Maybe This Is Love, |✔️

Chapter 28

Parker slips behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "It's brilliant, isn't it?"
She gazed at the painting of a woman looking down upon her child who was tugging at her hand. A tile next to the painting read a brief story about the artist and the origin of the painting.

"It's beautiful, " she held his warm hands and turned to face him. He had a little bit of stubble on his chin and she felt like he had grown taller somehow. He still had that look of amazement in his eyes when he finally looked at her. She could see how excited he was to be surrounded by art.

"One day," he said, his teeth as white as pearls when he smiled down at her. "My paintings are going to be on these walls."

She smiled back up at him. She believed that he would. That's why she had to let him go. Let him chase his dreams. She knew then that the relationship between Parker and his art was bigger than her, it was bigger than life itself. She would never forgive herself if she got in the way. Even if her heart breaks, the pieces will be fixed once she sees that smile again.

"This locket..." she sniffles back a tear. She couldn't even finish her sentence; she was so overwhelmed with happiness.

He tucks a strand of loose hair behind her ears, "This way, I'll always be with you, even when I'm not here."

Even if he had to put his future first, he still thought of her. He thought about her eyes, the way they crinkle at the end when she smiles. He thought about her ability to make everything feel alright even when it was evident that it wasn't. He thought about how she always put everyone she cared about before herself. The way she laughs at the stupidest jokes and seems to know everything he doesn't.

He didn't want to leave. Some people would say it's just university. It's only a few years. But they both knew it was more than that. It would be the end of them. Broken boy meets broken girl. Broken boy fits the pieces of broken girl and they become whole together.

But what happens after they become whole? Does that mean they don't need each other anymore?

"Thank you, " she strokes his cheek. "I love it."

She was about to lean up and place a kiss on his nose when a massive brown dog came leaping over her lap. She yelped in surprise. "What was that?"

She calmed down when she realised it was just a dog. She rubbed the caramel brown fur of the American Akita. "Who do you belong to, buddy?" She says in a mellow voice.

"Doggett! Doggett, c'mere boy!" A boy in a white vest top which accentuated the muscular tone of his biceps and camel coloured cargo shorts came running across the beach after the dog. "Oh, hey Harley."
He rubs a sweaty across his shorn down blonde hair.

Parker could see the way the boy was looking at Harley. That's the same way he looks at her. Like she was the only girl in the world.

The dog jumped from Harley-Blair's arm and ran back to its owner, tail wagging happily. "Hey, Dane. This is Parker, my boyfriend and over there grilling burgers is Zachy and Jasmin and in the water currently making out is Cassie and Sander."

Parker then recognised him as one of the twins in Harley and Cassie's year group. The ones who were always doing pranks and causing mischief. Or maybe it was his brother? Who knows?

Parker reaches out his hand to Dane who looked at him in surprise as if he only just noticed that there was another person there. "Hi, I'm Parker."

Dane takes his hand and firmly shakes it with a friendly smile on his face. He had really light eyelashes which were almost impossible to see and the greenest eyes ever. "Dane. The sane twin."

Harley laughs. "Do you always have to say that?" She says with familiarity in her voice. Parker noticed how her body language was much more comfortable with this person than anyone else outside of the group. She wasn't panicky or hesitant. She was calm and her normal self. This must mean he's not a stranger to her. "He sits next to me in photography and we worked on a project together. He's almost better than me!"

She smiles at him. Parker could feel a small pang of jealousy but he brushes it away. "Your dog's called Doggett?"

He blushes, "My Grandpas name is Duggett so my twin and I decide to call him that. It was either that or Doug the dog." He shrugs. He uses one hand to give the dog a treat to which the Doggett jumps up happily. "Sorry about him jumping over you, Harley. He gets a bit excited around pretty girls."

Harley blushes and glances at Parker. His expression was far from what she imagined. Instead of scowling, he was actually smiling at Dale. "Yeah, she is pretty, ain't she?" He looks at her wistfully.

He knew he had to let her go. Dane seemed like the perfect guy to catch her. He had kind eyes that looked like they'd never hurt a fly and a reassuring smile. He'd look after her for Parker.

"Don't let her go," Parker says. "Keep her close or she'll fly away."

"I won't let her fly away." Dane replies, staring directly into Parker's eyes. Harley had no idea what was going on but before she could say anything Zacchias announced that the food was ready.

"Join us?" She says to Dane.

He looks away from Parker and smiles at Harley. "I thought you'd never ask."