Harry's POV
I couldn't wipe the smile from my face as I stood in the shower, recalling what an epic day I'd had. I couldn't remember the last time I'd spent that much time outside, and the place Hailey had shown me was by far the most beautiful place I'd ever seen. Just being there, surrounded by trees and nature had flipped some sort of switch in me and I felt lighter somehow, rejuvenated, inspired.
I suddenly had a million different lyrics running through my head and I was eager to get them down as I sung them to myself in the shower. It was a different thing to me, to have the freedom to write when I felt inspired, as it came to me. Much of my career I had spent time with other writers, fitting it into a schedule and booking time to write. We'd come up with some great stuff, but sitting in a room with a timeline to be creative felt forced sometimes, and I now had the freedom to write whenever I felt the urge.
Not only was I inspired by the beauty of the nature I'd seen that day, but I was also inspired by Hailey and her passion for adventure. It was written all over her from the way she literally made her own pathway to the way she'd launched herself off that bloody cliff. It was obvious that being in nature balanced her, made her feel at home, much like it had for me. I loved that she was who she was, and she made no apologies for it. She had no problem teasing me or pushing me to try new things, and as a result I'd felt more like me than I had in a long time. As beautiful as the scenery was that day, I knew it wouldn't have been the same if I'd gone with someone else.
I knew a lot of beautiful women. I'd spent a lot of time around models and all kinds of beautiful people, but there was something about Hailey that was beautiful in a completely different way. Physically, she was naturally beautiful, hardly wearing any make up at all, the light freckles on her cheeks coming out in the sun while her big blue eyes sparkled with wonder and passion behind them. I'm not gonna lie, when she stripped down to her bikini I was amazed at her body, all her time spent searching for adventure had certainly been good for her physique. She was in no way flashy, going out of her way to show off her body or draw attention to herself, but her beauty went so far beyond her physical features that I was almost stunned by it.
Her mind was a beautiful thing. The way she thought, the way she saw things was amazing to me. She saw the beauty in everything, and in a really meaningful way. She seemed to have a bigger understanding of the world and how people operated, even though she lived in such a small place. She was kind and thoughtful, but at the same time I knew she was in no way a pushover. She was a passionate person, with many different interests, and that freedom she seemed to possess wasn't due to her finishing school or having more time on her hands, but rather her spirit. She was just the kind of person that would always be free, no matter what she was doing, because that's just who she was.
Her passion for life in general was inspiring. She wasn't someone that would ever get caught up in the materialistic or superficial aspects of things like money or fame, and she was so incredibly grounded in who she was that I was almost jealous of her ability to be so focused on who she was and what she wanted. She knew exactly who she was, and never seemed to question it.
I obviously didn't know her that well, but I already knew she was complex. She was a deep, philosophical thinker who seemed to just go in whatever direction she felt was right, never second guessing or worrying about where she might end up. At the same time, as deep and reflective as she was, she was also incredibly playful and funny, always laughing and enjoying little things she found amusing. She was sweet yet strong, passionate but adaptable, complex but simple. I'd never met anyone so openly themselves, and it only made me want to know more.
I hopped out of the shower and threw on a pair of sweats before I grabbed my guitar and headed out to the deck with a notebook. I played around with a few melodies as the lyrics poured out of me, writing them all down as I just let them flow through me and into music. It was the first time ever I'd just sat by myself, letting my own thoughts and feelings flow through me without having to run them by anybody else. It was the creative experience I had hoped to have while thinking of the direction I wanted to take my first solo album, and I couldn't believe how much difference one day could make.
I was interrupted by the ringing of the phone in the kitchen and I put down my guitar and made my way in to answer it. I checked the caller ID to see it was my sister, and smiled as I answered.
"Hey Gems." I smiled.
"Ohhhh so you are alive!" She teased. "I haven't heard from you since you left, I have to get all my updates from Mum."
"Sorry." I laughed. "I've just been settling in, I swear I was gonna call you soon."
"I suppose I forgive you...now tell me everything! I'm so jealous. How's the place?"
