Through the Lens

Better Not Be Cute

Harry's POV

I couldn't wipe the smile from my face as I stood in the shower, recalling what an epic day I'd had. I couldn't remember the last time I'd spent that much time outside, and the place Hailey had shown me was by far the most beautiful place I'd ever seen. Just being there, surrounded by trees and nature had flipped some sort of switch in me and I felt lighter somehow, rejuvenated, inspired.

I suddenly had a million different lyrics running through my head and I was eager to get them down as I sung them to myself in the shower. It was a different thing to me, to have the freedom to write when I felt inspired, as it came to me. Much of my career I had spent time with other writers, fitting it into a schedule and booking time to write. We'd come up with some great stuff, but sitting in a room with a timeline to be creative felt forced sometimes, and I now had the freedom to write whenever I felt the urge.

Not only was I inspired by the beauty of the nature I'd seen that day, but I was also inspired by Hailey and her passion for adventure. It was written all over her from the way she literally made her own pathway to the way she'd launched herself off that bloody cliff. It was obvious that being in nature balanced her, made her feel at home, much like it had for me. I loved that she was who she was, and she made no apologies for it. She had no problem teasing me or pushing me to try new things, and as a result I'd felt more like me than I had in a long time. As beautiful as the scenery was that day, I knew it wouldn't have been the same if I'd gone with someone else.

I knew a lot of beautiful women. I'd spent a lot of time around models and all kinds of beautiful people, but there was something about Hailey that was beautiful in a completely different way. Physically, she was naturally beautiful, hardly wearing any make up at all, the light freckles on her cheeks coming out in the sun while her big blue eyes sparkled with wonder and passion behind them. I'm not gonna lie, when she stripped down to her bikini I was amazed at her body, all her time spent searching for adventure had certainly been good for her physique. She was in no way flashy, going out of her way to show off her body or draw attention to herself, but her beauty went so far beyond her physical features that I was almost stunned by it.

Her mind was a beautiful thing. The way she thought, the way she saw things was amazing to me. She saw the beauty in everything, and in a really meaningful way. She seemed to have a bigger understanding of the world and how people operated, even though she lived in such a small place. She was kind and thoughtful, but at the same time I knew she was in no way a pushover. She was a passionate person, with many different interests, and that freedom she seemed to possess wasn't due to her finishing school or having more time on her hands, but rather her spirit. She was just the kind of person that would always be free, no matter what she was doing, because that's just who she was.

Her passion for life in general was inspiring. She wasn't someone that would ever get caught up in the materialistic or superficial aspects of things like money or fame, and she was so incredibly grounded in who she was that I was almost jealous of her ability to be so focused on who she was and what she wanted. She knew exactly who she was, and never seemed to question it.

I obviously didn't know her that well, but I already knew she was complex. She was a deep, philosophical thinker who seemed to just go in whatever direction she felt was right, never second guessing or worrying about where she might end up. At the same time, as deep and reflective as she was, she was also incredibly playful and funny, always laughing and enjoying little things she found amusing. She was sweet yet strong, passionate but adaptable, complex but simple. I'd never met anyone so openly themselves, and it only made me want to know more.

I hopped out of the shower and threw on a pair of sweats before I grabbed my guitar and headed out to the deck with a notebook. I played around with a few melodies as the lyrics poured out of me, writing them all down as I just let them flow through me and into music. It was the first time ever I'd just sat by myself, letting my own thoughts and feelings flow through me without having to run them by anybody else. It was the creative experience I had hoped to have while thinking of the direction I wanted to take my first solo album, and I couldn't believe how much difference one day could make.