(Jordyn's POV)
After I've followed Angie to her room and shut the door behind me, I make my way to sit on her bed.
"You better get comfortable. It's a long story." I explain firstly.
She takes my suggestion and plops on her bed.
I tell her the short version on the story, trying to save time. Pausing every once in a while to answer a few of her many questions.
And slowly, I get to the part about Harry meeting my family, dredging the part of the story that will break her heart. But before I do, she interrupts.
"How is the long distance thing gonna work?" She wonders.
I look down at my lap that holds my fidgeting fingers, not being able to see her face when I finally break the news. "Um... we're not really doing the long distance thing."
"So... you're going to break up?" Her eyebrows pull tightly together in confusion.
"No... we came here because- Well of course I wanted them to meet Harry," I add in a rush. "but that wasn't my reason for coming back." I say, clearing my closing throat. "I'm..."
Come on, just say it. You have to. Rip the damn bandaid off.
Now!
"I'm moving to California." I admit, forcing my eyes to meet hers.
She sinks in herself with sadness and my heart shatters at the sight.
"I am so sorry this happening so out of the blue. I didn't plan any of this. It just... happened." I defend as my words run quickly off my lips. "I... I can't stay here. Come on, you know me. You know I'm not made to be a stay at home mom, in a small town. I meant to do more. To be more. It's in my blood. This is what I'm supposed to do." I say sure.
"I tried to explain that to the family but-
"What did they do?" She question in fear.
"They told me not to come back." I explain as tears fill my eyes for the hundredth time today.
"You don't have to leave. You can stay here-
"Angie. I can't." I hold her hand, trying to help my words sink in. "You know? It's not just about, Harry, right? I mean, I love him so much. Believe me. He's everything I've ever wanted. He's loving and humble and passionate, and compassionate. He's a truly amazing man. But, I'm not leaving just to be with him. I'm leaving so I can finally be myself for once."
A smile lights up my face as I think of the memories that I got to make these past few months. "When I was on tour... I was free. I was happy. I am happy. With him. All I've ever wanted was an opportunity like this. I've always wanted more. And I don't mean money or fame, but love and acceptance. Harry gives me that. And even if he hadn't, I still would've left eventually. I never wanted to stay in Pickens. This is just a little faster than I planned on leaving. Please, can you try to understand that?" I question, not having an idea what her answer will be.
She loves me. She has to understand this. She will. Right?
"You're happy?" She asks to be positive, trying to rub the wrinkle in between her eyebrows away.
"Happier than I ever thought I could be." I inform with wholehearted honesty.
She sighs a long sigh. "You being so far away," She cringes. "I don't like it."
"I know." I give my head a little nod.
"But... I love you. And I don't want you to be miserable. Which you would be if you stayed here?"
"Yes. I would."
"You would be." She realizes.
"But, you know I'll always have a reason to visit." I nudge her arm I attempt to lighten this heavy mood weighing us down.
She breaks the solid mold of her straight lips into a smile. "I'm still not agreeing with all of this."
"I'm not asking you to." I explain, understanding her side.
"You better call me everyday. Every single day, do I make myself clear?" She goes into her serious-mom-voice.
"I will." I giggle, wrapping my arms around her in the tightest hug. "I'll find a way to get you a plane ticket to come visit us, too." I promise.
"Can he offered first class?" She half jokes.
"I'll see what I can do." I laugh as we let go of each other after a long bitter sweet moment.
"I love you so much, you know that, right-
"I know." She wipes some tears off her cheeks. "I love you more." She demands.
"Impossible." I shake my head in disagreement.
"Shoot! I forgot I had mascara on." She runs to the first mirror she spots and cleans the black tear trails off her face.
Thank god I wore water proof today.
I take a glance at myself and my bloodshot eyes.
You would think I would of ran out of tears by now, but I must have a unlimited supply.
Yay me.
"You ready to get to know my boyfriend?" I ask.