"It's amazing. It's so perfect, I don't know how you even found it but it's exactly what I need." I said as I flopped down on the couch and laid flat on my back, crossing my feet at my ankles.
"Well it looked perfect from the pictures, and the guy I booked it through seemed very professional and protective of your privacy. Has anyone recognized you?"
"No, not a single person. I've been out quite a bit now and I just blend right in. I can walk down main street, do my grocery shopping, I even had lunch the diner today and nobody paid me any mind. Everyone is so nice, it's only been a week but I feel right at home."
"That's great, Haz. Sounds like it's exactly what you wanted. Is it weird being by yourself? Are you lonely?"
"It's a little weird, but I kinda like it. I can really think and I'm starting to get into a routine now. I actually had dinner with my neighbor and her family last night, they're really cool. Oh, I haven't even told you what I did today!" I said excitedly as I sat up and opened my laptop to see if Hailey had sent me the pictures yet.
"You sound like you went to Disneyland or something." She laughed.
"It was even better, I wish you could have seen it Gem. I'm gonna send you some pictures. Hailey took me for a hike to this waterfall and it was the most amazing thing I've ever seen, we jumped off the cliff into the swimming hole and just swam around, and behind the waterfall there were these caves and-"
"Harry, breathe. Jesus." She chuckled as I rambled on.
"Sorry, I'm just excited to show you." I laughed. "Anyways, I couldn't believe nobody else knew it was there, we had the whole place to ourselves. We just sat in the sun and talked while we laid in the middle of this perfect oasis. it was the best day."
"And who is Hailey?" She asked and I could practically hear her smirking.
"She's my neighbor, Gem." I rolled my eyes.
"The same neighbor you had dinner with last night?"
"Yes, the same neighbor. I know what you're implying, and it's not like that. The whole point of this is for me to have alone time."
"I know, but you're there for four months, Haz. I'm just glad you're making friends. But she better not be cute." She laughed.
I opened my e-mail to find she'd sent the pictures already, and I scanned through them with a huge smile on my face. They were amazing photos, if I hadn't been there I would have guessed it had been a set up shoot with the angles she had captured. We both looked so happy, she'd really captured the excitement of the day.
"I'm about to forward you the pictures, Hailey's really into photography so she took her go pro and we got some good pics." I said as I hit send and waited for Gemma to get them.
"Well I'm glad you had such a good day, it's about time you got to loosen up a bit. I'm just sitting here on my laptop trying to finish this week's article for the Debrief. Did you send them already?" She asked as I heard her computer ding on the other end of the phone. "Oh, nevermind it just came in."
I waited anxiously for her to open it, knowing she would be as blown away by it as I was, and I quickly forwarded them to Mum as well knowing she'd want to see.
"Holy shit! That's so sick!" She said excitedly. "It actually looks like that? It almost looks like you were photoshopped into some fantasy land."
"No, that's exactly how it looked. It was so amazing, Gem. I can't even explain it." I said, unable to keep the smile from my face.
"How did you even get some of these photos? It's like perfect timing." She said in disbelief as she continued to scroll through each one and examine it.
"It's some feature on the go pro, but Hailey just knows how to get the right angles and I don't know how she does it."
"She's really talented, these pictures are amazing. They could totally be in some kind of adventure magazine or something. Ugh I'm so jealous! You look like you're having the time of your life, I can't believe this one of you jumping of the cliff, and this underwater one! The water looks so clear."
"I know, I feel like I should use them for something. It feels like such a waste to just leave them sitting in my e-mail, but I'm not about to post them anywhere." I sighed.
"Well who knows, maybe it'll be your album cover one day." She said and I could hear her smile in her voice. "But you're still there for months, just think of all the epic adventures you can go on. I kinda hate you right now."
"I'd hate me too." I laughed. "But I'm gonna bring you and Mum out for sure to visit, I'll ask Hailey if she can take us."
"I'm still going through, I can't believe this place is real..." She said and I could almost hear her leaning forward to inspect each photo carefully before she let out a big laugh.
