Abscond [h.s]

Chapter 71

6 months later

Harry and I had relocated for the third time a week after that night. We had decided to move to Florida spontaneously, where we would officially start our lives together.

Leaving California was really hard. Not only had I grown up there, but I had never left the state other than that time I went to the Kings of Leon concert with Harry. I had no reason to leave.

I visited my mom with Harry the day we left which was tough on me. I got very emotional and Harry did too a bit. I promised to her that I would visit as often as I could and every year on her birthday like always.

We had began packing our things the next day after the incident had happened, things were quiet and heavy between the two of us, like I had said before there was also a huge weight lifted off of our shoulders now, but it left another heavy feeling in it's place.

The drive down to Florida felt liberating, almost like the moment we left the state of California, we had already started our new life. Like we were two different people, meeting for the first time. Except for the fact that we had bought a house and were moving in together. The windows were down and the wind was blowing through our hair, my hand grazing itself through the wind as we drove down the highway to our new lives.

I can safely say for the both of us that it felt weird to smile or feel happy during times like this; losing someone. Even though Harry and I were both terrified of James and wanted to get away from him more than anything, the fact that he was gone was hard to grasp.

Our new house in Florida was gorgeous and I couldn't believe Harry and I would be living here, together, for years to come. He had found a house that was far too big for my liking but Harry insisted that we buy it, telling me that he knew I loved it deep down. It was away from the city, away from the noise and distractions. We were in the country I guess you could say, but it wasn't a farm. Our closest neighbor was about a five minute drive from us and they even came down to say hi when we moved in. Everyone in this small community seemed so friendly and warm, such a refreshing change from a university campus.

It took us a while to get everything moved in, and then buying the new appliances and necessities that we absolutely needed. Our new home seemed huge compared to what we had previously been used to, well what I was used to.

The heavy feeling had vanished between the two of us after about a week of living in our new home, the gun from the night being locked away in the closet in the very back of the basement, away from us, out of sight, out of mind.

On a completely different note, Harry had opened up his very own art gallery in the short time we've been here. It's in the city, near downtown in a respectable, small, artsy building. I still remember the opening night, it was amazing for him. To see him so incredibly happy, doing what he loves made me happy. So many people had come to support him and I could tell he loved the attention, even though he said otherwise, the smile on his face when he talked about his artwork told me everything.

I was flattered to find out that his painting he had done of me almost a year ago was his most famous one; it was plastered everywhere from websites to magazines. And Harry let everyone know that it was me in that picture as well, every art showing he does, it's the last one he shows to the guests. He looks over at me while I sit in the corner sipping on my champagne on the barstool, as he tells them almost every detail about the painting and the day he drew it, how he knew he loved me but he was too afraid to say it. That's the thing about artists, they're so brutally honest in everything that they do, so passionate, and I loved it.

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My heart was beating so fast, my nerves were through the roof and my hands were shaking. I could feel the tears threating to spill over, but I tried to hold them back and tell myself that everything would be okay.