"Boy? Honey, that's a man right there!" She corrects with attitude.
We step back out into the living room in laughter.
"What's so funny?" Harry questions, looking up from his phone, turning it off and stashing it away in his pocket. Giving us his undivided attention.
"Nothing." I take a seat beside him as he wraps an arm around me, pulling me into him so he can whisper something in my ear.
"Does she hate me as well or..."
"Your good, she thinks your hot." I whisper back, patting his chest in assurance.
"You don't say?" Harry mutters in confidence as a familiar smirk makes an appearance on his lips.
"I listened to one of your songs the other day." Angie tells Harry.
"Really? Which one?" He beams with curiously.
"Sweet something..." she tried to recall.
"Creature?" I suggest.
"Yeah! I liked that one. The other ones I listened to, not so much."
"Ang!" I shout.
It didn't seem to offend Harry. He just starts chuckling. Taking the criticism well.
"What?" She acts clueless.
"You can always count on her to be honest." I explain shielding my face with a hand in embarrassment.
"It's fine. Every one of my songs aren't for everyone, but as long as they like at least one, I'm happy. Even just taking the time to listen to any of them, I appreciate." Harry comments politely.
"Told you he's the best." I say as I prop my elbow on the couch, my head resting on my hand.
"And he's pretty, too." Angie adds.
Harry lets out that laugh that starts with a 'p' and brushes his bent index finger just under his nose. A sure sign he's a bit uncomfortable.
Then he changes the subject. "So, where are these kids of yours I hear about?"
"They're with my mama cleaning the church, just down the road." She points out her window. "You outa go see her or she'll whip your hide, Jordyn." She warns.
"We'll stop by. I don't want to piss Pat off." I turn to face Harry. "You really don't want to get on her bad side. And I want to say goodbye to the boys, too."
They're pretty much my my little brothers. They're little devils, but I love them like family.
"All she has is a bad side." Angie protests.
I turn my focus back to her. "She just gives tough love. Really tough."
She pretty much yells everything she says, but it comes from a good place.
"That doesn't sound promising. Maybe I should stay in the car when we take a visit." Harry wonders in fear.
"You'll be fine, just give her that look of yours and she'll be charmed like the rest of us." I say, confident that even Pat can be broken by Harry's ridiculous, raw, sexual magnetism.
"You mean this look?" And in a split second, Harry's staring deep into my eyes, stealing my heart and soul with one effortlessly glance. Then I start to get all tingly in some dangerous places and I have to beg him to cut it out.
"Seriously, stop." I plead with all seriousness and it finally clicks to him just how much of an effect he really has on me.
He breaks his eyes from me and continues to make conversation.
We talk for about another hour. Angie and I catch Harry up on all our inside jokes that he obviously didn't get the first time around.
I glance at the time and realize we should get going.
"It was so nice to meet you." Harry says genuinely, giving Angie a welcoming hug.
"You too." She smiles as he releases her. As soon as he does, im swept one last hug. This hug is so tight my lungs feel as if they're about to implode. "Don't forgetting to ask about first class." She reminds in my ear in a not so subtle whisper.
Rolling me eyes at her bluntness, I find myself chuckling at Harry reaction of confusion that was the brought on by her comment. We get in my car and wave Angie goodbye as we pull out of her dirt driveway.
"First class?" Harry questions.
I explain my little promise, giggling.
"I'll see what I can do." He winks.
A couple short minutes later, we pull into Mt. Sinai Baptist Church.
It's a medium sized building, built of red bricks and large windows.
"This used to be like my second home." I sigh at the bitter sweet memories. "Once I realized how much they taught was so... hate filled, I lost the desire to be apart of it all together."
As we step out of my car and onto the empty parking lot, every emotion runs through me.
Happiness, sadness, hate, confusion.
It felt almost painful to be back here again after all this time.
I try to distract myself with a happy memory I had here. "I want to show you around." I lead him to my favorite place. The concrete steps, hidden in the brick walls of the church. When I take a seat, he follows.