"What's so funny?" I asked, wondering what she found so amusing.
"I take it this is Hailey with you under the waterfall?" She said, and I could practically see the smirk on her face.
"Yeah, we're the only two that went. Why?"
"Oh nothing, just that I told you she better not be cute and she's fucking adorable." She laughed.
"I never said she wasn't. She's beautiful." I shrugged. "She's amazing actually, in a lot of ways. But that's not what I'm here for. Besides, I'm only here for the summer. We're just friends, Gem."
"Okay." She said, and I could tell she was still smirking.
"Anyways, what's new with you?" I asked as I closed my laptop and laid back down on the couch.
"Compared to your life? Absolutely nothing." She laughed. "No news to report, so I just have to live vicariously through you as usual I guess."
"How's the new place? You sure you don't need any help with anything?"
"Yes, Harry. I'm sure. I don't need my baby brother paying my bills for me. I'm just fine." She scoffed.
"I don't offer to imply that you aren't, Gem. I just don't want you worrying about anything, that's all. I just hope you know that if you need help I'm here. Not just with money, with anything. You've always been there for me and I wanna be here for you too." I said simply.
"I know, I appreciate it, but I'm fine. The forest is making you go all soft on me." She teased.
"Well it's doing something to me, that's for sure. I just don't know what it is yet." I laughed.
We talked for a few more minutes before I let her get back to her article, since she was on some deadline. I'd always admired her intelligence, she was so smart and had a way of articulating herself that I never did. I felt bad that my success had often overshadowed her accomplishments, but I was and always had been extremely envious of her talents and proud of her for following her own dream.
I pulled the photos back up, taking a closer look at them and reliving the excitement of the day before I e-mailed Hailey back to thank her for sending them and tell her how much I loved them. I headed back out to the deck, the sun had now set and it was dark so I grabbed my guitar and my notebook and headed back inside. I wandered around the house, a little bored, before I checked the fridge and found the leftover cobbler Hailey had sent home with me the night before and immediately got excited. I heated it up in the microwave and took a seat in front of the TV, grabbing the remote and turning it on to see if there was anything good on.
I flipped through the channels for a few minutes, suddenly finding the usual things I would watch boring and unentertaining, before I decided to throw on a movie instead. I was basically shovelling cobbler in my mouth as the movie started and the phone rang again. I picked it up to see a number I didn't recognize and debated answering it before I hit the button and held it up to my ear.
"Hello?" I asked hesitantly.
"Hey, bro. It's Ryan." He said and I immediately recognized his voice.
"Oh, hey mate. What's up?"
"Not too much, I'm not stalking you I promise." He laughed. "I had the number from back in the day when Mr. Halpin lived there."
"It's totally fine, bro. What's going on?" I laughed.
"I don't know if you had plans or not, it's cool if you're busy or not into it, I just know you're new to town and thought you might wanna come over for some poker with me and a few friends." He offered.
"Oh, um thanks for the invite. When were you thinking?" I asked, feeling a little apprehensive.
"I'm just setting up now, there's only gonna be about four of us. Probably start in about an hour, but no pressure at all if you're not into it I just thought I'd ask." He said, trying to reinforce that it was okay for me to say no.
I looked around, taking in the empty container of cobbler I'd inhaled and the random movie I'd selected before I took a deep breath and decided I didn't have anything better to do.
"Yeah, sure. That sounds cool." I said as I ran my fingers through my hair.
"Sweet. I'm just out grabbing some beers and stuff so I'll swing by and pick you up in like 20?"
"That works, I've just gotta change and I should be good to go."
We said goodbye and I headed upstairs to change, throwing on some jeans and a t-shirt before pulling a beanie over my head. I hated that I felt so uneasy every time I left the house, I had never been that kind of person and all of a sudden it was like I was scared to meet new people. At the same time, I'd been there long enough with no issues that I really was starting to let go a little bit, feel a little more comfortable and at peace with being out. I also tried to remember that even if someone did recognize me, I wasn't in LA or New York and most people probably wouldn't even care.
