Butterfly Keeper // h.s. au

Chapter Twenty Seven

Harry was right when he said we'd probably spend the whole day at the beach, because that's exactly what we did. A large part of the day consisted of him trying to teach me how to bodysurf, which is much harder than it looks, and then scouting for neat seashells on the beach. We didn't keep or take any, just admired them against the golden sands that seemed to stretch on for infinity. Harry informed me that he's highly against taking beautiful things and making them your own. I asked him why that was and he only smirked at me, shaking his head and causing his curls to sway on his shoulders before mumbling, "If you pick the most beautiful flower in your garden you're only causing it to die." I didn't know what to say.

    After a long day of chasing each other in the waves and hunting for treasure in the sand we have finally decided to get something to eat. I think we were so caught up in having fun that neither of us were even thinking of food. But when four o'clock rolled around and the waves were finally becoming gentle while me and Harry were resting on shore, both of our stomachs growled simultaneously. We decided without hesitation that it was time to eat.

    We drove in Harry's truck up and down the parkway in search for a suitable food establishment, my arm lazily hung out the window as I let the breeze comb through my messy, ocean blown hair. We both agreed on a small place called Mikey's Crab Shack, that consists of various sea foods as well as the classic Mikey Burger. We ordered from the little window, both of us just getting burgers and fries before returning to the beach with our food to end our day where we started it.

    I now sit nestled in the sand next to Harry while I attempt to fit this massive burger in my mouth. He watches me with humor in his features before easily fitting the burger into his mouth to take a large bite. He has his legs crossed as his toes are slightly buried in the sand while I sit with my legs folded beneath me.

    The sky is now a mixture of vibrant oranges and yellows fading into a soft blue. It's like the waves relax with the day as it comes to a close, their crashes almost seeming peaceful as they roll onto the shore. There's only a few thin clouds floating in the sky, mostly blending their soft whites to the oranges and yellows painted up there. And none of them are blocking out the beautiful view of the sun setting behind the line of the forever extending ocean. Here very soon the extent of the island and all of it's crashing waters and rolling beaches will be covered in an inky darkness.

    I look over to Harry, feeling a little sad as I know that tomorrow we will have to leave all this behind. He looks back down at me, his cheeks filled with food as he chews with the sharp turn of his jaw. It makes me smile.

    He's been a little more quiet ever since we returned from the crab shack, making me wonder if he's finally been worn out from our long day. I know I feel exhausted as my thighs and the soles of my feet ache from trudging through the water in my heavy clothes and being on my feet for the entirety of the day. Just the thought makes me tiredly lean my head into Harry's shoulder, causing one of his sweet sounds to hum in his chest.

    I watch his hands as he holds his food, his long fingers cradling his burger. His fingers look a little odd now that only two rings adorn his digits, making me wonder if I should really be in possession of his third one. They almost do something for him that I can't begin explain, with the way that they seem to have just become apart of his being. But I'm also too selfish to offer it back to him, already being too in love with the way he appears in my head every time I glance down at it.

    My eyes fall to a large scar on Harry's left wrist that I haven't seemed to notice before. It's has an odd look to it, like the scar tried to grow it's way and crawl across the skin of Harry's wrist with no defining shape. Almost like a ball of fire, with a solid middle but the edges being frayed and uneven. The scar tissue is so much lighter than his normal skin, looking as if a spider spun the silky tissue there to patch up whatever injury it previously held.