie. 

"Hello?" I said as I brought the device up to my ear.

"Hey mate!" Bertie replied ecstatically. I smiled. I have always wanted my brother to find joy, no matter what we had gone through as kids. "How are you?"

I chuckled, then shrugged, even though I knew that my brother couldn't see me. "I'm in New York City. I have a girlfriend, what else do you want to know?" I didn't know what else to say.

  "You have a girlfriend?" Bertie inquired. "Is she just for a good fuck like Sandra?"

  I bit my lower lip. "No." I replied. "Surprisingly not." I looked down at my worn-out shoes, kicking the pavement absentmindedly. "She's more than that."

Bertie stayed silent for a brief moment, then spoke. "What's she like?"

  I seriously couldn't believe I was having this conversation with my brother. Then again, now was a good time as any. Maybe he'll find someone he'll end up marrying someday too.

"Well," I began. "she's got a beautiful smile, a brilliant mind, and she's strong. She puts up with me even if I think she shouldn't stay, she does for some reason. I don't know, Bertie, Amelia Parker is different. I'm crazy about her."

Bertie chuckled. "Well that's a first for ye." he said. "What are your plans? Are you going to introduce her to Mum?"

"Yeah." I responded, looking up at the black sky. "And you want to know what I'll be doing while we continue dating?"

  "What?"

I smiled.

    "I'm going to get a ring," I said, the smile never leaving my lips. "and I'm going to ask her to marry me."

..

       After getting off the phone with Bertie an hour later, I found myself staying on the roof longer than I should. I thought about Amelia and I, this trip, the argument from earlier. I couldn't help but feel bad about getting upset with her, it just angered me that another man -- or I should say boy -- wanted to touch her. I couldn't stand it.

No one was supposed to touch her except me.

  I sighed, I should probably apologize. I also have to do that thing called compromise, so as I pulled my phone out from my pocket, I went to Amelia's contact and called her.

After the third ring, she finally answered.

"What do you want?" Amelia asked. Surprisingly I didn't get mad that she was acting like a bitch, it just gave me all the more reason to figure out a proposal speech when the time comes around.

"Meet me up on the roof of the Italian resturant, Cosmo's." I replied. "I think we need to talk."

With that, I hung up.

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