When I was about 8, my cousin adopted two children. Peter was 7 and Jane was 5. Although they lived some distance away, they would come down in the holidays at Christmas, Easter and in the summer and we would spend our time together.
Although they were brother and sister, they could not be more different. Peter had a troubled upbringing, was always disruptive and argumentative. Jane was placid, studious and very loving.
Growing up, despite not seeing each other very often we were always quite close. Peter and I however would fall out from time to time but Jane and I would always be as thick as thieves. Even as we hit our teens our relationship was as close as ever.
My Aunt told me that Jane was coming down for a week in the summer before she started college. I was excited to know that I would see her again, especially as she was coming down alone. The previous summer had been difficult as Peter was particularly cantankerous and had spoilt the week that they had stayed. At the Christmas he was moody and took himself off on his own and Jane and I were left to ourselves.
Spending time with Jane on our own had proven to be interesting. Both of us had been in relationships but they had proven to be pretty disastrous and Jane had admitted to being in love with me. She had just turned 18 and we had discussed starting a relationship together but knew that our families would never approve. Reluctantly we felt that we were not in a position to make a life together.
That Christmas we came the closest we had ever been to having sex and our relationship together became closer. We would write to each other after Christmas until the Easter when their planned trip down was cancelled at the last minute. After that she stopped writing but when I heard that she was coming down I wrote and told her how I felt about her. She wrote back a short note that simply said 'good' and that she could not wait to see me again as she had a plan.
To save her changing trains, I drove to meet her at a nearby town and this would give us some time together alone for the first time in six months to talk. I felt butterflies in my stomach when I saw her train approach and waited impatiently for her to emerge from the carriage.
"Jane!" I called out to her as I saw her at the door.
Jane smiled and reached out for the handle to open the door. The door swung open and she practically jumped off the train and into my arms.
"I have missed you so much." She breathed and held me tightly. We began kissing.
One of the station staff hurried us along so that he could close the door and signal for the train to depart.
"How was the journey?" I asked.
"Never mind the journey, just kiss me." She replied and pressed her lips against mine.
Finally I managed to extract myself from Jane's embrace and we both began to compose ourselves. Jane looked sheepishly at me.
"I have a plan!" She announced, "We will talk on the way to Nanna's."
I rolled my eyes and she jabbed me in the side. I picked up her bag and carried it for her. Jane took my hand and we looked nothing more than a happy, reunited couple rather than cousins, albeit second cousins.
We actually said little all the way to the car. I threw her bag in the back as she got in. We drove out of the car park and into the busy streets of early rush hour. It would take us at least an hour to get back.
"So what's this plan then?" I asked eventually as I stopped for yet another queue of traffic.
"Oh, it's simple." Jane replied, "You move to Winchester!"
"What?"
"You heard."
"Why the fuck would I want to move to Winchester?"
"Because I will be living there for the best part of the next five years!"
I stopped the car again and looked at her. Jane was smiling but still had a air of, 'I'm serious'. She looked at me waiting for my answer.
"OK" I said eventually, "Explain."
"I have been offered a place at college in Winchester and then a provisional place at the university there in two years time." She replied.
"So why Winchester?"
"Because both places do the courses I want to do." She said, "And it isn't in Yorkshire."
"Right." I said unconvinced.
"What's wrong?"
I thought for a moment. Jane was obviously serious about this idea of hers and had obviously given it plenty of thought. It was amazing that she had secured not one but two places at two very prestigious faculties.
"Nothing, I just wasn't expecting this." I said eventually, "Why didn't you say something before?"
"I wanted to make sure everything was in place before I said anything."
"So you still want what we talked about last year then?" I asked her.
"More than ever." She said and took my hand.
"Do you think we could get away with it?"
She squeezed my hand and then let go to allow me to change gear as we got out of the town traffic and I was able to put my foot down.
"I don't see why not." She replied, "After all, nobody need ever know until we are settled and they can do nothing about it."
"So we would live together?"
"Yeah, I would have my bursary and you would be working. We'd manage."
I needed to think. Deep down I knew how much I loved Jane. I could not think of anyone I would like to spend my life with more than her and she obviously wanted the same thing.
"There is just one other thing." She said disturbing my thoughts.
"What's that?"
"I want you to fuck me."
My mind was racing. We had often skirted around this subject and even came close a few times. I had never heard Jane say it like this though. I pulled up again at the junction to the motorway.
"I'm on the pill." She said, "I want to feel you inside me and I want it to happen this week."
I pulled onto the motorway and settled into the lane. I had wanted to fuck Jane for ages and it looked like I was going to get the chance. Better still, there was an opportunity to live with her and fuck her on a regular basis.
"Right, we will do it."
"Sounds a bit blunt for my offer of sex." She said.
"No, I mean move to Winchester."
"Oh." She replied disappointedly.
"And I cannot wait to fuck you." I added with a smirk.
"Nor can I."
We fell silent as we carried on along the motorway. Both of us deep in thought. I did know someone who might be able to help me find work down there. He lived in Southampton but it was not a million miles away from Winchester. He could check the local papers for me. I guessed that I had about six weeks.