The prom, the graduation, the soccer field meet-ups. . . all over now. No furthermore details other than Micha being the prom queen, Louis getting his dream prom date -it's actually the model we've talked about ages ago- and then there's Madz dancing with her crush and lastly, Isabelli being the valedictorian.
With highschool life finally over from the drama, the rumors and people sticking their noses into your business, I finally get to wind down for a long while.
"So that one year vacation deal with your father, is that still on?" Harry asks, again, lying on my bed like it's his. He's actually right under the covers -which had just been fixed by Dana.
"Pretty much." I shrug. "What about you, your college?"
"It's either I invite you to Britain or I'll stay in your college, whichever fits your father's fancy," he replies.
I sit on the bed while he is still sleepily lying down. "But then, you'll be ahead of me, one year."
"The one-year vacation seems appealing," he says with a smile. "Anyways, Rich and Cass are going away and wants me to babysit Warren."
I raise an eyebrow, "They want you to babysit? Whatever happened to maids and such?"
"Well, they don't want him to lack the attention of relatives so that's where I come in."
"And you want me to come with you?" I ask.
"I'm not telling you for no reason."
I laugh. "Harry, I hate kids, there are no exceptions to that."
"I'm not asking you take care of him. I'm asking you to just come with me."
"Have you -"
"I asked your father, your mother, Robbie and Ivan. What else? Come on, at least one trip before we head to California," he says. "Kachow."
"You watched Cars?"
"The title itself is already appealing to me," he mutters. "Just come with me. We'll just take a tiny trip around town. With Warren. Don't worry, he's blond, but green eyes. I think they might actually mistake us for being the parents."
I scoff, "You know, that's not helping me want to go."
"I'll take you to bridge."
"Deal."
That was an easy discussion. And so, we both head their house where, immediately, he starts playing with Warren. . . his favorite nephew. But I have to debate, Warren is his only nephew.
When we enter Warren's bedroom, it's full of car figurines, sticker, black and white checkered flags from the walls, the curtains, down to the sheets of his bed -which is also, designed as a racecar.
"Ah, you're planning to have another racer in the family," I mutter.
"No, Rich doesn't want to but he can't say no to my gifts," Harry says with a laugh, carrying Warren on his lap.
"How old is he?"
"One year and a couple of months," He answers as the baby keeps mumbling gibberish. Oh yeah, it was his birthday months ago and I did not even think about it.
"How old is your brother?"
"Um twenty-seven, supposedly," he answers. "Why?"
"Nothing."
"Alright, feeding time. It's either you hold him or you make the bottle," Harry says all of a sudden.
I shake my head, "No, it's either you drop him to his crib and hold onto him as you make the bottle."
He pouts, "Gee, Tay, one way or another, you're going to have to deal with babies."
"That time is a long time from now," I say. "So, you just go ahead and be a caring uncle."
Harry settles Warren on his crib while he makes his way near the drawers. He starts making the baby bottle whereas I start texting with Isabelli because she's the only one available at the moment.
"You really hate kids?"
"That is a question that needn't be asked, Harold," I say and sort of ignore him later. He's used to my attitude anyways. "Do you want to go out?"
"Course. Let's take War out for a spin."
"Have you asked your brother?"
"I always take Warren out whenever I babysit him so the permission is always granted," Harry says with a smile and that's good enough for me. "We're going to have to use their car, though, that's the only car here with the children seat."
"Which is?"
"An Avanza," he replies with a slight snicker. "I'm not used to family cars but I can drive them."
It's slightly a bad idea though because if he's driving, and even with the child seat I might have to be the one to take care of the child later.
"How do you feel about going to New York?" Harry asks once we are driving around town for some reasons. . . actually we're just bored. "Have you ever been there?"
"Seven times," I answer.
"Well, you've never been there with me," he says. "This weekend?"
"Sure."
New York, USA.
Stockholm, Sweden.
Galway, Ireland.
Toronto, Canada.
Cairo, Egypt.
Nagasaki, Japan.
Beijing, China.
Berlin, Germany.
London, England.
Palawan, Philippines.
Venice, Italy.
Texas, USA.
And a lot more within three years of being together. I didn't really know we would make it this far. Still, we're together and it's really happening.
In every country, Harry gets himself a tattoo, from his left shoulders goes over to his back, which, he is entirely proud of.
A lot has changed within those three years. His parents let him study with me in a university just a few hours away from home when on the road, where, we have our place and basically live there. By God, the whole flat itself was full of pictures and writings on the walls whenever we head to a country. He had a world map painted on the wall in front of the bed wherein the pictures are placed in the spot where they are taken.
I've met his entire racing team too, and they said I'm a headache because when Harry and I fight, he doesn't agree to races. They don't force him anymore because the first time when he raced when we just had a fight, well, he did not lose but the term for his race that day was suicidal. Trust me, that part of our life was really horrid. So that's the way it goes, when we fight, he doesn't race but when we're okay, he usually wins.
