Gardens Of Eden (A Harry Styles Story)

39. Oh, Stormy Night

In a place filled with children, scary stories get passed on like a game of telephone, growing beyond the realms of factuality with each telling. 

At Falkland Orphanage, myths and legends are built into the yellowing wallpaper, layering themselves one over the other. Underneath the stories lie a dark reality, that you should trust little of what you hear, and only half of what you see.

**

"... don't worry, Ave. You'll be in and out and no one will even know." 

She repeated the word in her mind... Ave.

"And if I do it, you'll get me out of here, like you promised?" She was recklessly hopeful.

"If you do this... yes." She inhaled sharply, "after everything we've talked about I want to help you. And I know you can handle this responsibility."

"I can. I'll do it."

There was a moment's pause, and then...

"Good girl."

**

"Wet asphalt ." 

"Wet asphalt?"

"Yeah, pavement. Like the rain, evaporating off the ground. That's what a storm smells like." 

Harry had his arms wrapped around my waist as we stood on the front step. Helga and Kate had just left and I'd finally stopped batting away his shows of affection when he reminded me of our conversation from this morning.

"I think you're onto something there." He said, breathing in deeply just as another gust of wind came sweeping over us. The sky had changed dramatically compared to the night before, with rolling clouds that were threatening to drop rain any minute. 

Harry had spoken to his mum today too, who had told him about the storm that started on Monday and had finally moved South yesterday. It seemed that it was now about to hit London, and I tried not to be too smug that I'd been right. 

"I hate to say I told ya so." I smiled, turning my head to look up at him.

"Something tells me you love it, actually." He teased, and right then, a fat rain drop fell from the sky and landed on my cheek.

"Hey!" I reached up to wipe it off and Harry laughed.

"That's what you get! Now common, let's go inside before it really comes down." He pulled me in and we closed the door. 

Perhaps it was because we had gone out the night before, or perhaps it was due to the weather worsening more with each passing hour, but whatever the reason, we wound up tangled in a blanket on the couch watching movies. 

We laughed all the way through The Dirt, and Harry was snoring by the time we reached the end of Ocean's Eight. I was yawning widely, ready for bed too, even though it was only midnight, but the sound of the rain outside was like a lullaby. If I closed my eyes, I could remember that sound as it fell on the roof outside my old room. Pitter patter, like a sad song, reminding me of how much things had changed. 

"Psst," I poked Harry's cheek, and he opened one eye at me.

"Hmmm?" 

"Wanna go to bed?" I whispered.

"Mmmhmm.." He blinked a couple times before closing his eyes again.

"Common you." I sat up and helped him do the same. With some encouragement, we were headed toward his room, and in no time at all, Harry was sleeping soundly beside me. It was quite funny actually, how deeply he slept. His snoring didn't bother me much, but it also didn't help me fall asleep, and I found myself lying there listening to the rain outside. Pitter, patter, drip, drop. It was the soundtrack of my life.