Use Somebody
June 2014 - Part 1
Cassie's Outfit:
http://www.polyvore.com/road_trip/set?id=71348387
Cassie's POV:
“Here you go, Miss. I hope you'll enjoy your stay,” the man said while he handed me the keys to a nice little Renault Clio. I thanked him and put my suitcase in the car. I got in, adjusted everything and took the familiar way out of Edinburgh Airport. Once I was on the motorway, heading towards Glasgow, my phone rang.
“Hello?” I answered, not looking at the caller ID.
“I just landed, I'll be out in about 20min. Where are you?” the familiar husky voice asked. I felt my stomach do a somersault upon hearing his voice, but I remained calm.
“That's perfect, I'll be at the airport in about that time. Pick you up at the front?” I asked casually.
“Sounds good. See you soon, Cass,” he said.
“Laters, Harry,” I replied happily and hung up. Taking a deep breath, I tried to concentrate on the road again. I would be spending the next 4 to 5 hours in a car with Harry, driving up all the way from Glasgow to Skye. The occasion? A wedding. But not just any wedding. One of my best friends got married to one of his best friends and I was maid of honour. And they wanted us to sing. Together. Sharing a car would be our way of rehearsing. I sighed loudly and at that moment, my phone rang again.
“Hey Behati,” I said, this time looking at the ID.
“Hey, sweetie, did you land okay? Have Harry on board?” she was talking really fast.
“I landed alright, and I just talked to him, I'm on my way to pick him up, but he's on Scottish soil,” I laughed. I could hear her exhale audibly.
“Thank God, Niall's flight has been delayed, and it looks like he'll arrive about 4 hours late,” she said.
“Calm down, Behati, it's gonna be fine, everyone will make it, okay?” I tried to calm her nerves. I should have gotten there sooner, but I only finished shooting my latest movie yesterday.
“I know, I know, we still have 2 days, it's just... I'm nervous, Cass,” she sighed.
“Don't be, B, Liam's everything you could ever look for in a man. And he loves you unconditionally. I have no doubts about that,” I said with a re-assuring voice.
“You're right, I shouldn't freak out. I'll be fine. But, what about you? Haven't seen Harry in a long time, huh?” she changed the topic. Now it was my turn to get nervous.
“We'll make it work, I guess,” I sounded sceptical.
“I'm glad he's coming alone, I don't like her at all,” Behati went on, talking about Harry's current girlfriend, another model who was under contract for VS, just like Behati. Though, no one really liked her. It was very strange.
“My neither, I'm happy about that, too. Uhm, Behati, I need to do some serious driving now, I'll have Harry call you somewhere along the way, alright?” I said, surveying the various exits that were in front of me.
“Yeah, sure, talk to you later. I hope you have fun! Love ya!” she chirped and hung up. I chuckled to myself and concentrated on the road again. 10 minutes later, I pulled up in front of the airport, where I could spot a horde of girls from at least 2 miles away. In their midst was – no shocker here – Harry. I stopped next to them and honked. They parted and I watched as Harry politely said goodbye. In my head, I was blessing the Scottish weather god for actually bringing out the sun today, so I could wear my shades. With my new hair colour, I doubted the girls recognised me. Harry put his stuff in the trunk and then got in. I didn't even wait for him to say something, I just drove off.
“Uhm... is that really you, Cass?” he asked after a few seconds. I laughed loudly and pulled into a deserted parking lot just outside the airport.
“Get out,” I commanded and did so myself. We both rounded the car and I fell into his embrace ever so lightly. I inhaled his familiar scent and buried my head deep in his chest. He rested his chin on my head and hummed softly. After a few minutes, we broke apart, still not letting go of each other. To my surprise, he bent down and gave me a soft, romantic kiss.
“I missed you,” he whispered against my lips. I enjoyed the sensation for a moment before I brought some distance between the two of us.
“I missed you too, but you have a girlfriend,” I said with a firm voice, looking him in the eyes. He studied me for a second and then chuckled lightly.
“That was a welcome kiss, Cassie. It's not like I want to jump you right here, right now,” he joked. My mouth curled into a smile and I took a step closer to him, trailing my fingers up his front.
