Maybe This Is Love, |✔️

Chapter 29

He stands before her, hands sweaty from carrying his suitcase up 3 flights of stairs. His mother was confused as to why he didn't just take the elevator. But, Parker knew exactly why he didn't do so, it was so he could spend a few more aching minutes alone with his girlfriend, Harley-Blair.

"Do you really have to go?" She whines beside him. She had her hair tied up in a tight bun that gave her rounded visage a facelift. She was helping him carry his rucksack which felt as if she was carrying a boulder on her back. "I get it you got 3 A*'s and all but why can't you just go to a uni nearby? How am I meant to kiss you if you're all the way in Italy?"

Parker chuckles under his breath. If it wasn't for the fact that it's an opportunity of a lifetime, he would've stayed another year in Beaumont with Harley. But he knew things wouldn't be that easy. He has to take the scholarship at Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze.

"You shouldn't have been such a good study partner." He teased, taking in the sight of her big brown eyes for what felt like the last time. "I'll come back for you, I promise."

She sighs sadly and follows after him. They reach the top of the steps and look out into the face of the busy airport where people were hurriedly racing towards the terminals. He checks his flight number on the sign and sees that his plane is boarding soon. He turns to Harley and holds her soft hands in his. He should've planned what he was going to say before but he'd been avoiding even thinking about leaving.

"I want you to go out there and love someone as I love you and when our paths cross again it'll be magical, like I never even left." he touches the crook of her neck gently and she sighs, squeezing his paint-stained hands.

She doesn't let go, in fact, she holds onto them even tighter. He could see the worry in her eyes, like their time had finally come to an end. This was it. They both knew it had to happen ever since he told her about his scholarship that night they drove back from his father's house. He saw the worry then and he can see it again now. He didn't want to leave her but he knew he had to, for her sake and for his.

He had to leave and explore his identity. He had to experience being independent and living in a new country, he had to find himself. She understood that and one day she'll be able to find herself too. And when that day comes they'll make their way back to each other. They always did.

He couldn't wait for that day.

"You'll come back to me too, won't you Harley? Promise?" He kisses the back of her hand, slow and sweet.

She nods at him, a single tear leaving her right eye. Parker wipes it away with his thumb. "Don't cry. Now you're making me cry!" He laughs, tears rolling down his cheeks too.

She laughs as well, looking into those grey eyes she fell for the first time she saw them. They were so different back then. So lost. So broken. "I love you, spidey and I don't think I can love anyone like I love you. I look into those stormy eyes and I see peace, I see home. You're my home, Parker and without you, I'm lost. It's taking all of my might not to force myself onto that plane with you."

Her eyes were red, cheeks blotchy and her hands were beginning to shake uncontrollably. Her heart felt like it was physically shattering into a million pieces. The pain felt so real. A sudden burst of anger washed over her. "So, don't you dare tell me to love someone else! Don't you dare."

She points at him angrily but he just smiles sadly at her, tilting her finger down.

"In a perfect world, Harley, we'd be together. We'd wake up every morning and never get tired of seeing each others face, we'd never make any mistakes that we couldn't forgive, we'd laugh at each other's jokes, cook each other breakfast and dinner and have a normal, happy family. But this isn't a perfect world Harley, I'm not a perfect guy. I can't be what you need. Not at this moment, not now."

How could he say this to her? Didn't he understand? "You are what I need!" Bogey probably covered her face and she knew she looked like a mess but she didn't care. She just needed Parker to listen to her. "Don't- please don't say that."

He grabs her face and wipes her tears away again with his thumb. No matter how many times he did it, the water wouldn't stop running. "Look at me." She shakes her head away but he clutches it firmer and forces her to stare into his eyes. "We're only teenagers. We have all the time in the world."

She promised herself she wouldn't cry. She saw the hurt in his eyes as he watched her. All Harley wanted was for someone to know who she was. To be happy. To be seen.
Parker helped her, he gave her the little push she needed that's set her on the path she is today. Parker knew who she was.

Even if the world didn't understand, she knew there will always be one person who did. Parker.
But now he's leaving and her heart is breaking. But, maybe this is love, right?

He wipes her tears with the swipe of a finger. "Go out there, Harley, and be you."
His eyes began to water, no matter how hard he tried to stop it. He was a big softie when it came to her.

He stared at her tear-streaked cheeks, at the beauty mark beside her pudgy little nose, the way her top lip quivered whenever she cried. He couldn't stop looking at her.

"But, I'm not Harley without Parker, " she whispered. She was painfully aware of how pathetic she sounded. She sounded like one of those girls who lose all their identity when they entered a relationship. But this was different. It was the opposite for her. She knew who she was and she would never forget it but she knew who Parker was too.

He wasn't Parker without Harley-Blair either.

She wiped the rest of her tears with the back of her hand. She thanked God that she wasn't wearing any mascara because she would have looked crazy. "I'm fine, you should get going, you'll miss your flight."

She'll be fine. The waterworks have stopped and she's keeping her emotions under control.

He checks his watch quickly and realises she was right. He didn't know where the time went. He quickly calls his mamma over who had been patiently waiting for the two lovebirds to complete their goodbyes. She was still upset with Parker due to the whole sneaking out to his father's house on Christmas without telling her first. Her skin looked tired and her eyes were red as if she'd been crying.

"Amoré mio," she sniffles, using a tissue to blow her nose again. "We're going to miss you."

"I'll miss you both, more than you can imagine." He pulls them both into a hug, not wanting to let go.

"You said you weren't going to leave." She whispered into his navy hoodie. "You promised!"

He winced. Hearing those words was equivalent to a spear to the heart for him. He didn't want to let her down. "I'm sorry, Pencils." He kisses the top of her head and gathers his stuff to leave.

The airline calls out his plane number and announces that they're boarding.

"Promise, " was what she wanted to say, "Promise me you won't love those Italian girls like you loved me "

But, of course, she couldn't make him promise that. She had to let him go, let him be free. He'll come back, she was sure of it.
So, instead, she said to his turned back as his mother held her close. "Don't break any more hearts, Parker. Be a good boy."

He smiles to himself and stops walking. He drops his things and quickly runs back taking her face in his hands. He gives her one last long kiss and traces her cheek. "Il mio cuore ti appartiene. My heart belongs to you, Harley-Blair."

They give each other one last hug before he finally leaves.

It was as if the entire airport could hear both their hearts breaking.

Maybe, that was love.
Maybe so.

AN- thank you so much for reading my book! I'm currently in the process of editing, correcting and perfecting. I've started this book 5 years ago and left it for a couple of years, I only picked it back up during quarantine and I was determined to finish it. Now it's done I can hardly believe it.

I'm doing a QnA so please leave any questions you have about the characters or the story here! <3 I'll be answering them soon💕 thank you for the support, it means the world.