INKED LINES // H.S.

Chapter 28

"You have so much to offer as the person you are right now."

- Robyn Conley Downs

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Harry's POV

We have to drive for a while in order to make our way into the city where I planned our date to be. I hope to God she likes what I have in store for us. With tonight not exactly being the most normal activity for a first date I can't help but feel a little apprehensive. But Mila had insisted that Adi would love tonight, with her speaking so fondly of the memories she had with Adilyn when they used to do this as kids, it was hard not to believe her.

The warmth of Adilyn's thigh seeps into my palm as it rests on her leg, the thin material of her dress making it hard to not think about the bare skin beneath. Much of the drive has been spent engaging in mindless chatter but judging by the way her fingers have stopped fiddling with the hem of her dress the simple conversation has eased some of her nerves.

Music continues to fill the space of the car, the country tunes coating the evening with a relaxing vibe. Glancing over to the passenger seat, I can't help but admire her profile. The way her eyelashes sweep upwards, highlighting the wide doe-like nature of her eyes, accentuating the halo of innocence that seems to beckon me to her. The skin of her eyelids tonight shimmers every so often as a streetlights flash past the window and when she tilts her head to glance up at the buildings whizzing by, her cheekbones reflect the same glow. She looks so beautiful I can't help but stare.

Realising I haven't looked at the road in while, I snap my gaze back to where it should be. But every so often I can't stop my eyes from drifting back to her, like metal to a powerful magnet. She appears to be stuck in her head, pondering some deep thought that makes her brows furrow slightly. Before I can speak though, to pull her from where she so often seems to get lost, the sound of her gentle singing fills the car. I can't control the grin that pulls at my lips at the sound.

As if sensing my stare, she glances over at me, her eyes going wide as she notices my expression. She looks like a child that has been caught red-handed in the cookie jar and my smile grows further at the thought.

"Don't stop on my account," I tease, causing a tiny blush to paint her cheeks as she playfully frowns at me.

"Careful now," she warns feigning an authoritative tone. "Or I'll sing louder and trust me when I say you don't want that."

A small burst of laughter escapes my mouth, "No?"

She raises a suggestive brow, "I've been told on many accounts that it resembles a dying cat."

My eyes screw shut momentarily as I let out another laugh.

"Well in that case..." I wander off. She shoves my shoulder playfully causing my hand to fall from her thigh.

My hand having a mind of its own, doesn't hesitate in returning back to her leg, placing it slightly higher on her thigh this time. I don't miss the gentle intake of her breath as she notices its proximity to somewhere it's been only a few times before.

Her hands return to their insistent fiddling and her gaze flicks back to the window, her eyes taking in the busy city that now passes by us.

I lean forward in the chair slightly, looking for the street name that Mila mentioned to me. Seeing it to my left, I turn down it and a couple minutes later we are pulling into the cramped carpark beneath a giant plastic roller skate.

Adilyn gasps next to me as she takes in where we are.

"Oh my god!" She screeches. "Roller skating?" She glances at me and I don't miss the brightness that is now glimmering in her eyes.