“Oh, but you could,” I purred seductively while I pressed my body against his. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open slightly. “If only...” I continued “You were single,” I then concluded and turned around on my heels, walking towards the car again. I opened the door and looked at him, a dazed expression on his face, still standing in the same spot. “You coming or what?” I finally asked and he moved. He got in and I took off again.
Harry's POV:
Seeing Cassie again was... hard on me. We had both changed, and whereas I had settled down a bit with my new girlfriend, Cassie had taken a turn down Bad Girl-Lane. Her hair was now blonde with rainbow-coloured tips, which, oddly enough, she pulled off mighty fine. Her style had become more rock chick than before, and she had dark shadows under her eyes. From what I've seen over the last year, she was single, but liked to hook up with guys on a weekly basis. There were always pictures of her either partying or snogging someone in a park somewhere. Those pictures hurt, but then again, I hurt her first by kissing Caroline only minutes after promising Cassie to wait for her. Well, here we are again, and it's the worst possible timing, as usual. I turned my head and looked at her driving. I never knew, but Behati told me she loved to drive around places. Watching her manoeuvre the vehicle so effortlessly through thick traffic, I believed her instantly.
“So, how long until we get to...,” I began.
“Dunvegan? We're actually staying in Portree, which is about 4 hours, but we have to take the ferry, and I reckon we'll stop once or twice, so probably 5 hours,” she answered casually.
“Why do you want to stop?” I asked her.
“Well, first of all: snacks and drinks, I didn't really bring anything. And second, we're in Scotland, Harry. And I have a Scotland-rule,” she said.
“And what's that?” I was curious. Knowing Cassie, it was probably something really cute and funny.
“If I like it somewhere, I stop the car, get out, run around for about a minute, pick a plant or get a stone, get in and drive off again. Oh, and I'm filming that, too,” she explained. I looked at her for a second before I bursted into laughter. She hit me on the arm hard.
“Hey, that's not funny! I've been doing it for years now,” she said. I calmed down and looked at her serious face.
“I'm sorry, Cass, it's just... I've really missed you and your little ticks,” I said and took her hand, which was resting on the gearshift. A soft smile appeared on her face and she shot me a quick glance while squeezing my hand.
“I know, Harry, I know,” she mumbled and we stayed in silence after that, driving north towards the Isle of Skye.
About 20 minutes after the airport, we left the motorway for a smaller street and continued on towards Balloch.
“We're stopping here,” Cassie announced and took an exit. She pulled up to a large Sainsbury's and we went in to get stuff to drink and eat. I lost her for a second inside, but we met again at the register. Cassie was carrying about 3 bags of carrot sticks, some Vodka, Vitamin water and crisps. I was holding a few bags of fruit, a pasta salad and some normal water. We looked at each other and started laughing.
“That's your diet now? Oh god, Cassie,” I grinned and we put the things down on the belt.
“It's for later, the Vodka that is. And carrots are a great car-snack,” she said innocently. I smiled and hugged her to my side. It was just so effortless with the two of us. The lady at the register smiled at us in a friendly way and I paid. Cassie took our bags and we walked out, only to be stopped by three teenage girls about to enter the store.
“Oh my god, you're Harry Styles!” one of them squealed.
“And you're Cassie Kennedy!” another one screamed. I put on a friendly smile and saw Cassie do the same.
“Hello girls, would you like a picture?” I asked, cutting to the chase. They nodded eagerly and we chatted and posed for pictures.
“So, what are you doing here? Are you dating after all?” the third finally asked the question we both knew would be coming.
“No, we're here for a friend, but it's all top-secret,” Cassie chuckled and winked at the girls. They giggled and we hugged them one last time before getting in the car again.
“That was not so bad,” I said slowly, opening my bottle of water.
“I guess. We'll see if they can put two and two together,” Cassie sighed and started the engine. “The road is pretty narrow those next few miles, I hope you won't mind,” she warned me and I just chuckled.
“If you're scared, just let me drive, babe,” I laughed.
“When hell freezes over, Styles. This is my hood, I can drive way better here,” she said with menacing voice and I laughed to myself again.
“We'll see about that. Now, let's practice the song,” I said and put in the CD.
