harry

"Harry, something is wrong." Gemma's voice is clear but soon enough the line goes static, a few sounds emit but nothing breaks through. I groan in annoyance, standing to my feet and walking towards the cabins porch to perhaps gather some better reception there.

"Gem?" I call. "Are you there?"

"Harry-" her words are strained, static overtaking the rest of her words. "-me back later, okay?"

"Gemma?" I call much louder this time. Static rumbles.

"Call me back later okay?" I hear her voice through the speaker once last time, barely audible as I try to make out her words.

I wait a few more moments before silence overtakes the static sound.

The call soon ends and the line dies out, my stomach drops as I pull the phone from my ear and stare at the blank screen. I slide my finger up and search for her number again, dialling a few more times to try and figure out what was going on.

No answer.

"Shit." I curse loudly, causing a few heads to turn my way. "Shit, shit, shit."

"What's wrong?" Richards voice holds certain concern, I find his eyes and sigh in annoyance.

"I'm not sure, the line died before she could tell me what was going on." I reply, strain in the tone of my voice as I fiddle with the phone in my hands. "Surely it's nothing, right?"

"Right," everyone shrugs. "But text her just in case." Lola's voice is sweet as she eyeballs me from the fire pit, I can't help but smile at her illuminated skin against the flames.

I nod my head before quickly typing a text to my sister, making sure to indicate I'll be home early tomorrow to check up on the situation if she doesn't reply. I quickly turn my phones volume up as far as it can go, placing the device back into my pocket before heading back to the fire with my friends.

The atmosphere calmed and Lola's vanilla scent eradicates the anxiety bubbling up my spine, she settles on my lap as I lean back.

She turns to me with a glimmer and smiles with the moon and the stars. "Everything will be okay, I promise." She states smoothly, her lips curving a smile and fondness.

I nod. "I know you do."

The night continues without interruption, laughter and long talks occupy our small group as we share around a bottle of whiskey Richard stole from his father.

I take my last swig of the liquid by one in the morning, letting it burn my throat before I stand to my feet and announce my departure.

The group holler, annoyance in my sudden tired state. "You've turned into a pussy, styles." Ethan comments with a laugh.

I flip him off before waving goodbye to the group and heading straight for the warm cabin, finding peace in the four walls heated by the fire in the living room. My blurred eyes find the corner of the room and the canvas I hadn't touched in over six years, the painting my grandmother did almost twenty eight years ago hung above the structure and I peered at it with hooded eyes.

It was something else this painting–the earthy tones were of a unfamiliar woman with long brown hair and bright blue eyes. She was surrounded by a cluster of flowers embedded in a mysterious garden, the figures shadowy silhouette dancing in the background with a lustful eagerness behind her beautiful features. I step forward and analyse the painting some more, eager to find any similarities to a person my grandmother may have known before she died.

Nothing. The woman in the painting was said to be an old friend of hers, but something in this painting told of more than friendship. The tones were intimate, picked perfectly to match the coffee tone of the woman's skin and the blue in her eyes, the garden an example of her soul and spirit.

"Harry?" Lola's quiet voice is timid as she startles my analysation. "What're you doing?"

I smile, obviously intoxicated as my eyes struggle to peer through the world at my blue eyed girl. "Just looking."

"Are you coming to bed?" She asks softly.

"Of course," I nod. "Is everything alright?"

Lola smiles. "Yeah, it's just spooky in there on my own."

Her figure was cradled in her pale arms as she leaned against the door frame, her hair long and messy as it sat in the same braid from this morning. Her eyes were a little smudged and her lips were obviously sore from the bite marks imbedded against the rose colour. I walk towards her with a slight stumble, wrapping an arm around her as she guides us both in the bedroom before closing the door and leaving us in complete darkness.

***

Warmth spread against my skin, the sun beamed against the shadows of surrounding clouds and seeped into my skin. I laid on the dock in peace, the sounds of birds singing against the blue skies and water kissing the shores around the river lulled me.

My eyes were heavy, closed. My body was so relaxed, exposed against the temperature of a rich spring day with summer kissing the edges of the sky.

I was almost in a sleep state when a squeal emits from the shores, my body props up as I see Ethan pushing Sierra into the blue water around us. A splash sounds across the grounds and Ethan jumps in after her, eager to continue the game they had started.

"They're so in love aren't they?" Lola comments from my feet. I peer at the golden girl with roses against her cheeks, the book she read tightly grasped between her hands and her blue eyes shining against the beaming rays of sunshine.

"Yeah," I smile. "They are."

I nod to the couple once more, noticing how happy they were in that moment.

As I lay down all troubles seem to melt away with the weather around us, Lola continued to read her novel and even read a few of her favourite lines out loud to me. It seemed life couldn't get any better in that moment, sunshine kisses and satin touches against my warm skin. I could of slept there for the rest of my life and been content with never moving, always having the sun beaming against my skin and her vanilla scent and sweet voice surrounding my soul.

In an attempt to relax a little more, my body seems to drift into a subconscious state and the warmth around me lulls me to a blue dream filled with satin hearts and tender souls.

But as time goes on, goosebumps rise on my skin in a haze as the clouds begin to take over the warm sun, the weather slowly fading with the world around us and I'm left soaked in water as I awaken to an alarm sound ricocheting inside my skull.

My eyes open wide, spitting the water from my mouth. "What the-" my heavy heart and breath soon die down as I see Lola's worried expression across the shore, no one around but her. "Lola?"

"Harry we need to leave, something has happened to Sean."

***

Kinda short chapter but the next one is going to be super detailed and have a lot of drama, so I'll try and get that up ASAP. Stay tuned.

And thank you all so much for all the reads and votes, it honestly means the world to me.

-A