The Uncle

15 - Jamie

We allowed ourselves five minutes of just laying in each other's arms, cooling slightly despite the warm air. I crawled over him and down the ladder, wrapping my body in an old Winnie the Pooh dressing gown. He snorted when he saw it, to which I rolled my eyes as I opened the bedroom window. I was at the back of the house so gifted some small amount of privacy.

"Where's you bathroom?" Rob asked, kissing the back of my neck.

I turned to face him, "Next door. First door you come to." I kissed him quickly, he snaked his arms around me, "The water takes a while to come through hot."

He kissed me again, "Duly noted."

He lent in to kiss me away but I put my hand over his lips. He laughed, getting the message. I sunk into my desk chair beneath my bed before rising and opening the window before returning again. It seemed crazy to me that in such a short period of time we had crossed a number of mile stones. We had only slept with each other for the first time yesterday. At some point the bubble was going to burst and he would return to Canada, our time just a memory. I admit I dreaded that day. They say that the person you kiss in New Year's Eve is the person you will be with for that year. I might as well kiss Rachel, at least she isn't running off to another country.

She was the other person on my mind. And my biggest priority. I promised myself I would do everything in my power to help take away her pain. Faith was a fucking bitch and didn't deserve her admiration let alone her love. I will find her better. I knew in my heart it wasn't my fault but I couldn't help the creeping guilt as I had pushed Rachel to tell Faith.

"Hey." My head snapped up to see Rob watching me, a navy towel wrapped loosely around his hips, "You ok?"

I nodded, "Just thinking."

He starting digging around in his bag, "About what?"

"Rachel. Us," he stopped digging around, "What's gonna happen in the New Year."

He sighed, "I don't know," he said while quickly pulling on a pair of pants and jeans, "I want to say we will be ok but we both know that right now we have lives elsewhere. But as long as I am with you, I'm with you. What happens later happens and it will b a joint decision." He came over to me and wrapped his arms around me. I looped my arms around his waist, "Trust me to date a fellow realist."

I snorted, "I hate uncertainty." I sighed, "I better shower. Dad and Rach will be back soon."

He released me and I showered, lasting only minutes as I washed off any bodily fluids. It was a good thing I did as five minutes after I had changed into a loose top and joggers, Rachel and dad arrived home with two unexpected guests. I couldn't help the bubble of elation as I ran and grabbed my two friends, almost bowling them over, and embraced them into a tight hug.

"Jesus Jamie! I like to breathe!"

"Sorry Ruth," I said releasing them quickly, "God I didn't think I would see you guys this week."

Ruth raised an eyebrow, "Not going to introduce us to your man?"

I blushed, "Sorry. Ruth. Ben. This is Robert Thyme. Rob, this is Ben Clarke and Ruth York."

Rob stepped forward and offered his hand. My friends, like me, were huggers and pulled him straight in. The three of us had met in high school in year 9 when the tutor groups started mixing. We were all in maths together and shared various subjects with one another, but maths was where our trio was solidified. Ben and I clicked almost immediately with several shared interest and a similar sense of humour which Ruth was my girl friend, much like Rachel, who was weirdo, crazy, unpredictable and undeniably loveable. I don't mean in a reckless way, more in the fact that once we were waiting for a printer to release our homework and she started dancing, not realising several teachers in a meeting could see her and were desperately trying not to laugh. When Ben and I eventually told her, she ignored us and continued anyway. Rachel had joined our trio to before a foursome in sixth form and the rest is history. Ruth was studying physics at Edinburgh and Ben was doing an electrician apprenticeship course here in Cornwall. Dad had even hired him a couple of times to get in the practise.