Two hours later, I was practically holding on to everything possible. Those fucking Scottish roads! Everything was so narrow, and Cassie took the 'original routes' as she liked to call them. Needless to say we had to swerve out of the way of a truck more than ten times now. Additionally, she stopped every 20 minutes or so. That was actually quite fun. The first time I just filmed her from the car, but the next times, I got out with her and chased her with the camera. The heavy wind was making her hair whirl around her face, and when I watched the videos in the car, she had that look of utter relaxation and enjoyment on her face while running through mostly hip-high grasses and yellow flowers. That would make an awesome music video...
“Can I put something else in? I'm already sick of this song,” Cassie suddenly whined and I ejected the CD which had our wedding duet on.
“Sure thing, what you got?” I asked.
“Grab my purse, there's a CD in there. It's from a Scottish band, actually. They're called 'Frightened Rabbit' and they're amazing,” she answered and I did as she said. A guitar started playing, joined by a rough and raw voice.
Come gather in my lungs Scottish wind
Belt out your blackest poems as the sea around you sings
When the drone takes to the air a single note to raise my hair
Carry songs beyond my lungs cold Scottish winds
Come fall upon my shoulders Scottish rain
and dissolve all of the worries that have hunched this back of mine
Let the hurt run down the drain to the reservoir
and one day I'll add a drop of my old worries to a dram.
My breath got stuck in my throat as I listened to the man sing these beautiful words. I looked over at Cassie and saw that her hands clenched the steering wheel tightly. The song continued on and I realised she was fighting tears.
Gather heavy in my lungs Scottish wind
all the fag smoke in the ether of the grouse that clipped your wings
And I will cough just like my granddad and his grandpa before him
oh, blow youth into these lungs old Scottish wind
Come burl around my body Scottish blood
I'll try not to spill a drop, I'm sure you've spilled enough
And the English fucking rule will mean nothing to these towns
Run forever in my veins bold Scottish blood
Cassie stopped the car at the side of the road abruptly and basically jumped out. We were at some Loch... Tulla, I think, and she ran down the steep slope and vanished from sight. I got out, too and followed her. I found her sitting in the meadow about 30 meters down from the road. She was staring out onto the water, tears in her eyes, but a proud look dominating her features. I sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. It was unbelievably windy, but I could hear her voice nevertheless, as it rose above the loud noise.
Bring a whisper to my mouth soft Scottish winds
Just enough to say I love you to the boy that keeps me sane
And take the stupid things I've said and blow them miles and miles away
Thank you in advance Scottish wind
Thank you in advance Scottish wind
She belted out what I believed to be the last verse of the song, her voice raw and strong. We sat there for a few minutes until she wiped away a stray tear and looked at me.
“I've missed the wind,” she simply said. It was that moment that I realised how much she belonged here. How alike she and these lands were. Edgy and soft at the same time, mindblowingly beautiful but harsh with winds and rain. Her eyes were now the colour of the deep green grass around us, and I brought my hand up to stroke her cheek.
“Did you mean those last words?” I asked. She nodded bravely, not once breaking eye-contact. My heart dropped about ten feet and I stopped breathing.
“I love you, Harry,” she said softly. I stared at her for a long moment until I found my voice again. There she was, the woman of my many sleepless nights, the woman I had been waiting for for two years now, sitting in a meadow in Scotland, the wind blowing her hair around her face. With a heartbreaking look in her eyes, she had just confessed her love for me, and I was seeing someone else. But at that moment, it didn't matter. At that moment, I knew, deep in my heart, that Cassie and I were meant for each other.
“I love you too, Cassie. More than you could ever imagine,” I said back and brought my mouth on hers. We shared a long an passionate kiss until we broke apart again. I stroked her cheek and she smiled softly.
“It's my turn now, Harry. I'll wait for you,” she finally said and I nodded. It was amazing that she understood exactly how I couldn't just leave my girlfriend. I helped her up and we walked back to the car.
*2 hours later*
Cassie's POV:
I stood at the railing of the ferry, gazing out to the sea when two strong arms engulfed me from behind. Harry rested his chin on my shoulder and I leant against him. Even though we still could not be together, we were okay. I knew he loved me and he knew I loved him. I needed him.
“How long now?” he asked me.
“About an hour until we get there. Which reminds me.. I should go call Behati, I promised,” I said and stepped away from the fresh air, into a hallway. I quickly talked to my friend and went outside again, where I found Harry texting.
“All good?” he asked once he saw me. I nodded and smiled. I was utterly content. I was back home, one of my best friends was getting married in a place I showed her 5 years back, I knew that the man I loved loved me back, and I was still free.