When we have the time, we'd go from country to country wherein we made the most of our memories. I'm still wondering how we got this far even with our fair share of fights and arguments. . . plus, we didn't even seem stable from when we started but here we are, three years.
I don't know how to put it but college and life had been easy with him around and we do almost everything together which is sort of cliche even for me. But I guess it's just the way it goes.
"Where was this?" Harry asks, showing me a picture of us, snowboarding. Of course, during the course of the break, we've been to a few places with snow so he'd be a little confused.
I am sitting on the bed so I squint my eyes a little. "Aspen."
He looks a bit confused. "Aspen? Not Iceland?"
"Iceland is almost very green, remember?" I say with a laugh. "Anyways, can I ask you to drive me home, tomorrow?"
"Your mom's birthday, I know," he says. "Of course." He sticks the photograph on the wall as he goes through the rest. "Right, this one's marked Calgary, where the hell is that?"
"Canada," I reply as I text my mom. "It's a weird place though, remember when we're in that forest?"
He laughs, "That's some sort of like warzone. That was odd. Can you help me here?"
"Mhmm, one second," I answer. I told my mom I gotta go and walked towards Harry. "Gee, we really outdid it this time."
I look at the pile of pictures on the desk nearby and I could honestly say that the statement earlier was not an overstatement.
"How many times have we been to New York?" He asks.
"Three."
"Italy?"
"Including our field trip, four," I answer. Two of our trips back there are for his races anyways.
"We have overdone it," he says with a laugh. "Tomorrow, will the cats be there?"
I smile, remembering the tiny little details of my time with the cats. My God, I haven't even heard of that term in a very long time. Of course, we keep in contact but the conversations aren't the way they usually are when it comes to texting.
"I can assure you, they will come," I say, taking a few of the photographs. "Oslo, Norway." I hand it to him and he starts gluing them to where Norway was. . . which, he can reach far better than I can as he stands on his tiptoes.
I take out a marker and start writing dates when the photos were taken and where exactly, just right beside them.
"Where was this?" He asks, showing me a picture of the two of us on a beach. "This is not the Tenerife, is it?"
"That? No. Hilo, Hawaii," I answer. Besides, we've never even gone back to Tenerife.
"Familiar," he mumbles and I hope he doesn't remember that tragic event. That tragically, awfully, embarrassing event. As he sticks the picture where I pointed it, he looks over to me with furrowed eyebrows. "The sea urchin incident?"
"No!" I yell, partly laughing. My face is going red with embarrassment. "No! You shouldn't remember that! No!"
He laughs, "Why would I forget that day?!" His smile is so wide that it's almost too annoying.
I didn't want to get reminded of that day because of the humiliation I've been through. Truth be told, I almost didn't want him to save my life. . . because there's an alternative thing to do when you get stung by a sea urchin and you've got no vinegar around.
"I'll never forget that! No!" I yell again. . . I didn't want to remember that. I think I might've spaced out just a little earlier. I didn't like that experience, I almost drowned and I got stung. . . the worst.
Harry keeps laughing he almost got tears in his eyes. "I cannot believe that really happened."
I shudder, I hate the thought of urchins. "Stop, please, I've had enough. Stop."
He laughs again and then stops. "Alright, I'll stop."
Thank you. Thank you.
We are quiet for one moment as we made ourselves busy.
"But I did claim you as my territory that day," he teases.
"God! Shut up!" I scream very loudly and he just laughs. "Shut up! Shut up! You can't speak to anyone about that!"
"Will never," he answers. "But do you remember our second time in New York?" He wiggles his eyebrows.
I lick my lips, trying to ignore that flirty tone of his.
Of course, doing that only provokes him. He leans his head against my left temple. "You remember that, don't you?"
I roll my eyes, "I remember." I face him and smile even though his face is a little too close.
"What did I say?"
"Before or after?" I ask and laugh.
He smiles charmingly, "Well, you do look too beautiful." He kisses after and it was sort of long before we pull away.
"Okay, now we got to work on these photos because they're awfully hard."
He nods, "Course."
On with the arranging of photos and asking each other where we took those photos and such. After that, we lie on the couch with a movie on. . . but neither of us are really watching. I made myself comfortable seated on it after when he lays his head on my lap.
"That reminds me, don't you have a race in France?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "This month."
"Mhmm, taking a flight tomorrow. I'll stay around for a few moments, I promise. And I swear I'd call before my race." Since he'd been practicing for it yet he decided to come home first.
"Your life is busy, everyone gets it," I reply. "I'll have Cassie, Maddie, Isabelli and Michaella."
"Cassie will be there?"
"Inter-family thing," I mumble. "They probably think we're getting married or something."
"Won't we?" He asks, smiling.
