a/n: why was this so hard to write?!?ðð
also...harry ð³^
* * *
I lift my heavy suitcase up, carrying it down the black stairs, stopping near the front door. Harry was still in his room, making sure he had everything he needed for the trip. Jess was already down by the door, waiting for me.
After a short moment, I hear footsteps trotting down the stairs. I look up to see Harry waddling down, a smile on his face, multiple bags hanging from his shoulders and hands.
"Ready to leave?" He asks Jess and me once he reaches the bottom.
"I am." I turn to Jess. "Are you?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," she says, pulling up the handle of her suitcase.
"Great, Mark is already outside," he says, readjusting the bag hanging from his left shoulder. He had so much luggage with him, yet he didn't look like he was struggling to carry any of it.
"Do you need help?" I ask, though I'm sure he didn't. I just thought I'd offer. He was carrying quite a lot after all.
"No, I'm alright," he says, straightening his back. "Thank you though."
"Of course," I say, smiling.
I loved his outfit of choice today, black sweatpants with a black Columbia Records hoodie. So casual and comfortable...it was almost weird to see him in. But it definitely made me feel better about the black leggings and red crew neck I was planning to wear to the airport.
"Shall we head out then?" Jess suggests obviously growing impatient.
"Right, of course." Harry shakes his head as if he zoned out for a moment. He steps forward, reaches out, and opens the door for Jess and me.
She and I follow him out to a black SUV parked along the driveway a short way away from the front door. We all load our luggage into the trunk. Harry rests his hands on the top, preparing to shut it. But as he peers down at everything, his shoulders slump.
"Shit," he mutters under his breath.
"What is it?" I ask out of worry. I look over at him as he shuts the trunk.
"I forgot something," he says. He quickly bends to the side to loop his arm around my waist. "I'm going to go grab it," he tells me, puckering his lips to place a kiss on my temple. "I'll be right back."
And with that, he pulls away, jogging off into the house.
"Should we just...get in?" I hear Jess say from behind me.
"I guess." I shrug, chuckling.
We walk around on opposite sides of the car, opening the doors at almost the same time. She climbs in first on the left side and I follow shortly after her, taking a seat right next to her in the middle so Harry could sit next to me.
"Welcome back ladies," Mark says, looking at us through the rearview mirror.
"Hi Mark," I speak up for the both of us, smiling.
"How was your vacation?" He asks, making small talk while we waited for Harry so we could leave.
"It was good," I answer, nodding. Jess stares down at her phone next to me, already bored.
Mark and I had a very dry, but luckily short, conversation before the back right door opens, revealing Harry. He climbs in and shuts the door. I half expected him to sit in the front seat, but he ended up sitting beside me in the back.
"We're all good to go, Mark," Harry tells him, buckling his seatbelt.
"What did you forget?" I ask him in a whisper.
"You'll see," he whispers back with a smile as the car begins to move.
* * *
"You're sure you're going to be alright?" I ask Jess, holding her by her shoulders, giving her a serious look.
"Lils, I'm a grown woman. I'll be perfectly fine," she says, rolling her eyes.
"Well I just need to make sure I'm not putting you in a death trap," I say, pulling her into a hug. I squeeze her tightly, not wanting to let go.
"Remember what you said about a death trap?" She mumbles, her voice strained. I quickly release her and take a small step back, realizing I had been holding her a little too tightly.
"Sorry," I say sheepishly, still feeling a little guilty that I was putting her on a plane and sending her home while I go to London.
"You're totally good." She smiles and I feel a pain in my heart.
At that moment, I realized, as much as it pains me to say, I was going to have to start getting used to being away from Jess. Sure, she can be obnoxious and annoy the shit out of me sometimes...but I don't think I would love her as much if she wasn't like that.
I hate men. They take best friends away. Like...why can't I just marry Jess?
"Are you going to cry?" She notices the sad look on my face.
"No." I shake my head vigorously. I inhale a deep, shaky breath. "Harry's waiting in the car still. I better get going."
"Right." She nods her head, flashing me a soft smile. She extends her arms out, tilting her head to the side. "One last hug?"
"Of course," I say, accepting her embrace. "Promise you'll call me when you land?"
"I promise," Jess says just before we pull away from each other. "I'll see you after London then?"
