The Black Swan | Reposted

Chapter 41 - Under the Stars (Mature)

I woke up, and I was not home. I was cold.

I was in his car, but on the side of some deserted road. My back was in knots, my body sore from sleeping in the chair. I stretched, wincing as I let out a heavy yawn. I looked around, it was pitch black out. I took my phone out, seeing that it was three am. I was shivering, so freaking cold.

"Are you out of your mind?" I shouted. "Wake up!" I smacked him as he slept next to me. I did have to pause before I woke him, because seeing his lean body crammed up and bent in hopes of finding a comfortable position in the limited space we had was adorable. He jumped and was shivering too. "You pull off on the side of the road? It's freaking freezing! What if a murder would have been wandering by?"

"I'd drive away." He huffed and laid his head back on the car seat that had been reclined back. "Shut up and go to sleep." His puffy lips were so pouty.

"I'm driving back home, right now. Switch me spots."

"Do something dangerous and just sleep, sleep here, sleep under the stars," he pointed to the sun roof.

"It's cold. You are going to wake up so sore Harry if you can't stretch your legs right." He was still and suddenly got up, climbing through the back, his butt in my face. I pushed it away.

"Easy," he huffed and suddenly yanked the wall of the back seat of his car down. I knew some cars were made like that, so if someone ever got stuck in the trunk they could kick their way out, or for convenience. He slid down it, so his torso was elevated a bit and his legs were stretched in the trunk. He ducked down and appeared with a blanket. He laid on his back, eyes up on the sun roof. "Come on."

I sighed and made sure the doors were locked. I shivered and slid right next to him, lying on my side so my face was buried in the crook of his warm, warm torso.

"I've never been camping." I said softly. He chuckled.

"This isn't camping."

"I know it just made me think of it, you know, under the stars," I glanced, seeing them. "They're pretty, I feel small." He didn't reply, he let out a heavy breath. "I remember the day my dad died." I said quietly. I wanted to share something with him, especially after the whole ordeal with Mitch.I felt him gently nudge me, signaling for me to continue. "I just remember how simply the words were said by the doctors in the hospital. He's gone. We lost him. We're sorry." His arm slowly snaked around my back, holding me across my shoulders giving me not only warmth but comfort. "That still bothers me."

"What?"

"That a human being was so easy to lose."

He was silent but his lips pressed to the top of my head. "I understand that, I understand that completely."

"I wish you didn't."

I felt him lean a bit closer, pulling my body tighter to his. I slid my hands up under his shirt that was exposed in his unzipped jacket. "Cold," He arched up a bit and I giggled.

"Well, it's your fault we went out this far so take the punishment." I took a breath and shut my sleepy eyes, feeling safe, and thankfully warm. Silence filled the car and I was about to drift off when I heard him speak.

"She was crying really hard." He said softly and I immediately felt my body jolt to focus. "I remember smashing frames, I remember sobs and choking, I remember screaming and just... pain. I remember being at the top of the stairs and asking where he was going. He frowned and he was crying and he was red, his face. He was flustered, or probably, hopefully, ashamed. He kissed my forehead, said goodbye, grabbed Mitch by the back of the neck and walked out. Mitch was back from military school on break. I ran down and found my mom in a pile of tears on the floor with a photo of them together. She told me to go but I sat with her and held while she cried."