Maybe This Is Love, |✔️

Chapter 23

The snow feels heavy and thick as we step on it, our feet audibly crunching everything in its path. I can see her still smiling even though she finds it hard to say the words "Thank you, "  to Mike when he drops us off.

I knew it was difficult for her but she was trying and I was so proud of all the progress she's made. The girl who was crying her eyes out in the school toilet was a totally different person from the woman who stood before me, smiling and trying to make conversation with a total stranger.

Mike told us to enjoy the day and to just give him a call whenever we felt like coming back. He and Susan would help us out with some dinner. After hearing about my situation with my Dad, he became a lot more sympathetic. He had a similar relationship with his own father except he never made the trip to meet him; he was too scared.

Usually, I detest sympathy but on a cold, Christmas morning, sympathy brought us a free ride and food so I'll take it.

I pick up a huge pile of snow from the ground and ball it up in my fist and threw it at an unsuspecting Harley whilst her back was turned to wave goodbye to Mike in his van.

She yelps in surprise, holding the base of her back where the snowball hit. "Ow, Parker, I'm so going to get you for that!" She chases after me with her own snowball in tow.

The trees are coated in snow and little snowflakes drop onto the grass below. This park looks nothing like the parks back in Beaumont. It's so much more regal and beautiful. I notice Harley bringing out her camera to capture the moment. I smile to myself. She just can't help herself.
The area is vacant so we can make as much noise as we want.

I race up the hill, almost slipping on some ice and squealing like a child, trying to get away from the wrath that Harley is about to unleash on me with her snowballed fists.

"I'm sorry," I plead, out of breath and holding my hands up in defeat. "It was an accident, I swear."

She rolls her eyes at me, right arm ready to aim. "Yeah right, like this was an accident too."

A ball of ice drops inches away from my feet. "Erm, I really do hope that was an accident. Was that aiming for me or my trainers? Cause it didn't get either." 

She sniggers, brushing off the snow from her jacket. "I'm not an athlete, okay? I'm a photographer."

I put my arm around her shoulder, guiding her towards the sledging section. "And a damn good one at that," I say, staring into the shot she took on her camera.

There was a little cabin shop at the bottom of the hill and a place to rent sledges. However, much to my dismay, there was a huge red 'Closed' sign hanging off the door.

"Ah man, it's closed," I sigh, turning to an already red-faced Harley. "How are you out of breath? We've literally only been walking for like 30 seconds."

She folds her arms across her chest defensively, heaving her boobs up to her face. The huge Adidas hoodie Zachy let me borrow swallowed up her body whole making her look like a little kid playing dress-up in her dads closet. "I just told you I'm not an athlete."

"It's closed? Nooo." She whines. I could see that she was really excited about going sledging from the moment that sweet old lady from the café mentioned it. I felt like doing something fun with her and make this Christmas memorable since I was practically dragging her away from her family. It couldn't end here.

"Wait here," I say to her as I walk to the back of the cabin.

"What are you doing?" She asks, ignoring my instructions and following me anyway.

"Voila!" I hold up the key I had just found under a frosty the snowman themed garden gnome. "You'd think they'd have more security, huh?"

She folds her arms and shakes her head. She wasn't a fan of this breaking and entering idea. "No way! We can't break into it."