Wish I Knew You Sooner

chapter thirty five

Oakland's POV

"But julia!

Fix me a blue sky in the world sun,"

Harry and I sang every word to Julia by Mt. Joy on the way home. He took the long way this time, because I told him that I wasn't ready quite yet.

And I could tell he wasn't either.

The seconds creeping up on the inevitable time is itching my skin, but somewhere along the way, and with Harry's help, I've come to the conclusion that there isn't really anything I can do. I need to be with my family, and I need to go home.

It isn't a 'have to' but a 'need to'.

Harry hasn't let go of my hand once this whole car ride, except when his crazed curls would fall in front of his eyes from the winds whipping around us from the rolled down windows.

The scenic route displayed the most beautiful sunset that I've seen this whole trip; a great closing night.

His voice was the only thing I could hear over the blasting music and the crashing wind. I could barely hear myself think, but I was okay, even glad, that I couldn't. I wasn't quite ready to let my mood drop.

After the long roads, Harry eventually led the car to park at the end of the driveway. I felt his hand subconsciously tighten its grip on mine as the car came to a rolling stop. I turned to face him, unable to form any words beside the four that I spit from my lips in a fit of need.

"Don't leave just yet."

He shook his head. "I wasn't planning on it."

He threw the car in park, unhooking the key from the ignition, and climbed out of his jeep, which was just another time for him, but the last time for me.

He reached into the backseat, grabbing the 'artwork' we created earlier, and met me on the other side of the car.

His hand that was gripping my painting was stretched out towards me, but I waved him off and shook my head.

"I want you to keep it."

His pearly whites drew into the most beautiful smile, and his eyes lit up. "My Darling, I wanted you to have mine."

"Well," I sang. "We can trade." I bit my lower lip.

He nodded once, placing both canvases into one hand, and pressing his other palm to my lower back to lead me up the driveway.

Everything felt as if it was moving in slow motion, and each step we took up to the house was one of the last together.

Once we made it to the bottom of the steps which led up to the front door, he held his arm out as a gesture for me to walk ahead. No matter what, it seemed as if he never lost his gentlemanly ways.

I nodded once to him, and we made our way up the few stairs which felt like climbing Mount Everest, when in fact, it was really just 10 steps.

I let out a deep rooted sigh, and twisted the doorknob. The door peeled back, and we were instantly flooded with hollers coming from each corner of the house.

"Don't forget! We need to be AT the airport in an hour. Not leaving in an hour, but there!" I heard my father's voice first, coming from another room.

Harry and I stepped in, and I felt obligated to yell back to my dad.

"Dad it's 6 o'clock right now! Why do we need to be there two hours early?"

The second my voice broke the volume threshold, my mother emerged from where my father was just yelling from. She had her suitcase rolled out behind her, and her purse on her shoulder. She always has a way of looking classy, even if we are just boarding a plane.