Oh sorry about the long wait again, it has been so hetic in my house plus i have like loads of exams to revise for so i have been proper busy, but i have updated finally!

Chapter Twelve.

Stephens POV.

Pretty much every day since Brendan had left I had been in a bad mood, but today seemed worse, I felt so down.
It had been a whole ten days, a full 240 hours since Brendan had gone, and it had been like hell. I didn't have many friends in the village, I had people I could have a normal conversation with about sport or whatever, but in actual fact I didn't have any proper friends left here, there was Amy but she left, then there was also Doug when we first started to think up the idea of the Deli, but when it actually opened a few weeks in and Doug was declaring his feelings for me and now he is in America and even if he was here I couldn't exactly tell him all my problems. The only person left was Cheryl, and usually I could tell her everything and she wouldn't judge, but now I couldn't even speak to her, well I could but only to a certain level, I suppose I could tell her how much I missed Bren, but just at the mention of him she tenses up, she thinks he is selfish for leaving, but then she doesn't know the whole truth.
It had been a five days since I had asked Joel for the gun, and I had heard nothing I texted him every morning and every evening to find out if he had got hold of anything, but he hadn't. I was hoping today would be the day I got news but I didn't have much hope, each day I seemed less and less hopeful. It may have only been five days but it felt much longer.

I had done the usual go over before opening the Deli, I was on my own as Doug was in America. In usual circumstances I would have been complaining about having to rush around and do everything for myself, I would be willing to hire some inexperienced brat if it meant me getting a break but this wasn't normal circumstances and even though it was stressful and hard work doing it myself it also meant I had no time to think about anything and then by the time I got home and sorted the kids I was so tired I would be a sleep in seconds before I had time to even think about anything else.

It was just after the lunchtime rush when Cheryl came into the Deli.

"Alright love?"

"Yeah im doin' alright. How about you?"

"Yeah im holding up, really thought he had changed but you can't always be right aye?"

"hm" I just bit my tongue cause even after he has left me I still find myself wanting to defend him I want to tell everyone what happened maybe then they would understand, but if I tried to stand up for him not to Cheryl I don't think I would be able to hold back, I would tell her everything. Instead I asked her what she wanted.

"I'll have a coffee and a cheese Panini to go please love."

I bustled around the kitchen preparing her food, she cleared her throat and started to speak, I could tell just by the tone of voice she was going to ask a favour.

"Steeee?"

"Yeah Cheryl?"

"Um, well the thing is I am going away for a couple of days with Leanne for our business thing."

I had no clue where this was going.

"Yes…"

"And well I was wondering if maybe you could take my da out for a drink one night yano just so he isn't on his own cooped up in the house on his own."

I didn't know whether to thank the stars for getting rid of Cheryl for a couple of days or curse them for getting rid of her too early, Joel still hadn't got back to me about the gun. But I had no excuse to feed Cheryl as to why I couldn't so I had no choice.

"Alright, but one night and one drink, that's all im agreeing to here Cheryl!"

A huge grin crept across her face.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Its fine, and ayah here's ya food."

"Cheers Ste, keep the change you can use it to buy the drinks."

I looked down to see a crisp £20 in my hand. I was about to refuse but she had already gone. Great, now what do I do?

Brendan's POV

Five days earlier.

So I had been away from Stephen five days, nearly six. It was growing dark outside, another day over but nothing had changed, I still felt like someone had their hands enclosed around my throat getting tighter and tighter until I would be gasping for air. I reached over and picked up the bottle of whisky, I couldn't even be bothered to pour some into the glass now I just took a swig straight from the bottle, the quicker I get this down the quicker the pain will ease up, not completely disappear but it would go enough that I would be able to go another night, I would be able to focus on the fact that me being there is not safe for him then I don't feel as bad for leaving him.

It was about half ten now and the bottle was half empty, that was it. I was going to need to stock up tomorrow cause I knew this was going to be pretty much empty by the end of tonight. I hadn't eaten a proper meal for a day and a half, when I first arrived at this hotel I thought I would make the most of the nice food but now I just had no appetite, I just couldn't face food, I knew that was going to block out the pain like this did, but my stomach was practically growling at me so I decided to order room service but just a pizza nothing special.
I answered the door when the food arrived let him wheel in the cart with the pizza on it, he looked at me with a concerned look on his face as he looked me up and down, I wondered what I looked like through his eyes, probably an over grown mess that looked half alive. He asked if I was ok, I didn't answer I just glared at him and he practically ran from the room. I grabbed the pizza and sat on the sofa and scoffed the first half, god I didn't realise how much I missed food. It was as I was about to start the second half my phone beeped alerting me I had a text message. I debated whether to read it or to leave it, in the end I chose to read it and it's a good job I did as it was from Joel and it read.

Just spoke 2 Ste he asked me for a gun. What do I do?

Sorry about it being a bit of a crappy and short chapter. I PROMISE the next one will be longer!