Nothing Good Gets Away

Chapter 67

ROWAN BASS

From the couch, Celine gives me a low wolf whistle as I come down the stairs in a simple white tube top and a royal blue floral maxi skirt with a decently large slit in one thigh. It's not a whistle-worthy outfit in my opinion, but I think it's a step up from all the shorts and t-shirts I've been wearing since the summer started.

"Why are you so fucking, like...petite?" She asks me, putting on a French accent for that last word.

"Stop," I laugh. "Where's Harry?"

"He went to go cool off your car," she says, inspecting my low sandal heels as I secure the straps around my ankles. "Where are you guys going on your date?"

"I don't know," I yawn and rake my fingers through my hair, "I'm just excited for us to go out because we haven't in months. Our schedules have both been crazy."

Harry comes back in, and he smiles at the sight of my outfit. He doesn't look terrible either in his white t-shirt tucked into grey trousers. His skin looks so tan already, even though we're only on the first of July. "You look so nice."

"You look so nice," I retort, gesturing vaguely to his whole body.

"You both look so nice," Celine chimes in, somewhat sarcastically, but her smile is real. "Don't stay out too late."

"Very funny," I return her sarcasm right back to her. "Just remember to feed Scout at around 7:00, please."

"Of course," she stands and wanders over to the kitchen, "you two have fun."

"Bye Celine," Harry lifts his hand in a wave before we head out through the front door together. The temperature outside is a little cooler as the sun goes down, but I'm still relieved that he already cooled my car down as we climb in and feel the air coming through the vents.

"So, where are we going?"

Very casually, he says, "I thought we'd just go to Santa Monica. We haven't been in a while."

"Oh my God, you're right," I mindlessly check my phone to see a text from my mom asking what Harry and I are up to tonight. It's cute, the way she always curiously asks about our relationship like that. She didn't really do that with Carson.

After I finish texting her to update our plans, I drop my phone in my small shoulder bag and take Harry's hand instead.

"So at the risk of starting an argument on finances, I really think we should take a quick trip together before the summer is over," I look over at Harry as he drives my car, watching an amused smirk grow crookedly on his lips.

"Where to?"

"Anywhere you want to go," I shrug. "I've been everywhere I've ever wanted to, so I would want you to choose."

His smirk turns into a full smile, and that's exactly why I made the offer in the first place. "I'll think about it."

"Okay, but you'd better think fast because we both will have to make accommodations at work, and I wanna buy the plane tickets sooner rather than later. And obviously you get to choose, but you should know that my parents have a house in Hawaii, Mendocino, St. Barts, Maldives, and Paris. That'll make planning for a place to stay easier, but...it's all up to you, obviously."

He makes a face like he's not all that excited. "Sucks that those are my only options."

"Shut up," I laugh at his sarcasm, and he spares me his cute smile. "But I mean it. Anywhere in the world, and we'll go."

A little more seriously, he nods and keeps his little smile as I raise his hand to kiss the top of it while his eyes remain on the road. And for the rest of the drive, he tolerates me playing with the rings on his fingers with The Beatles playing softly on my stereo, and he doesn't once complain about trying to find parking by the Santa Monica Pier on a Saturday evening in the summertime. It's prime tourist hours.