“I am so getting wasted tonight,” I announced to Harry. His brow shot up but he chuckled.
“And why would that be?” he asked me.
“Because I want to celebrate. Everything,” I said and he could not help himself but hug me at that moment. I hugged back willingly.
“You're something, Cassie,” he sighed into my ear.
“I know,” I replied and we stayed in our embrace until the ferry docked on land again. We got into the car and started the last part of our journey, rehearing our song again.
“So, this is Skye, then,” Harry said after about half an hour of us singing. “I'm surprised you haven't stopped yet,” he chuckled.
“I know Skye pretty well,” I replied. “Especially this road. There is one place, though, and I'm warning you, the road gets even worse,” I said and his face fell. I laughed loudly and turned off the main road down a slight hill. We were in between Broadford and Portree, and I took a slight detour I discovered a few years back. I stopped after about 2 minutes at a little bridge. The small river Allt Mhic Mhoirein ran under it and I practically pulled Harry out of the car. He was staring at the mountains in awe.
“What are we doing here?” he said while I rummaged through my suitcase. I finally found what I was looking for and went to the railing of the bridge. I attached a little wooden heart to it and proudly looked at three others, quite weathered and in different sizes, dangling from the railing.
Harry came over and looked at it. “Was that all you?” he asked, astonished.
“Yeah, every time I come here, I leave a heart. Cause a piece of my heart will always be on Skye,” I explained and walked down the small bankside to the river. Harry watched me curiously.
“What are you doing?” he asked while I started to slip out of my boots.
“Get down here, Harry! You have to step into it!” I laughed and he put on a shocked expression.
“But I'm sure it's cold!” he whined, slowly making his way towards me.
“That's the whole point, it freshens up your body! Now stop being a pussy and get in!” I yelled and he finally followed my order. I took his hand and we stepped into the ice-cold mountain water together.
“Holy fucking... Cass!” he squealed and I laughed freely. Once he had gotten used to the temperature, he took out his phone. I watched curiously as he squatted down a bit and took a picture of my left foot and his right, standing on a rock.
“What are you doing with that?” I asked. He just smiled cheekily and got out of the water. I followed suit. “Harry?” I asked curiously. He chuckled and typed away while getting into the car. He then showed me his phone, where twitter was open, and the photo he just took was visible.
@Harry_Styles:
Someone forced me to dip my feet into a really cold river #guesswhereiam
“Harry! You know you're not supposed to tell the location of the wedding! They don't want any paps!” I scolded him.
“Oh, come on, Cass, do you really think they will know where this is?” he replied.
“Hmm... you have a point, but no more tweeting, okay?” I said and started to car again. “Now... prepare for gravel,” I said darkly while I steered onto the narrow road, which had a step slope about 40 meters down into Loch Ainort on the right side.
“Dear god... you're killing me, Cass,” Harry whined and shut his eyes. I laughed evilly and steered us safely through the challenging terrain.
Behati's POV:
I had just arrived back at the hotel in Portree, when a small, black Renault showed up on the driveway. I tugged on Liam's arm and we turned around to see Harry and Cassie get out. Harry looked a bit pale, whereas Cassie was grinning from ear to ear.
“Cassie!” I shouted and started off towards my maid of honour. I stormed into her arms and we hugged tightly. In the background, I could hear Harry and Liam talk.
“I swear to god, mate, she takes the craziest roads,” Harry complained. I laughed to myself. Welcome to the club, Hazza. I hugged him, too and we got inside.
“I hope you guys don't mind, but you'll be sharing a suite,” I filled then in. Both their eyes widened slightly. “They don't really have that many rooms, and we expect a rather large party,” I said apologetically.
“It's fine, I don't mind,” Harry finally said and Cassie nodded, too. We all got settled in and decided to meet in their room in an hour.
“You're a little manipulative, you know that?” Liam asked me while embracing me from behind. I was just putting on a change of clothes.
“What do you mean?” I asked innocently.
“There are more than enough rooms, you just want them to get together,” he laughed.
“Hey, friends look out for each other, and these two need to figure things out for real,” I said and turned around in his arms. He smiled blissfully.
