Revelation

Chapter 12

After I am done tutoring Eric, my friend's little brother, in Geometry at the library, it is a quarter past noon. I head to my favorite ice cream shop from there since it is only a couple of minutes away to grab a cup of strawberry ice cream. Harry is coming hang out today, so I figure I might as well get him a cup of his favorite, mint chocolate chip.

When I get home, I put Harry's cup of ice cream in the freezer and flop down onto my couch with mine. I turn on the television and go to my recorded episodes of Criminal Minds to watch until I get the much-anticipated phone call from Harry. My heart flutters when I see his name appear on my phone screen. I remember him pouring his heart out to me, and I smile.

"Hi, Harry," I chime, swallowing my last bite of ice-cream.

"Hey, Eden. Good mood?"

"Oh, yes. I'm watching Criminal Minds and eating ice cream."

"Strawberry?"

"Of course. Are you in a good mood?"

"I would be in a better mood if I was with you."

"Then come over," I suggest. "I got you some ice-cream."

"You are the best. Can I seriously come, though, like, right now?"

"Yeah."

"Good because I am at your front door."

"Shut up. No you're not." I laugh and jump off of my couch. I race to the door and swing it open.

Harry is standing there, grinning, with a small plastic bag clutched tightly in his hands. I squeal and hug him tightly, then he comes inside and sets the mysterious bag down on the kitchen table.

"What do you have in there?" I curiously ponder.

"Some precious jewels," he wiggles his eyebrows. "I just robbed a bank."

"Ha-ha." I roll my eyes. "Seriously, what is in there?"

"I bought some movies and junk at the store earlier. I figured we could have a movie night tonight, after I take you to dinner of course. We should leave soon though."

"I would love that!" I exclaim. "I was bored anyway. All I do is sleep and watch Criminal Minds."

"You live an exciting and wild life, my friend."

"I know," I tell him. "I'll go get ready. It won't take me long. I need to put on some makeup desperately."

"You don't need any makeup," he scoffs, but I disregard him and hurry to my room.

Right now it is almost three o'clock. It is much too early for dinner considering the fact that Harry usually doesn't eat until after six, but I'll go along with it even though I know there is something else besides dinner. I wonder where he is actually going to take me. Suspicion intermixed with giddy exhilaration overtake me like a wave.

I put a layer of mascara on along with some eyeliner. Once I put a little blush and lipstick on, I change into some tight, high-wasted jeans and a cute, black sweater. Slipping into my black ankle boot wedges, I grab my purse and meet Harry back in the living room. He is lying down on the couch holding a picture frame. When he sees me, he sits up, and I feel his eyes darken and rake up and down my body.

"You look so beautiful." He swallows.

"You aren't so bad yourself." I bite down on my bottom lip. "What do you have there?"

"A picture frame. I brought it for you. Here."

I walk over to him and sit down. He hands me the picture frame, and my eyes widen. It is a photo of Harry and me from the summer before high school. We were kayaking in Florida for a vacation, and we look so happy, rowing rapidly and laughing simultaneously about God knows what. I wonder where and when he got this

"Wow..." I nostalgically run my finger across our adolescent faces. "Where did you get this?"

"I found it in an old cardboard box in my closet. It is filled with photographs that I have never gone through fully yet. I opened it and saw this one, and right when I did, it made me smile harder than I have in a long time. I remember us having to beg our parents to let us go kayaking because we had gotten into some trouble the day before. We were both so carefree and adventurous. I can honestly say that this was the happiest time of my life."

"This photo had to have been taken about a few minutes before we flipped the kayak." A laugh escapes my lips. "Oh, gosh. Kayaking was so much fun, but we sucked at it. Those waves tore us up."

"I know." He chuckles and wraps his arm around my shoulder. "I want you to have it. I have a lot more."

"Really?" I look up at him, and my cheeks flush at our sudden proximity.

Our faces are only a couple of inches apart. I can literally feel the warmth radiating off of him, and it makes my heart beat sporadically.

"Yes." He nods slowly and closes the gap between us, brushing his lips against mine.

I place my hands on his face and kiss him. It is a gentle, chaste kiss filled with tenderness and passion. Oh, I love him so much. A part of me wishes we would have never realized that we were in love with each other because it really does jeopardize our friendship. Another part of me wishes that we would have done it sooner. The way I feel when I kiss Harry... It is inexplicably euphoric. I feel as if I am in heaven.

I pull away to catch my breath. Harry kisses my temple then stands up, sticking his hands out for me to grab. I take them in mine, and he pulls me up.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"I told you already," he says lowly. "Dinner."

"But it is only three o'clock..."

He smirks. "I know."

"What restaurant is it? Do we have a reservation?"

"Don't you like to ask a lot of questions." He turns and exits my apartment, leaving me extremely curious.

I heedlessly follow him outside to his car, and numerous of scenarios drift around in my mind of where we could possibly be going. I decide to not worry or think too much about it. Harry's surprises are always worth the brief impatience of waiting.

We begin a conversation about all of our summer memories and vacations over the years, and it feels like we are driving forever. Where are we going? Wherever it is, it isn't too close by, but it still seems like we're near Phoenix. I don't ask him since I already know that he won't tell me. Instead, I continue to talk with him about happier times until we eventually make it to our destination.

Wow. I was not expecting this at all.

______________________

oooh where are they??? ;)

so i think we're at the point where we need a ship name for harry and eden, am i right? i'm right. comment some ideas about it and drop some feedback while ur at it ❤️

ALSO MAKE SURE 2 VOTE PLS