Title: Wildflower
Author: RichelleBrinkley
Word Count: 1,947
Rating: T, for language
AN: The final part to this story, not counting the epilogue. If you haven't already, please read my companion piece Pinprick before reading this chapter. The events of Pinprick take place within this chapter (you'll know when you read it).
Warnings: Nothing. But sorry if the weather is completely unrealistic, I live in Australia and have no idea what the weather in England is like.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson, they belong to the lovely and fabulously funny Louise Rennison.
Wildflower
PART IV: TO RUN
Dave calls her four days later, and they grab lunch together at Luigi's. This is always the routine when they have a falling out; he will stay mad for a couple of days before inviting her out for breakfast/lunch/dinner/a drink and apologising for his behaviour. Georgia has lost count of the times that this has happened.
Dave smiles happily as she accepts his apology, although not before he makes her delete Masimo's number off her phone. She only agrees to do so because she knows she has it written down on a scrap of paper at home.
God be damned if she let Dave tell her who she could or couldn't talk to.
•••••
Rollo walks slowly down the ice-slicked road, shivering as snow swirls around his head. Seeing the welcoming lights of Luigi's up ahead, he decides to duck in for a hot drink and to wait out the snow.
He is just about to push open the door when he catches sight of Dave and Georgia, locked in a kiss over by the far corner.
His stomach drops and he suddenly feels queasy. That hot drink doesn't seem like such a good idea anymore.
•••••
It is a late, rainy evening at the end of February, and Georgia is lying in bed absentmindedly fiddling with her hair whilst she listens to Jas ramble on about god-knows-what through the phone. She has placed it on loudspeaker, too lazy to actually pay attention to newts or tadpoles or whatever abominable force of nature Jas is talking about.
The doorbell rings, and she is actually glad for an excuse to stop listening to Jas. Apologising (insincerely) in what was definitely a far-too-cheerful tone, she presses the "end" button before tossing the phone onto her bed. Being home alone, her parents and Libby having gone to stay at her Uncle Eddie's for the night, she drags herself down the stairs to answer the door.
Only one person would have reason to come calling at this time of night, when the rain is pouring so heavily it turns surroundings into blurry, indistinct shapes in the darkness. When the cascading wall of water is so thick you cannot see more than a few feet in either direction.
Undoing the lock and chain – her mind strangely calm – Georgia invites Dave in, biting her lip in an attempt not to comment on how stupid he is for having braved the near-flooding conditions outside.
They go to her bedroom. The air in the room feels colder than when she'd left it, and when she turns to him, Dave's eyes are as distant as she's ever seen them. She pulls a blanket from the airing cupboard and huddles underneath it with him, the feeling of dread growing slowly in her stomach.
All he needs to say is, "Jools told me," and she knows what is coming next.
By the time she shows him out the door, the rain is pouring even harder than before, and she thinks ironically what a cliché it is.
•••••
The morning after, Georgia finds herself in her bedroom, sorting clothes into a suitcase. She, like Jools, is moving away too. After the events of the winter, she needs a fresh start, a chance to forget all that has happened. And she wants to do this somewhere far, far away.
She is moving to New York, to live with her Aunt Louise in Brooklyn. Her parents were surprised and none too happy with her decision, but even her usually-oblivious dad can tell that there is nothing left for her in England.
She doesn't tell anybody that she's leaving, save for Jas. After all these years of friendship, she knows that she cannot simply leave her without saying goodbye first.
•••••
The day of her departure, she does not bother looking out her window when she wakes up. It is 3am.
Her friends had said goodbye to her the previous night, an awkward and bittersweet farewell. They had obviously found out about the cheating incident. She didn't miss how Jas looked at her sadly, and how Mabs seemed to be avoiding eye contact. Despite all that, she couldn't find it in herself to be angry at Jas for leaking the details of her departure to the rest of the Ace Gang. She would miss them in New York.
The only person who didn't treat her any differently, who didn't look at her with disappointed, wary eyes was Libby, who had crawled into bed with her clutching Sandra tightly to her chest. Georgia shed a few tears as her baby sister slept with her for the last time in her bed.
Her mum had called a cab for her the night before, and she emerges sleepily from her bedroom now to give her one last hug goodbye. Georgia cries as she hugs her back. She even hugs her dad, just a little bit, before dragging her suitcase down to the hall.
The doorbell rings.
Georgia glances up in confusion upon hearing the sound. No one but possibly Dave would bother venturing out at this time of night, but judging from the coldness of their breakup a few days ago, she is highly doubtful it is him.
She opens the door to see Rollo, although he is hard to make out at first. The sky is still inky midnight blue and she has to wait until her eyes adjust.
His hair is rumpled, his clothes wrinkled as if they'd been lying on the ground before he'd hastily thrown them on. There are dark circles under his eyes, but he looks alert and completely serious. She can't quite decipher the expression on his face.
