The Happiest Place On Earth

The sun slowly crept beneath the horizon. People could be seen holding their loved ones watching the rays of yellow turn pink before disappearing, leaving the sky a shade of dark blue, dotted with gleaming specks of white. The smell of burning wood and s’mores was evident as laughter erupted in multiple directions. The strumming of a guitar mixed with multiple voices as they sang their favorite songs and made memories to last a lifetime. The entire scene was played out as if straight from a book, but the boys of One Direction, Kaylani, Jake, and Alanis found the entire thing bittersweet.
Kaylani sat with her back pressed to Harry’s chest as he rubbed his hands gently along her arms while his head rested on her neck. He placed a delicate kiss on the smooth skin of her shoulder before trailing his lips upwards and placing another on her neck, the base of her jaw, and the corner of her lips before nuzzling his head in the nape of her neck. As he inhaled the smell of vanilla filled his nose, causing him to relax and wrap his arms around her waist while squeezing slightly as if reassuring himself that she was actually in his arms.
Kaylani could feel his breath trickle across her body, leaving goosebumps in every spot. The rising and falling of his chest was in sync with her own. Her eyes closed as her head tilted backwards to rest on Harry’s shoulder. The feeling of his arms wrapped around her torso was a feeling she could easily get used to, but she knew it would be awhile before sitting in that position again. The reality of the situation caused her to take a deep breath, realizing that there was only a few hours left before the boys had to leave and she had to return to her summer with only Jake and Alanis to keep her company.
Harry placed a gentle kiss on Kaylani’s cheek before watching her eyes flicker open and her head turn to meet his gaze. They kept their eyes locked for a few seconds before closing the distance between them. An electric current was sent through their entire bodies as they savored the taste of each others lips on their own. After nearly a minute, Harry pulled away before flashing Kaylani a small smile, and squeezing her waist once again to assure her that he was still there.
“Hey Niall, can I borrow your guitar?” Niall was strumming carelessly on his guitar while chatting with everyone else. He took the strap from around his shoulder before walking to where Kaylani was seated in between Harry’s legs and handing it to her. “Thanks.”
Kaylani shifted slightly so that she was sitting Indian-style before wrapping the strap around her shoulders and lightly strumming the guitar. After strumming a few chords, she allowed herself to get lost in the music as she sang the lyrics that correlated with the guitar.
Hello, I know it's been a while
I wonder where you are, and if you think of me
Sometimes, 'cause you're always on my mind
You know I had it rough, trying to forget you but
The more that I look around, the more I realize
You're all I'm looking for
What makes you so beautiful, is you don't know how beautiful you are to me
You're not trying to be perfect
Nobody's perfect, but you are, to me
It's how you take my breath away
Feel the words that I don't say
I wish somehow, I could say them now
Oh, oh, I could say them now, yeah
Kaylani was about to sing the next verse when she heard the boys’ voices take over. Harry was singing in her ear, Liam doing the same to Alanis, while Niall, Zayn, Jake, and Louis sang along and simply swayed to the music.
Just friends, the beginning or the end?
How do we make sense
When we're on our own
It's like you're the other half of me
I feel incomplete, I should've known
Nothing in the world compares to the feelings that we share
So not fair
What makes you so beautiful, is you don't know how beautiful you are to me
You're not trying to be perfect
Nobody's perfect, but you are, to me
You try to take my breath away
Feel the words that I don't say
I wish somehow, I could say them now
Liam pulled Alanis up to dance while he continued to sing softly in her ear. The sound of Harry and Kaylani’s voices fitting together perfectly brought a smile to both of their faces. It brought back memories of the first time they sang together. They had definitely come a long way since the first time they hung out.
Oh, it's not you, blame it all on me
I was running from myself
Cause I couldn't tell how deep that we
We were gonna be
I was scared it's destiny, but it hurts like hell
Hope it's not too late, just a twist of faith
What makes you so beautiful, is you don't know how beautiful you are to me
You're not trying to be perfect
Nobody's perfect, but you are, to me
It's how you take my breath away
Feel the words that I don't say
I wish somehow, I could say them now
Oh, oh, I could say them now, mmm

Kaylani strummed the last note of the song before pulling the strap off and falling back onto Harry’s chest, taking a deep breath in the process. Harry wrapped his arms around her protectively before planting a large kiss on her cheek and squeezing her lightly.
Niall took the guitar back from Kaylani before starting to play a new song. He could tell by the look that Kaylani and Harry were wearing, they would need a few minutes to be by themselves. He also knew that if things didn’t pick up quickly, the group would start dwelling on the fact that they were leaving and that was the last thing they wanted.
“Let’s go for a walk.” Harry felt Kaylani nod her head against his shoulder before pulling herself up and grabbing his hand to do the same. Once they were both standing, they laced their fingers together and took off in the direction of the shore.
As they walked the water lapped at their feet, leaving a cool sensation in its place. They both knew what was running through the other’s mind, but neither wanted to bring it up just yet. They were enjoying the comfortable silence and didn’t want to ruin it with the thoughts that consumed them.
They walked to the edge of the pier until their bodies were leaning against the old wood railing. Kaylani let her palms rest against the splintery wood causing Harry to stand behind her and wrap his arms around her waist while his head rested on top of hers due to the height difference. Taking in the California horizon, Kaylani felt herself start to get teary eyed. She knew they would have to have the discussion before he left.
“This will work out. I promised to keep you happy and I intend on keeping that promise. So do the boys. It will be hard because of the time difference and the distance, but that’s the beauty of technology. Plus, you’re still on summer vacation so you can come visit or we can visit you when we have breaks. I won’t let anything ruin this.” Harry had turned Kaylani’s body so they were standing chest to chest. Her chin was resting in the palm of his hand as his fingers lightly stroked her cheek. He could see the tears starting to prick at her eyes, and he refused to let her break down. He knew they would find a way to work everything out because there was no way he was going to let her go.
“Okay.” Kaylani had taken a few minutes to think about their situation. She knew just as much as he did that it would be hard, but she also knew he was worth it. He had made her feel more in the last two weeks than she had felt since Ryan was around. Every relationship would have their hardships but she knew that in the end it would be worth it because he was too valuable to let go. All of the boys had made an impact in her life and she didn’t want to lose any of them. “We should probably head back. It’s already ten o’clock and you all still have to head back to my house and get your stuff ready since your flight leaves at three.” Harry hated to admit it, but she was right.
The couple started to walk the length of the pier and make their way back towards their group of friends, but Kaylani could feel eyes watching her every move. She turned around and spotted a figure walking behind them, and the whole scene felt oddly familiar.
“Is everything okay?” Harry noticed Kaylani was acting a little strange and continuously looking behind her back like someone was there.
“Huh? Oh yeah, I just thought I saw something.” Kaylani gave him a reassuring smile before turning back around. After walking for a few more minutes they spotted their group of friends around the bonfire picking up their bags and loading them into the car.
“Ahh, you’re back. Just in time for us to head back to Kaylani’s and get cleaned up then head out.” Liam put his phone back in his pocket before grabbing the last bag and loading it into the trunk of the car. Once they double checked that they had everything they needed they piled into the car and made their way to Kaylani’s house for the final time.

Notes