Love Without Boundaries - Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Twenty
It was a few days later before Ann Marie heard from Robert. They had a few more days before they had to leave for school. Robert wanted to hangout just the two of them.  Once they start school, they will not have too much free time for each other. She was waiting for Robert outside, ten minutes later she saw his car pull up.
“Hey Robbie” she said as she got into the car, when she gave him a kiss she noticed the glasses were gone and he was back to wearing his contact lens
“Hey babe, so where do you feel like going?” Robert asked as he put the car in drive.
“Um how about the mall, I need to get a few more things.”
“Ok sure let’s go.”
Ann Marie wanted to ask him why he wasn’t more open with his emotions and why he doesn’t ever tell her what is bothering him. This was her only chance to do it; she wasn’t going to have another chance once school started.
“Robbie we need to talk.” Robert had no idea what Ann Marie wanted to talk about, but he felt it might have something to do with how they need to be more romantic or something like that in the relationship.
“Um yeah sure, what do you want to talk about?”
“Ok I don’t really know how to say it, so I’m just going to come out and say it. Why is it that when I told you that I love you, you didn’t say it back?”
Crap Robert thought, he knew that was going to come back and bite him on the butt. He has never told any girl he loved them. He just never felt like it was love and didn’t want to lie to them, “because I don’t love you.”
“What?”
“No don’t get me wrong I like you, but I’m just not in love with you. At least not yet, I think.”
“What you mean not yet or that you’re not in love with me?”
“Dammit Ann Marie what’s so hard to understand? I like you but you can’t force love on to someone who doesn’t feel that way yet.”
“So you’re saying you might love me later on?”
“Yes, I just need more time I guess.”
“You guess you might love me later now?’
Robert didn’t understand what Ann Marie’s problem was or why it was so hard for her to just get he wasn’t ready to say the L word yet.
“Not everyone can say I love you so easily. If I’m not ready, I’m not going to say it. Beside where is all this coming from? It has never bothered you before, so why now?”
“I’m just tired of you being a little distant from me lately. I’m getting the feeling that you are cheating on me.”
“What, I’m not cheating on you and where did you get that idea from anyway?”
“If it’s not true, then why have you been too busy to be with me?”
“I have just been busy Ann Marie; I do have other things to do then to be with you 24/7.”
“Oh so I’m not important enough that you don’t want to be with me 24/7? I knew sleeping with you was a mistake. Now that I gave it up to you, you have grown tired and now you want out.”
“What are you talking about, who is saying I want out of this relationship. You’re the one talking like you have somebody else and you’re trying to pick a fight so we can break up.”
“Well I don’t and I don’t want to break up, I just want you to be more open with me. Is that so much to ask?”
“No its not, but why didn’t you just say that instead of just confusing the crap out of me?”
“I know it’s just that I have been thinking that you might like someone else and your getting bored with me.”
“Babe I like you ok and there is no one else, so stop thinking there is someone else ok; now let’s just have a nice time together.”
“Ok let’s go.”
Robert felt like he had just dodged a bullet there, he didn’t know why but he would feel guilty if he had broken up with her right now. She was a great girl; he just wasn’t ready to say those three words yet. She also didn’t deserve to get her hopes up either.
Preston saw Robert’s car pull up and Ann Marie got out. She looked like she was in a better mood now. She must have had a talked with Robert and now things have been straightened out. She can stop mopping around the house now. When she walked into the house, he wanted to know how things went.
“So how did it go?”
“Well I almost blew it.”
“How did you almost blow it?”
“I don’t know, I just pounced on him for cheating and called him out on why he hasn’t told me he loves me yet.”
“Well what did he say to that?”
“He said that he knows that he needs to be more emotionally involved in our relationship. He is just not ready to say I love you yet, because he doesn’t love me yet. He likes me but not to the point where he loves me yet.”
“Hum, I don’t really know what to say about that.”
“You’re telling me, most girls would just think he doesn’t care and just has me around just because.”
“But you don’t believe that right?”
“No, I know he cares for me in his own way; I guess he just doesn’t know how to be affectingly because his father never showed them affection.”
“Wow really he has a father that never shows them affection?”
“Yeah he does and I have seen it, the only one his father does show affection to is Robbie’s sister Rose. I never understood why Robbie and his other sister are treated like red-headed stepchildren.”
“Dang I thought I had it tough right now with dad, but he has had to put up with that his whole life. God no wonder he is so closed off.”
“Yeah I know.”
“So is that why you are still going out with him, because you want to be that girl that helps him realize what love is for the first time?”
“Ha ha ha no that’s not why I’m going out with him. I really do care for him, but if I can be that girl then it’s an added bonus.”
“Ha I knew it, but hey if that’s what you want then go for it. Just remember not to push him too far or you just might lose him if he feels like you want to change him.”
“Yes I know, I’m not dumb I know what I need to do ok.”
“Ok if you say so. Well the night is still young what do you want to do?”
“Well you can help me start packing, since you’re already done.”
“I guess I can help you, I just don’t know how you wait to the last minute to do everything. You know we leave in two days.”
“Um because I do have a life and don’t have all the free time in the whole world to just pack. Not everyone can be like you and not have a life.”
“I have a life; I just know how to manage my time. Besides I have been able to spend most of my time with Grant unlike you and Robbie.”
“Ouch come on, did you really have to go there and it’s your boyfriend’s fault he hasn’t been around. Seriously you need to train your boy to be quiet when necessary, because one time he just might get punched in the face.”
If only Ann Marie really knew how Grant got his black eye.  “Ok I’m sorry. I know I told him his big mouth is going to get him in trouble. So what do you need me to help you with?”
“I need help with everything.”
“Ok where are your bags?”
“In the closet, and let’s see if we can get most of it done tonight.”
“Ok” Preston went to her closet and grabbed her bags. He was glad he got this time with Ann Marie, because God only knew when he was going to be able to spend more time with her when school starts.