[Neither of them promised forever, yet it hurt all the same.]
River Hamilton cannot afford to fall for just anyone. To continue the legacy of her family the only way she can, she must eventually marry someone she may not want to spend the rest of he...
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R.HAMILTON
Years on end, River felt like she missed out on life. Where her friends were drunk and high, she was nose deep in a textbook. Where her friends were hooking up, she was attending additional classes to boost her knowledge and therefore the quality of her assessments. There was a time when she felt she missed out on memories her friends would cherish forever, so she started to dip her toes in their activities and she found she enjoyed them. Still, it didn't satisfy her the way it seemed to sooth a burning itch in everyone around. In the end, she decided she didn't miss out on anything life changing.
Certainly not until that wonderful day in September when she sat in the gazebo, ate her fill of baguette and butter and honey, and enjoyed the pleasure of having the air kissed from her lungs. Most definitely not until she laughed so much her cheeks hurt, and she feared she may never stop smiling, until her stomach hurt from the giggles, until she felt at peace, until time stopped and she lived like the day would never end.
It truly felt that way until the sun began to set. Still in the gazebo, Harry against one side of the bench and River on the other. Their legs were crossed by each other's as they drank and chatted away about nonsense.
"I, uh," he chuckled. River's attention was immediately on him, curious to learn why he became flustered so quick. Their eyes met for a second and she grinned at him with so much happiness bubbling in her chest that she wanted to reach out and touch his chest to see if he felt the same. "I have something to tell you."
"Alright," she nodded as she grabbed her glass and took a sip.
"I," he laughed again. River leaned forward and replaced her glass on the table. Harry remained silent so she gave his shin a squeeze as if to encourage him. "You know, you never wore that dress again."
"Which dress?" she asked, confused about what he meant. No particular occasion stood out to her but it certainly seemed important and memorable enough for him if he still recalled it. "I have many pretty dresses."
"Mhm," he agreed as he put his feet down and leaned closer. Something drove him to eliminate the gap between them and he kissed her. It lasted a few seconds before he pecked her lips repeatedly, and she grinned against his mouth, eyes closed as she basked in the glory of his presence. He felt so... right. "You definitely do have pretty dresses," he breathed the words between her lips.
How was this reality? Hours of this and River couldn't process it. She needed to know what changed. Answers had power but to hell with it, she decided.
"Before you tell me whatever it is you planned to say, I need to know what you want from me," she said straight away, no walking on eggshells around him. After he stepped into the vulnerability pool with her, River felt confident in herself.
She pulled back from him and twisted on the signet ring on her index finger.
Confusion honed in on his features in the form of furrowed brows and questioning eyes. "What do I want from you? Is this a trick question?"