Ryan pulled up a few minutes later and I hopped into his truck before he pulled back down the dirt road and towards his place.
"How was your hike today? You and Hails went right?" He asked as we turned onto the main road.
"It was so sick, I was just telling my sister about it actually."
"Where'd you go?"
"I think she called it Cedar Peak? We found some waterfall not far off the main path. It was so nice, I could have stayed there all day." I laughed.
"Yeah, it's nice up there. I haven't been up in a while, things got busy with work and the family but Hails and I used to go up there every once in a while."
"I told my sister I'm gonna bring her out for a visit and see if Hailey will take us back there. I can't imagine what other spots are out there if that's the first one I've seen and it's that incredible." I laughed.
"We've got some good ones. Good thing you've got lots of time to explore." He smiled as he pulled up to his house and parked.
I helped him carry in the stuff he'd picked up and took it into the house, Kelsey was just putting Cash to bed and he was running around in Batman pajamas.
"Harry!" He said excitedly as he ran over to me.
"Hey, buddy. I like your pajamas." I smiled. "I should see if I can get myself a pair."
"We could match!" He giggled.
"Hey, Harry." Kelsey laughed as she came over to us and I smiled. "Okay monkey man, it's time for bed." She said as she picked up Cash and he shot her a look.
"But Harry's here, Mama." He whined.
"I know, but I'm sure Harry will be around lots and you can see him another time. Maybe on Wednesday when you go to Auntie Hailey's." She said softly as she brushed his hair back soothingly.
"I'll see you soon, buddy. Promise." I smiled as I held my hand up for a high five and he smacked his little hand with mine.
"Okay, say goodnight to Harry." Kelsey said as she leaned forward and he gave me a little hug and a kiss on the cheek before she carried him over to Ryan.
"Night, buddy. I love you." Ryan smiled as he kissed Cash on the forehead before Kelsey turned and took him upstairs.
I smiled to myself, seeing the dynamics of their little family was heart warming. I'd mostly grown up with my Mum and sister and I couldn't wait for the days that I could be a dad. I had no idea when that would be, but I was excited for it all the same.
Ryan's friends showed up a few minutes later, and he introduced them as Kevin, Jeff and Blake. They were all really friendly and I soon learned they'd all grown up together as they bantered back and forth while Ryan dealt out the cards. I'd played poker quite a few times on tour for something do to, so I was already familiar with the game and it was nice to just sit around and play for a while.
"So Harry, Ry said you're just staying in town for the summer?" Kevin asked as he took a sip of his beer.
"Yeah, just taking a little vacation." I smiled.
"Well if you're looking for quiet you came to the right place." Jeff laughed. "Nothing ever happens around here."
"That was kind of the idea." I chuckled. "Too much happens in my life, I needed a break."
They nodded and smiled as we checked our cards and placed our bets. I took a sip of the beer Ryan had given me and took a look at the label to see what kind it was, being that I'd never had it.
"Let me guess, you've never had Canadian beer before either." Ryan laughed. "This kid needs an education on all things Canadian. The other day he had his first iced capp and watched his first playoff game." He smiled as he looked over at his friends.
"I have had Canadian beer before, just not this kind. I had some last time I was here for work, but I think it was called Canadian." I defended.
"Ahhh yes, Molson Canadian. It's not the best we've got. Kokanee is pretty good, you should try the Granville Island Winter Ale, it's the best but they only make it in the winter." Kevin explained.
"American beer is a lower percentage too, plus it tastes like monkey piss." Jeff chuckled.
"Noted." I smiled.
"I think I've got some Winter Ale at home, I'll bring you one. I stock up in the winter, the best is when you are in Vancouver and get it right from Granville Island on tap. That's where it's at." Jeff explained.
Ryan handed me the deck of cards, letting me know it was my time to deal, as I shuffled them and started to hand them out. Kevin asked Ryan about how things were with Kelsey and the baby, which sparked a conversation about catching up with each of their families.
"Hey Ry, how's your sister?" Blake asked and all three of them scoffed at him.
"Here we go..." Jeff chuckled.