Astounded, she watches as he pulls from behind his back a small bouquet.
A bouquet of white wildflowers.
"Georgia..." Rollo is breathing faster than the normal, and she wonders incredulously if he ran all the way to her house. He couldn't have. He lives on the other side of town.
"Georgia, I came here to say... I wanted to tell you... Maybe you shouldn't–" Rollo stumbles over his words, his eyes anxious as he glances back and forth between her and the flowers in his hand. Hesitantly, he holds them out to her and she accepts them, which seems to offer him a sense of relief.
He clears his throat and starts again, his voice much steadier than before.
"I heard you're headed off to New York." He looks closely at her, obviously waiting for her confirmation. When she nods her head slightly, he continues, "Don't you think you're being a little rash? Your entire life is and has always been here in England."
Maybe that had been the case, but it wasn't anymore. Not after the events of that winter.
Her fingers shake, threatening to crush the delicate stems of the wildflowers she still clutched in her hand. She really doesn't need this right now, not just as she is about to leave.
"I need a fresh start." Her answer is short, but she wagers that she doesn't need to explain anything to Rollo. It is none of his business why she is moving.
Rollo's voice is harsh when he answers her, "Just because you and Dave broke up doesn't mean the world is over, Gee."
She doesn't bother to suppress the bitter laugh that rips involuntarily from her throat. He doesn't know anything about her reasons, or her problems with life in England.
"That's none of your business, Rollo."
He cocks his head at her.
"It is when I'm the reason you guys broke up."
Georgia narrows her eyes at him. Rollo has always been slightly overconfident and a little presumptuous. She suddenly feels the overwhelming urge to slap him as he stares hard-eyed down at her.
"Don't flatter yourself. Me and Dave were on the rocks long before you and I–" she chokes slightly on the word "kissed".
Glaring up at him, she sighs inwardly and prepares herself for a long argument. It is strangely appropriate that Rollo will be the last barrier she has to overcome before finally leaving to go to New York.
•••••
Rollo is not usually intimidated by girls his age, but the way Georgia is glaring daggers at him makes his mouth go dry. He just needs for her to understand that she is making a mistake, leaving her home behind because of a stupid winter vacation and a stupid ex-boyfriend.
"Georgia, just... stay. Please?" He desperately tries to make his voice sound less like he is begging, but is not sure he succeeds.
Georgia disappears back inside the house and reappears dragging her suitcase and a duffle bag slung over her shoulder. Wordlessly, she pushes past him and heads towards the street corner to wait for her cab.
God be damned if Rollo lets her leave like this.
He stalks angrily after her, the blood pounding in his ears.
"Georgia, listen to me. This is stupid, what you're doing. Do you really think that you'll just forget all about this if you move to New York?" Georgia, who had been ignoring him up until then, suddenly turns to look at him, her eyes slightly misty.
"I'm not running away, Rollo." He begins to protest, but she talks over him, ignoring him. "I'm leaving England because I've realised that I need to recreate myself. I'm not a very good person." He isn't sure whether or not to disagree with that statement. She seems to know this, and she smiles at him. That same little twitch of her lips he'd come to fall in love with on that day at the lake house.
"I lie about things I shouldn't and I've cheated more times than I can count." Sadness seeps into her features, but she keeps the corners of her mouth turned resolutely upwards.
"You can't convince me to stay, Rollo. So stop trying."
The sound of an approaching engine can be heard in the distance. Her cab is here.
Before Georgia can turn to gather up her bags, Rollo makes a rash, stupid decision. A compulsive, entirely crazy decision that he isn't entirely sure is the right one until much later. Almost three years later.
"Georgia. Remember that favour you owe me? Well, I need it right now."
He takes her by the wrist, spinning her around to face him before leaning forward to press his forehead against hers.
Closing his eyes, he breathes to her, almost pleads to her, "Let me come with you."
•••••
Georgia has never been known for her wise decision-making, or level head. But even she can tell that this is an entirely absurd request. Rollo cannot just pack up his entire life on a whim to follow the messed-up girl he cheated on his girlfriend with.
It is just ridiculous.
And so, for the last time, she lets herself make one last reckless decision before leaving England. Before she starts over.
"Yes."
She feels Rollo's lips catch hers in a fervent kiss, feels a single tear slide down her cheek. Her arms wrap around his neck, fingers still gripping tightly the bouquet of wildflowers.
When they break apart, Rollo carefully plucks the most perfect flower from the bunch and gently tucks it behind her ear.
Then he kisses her again, what would be their last kiss in England. It is a kiss full of promises, a kiss that is to be the start of a new beginning.
She can feel it, the excitement and fear of what is to come sending a buzz through her body. But she wagers that if she has Rollo by her side, then maybe – just maybe – everything will be alright.
fin.
AN: The epilogue will be posted on New Year's Eve (the 31st). Thank-you all for reading.
Much love,
RichelleBrinkley xx