"This is my favorite spot. When we would have sleepovers or dinners in the fellowship building down there and I wanted to get away from everything, I would come here. It has great acoustics, so I would always just sit here and sing to escape. It's like my safe haven."
Harry smiles warmly up at me.
"Come on, I want to show you everything."
After finding the unlocked door, I lead the way into the old sanctuary.
The walls are white and the carpet is a faded brown color. "My parents got married right here." I point as Harry's eyes go a bit wide.
"Yup. They got divorced later on but, ya know?"
We chuckle. "Sometimes when we had sleepovers, we would come in here with all the teens and play hide and go seek with every light off. It was scary as hell, but it was fun."
"Did you have a secret hiding spot?" He grins with curiosity.
"That would be a secret, Harry." I tease.
"Come on? I won't tell." He gives me those puppy dog eyes, and a devilishly smirk to follow and it makes me melt like butter.
"Fine." I take his hand and lead him down a hallway that holds all our Sunday school rooms. I open a door and gesture him inside.
This room is filled with decorations for every season. There's everything in here from a hundred different fake Floral arrangements to Christmas ornaments.
"One night we were here for this Sunday school party and we started a game of hide and seek with everyone. So, I came in here and in that corner over there was this huge garbage bag filled with ornaments. So I curled up in a little ball and pull it over me." I act out the scene poorly, placing an imaginary bag over myself.
"Did it work?" He chuckles.
"Yes! I was like that for thirty freakin minutes!" I complain, reliving the most uncomfortable position I was ever put in.
Well, I did put myself there... but still.
"I was miserable, but I won! So it doesn't matter!" I explain with joyful contentment.
We make our way to the sanctuary of the church we currently use for services.
"Can I ask you something?" Harry questions softly.
"Anything." I run my fingers through his, locking us together.
"Do you still believe in all this?"
"It's hard to explain." I answer honestly,
"Everything used to be so clear. I never asked any questions. Never doubted what I believed in. But then... one day a switch kind of flipped. I started questioning everything. It was like, in the blink of an eye... everything that used to be black and white was now painted grey. Everything that was once so clear, soon became all a blur. I started to ask myself what I believe in. And once I figured out what that was... I was a complete different person. One no understood. Not here, anyways." I shrug.
"So... what did you do after that. Did you stoped coming to church?"
"Ha," I huff a sarcastic laugh. "That wasn't an option for me. Even though I was-am an adult, I was still forced to go. 'You live under my roof, you're going to church!'" I mimic my dad.
"I never wanted to be to act like I was someone I wasn't, and I did everything in my power not to do that." I explain, suddenly defensive.
"You were forced to. I know it wasn't by choice." He assures, rubbing my back.
"Harry?"
"Yes?"
"What do you believe in?"
"Hm," he hums. "Well... I think it's foolish to think there isn't some higher power of some sort." He begins. "And, there have been times when things have happened, far from being just a coincidence. It's like there was no other possible explanation to it other than... something bigger than us. You know?"
"Yeah. It's like... you can feel it."
"Exactly. It's this insane energy, sending goosebumps all over your body."
"I remember one time, I was right here." I lead him to a pew in the far end of the church, about five rows back. "We were in the middle of having service and it was getting on. People were shouting and crying-in a good way." I comment with a nervous giggle.
"Anyway, I was sitting on the end, right here. And suddenly there was like the gust of wind." I shoot my hands forward trying to reenact it. "It was like someone ran right past me. It was so real I turned around and looked to see if someone was there, but no one was. Everyone was still sitting down."
"Wow." Harry sighs in surprise, lifting his eyebrows.
(True story)
Harry goes to say something else but then we're interrupted
"Jordyn?" A voice calls out in the distance.
I'd recognize that voice anywhere.
"Brace yourself." I warn in Harry's ear when I sight Pat.
"What are you doing here and where have you been young lady?!" She question in anger.
Here we go...
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