Change My Mind

60 - Is it too soon?

I spotted Liv in the window when we started packing our stuff in the back of my car. She was leaning against the window frame with her arms crossed over her chest. Nellie came out and hugged us goodbye. 

"I'm so sorry about Liv," she whispered in my ear when she hugged me. "I like to think she'll come around eventually." 

I nodded and smiled at her. "Don't worry about that, Nellie. Just take care of yourself, okay?" I was finding myself less bothered by Liv's attitude. That might partly be because I had had time to adjust to life without Liv being the center of everything. Where I found I missed her before, someone else was filling out her space. It didn't feel right, but I would have to adjust. No matter what, what Liv and I had shared was forever altered. Her refusing to forgive me and be happy for me was going to change the way she and I saw each other. 

I hugged and kissed mom and dad goodbye. We agreed they would come see me soon. If I was moving to London in the near future, I would want them to be there to send me off at the airport. I pictured mom waving with a white handkerchief and dad sniffling, trying to hold a stiff upper lip. Harry said goodbye for a while after I had already gotten into the car and settled in the passenger seat. There was a lot of cheek pinching from mom and dad kept clasping Harry's shoulder tightly and giving him the eye level, intense stare. I chuckled softly at the look of them. Harry nodded a lot and agreed with what they were saying. I contemplated tooting the horn, but luckily Harry hugged them both one more time, kissed mom's cheek and waved as he walked over to the car. He got in and looked at me with a cheeky look on his face, before he leaned over and grabbed my seat belt. 

"Are you doing it on purpose, love?" He asked as he clicked it in for me and looked up at me. 

"I like when you lean over me," I admitted. His dimpled smile appeared as he leaned over and tugged at the seat belt, just to make a point out of how easily he could do that. I breathed in and let his scent fill my senses, the smell of him made me warm and fuzzy inside. "You smell so nice," I said as he sat back up, earning me a second dimpled smirk. He started the engine and we both waved as we drove away from my parents' house. Harry put his hand down on my knee, palm up, giving me the chance to lace my fingers with his. I think he sensed the moment of melancholy that passed through my system, as my childhood home became a small dot behind us in the rearview mirror. I sighed once we were on our way down the highway, let my hair loose and turned on the car stereo. 

"Gonna play some tunes for me?" He asked and smiled at me, clearly enjoying the view of my hair hanging loose. 

"Mm-hmm," I said and scrolled my phone to find the song I needed. 

'The Chain' by Fleetwood Mac blasted out the speakers as we drove towards New York City. We both sang along and I swung my hair and let the music fill my senses. 

***

Harry was meeting with Niall first thing when we got back, so he dropped me off at Josh and Stig's place. They were over the moon when they saw me standing in front of their door, a bag of snacks in one hand and a brown paper bag containing a bottle of wine in the other. 

"Oh my God, I've missed you so terribly. You have to tell us e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g about London," Josh sat down next to me on the couch and listened intently, as I told him about everything from Syl and Sarah getting divorced to meeting Harry's mum and sister. Stig was working on a project, so he listened with half an ear and interrupted with questions every now and again. 

"A mansion?!" Stig exclaimed as we spoke about Harry's place in Hampstead Heath. I nodded and scrolled through the photos on my phone to show them the place. They were both very excited about it. 

"Could you imagine living in a mansion, little miss two-bedroom-on-a-budget?" Josh nudged my shoulder. He had no idea how close he was to hitting home. I took a deep breath and finished my glass of wine in one go.