“They will, Bee, in the end at least,” he said ominously and kissed me. “Let's get there now,” he then said and took my hand. We arrived at Harry's and Cassie's door and could hear loud music coming from the inside. We knocked and Harry opened, shirtless.
“What's going on?” I asked and we stepped into the room to find Cassie on the bed, only wearing her underwear. She was holding a Vodka bottle in one hand, a joint in the other and danced around frantically to the hard rock tune blasting out from the sound system. Liam and I practically stared at her with our mouths wide open. She finally noticed us and stopped dancing.
“My friends! Welcome to Wonderland,” she then announced and gestured for us to sit down while she got off the bed. Harry caught her and she jumped on his back. “Let's have a last day of complete and utter carelessness before you two tie the knot, shall we?” she suggested cheekily. I swallowed hard and looked at Liam. He was never really into these things... he looked at me as well and a smile played on his lips.
“Do you want to?” I asked him, not quite believing what I was seeing.
“Hell yeah, why not?” he then said and I literally jumped on him, snogging his mouth off.
“I love you so much, Liam Payne, I really do,” I said once I detached myself from him. Then, I turned around to face Cassie who was reaching out her arm to me. She pulled me into her side and placed the joint between my lips.
“Good girl,” she commented when I inhaled deeply “That should help with your nerves.” I giggled. She was right, I needed to cool down. Suddenly, I felt fingers at the hem of my shirt and I turned around to see an already shirtless Liam slipping it off my body.
“Let's party, babe,” he said with a dark and husky voice. God, I love this man!
http://www.polyvore.com/road_trip/set?id=71348387
Cassie's POV:
“Here you go, Miss. I hope you'll enjoy your stay,” the man said while he handed me the keys to a nice little Renault Clio. I thanked him and put my suitcase in the car. I got in, adjusted everything and took the familiar way out of Edinburgh Airport. Once I was on the motorway, heading towards Glasgow, my phone rang.
“Hello?” I answered, not looking at the caller ID.
“I just landed, I'll be out in about 20min. Where are you?” the familiar husky voice asked. I felt my stomach do a somersault upon hearing his voice, but I remained calm.
“That's perfect, I'll be at the airport in about that time. Pick you up at the front?” I asked casually.
“Sounds good. See you soon, Cass,” he said.
“Laters, Harry,” I replied happily and hung up. Taking a deep breath, I tried to concentrate on the road again. I would be spending the next 4 to 5 hours in a car with Harry, driving up all the way from Glasgow to Skye. The occasion? A wedding. But not just any wedding. One of my best friends got married to one of his best friends and I was maid of honour. And they wanted us to sing. Together. Sharing a car would be our way of rehearsing. I sighed loudly and at that moment, my phone rang again.
“Hey Behati,” I said, this time looking at the ID.
“Hey, sweetie, did you land okay? Have Harry on board?” she was talking really fast.
“I landed alright, and I just talked to him, I'm on my way to pick him up, but he's on Scottish soil,” I laughed. I could hear her exhale audibly.
“Thank God, Niall's flight has been delayed, and it looks like he'll arrive about 4 hours late,” she said.
“Calm down, Behati, it's gonna be fine, everyone will make it, okay?” I tried to calm her nerves. I should have gotten there sooner, but I only finished shooting my latest movie yesterday.
“I know, I know, we still have 2 days, it's just... I'm nervous, Cass,” she sighed.
“Don't be, B, Liam's everything you could ever look for in a man. And he loves you unconditionally. I have no doubts about that,” I said with a re-assuring voice.
“You're right, I shouldn't freak out. I'll be fine. But, what about you? Haven't seen Harry in a long time, huh?” she changed the topic. Now it was my turn to get nervous.
“We'll make it work, I guess,” I sounded sceptical.
“I'm glad he's coming alone, I don't like her at all,” Behati went on, talking about Harry's current girlfriend, another model who was under contract for VS, just like Behati. Though, no one really liked her. It was very strange.
“My neither, I'm happy about that, too. Uhm, Behati, I need to do some serious driving now, I'll have Harry call you somewhere along the way, alright?” I said, surveying the various exits that were in front of me.
