Trace

Chapter 6

I drive for about a half hour, and pull in to a parking lot by the park. I used to come here when I was a little girl, I usually walked here when I got off of school, usually when I had a bad day. The meadow comforted me with its many vibrant colors of flowers and I'd just lay down in the freshly cut grass and just think.

    I hop out of my car and remove my thongs before stepping on to the soft, green grass. I take a full breath of fresh summer's air and continue forward. The sun is getting ready to set soon, but there is still plenty of daylight for me. I walk along to a deserted part of the park, down a hill, and into the meadow. I'm relieved to see that no one is here and I can just have alone time for awhile.

    I lay down, and spread my thick hair over my right shoulder, take another deep breath, and close my eyes. My mind wanders over the best couple of days. From the party, to the sleepover with my girls, and being ditched by Ghain. I still try to figure out the words Harry said to me right before he left Anne's bedroom, but come up with nothing. My mind continues to imagine and daydream, and I don't even realize I'm being watched until someone plops down beside me.

     At once, I sit straight up, alarmed.

"Hey, El," his husky voice says. I look into his deep green eyes- gosh, they're beautiful- and feel a shiver up my spine.

    I back away from him, and start to stand up, when he pulls me down again by my wrists.

   "What was that for?" I ask, rubbing my wrists.

      "Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you," Harry says in a hushed tone.

"What are you doing here? H-how did you find me?"

    "You look beautiful this evening," he says softly, avoiding my question.

My cheeks blush and I look down at my fiddling hands as I smile shyly.

   "No I don't," I say, barely audible.

"What's that?" he demands, as he lifts my chin with his finger."

   "I said 'no I don't'!" I nod his hand off my face, and scoot bake further.

"El, if it's one thing I don't do- it's lie."

       "Well-"

"And you're beautiful," he adds, and there's something in his eyes that I do not recognise. Desire, maybe? I'm not sure.

   "Thank you, Harry," I reply, in a small voice.

I look away from him, and up at the sky. I can see stars starting to become visible. I feel his body move closer to mine.

    "It's a beautiful night," I nervously say, breaking the silence.

"Why aren't you on that date?" he suddenly questions.

   "Excuse me?" I gather, looking at him.

"Your date- the one you told me you had?"

      "Something came up," was my response, and I look down again at my hands.

"It's nice," Harry says, laying down into the grass, just like I was before.

   "What is?"

"This meadow. This night. You."

    Damn, why do I keep blushing??

"Lay with me?" Harry asks, with a new softness in his eyes.

     I sigh, and lay down, spreading out my dress. I begin to shiver as the temperatures drop and I guess Harry saw it, too.

   "Here," he says, moving his body over to mine, "if I had a jacket, I'd give it to you, but my body is all I have to offer."

I swear he said that a little bit too seductively.

    "Harry, n-no, I just don't think that-"

"Ssh, it's alright, I won't hurt you," he reassured me.

  He moved his body in to mine, and the warmth is so comforting, I can't begin to explain. I feel a sense of protection and contentness, and feel like I could lay with this stranger, right here in the meadow forever.

We stay in that same position for who knows how long, but I feel so relaxed and calm that I do not even mind laying here with Harry. His breathing becomes heavier, and I fear that he'll actually fall asleep. Even so, I bury my face into the crook of his neck, and he hums in response. I feel  one of his large hands come up to my head, and stroking my hair, just as Ayla's Nanna had done that morning. 

I am suddenly aware of what's going on, and am about to sit up and walk away from Harry, when I realize that it would be no use. He would still text me, and want to hang out. This is considered "hanging out" - what we are doing now, right?

   I feel a constant nagging in the back of my mind, telling me to give Harry a chance. But there is also a part that's telling me to not fall for him- not like this.

However, I feel so good right now, with his arms protecting me from the outside world, me burying myself into his body, and us breathing quietly, with his hand still caressing my locks.

   "Harry?," I say, sitting up a little.

"Hm?" he asks me, opening his eyes, revealing those gorgeous emerald orbs.

      "It's getting late- I really should be going," I tell him, standing up and fixing my dress.

"Oh, okay," he says, standing up also.

    We walk to my car and he smiles at me before I get in.

"I'll be seeing you," he says to me, "oh, my love, I'll sure be seeing you."

         And my heart stops. Because those are the exact words he said to me before he walked away, two nights before.