The Castle of Gold [Bk 2]

ch.38 Yours

No. I can’t let him leave. Not again. Not after what we just survived. I took a bullet for him, I wasn’t about to let some stupid scholarship ruin us.

“Harry!” I called, but he sped off in his truck. Black smoke spurted out the exhaust and diffused into the pure surrounding air.

“Angela?” Danny asked worriedly.

I turned around and saw him standing by the door.

I wanted to run to Harry’s truck and chase it down for as long as my legs would let me, but as soon as I kicked my heels, Danny grabbed my wrist.

“Where are you going?” he demanded.

“Why did you give me that letter!?” I shouted, as if it was his fault that I had gotten the scholarship.

I tugged away from his grasp, but he pulled tighter.

“Angela, what are you talking about?”

“The letter from Connecticut! Why didn’t you just burn it?!” I yelled, but my throat was tightening, making it harder to speak loudly or avoid crying.

Danny stared at my face, trying to make sense of my horribly confused emotions.

Then realization hit him.

“Wasn’t he happy for you?” Danny asked carefully. He wasn’t all too good with understanding his emotions let alone other people’s feelings, and now he was questioning how well he knew Harry.

“YES!” I screamed.

Danny blinked in confusion.

“So what’s the prob-” he started to ask.

“He wants me to go because he thinks that’s what I need, that it’s what I want” I explained quickly. I was out of breath, but I hadn’t even run an inch.

Danny nodded slowly.

“But it’s not, Danny” I shook my head quickly. “I’m not going anywhere without Harry” I declared confidently.

And I stood by my word. I couldn’t go to Connecticut even if I was dragged over there. I know I should be grateful for the scholarship, but I wasn’t, I couldn’t be. What would I write about when I got to Connecticut? How great the Daisies smell on Sunday strolls in the parks? How nice midnight snacks like vanilla ice cream and Cherry cola floats, taste?

There’s nothing exciting for me there. I don’t know anyone or anything. And maybe that’s the point of college; you can only find yourself when you are lost.  But I don’t want to be lost. I want to be with Harry because I had already been lost and I had found Harry. Now I just had to hold onto him. And that was the hardest part.

“Ok” Danny nodded. He loosened his grip, but when I started for the street again, he yanked me back.

“Angie, you can’t just run after him” he told me.

I shook my head.

“I have to!” I raised my voice again.

“No, Angie, he’ll come back. He hasn’t even really left. He’s just trying to keep his distance because it will help him let go eventually” Danny told me solemnly.

“Let go? Eventually?” I almost squealed.

I shook my head quickly.

“I don’t want him to let go” I spoke hurriedly.

“Why is he doing this?!” I demanded, but in a much quieter, more broken whisper.

Danny rubbed my shoulder softly.