Hypnotic || H.S

twenty-three

I gently clench my jaw together, counting the cars as we pass them. It was a habit of mine since I was little. Sometimes it would be the trees or street posts, even the dividers on the streets. Harry seemed to notice as he would occasionally steal a glance at me. I paid no attention, not giving him the satisfaction of me to meet his gaze. Instead I listened to his music, humming along to the songs that I did know. He had the loveliest music. I like to believe it is heavily influenced by his mother and father. Each artist played as the evening slowly crept into night.

Kings of Leon.

Gotye.

Pixies.

"Can I show you something?" Harry broke the silence, his voice stern. He clearly had been in deep thought as well. He stole a reassuring glance. His piercing emerald eyes seemed lost. "If you don't mind." He continued asking for permission.

I shook my head yes, not confident in my voice, returning my gaze back to the cars restarting my count. In the corner of my eye, I could see Harry running a hand through his tousled hair. It was out of habit.

Million of places ran through my mind as he continued up North, further away from home. I never been this way. My family wasn't the type to travel or family vacations. I had always been with Joseph. Following him around with his friends. My favorite place, in particular, was the cliffs in Maine. Everything about Maine seemed so nostalgic. The small towns, the lakes, and sometimes the sweet people but mainly the cliffs. "Where are you taking me?" I asked, looking in his direction; behind him, out his window, I could see the lively streets.

His head nodded in the direction of us turning down a dead-end street. Small businesses are still open, some closed and abandoned. There were very few people on the sidewalks. I watched an older woman sweep in front of her entrance door, smiling at an older couple passing through carrying bags of groceries heading back towards the street we had just came from. Harry's car suddenly came to a halt, making me look at him. He was too concentrated on what to do next; he didn't look at me. I gulped, turning my head back towards the passenger door when I heard Harry open his door first. The gush of wind howls like a whistle.

He appears on my side of the door, opening it for me. He holds his hand out for me, and I hesitantly give in. I step out, listening to the soft music that is coming from a few stores down. My eyes caught a glimpse of the abandoned store in front of me. It was a closed-down liquor store. "Do you trust me?" His eyes twinkled underneath the street post.

I hug myself. "I kind of have to." The chilly air sends shivers down my bare legs, hoping we won't stay too long outdoors.

He moves quickly as he starts to pull off his own coat. "Here, put this on. It's bloody freezing." Harry shivered, placing his coat on me. I carefully put my arms in the holes and let the oversized coat hang. I mumble thank you as he begins to walk ahead of me. My feet stay planted to the ground watching as the air carefully blows his hair. He turns around, both hands in his pockets, his shoulders tensed. "Are you coming?" He struggles to say as she shivers.

I gulped, taking a step forward, catching up to him. He leads to the end of the block. There were only street posts working; I tried my best to avoid any puddles as we approached a building, windows were broken, gates were chained together to prevent further trespassers. We stand in front of the building. I rub my legs together, trying to warm up. "You're going to buy this place?" I asked, biting my lip, not entirely sure of the significance of the building.

His eyes are fixed on the abandoned building. "No, I used to work here when I was sixteen during my stay in America with my mum. I worked in a bakery." He smiles, remembering his memories of when it was once a lively building. I observe the other facilities across the street, each one mirroring the condition of this one. Some signs are missing, but from what I see, this was a street for small businesses.