“Yeah, sure, talk to you later. I hope you have fun! Love ya!” she chirped and hung up. I chuckled to myself and concentrated on the road again. 10 minutes later, I pulled up in front of the airport, where I could spot a horde of girls from at least 2 miles away. In their midst was – no shocker here – Harry. I stopped next to them and honked. They parted and I watched as Harry politely said goodbye. In my head, I was blessing the Scottish weather god for actually bringing out the sun today, so I could wear my shades. With my new hair colour, I doubted the girls recognised me. Harry put his stuff in the trunk and then got in. I didn't even wait for him to say something, I just drove off.
“Uhm... is that really you, Cass?” he asked after a few seconds. I laughed loudly and pulled into a deserted parking lot just outside the airport.
“Get out,” I commanded and did so myself. We both rounded the car and I fell into his embrace ever so lightly. I inhaled his familiar scent and buried my head deep in his chest. He rested his chin on my head and hummed softly. After a few minutes, we broke apart, still not letting go of each other. To my surprise, he bent down and gave me a soft, romantic kiss.
“I missed you,” he whispered against my lips. I enjoyed the sensation for a moment before I brought some distance between the two of us.
“I missed you too, but you have a girlfriend,” I said with a firm voice, looking him in the eyes. He studied me for a second and then chuckled lightly.
“That was a welcome kiss, Cassie. It's not like I want to jump you right here, right now,” he joked. My mouth curled into a smile and I took a step closer to him, trailing my fingers up his front.
“Oh, but you could,” I purred seductively while I pressed my body against his. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open slightly. “If only...” I continued “You were single,” I then concluded and turned around on my heels, walking towards the car again. I opened the door and looked at him, a dazed expression on his face, still standing in the same spot. “You coming or what?” I finally asked and he moved. He got in and I took off again.
Harry's POV:
Seeing Cassie again was... hard on me. We had both changed, and whereas I had settled down a bit with my new girlfriend, Cassie had taken a turn down Bad Girl-Lane. Her hair was now blonde with rainbow-coloured tips, which, oddly enough, she pulled off mighty fine. Her style had become more rock chick than before, and she had dark shadows under her eyes. From what I've seen over the last year, she was single, but liked to hook up with guys on a weekly basis. There were always pictures of her either partying or snogging someone in a park somewhere. Those pictures hurt, but then again, I hurt her first by kissing Caroline only minutes after promising Cassie to wait for her. Well, here we are again, and it's the worst possible timing, as usual. I turned my head and looked at her driving. I never knew, but Behati told me she loved to drive around places. Watching her manoeuvre the vehicle so effortlessly through thick traffic, I believed her instantly.
“So, how long until we get to...,” I began.
“Dunvegan? We're actually staying in Portree, which is about 4 hours, but we have to take the ferry, and I reckon we'll stop once or twice, so probably 5 hours,” she answered casually.
“Why do you want to stop?” I asked her.
“Well, first of all: snacks and drinks, I didn't really bring anything. And second, we're in Scotland, Harry. And I have a Scotland-rule,” she said.
“And what's that?” I was curious. Knowing Cassie, it was probably something really cute and funny.
“If I like it somewhere, I stop the car, get out, run around for about a minute, pick a plant or get a stone, get in and drive off again. Oh, and I'm filming that, too,” she explained. I looked at her for a second before I bursted into laughter. She hit me on the arm hard.
“Hey, that's not funny! I've been doing it for years now,” she said. I calmed down and looked at her serious face.
“I'm sorry, Cass, it's just... I've really missed you and your little ticks,” I said and took her hand, which was resting on the gearshift. A soft smile appeared on her face and she shot me a quick glance while squeezing my hand.
“I know, Harry, I know,” she mumbled and we stayed in silence after that, driving north towards the Isle of Skye.
About 20 minutes after the airport, we left the motorway for a smaller street and continued on towards Balloch.
“We're stopping here,” Cassie announced and took an exit. She pulled up to a large Sainsbury's and we went in to get stuff to drink and eat. I lost her for a second inside, but we met again at the register. Cassie was carrying about 3 bags of carrot sticks, some Vodka, Vitamin water and crisps. I was holding a few bags of fruit, a pasta salad and some normal water. We looked at each other and started laughing.
“That's your diet now? Oh god, Cassie,” I grinned and we put the things down on the belt.
“It's for later, the Vodka that is. And carrots are a great car-snack,” she said innocently. I smiled and hugged her to my side. It was just so effortless with the two of us. The lady at the register smiled at us in a friendly way and I paid. Cassie took our bags and we walked out, only to be stopped by three teenage girls about to enter the store.