"A little too early," I say. "Plus, you haven't proposed yet, now, have you?" I look down on him with a smile.
He sits up, smiling back. "Would you like me to propose now?"
"After college, hmm?"
He lies back down. "Alright, I'll wait that long. But you better have the best answer."
"I assume, it's yes."
"Choose that answer when the time comes."
"Okay, okay." I don't want to be pressured with that kind of question yet. I'm still a little too young for that whereas for Harry it seems as though it's just something like a no-brainer.
He knows he wanted what Rich and Cassie have but he also knows to himself that he can't give up his young life yet. He's not ready for it just as much as I am not. So it's best that we stay where we are at the moment.
The next morning, we wake up a little earlier because we're heading back home for mom's birthday. That's mostly our lives, road and air, sometimes through water.
But I don't regret choosing him, not when he's showed me adventures I've only dreamed of.
I don't admit it to him often but I really love him way beyond I try to comprehend how much. He's just the best person in the world.
He glances at me every once in a while because I've been staring. . . I know that.
But since he usually doesn't talk first, I say, "What?"
One would think he would've gotten over that simple thing about talking to someone first but I think that's just really in him now. Not even I can change that.
"Why do you keep staring?" He asks, as I've spaced for a few moments. He's used to me spacing out because that happens every time I reminisce about simple things. . . perks of how the way my mind goes.
"I didn't like you when we met," I say, remembering the little thing. "Which reminds me that if you're so interested in cars, why didn't you fix it? You probably know how to."
He smiles, "Funny story because my dad was too busy in business rather than knowing about my life he didn't even know that I'm a car racer. . . that time."
"And so you pretended like you didn't know anything. What an awful son you are," I comment and he laughs at it.
"Do you think you would've been interested in me if that day didn't happen?"
"I was not interested in you," I defend. "But speaking of the place. . ."
I look out the window and see the same old metal bridge where we first met. Not much has changed, only it was painted a little darker gray.
"Why, do you want to stop by for a moment?" He asks, and I think I might have spaced out.
I shake my head, "No. We can come back here, later."
"As you wish."
Later on, Harry stops by to our old school, Dominicque International High. I have half a mind to ask him why but instead, I remain quiet and just follow him around.
He smiles at me once we get to the same old field.
Three damn years and almost nothing had changed.
"How come?" I ask.
"Isabelli," he answers. "This was the one part she never let her father remove."
"And how come you knew that and I don't?"
"Well, I originally planned to propose here to you but then, you said, until college," he answers with another smile. "I'll let you space out for a moment."
I look around the place, amusement coming over to me as I remember even the slightest little details from the worst times to the best.
Four heartbeats later, I wrap my arms around him, not knowing why I do those things out of nowhere. My heartbeat is too loud with the rush of memories and emotions coming over me. I can't even believe he can still do this to me.
It makes me think of how my life would have been if I haven't met him. It would've been different. It would've been less quiet, but exciting as well. But that wasn't what entirely caught me. It wasn't the thrill that came along with him, not the countless adventures, not the uncertain things. . . it was actually just him making the best things come to existence.
He chuckles. "Taylor, you've seen the most beautiful places on earth and you're still excited about some abandoned old soccer field."
All of them. . . with him.
I close my eyes and hug him tighter, causing him to grunt just a little.
"I haven't even proposed to you yet."
It doesn't matter.
"Thanks," I say and slowly let go.
He raises an eyebrow, "For what? Taking you here?"
"For taking me everywhere, actually," I answer with a sigh, feeling my eyes water. When I close my eyes, a few tears came out.
"Hey, are your crying?"
I groan, wiping the part under my eyes. "No, something just came under my eyes, what do you think?"
He laughs and puts one hand on my cheek. He leans and kisses me until we hear a whistle.
"Get a bloody room, you two!" Louis yells from the bleachers. I don't even know why he's there.
"Damn it," Harry mutters under his breath. And then he looks over to the bleachers. "What the hell, mate?!" He yells jokingly. We both make our way to Louis.
We both give him an embrace.
"What are you doing here?" I ask Louis whose hair had gone a little bit longer and a lot mor messier.
"Assistant coach," he replies. "I saw the car come in and it isn't an everyday thing so I assumed you both would be here. Going strong eh?"
"Stronger," Harry answers with a smile.
"So are you going to come by to mom's later? Cats will be there," I say.
"I actually need a ride there."
"So hop in with us," I suggest. "That alright with you, Harry?"
He shrugs, "He can take a taxi."
I elbow him with a glare, then he laughs. "Of course."
"Settled then." Louis smiles.
On the road again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's ♪:
Fair warning, next parts might get cliché but I'm just following my original plotline at the next chaps. Hope you cats will understand because if none of these things happen, the title won't make sense.
Please don't kill meee. Hahaha.
Stay awesome!!!! 😂😍😌😭
~DP22