7 Things About the Boy Next Door

Chapter 11

"I think the hardest part of losing someone isn't having to say goodbye, but rather learning to live without them. Always trying to fill the void, that emptiness that's left inside your heart when they go." -Unknown

~Harmony~

I'm curled up on my bed, just woken up, snuggled under my duvet with my glasses perched on the end of my nose, writing; my favourite. I have music playing softly through my room to break the silence. I don't like silence; it leaves too much room for my mind to wander. And wondering right now is a big no-no.

Just as I wrap up my 'big love scene' between my two main characters, the doorbell chimes. Quickly skimming through my latest work ready for editing later, I smile proudly at my screen. I've always been able to write a better romance than what I can experience in reality, and that's okay, even if I know I could be missing out on something exceptional.

Writing is my getaway, and it helps that I'm good at it. I can incorporate a piece of me into each character, be in control of the plot and loose myself in my own creation. It's like therapy, you feel refreshed and clear minded after spilling your worries and thoughts over the page.

When I open the door, I'm surprised to see Dylan waiting on my porch looking very handsome indeed. He runs a hand through his wavy hair, the other hand behind his back.

"Hey, Harmony," Dylan says sweetly and a little confidently. He switches his weight to his other leg and swaps holding the object behind his back with his other hand.

I raise a questioning eyebrow and try to look around his body to see what he's holding from me.

"What's behind your back?" I say confused when I realise trying to look around this bulk of muscle is futile.

"No 'Hello, Dylan? It's nice to see you again,'" he says in a cocky tone with an adorable tilt of his head, throwing me a lopsided grin.

"Ugh, fine," I clear my throat and can't help the smile that forces its way forwards as I repeat as sweetly as I can, "Hello, Dylan. It's nice to see you again, now what's behind your back?"

"Well, if you must know, it's a bottle, you left without one from the party," he tells me revealing an empty green beer bottle. "I even found a cork to plug up the top when you send it out to sea too." Dylan takes out a wine cork from his pocket and fits it over the top of the rim for me to see.

"You remembered?" I state baffled but completely touched.

"Course I did, I remember everything you say," he admits a little coyly.

He holds the bottle out between us and as I go to reach for it, Dylan quickly retracts his hand smiling down at me mockingly.

"Not so fast there, I have one condition."

"You have a condition?" I question crossing my arms over my chest and raising a quizzical eyebrow playfully in defence.

"I do."

"And what might this condition be?"

"Bring me with you."

"Huh?" I was following until now; I've completely lost where he was going with this thing. He rolls his eyes at me like I should know what he's asking.

"Let me come with you when you do the message in the bottle."

"Oh... I don't know," I tell him shyly, twirling a nervous lock of hair around my index finger. The bucket list was supposed to be my thing.

Just mine.

But, I suppose thinking back to the list I would need some help with a few of them anyway. And he is giving me a free bottle.