Free (Sequel to Through The Dark) Complete

Chapter 37

The next morning, Harry woke up early and went and made two cups of coffee.  He had been tempted to ask Julie to stay with him in his room last night, but he didn't want to push his luck.  Harry knocked on her door lightly with the coffee, and when she didn't answer, he opened it quietly and slowly.  He saw a lump in the middle of the bed, under the comforter.  He knew as soon as he walked closer, he would just see her face sticking out.  She loved being snuggled in the covers.  He set the coffee on the night stand and moved a piece of hair from over her eye.

Julie groaned as she felt someone sitting by her and moving her hair.  "Harry, I'm still tired."

"How did you know it was me?"  He asked chuckling at her.

"Who else would it be?"  She mumbled pulling the comforter tighter around her.

"Maybe the hot long-haired guitar player you were talking about yesterday."  He smirked, but she didn't even open her eyes.

"Too early for that."  Julie yawned and rolled onto her back and then gasped a bit.  Shit.  The scratches.  She moved back to her side.  "Ouch."  She mumbled quietly.

"Come on.  Let me see."  He helped her roll to her stomach and pulled her shirt up her back.  "Damn, you really should have told me.  Next time, I need to make sure I bring something soft to put between you and the rocks."

"Next time?  Who says there's going to be a next time?"  She shook her head and laughed into the pillow.  "There's only one spot that hurts really."  She felt his fingers run over it.  "Yep, that's the one."

There was a pretty good scratch right over her left shoulder blade.  "Well, I can't regret yesterday, but I am sorry about the scratches."  He leaned down and kissed her shoulder blade.  "You know, I would have preferred to have slept with you in my arms last night.  They would have worked better than this blanket."  He pulled the blanket down off her.  He lay down next to her and pulled her gently into his arms.

"Well, you never asked.  Maybe you should have."  She said laying her head on his chest.

"Maybe I should have."  He closed his eyes and gently ran his hands over her arm.  "I did get us adjoining rooms in South Africa.  Maybe I can rectify that there."

She took a deep breath.  "We should probably talk a little bit before we run off to South Africa."

He groaned.  "Now?  Really?  We can't just go with yesterday and not talk about it?"

"No, Harry.  We can't.  I'm enjoying spending time with you.  As more than friends.  But there are a lot of things we have to make clear, before we can continue it."  She replied rolling away from him a little and looking up at his face.

He wrinkled his nose and sniffled a little and then let out a breath.  "Yeah, yeah, ok, fine.  But I'm doing it under protest."

It was her turn to groan.  "Harry, you can't just expect to...."

"I'm not!  Ok, ok, what exactly are we addressing?"  He helped her sit up and handed her the coffee he'd made for her, giving her a half smile.  "I still remember."

"I hope so. You made me coffee for almost a year."  She shook her head and let out a breath.  "We should just get it all out in the open.  That way, if we really have a chance of moving forward, nothing comes up and surprises us.  So, you or me first?"

"Well, you started this, so you go first."  He leaned back against the head board.  They'd said a lot over the past year on a few different occasions.  But nothing had ever been addressed completely, so he knew she was right.  He guessed it was time to get everything out in the open and clear the air, if there was to be a fresh start.