The First Lost Boy (Wattys 2017) ON HOLD

t w e n t y • f o u r

"It isn't your fault, Gwen."

She wanted to shake him for saying that, but she pressed her lips together instead. "It is. I know it. So does Peter and Earl."'

"Were they giving you a hard time?" His voice came out harder and she shot him a look of disbelief. The last thing she needed was for him to get all protective of her again when he just lost one of his boys. He should be protecting them.

"They don't have to, I can see it on their face." She paused, glancing at him only to look away. "Yours too."

"Me?"

"I know you blame me. You say you don't, but I hear it in your voice. In the way you've been looking at me." She paused and when he didn't respond, her heart broke a little but she remained strong and continued. "You said you're angry with me and at one point, you're going to lash out at me."

"Gwen," he spoke her name gently, sighing as he lifted a hand and set it on her arm. "I am angry. But I'm angry at you only because you didn't listen to me. I'm not angry at you for Will's death. That was not your fault."

"How is it not? If I hadn't came to begin with, the fight would of never happened."

"It would." Gwen turned to look at him in confusion and Harry sucked in his lips, rolling them back out before continuing. "What you saw, us speaking calmly was not what it seemed. There was tension. Hook wanted to come to the camp to see for himself that you weren't there. I wasn't letting him, and he didn't want to listen to me. The fight would of happened either way, it just came a little sooner then either one of us anticipated."

That little piece of information eased her mind a bit and she nodded. "Okay, I'm sorry again. For not listening."

"You should be," he said it half teasing but she knew he was being completely serious. "The next time I tell you to do something,
do it."

"You sound like my father."

Harry laughed. The first one he'd given since Will and Gwen's lips pulled into a small smile. "I don't mean it that way. It's just, all the boys listen to me so I need you to as well. I only tell you what to do for your safety, not to be bossy."

"I know."

"So we're on the same page then?"

"As long as it doesn't include walking off a cliff, I'll do whatever you ask me to."

Harry grinned, though it didn't reach his eyes completely, it still lifted Gwen's mood to see it there. "You can still walk off a cliff, as long as you've got pixie dust."

"Didn't we already do that?" She asked, her mind wandering back to the time she had dinner with Harry on a cliff. Then how he'd called the fairies to sprinkle them with pixie dust before they flew above the ocean. He'd given her one of the best kisses of her life.

"We did." He spoke softly and moved his hand to intertwine it with Gwen's. "I'd like to do it again, soon."

"I don't like heights very much, Harry."

"I'll kiss you in the sky again, Gwen."

She pretended to ponder over his offer even though her mind had been made up the moment the words left his mouth. His eyes narrowed in on her and she failed from giggling softly, to which Harry's eyes lit up at hearing it. He scooted closer to her and Gwen allowed him to wrap his arm around her waist. "I love your laugh."

"Really? My friend in England told me it was odd."

"Your friend must of been a loon." She laughed again and he squeezed her waist. "What else do you remember about your friends?"