“Oh my god, you're Harry Styles!” one of them squealed.
“And you're Cassie Kennedy!” another one screamed. I put on a friendly smile and saw Cassie do the same.
“Hello girls, would you like a picture?” I asked, cutting to the chase. They nodded eagerly and we chatted and posed for pictures.
“So, what are you doing here? Are you dating after all?” the third finally asked the question we both knew would be coming.
“No, we're here for a friend, but it's all top-secret,” Cassie chuckled and winked at the girls. They giggled and we hugged them one last time before getting in the car again.
“That was not so bad,” I said slowly, opening my bottle of water.
“I guess. We'll see if they can put two and two together,” Cassie sighed and started the engine. “The road is pretty narrow those next few miles, I hope you won't mind,” she warned me and I just chuckled.
“If you're scared, just let me drive, babe,” I laughed.
“When hell freezes over, Styles. This is my hood, I can drive way better here,” she said with menacing voice and I laughed to myself again.
“We'll see about that. Now, let's practice the song,” I said and put in the CD.
Two hours later, I was practically holding on to everything possible. Those fucking Scottish roads! Everything was so narrow, and Cassie took the 'original routes' as she liked to call them. Needless to say we had to swerve out of the way of a truck more than ten times now. Additionally, she stopped every 20 minutes or so. That was actually quite fun. The first time I just filmed her from the car, but the next times, I got out with her and chased her with the camera. The heavy wind was making her hair whirl around her face, and when I watched the videos in the car, she had that look of utter relaxation and enjoyment on her face while running through mostly hip-high grasses and yellow flowers. That would make an awesome music video...
“Can I put something else in? I'm already sick of this song,” Cassie suddenly whined and I ejected the CD which had our wedding duet on.
“Sure thing, what you got?” I asked.
“Grab my purse, there's a CD in there. It's from a Scottish band, actually. They're called 'Frightened Rabbit' and they're amazing,” she answered and I did as she said. A guitar started playing, joined by a rough and raw voice.
Come gather in my lungs Scottish wind
Belt out your blackest poems as the sea around you sings
When the drone takes to the air a single note to raise my hair
Carry songs beyond my lungs cold Scottish winds
Come fall upon my shoulders Scottish rain
and dissolve all of the worries that have hunched this back of mine
Let the hurt run down the drain to the reservoir
and one day I'll add a drop of my old worries to a dram.
My breath got stuck in my throat as I listened to the man sing these beautiful words. I looked over at Cassie and saw that her hands clenched the steering wheel tightly. The song continued on and I realised she was fighting tears.
Gather heavy in my lungs Scottish wind
all the fag smoke in the ether of the grouse that clipped your wings
And I will cough just like my granddad and his grandpa before him
oh, blow youth into these lungs old Scottish wind
Come burl around my body Scottish blood
I'll try not to spill a drop, I'm sure you've spilled enough
And the English fucking rule will mean nothing to these towns
Run forever in my veins bold Scottish blood
Cassie stopped the car at the side of the road abruptly and basically jumped out. We were at some Loch... Tulla, I think, and she ran down the steep slope and vanished from sight. I got out, too and followed her. I found her sitting in the meadow about 30 meters down from the road. She was staring out onto the water, tears in her eyes, but a proud look dominating her features. I sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. It was unbelievably windy, but I could hear her voice nevertheless, as it rose above the loud noise.
Bring a whisper to my mouth soft Scottish winds
Just enough to say I love you to the boy that keeps me sane
And take the stupid things I've said and blow them miles and miles away
Thank you in advance Scottish wind
Thank you in advance Scottish wind
She belted out what I believed to be the last verse of the song, her voice raw and strong. We sat there for a few minutes until she wiped away a stray tear and looked at me.
“I've missed the wind,” she simply said. It was that moment that I realised how much she belonged here. How alike she and these lands were. Edgy and soft at the same time, mindblowingly beautiful but harsh with winds and rain. Her eyes were now the colour of the deep green grass around us, and I brought my hand up to stroke her cheek.
“Did you mean those last words?” I asked. She nodded bravely, not once breaking eye-contact. My heart dropped about ten feet and I stopped breathing.