"How bout you don't ask me about my sister, bro." Ryan laughed. "She's just fine. Actually, Harry and Hails went up to Cedar Peak today." Ryan smiled as he looked over at Jeff and took a sip of his beer.
"You know Hailey?" Blake asked, a tone in his voice I couldn't quite decipher.
"Uh, yeah. We're neighbors." I said as I looked over at him, trying to read his face.
"Just ignore him, Blake's been obsessed with Hails since we were kids." Kevin laughed as Blake scoffed at him.
"Pipe down, I just asked how she was, I haven't seen her in a while." He shrugged.
"Well, the last time I saw her I can tell you little Hailey Robertson was all grown up. She's smokin' hot now." Jeff smirked as Ryan leaned over to slap him on the back of the head.
"Cool it." He said sternly as Jeff raised his hands in defense.
I smiled to myself at the little exchange, finding it amusing that not only was it obvious to probably every guy in town that she was extremely attractive, but that she was probably completely oblivious to it. She was so much in her own world that she probably had no idea what anyone else thought of her, nor did she care.
"So how did you like Cedar Peak?" Jeff asked me. "You guys go swimming?"
"Jesus Christ, I swear to god if the next thing out of your mouth is a reference to my sister either naked or in a bathing suit I will legit toss you out my front door. Harry just don't even answer that, don't encourage them." Ryan said, throwing his head back in frustration.
Jeff just laughed, it was obvious he was just looking for a rise out of Ryan and he'd been satisfied with the reaction he'd received.
"It was a good day, nice view up there." I smirked.
"Niiiicceee. Well played." Kevin laughed as Ryan looked over at me and just shook his head. "So are you two seeing each other?"
"We're just friends. Hailey's great." I said as I looked over at Ryan, knowing how much I'd hate it if we had been talking about my sister and doing my best to end the topic of conversation at hand.
"Alright, Ry's heads gonna explode." Jeff said as he dealt the next hand and changed the subject.
We played for another hour or so, bantering back and forth before Blake had taken everyone's money and we had to stop playing. Hailey had been brought up a few more times in an effort to drive Ryan crazy, until he looked like he might actually hit someone so they finally stopped. The boys left and I helped Ryan tidy up, putting away the empty bottles and folding the table back up, before we hopped back into his truck and headed back towards my place.
"Well thanks for coming bro, it was nice to have a new face around that isn't completely obsessed with pushing my buttons." He laughed.
"Well there is no bigger button than the sister button, trust me I get it. My sister's not allowed to date anyone." I chuckled.
"It's different when it's your friends, I know those idiots. I know the kind of shit they've done in their lives, none of that is going anywhere near my little sister." He laughed. "Don't get me wrong I don't like the idea of her dating anyone that could break her heart, but I'd like to see her at least have someone to lean on once in a while, you know?"
"Yeah, I get that. I can't imagine Hailey really ever leaning on anyone though, she's so independent."
"She is, but that doesn't mean she never gets sad or needs someone to talk to. The problem with strong people is that people tend to assume they're okay, so they don't ask. I do my best to keep an eye on her, but I know she doesn't come to me with things cause she doesn't wanna bother me. Besides, I'm her brother, it's not the same thing."
"I could see that, I guess I just assumed someone like her wouldn't really struggle much, which is stupid now that I think of it."
"She's complicated. Everyone is." He sighed as we pulled up to my place.
I thanked him for the ride and headed inside, tired from an eventful day and suddenly full of questions about the enigma that was Hailey. She seemed to know herself so well, but I wondered how many people truly knew her outside of herself. In a way I felt the same way about myself, I felt like I knew who I was but very few people truly knew me outside of myself. There were a lot of people who knew me well, but nobody that truly knew every part of me, every feeling or thought I had, and I wondered if that was normal.
I had come to Lily Ridge to be alone with myself and answer questions about who I was and who I wanted to be, but as I laid in my bed that night the only questions I wanted answers to were the ones regarding Hailey. It was almost as if finding the answers to my questions about her might lead me to find the answers about myself, and I had no idea why.