"After London." I nod, smiling. I readjust the purse hanging from my shoulder.
"Bye Lils," she says finally.
"Bye Jess," I say back and she walks away.
I let out a sad sigh before turning on my heel, heading for the door we came in, leaving Jess to fly home without me.
I exit the building and walk along the sidewalk, spotting the black SUV a little ways ahead. As I walked I silently hoped and prayed to God that this would be a good trip.
I approach the car, opening the backseat door nearest to the sidewalk. Harry sits on the opposite side from before, his head turning to me as I open the door. His mouth curved into a smile, one corner going up higher than the other.
"How was that?" He asks after I've taken a seat and put on my seatbelt.
"It was...hard, but something I'm going to need to get used to," I say, nodding to myself.
"I can tell you and Jess haven't spent much time apart in the past," Harry points out.
"What gave it away?" I chuckle, looking over at him. He gave me another lopsided grin before turning his head to look out the window.
"Just a hunch," he says quietly.
I didn't pay too close of attention, but after riding around in silence for about a minute, winding around the building and cars, we drive onto an empty pad. There weren't many cars around and I wondered where we were...until my eyes landed on a small plane parked right ahead of us.
The driver pulls to the side, parking a little ways away from the plane. The sound of the spinning turbines on the small plane was loud enough to make you yell if you want to be heard.
"You ready?" Harry asks in a low voice, unbuckling his seatbelt.
"I think so," I say nervously, unbuckling mine as well.
With what happened not too long ago to Kobe and his daughter, I was afraid of flying. And it didn't help that it would only be us and the pilot on the plane.
But nonetheless, Harry and I climb out of the car, walking around the tail end. Mark opens the trunk, having already gotten out before us. He takes our bags out, along with the assistance of someone wearing a neon yellow vest.
Harry and I stand back, watching as they take our bags over to the plane. I wondered what they were doing, but I decided to just keep my mouth shut and trust the process. Harry didn't seem phased, and he knows a whole lot more about flying privately than I do.
I follow Harry over to where a man in a white button-down and black tie stood. I stood back as Harry shook hands with him and exchanged words that I couldn't quite decipher over the loud noise. Harry steps back, placing his hand on the small of my back, guiding me forward to the small stairs leading up to the entrance of the plane.
I readjust the strap of my purse on my shoulder before taking the first step, Harry behind me. I bend over as I walk through the entrance, turning my head to see four tan leather seats, pairs of two facing each other.
"Choose a seat, any seat," Harry says from behind me.
I go with the first one on my right and take a seat. Just as I sit down, Harry sits in the seat across from me. He smiles at me.
"You're very smiley," I tell him what I've noticed.
"I'm just happy you're here," he says, shrugging. "It's a lot more fun than flying home alone."
* * *
"Did you at least have fun in California?" Harry asks mid-conversation. We've been in the air for over an hour now, and all we've done is talk. It'd be an understatement to say that this was one of my favorite things to do with him.
"Absolutely. I love your house," I tell him and he grins. "I'm in love with everything about it. The interior, the exterior...even the lights."
Harry chuckles in response. "The lights?"
"Yeah." I shrug. "They're different."
"You know," he says leaning back comfortably in his seat, folding his arms over his chest, "you can come stay anytime you'd like." The corner of his mouth quirks up. "Even if I'm not there... and that way you could have the whole place to yourself. You could look at the lights all you want."
"Like a house sitter?" I furrow my eyebrows, his offer sounding a little less enticing when I put it that way.
"On the contrary." He leans back forward, seemingly unable to get comfortable. "It could be your getaway home. You know, if Jess gets to be too much for you."
"I won't have to worry about that for much longer," I mumble, sadness in my voice.
"Why do you say that?" He asks me.
"She said she's moving out after her and Jackson get married," I tell him. "But I'm fairly certain they'll find a place before then. I'm sure they've already started looking."
"Well, where are you planning to go? Are you going to stay where you live now?"
"I'm not sure," I say honestly, looking down. "There aren't many work options, salon-wise, so I'm thinking about finding another place. But then again I'm not sure yet."
"You c-" He stops himself, clearing his throat. "You'll figure it out."
"I hope so." I sigh, looking out the window at the clouds below us.
* * *