The Inn | L.S.

chapter 4

Lying in the sun and letting the gentle sunlight tickle his nose has always been one of Harry's favourite things to do. At the lake, he had found a spot under a tree that was half shady and half sunny. All that could be heard were the tiny ripples sent across the water by the wind, and every now and then a bird could be heard chirping.

Harry was laying on his tummy with sunglasses on his nose. He supported his head with his left hand and held the book in the right one. He was reading history of the rain by Niall Williams which was one of his favourite books. His sister Gemma had recommended it to him after she went to Ireland for vacation.

The sky was clear of clouds and the vivid blue was so bright that Harry could hardly look up without squinting his eyes. He had a large towel spread out under him and he could feel every bump in the meadow. It didn't bother him, though. Every now and then he let his hand glide through the soft, lush grass and felt the summer right under his fingers.

When he spotted a particularly beautiful daisy, he plucked it from the very bottom of the stem and slipped it into a curl just behind his ear. When he was a little boy, Harry always made himself flower crowns and wore them proudly all day until he had to go to bed. When he got up the next morning, he was almost in tears because the flowers had died.

Page after page he read and lost himself in the lines of the book. Every now and then his eyelids even almost fell shut because the balmy summer day made him so sleepy, but he made it to the end of the chapter.

He closed the book and let his gaze linger on the glistening water. Like a mirror, it reflected the sky and the colour was the same as the walls of the Inn. He could stay here for a long time, Harry thought. Everything was so quiet. Like another world, nature, books and Louis formed a protective wall around him. Here, Harry wasn't yelled at or hit if he made a small mistake.

"Hi Harry", Louis said and gave him a smile. Louis was always smiling. He was sunshine.

"Hey", he replied, happy to have some company. When Harry was alone for too long, he got lost in his thoughts. And his thoughts weren't as quiet and beautiful as the nature around him.

"Thought I'd say hi and give you some company. You ok with that?"

"Yes, I don't mind company at all", Harry replied, now smiling as well.

Louis was wearing black skinny jeans and a white t-shirt. Did Harry just see a tattoo on Louis' chest?

"What are you reading?"

"History of the Rain by Niall Williams. It's one of my favourite books."

"What's it about?"

Louis had noticed the change in Harry's tone as he said the book's name. Harry sounded happier, more enthusiastic. Louis wanted him to talk about something that made him happy.

"The narrative is a 19-year-old girl. She lives in Ireland and she can't leave her bed but she's very well read and she reads all the books from her father's library. Her father is dead but through the books she gets to know him. It's a great story, I love it so much!"

Harry was beaming as he told Louis about the book. The dimpled on his cheeks were even deeper than that morning and Louis really liked Harry's smile. He had nice teeth and cute lips.

"So you think I should read it as well?"

"If you're interested, you should definitely give it a try. You won't be dissappointed!"

"Alright curly", Louis smiled and laid down on his tummy as well.

The cottage in the Norwegian Forest felt like a perfectly safe oasis. There was no negative energy or malicious people there. There was only the wind, the water and Harry and Louis. Everything seemed perfectly coordinated and even a thunderstorm could not destroy the calming atmosphere. Deep inside, Harry was happy that he had found this place.

But he was afraid. He was so terribly afraid of what was to come. At some point he would have to go back to London. And even though he had told Carson that it was over between them, Harry was afraid of meeting him again. He would have to get his things out of the flat. He had no new place to stay. He had nothing. He was faced with a vast nothingness with a heart full of fear.