Medley

99: YOU'VE GOT A WAY.

"I have something I was waiting to give to you. Let's go home."

Harry kisses the top of my head for the hundredth time tonight.

"Did you just call my apartment 'home'?"

The old version of me would be horrified by the idea of my home ever being mine and someone else's. The current version of me is thrilled to hear that.

"Yeah, but home is not your apartment, you are."

Ugh, will I ever stop crying tonight? He sure isn't helping! Well, at least not with the crying. But he did help with everything else. In fact, without him I don't know how I would get through this.

My father and I have finally reached the lowest point in our relationship. I don't see how we can move past the things we said to each other tonight.

Either we mend this once and for all, or we disown each other forever after today.

If Harry wasn't here to keep my mind off these ideas of potential outcomes, I'd be falling apart. He has given me a taste of what true love is supposed to be like.

Caleb always took my father's side but tried to convince me he was neutral. But I know Harry will always take mine, even when I'm wrong.

The entire drive back, he holds my hand and tells me jokes to make me laugh.

I can get used to the way true love feels like.

"Here. I was going to give you this in LA last time, but... you know."

I open the neatly wrapped box he places in my hands and find an oversized coffee mug inside, black with white letters that read 'I love you the mostest'.

"This mug is officially the best present I've ever gotten!"

Only Harry can make me feel joy in a moment when all I wanted to do was come home, collapse on my bed and cry myself to sleep.

"I love you so much, Har. Thank you for tonight. And for my now favorite mug."

I fall into his arms and let him hold me until our legs go numb from standing in the same spot far too long. 

"I have something for you, too." I break the silence.

From the top of my desk in the next room, I grab the unopened package that was delivered days ago but has been sitting there since.

Unopened.

Taunting, hurting.

"I'm sorry it's not wrapped. I didn't think I'd get to give it to you... you know."

Harry carefully opens the box and retrieves from the inside a little pocket-sized notebook with a black cover that reads in silver letters: 'Har & Em's Rule Book'.

His eyes light up and his smile starts to heal the pain I felt when I thought he'd never get to see it.

"Is this what I think it is?"

I nod and he starts flipping through the pages.

The first page states: 'The order in which rules are listed does not imply or reflect an order of importance. Rules should be obeyed at all times. Punishments for failure to comply will vary. Once established, rules cannot be voided, only amended. Therefore, future rules must be written in pen.'

"Even though the order isn't supposed to matter, I still had to alter the numbers because we couldn't let the most important rule be number five."

"Rule 1: WE HAVE TO SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN." He reads aloud. "This one is definitely the most important."

With a grin from ear to ear, Harry puts the notebook down on the coffee table and opens his arms to envelope me in them.