“I love you, Harry,” she said softly. I stared at her for a long moment until I found my voice again. There she was, the woman of my many sleepless nights, the woman I had been waiting for for two years now, sitting in a meadow in Scotland, the wind blowing her hair around her face. With a heartbreaking look in her eyes, she had just confessed her love for me, and I was seeing someone else. But at that moment, it didn't matter. At that moment, I knew, deep in my heart, that Cassie and I were meant for each other.
“I love you too, Cassie. More than you could ever imagine,” I said back and brought my mouth on hers. We shared a long an passionate kiss until we broke apart again. I stroked her cheek and she smiled softly.
“It's my turn now, Harry. I'll wait for you,” she finally said and I nodded. It was amazing that she understood exactly how I couldn't just leave my girlfriend. I helped her up and we walked back to the car.
*2 hours later*
Cassie's POV:
I stood at the railing of the ferry, gazing out to the sea when two strong arms engulfed me from behind. Harry rested his chin on my shoulder and I leant against him. Even though we still could not be together, we were okay. I knew he loved me and he knew I loved him. I needed him.
“How long now?” he asked me.
“About an hour until we get there. Which reminds me.. I should go call Behati, I promised,” I said and stepped away from the fresh air, into a hallway. I quickly talked to my friend and went outside again, where I found Harry texting.
“All good?” he asked once he saw me. I nodded and smiled. I was utterly content. I was back home, one of my best friends was getting married in a place I showed her 5 years back, I knew that the man I loved loved me back, and I was still free.
“I am so getting wasted tonight,” I announced to Harry. His brow shot up but he chuckled.
“And why would that be?” he asked me.
“Because I want to celebrate. Everything,” I said and he could not help himself but hug me at that moment. I hugged back willingly.
“You're something, Cassie,” he sighed into my ear.
“I know,” I replied and we stayed in our embrace until the ferry docked on land again. We got into the car and started the last part of our journey, rehearing our song again.
“So, this is Skye, then,” Harry said after about half an hour of us singing. “I'm surprised you haven't stopped yet,” he chuckled.
“I know Skye pretty well,” I replied. “Especially this road. There is one place, though, and I'm warning you, the road gets even worse,” I said and his face fell. I laughed loudly and turned off the main road down a slight hill. We were in between Broadford and Portree, and I took a slight detour I discovered a few years back. I stopped after about 2 minutes at a little bridge. The small river Allt Mhic Mhoirein ran under it and I practically pulled Harry out of the car. He was staring at the mountains in awe.
“What are we doing here?” he said while I rummaged through my suitcase. I finally found what I was looking for and went to the railing of the bridge. I attached a little wooden heart to it and proudly looked at three others, quite weathered and in different sizes, dangling from the railing.
Harry came over and looked at it. “Was that all you?” he asked, astonished.
“Yeah, every time I come here, I leave a heart. Cause a piece of my heart will always be on Skye,” I explained and walked down the small bankside to the river. Harry watched me curiously.
“What are you doing?” he asked while I started to slip out of my boots.
“Get down here, Harry! You have to step into it!” I laughed and he put on a shocked expression.
“But I'm sure it's cold!” he whined, slowly making his way towards me.
“That's the whole point, it freshens up your body! Now stop being a pussy and get in!” I yelled and he finally followed my order. I took his hand and we stepped into the ice-cold mountain water together.
“Holy fucking... Cass!” he squealed and I laughed freely. Once he had gotten used to the temperature, he took out his phone. I watched curiously as he squatted down a bit and took a picture of my left foot and his right, standing on a rock.
“What are you doing with that?” I asked. He just smiled cheekily and got out of the water. I followed suit. “Harry?” I asked curiously. He chuckled and typed away while getting into the car. He then showed me his phone, where twitter was open, and the photo he just took was visible.
@Harry_Styles:
Someone forced me to dip my feet into a really cold river #guesswhereiam
“Harry! You know you're not supposed to tell the location of the wedding! They don't want any paps!” I scolded him.
“Oh, come on, Cass, do you really think they will know where this is?” he replied.
“Hmm... you have a point, but no more tweeting, okay?” I said and started to car again. “Now... prepare for gravel,” I said darkly while I steered onto the narrow road, which had a step slope about 40 meters down into Loch Ainort on the right side.
“Dear god... you're killing me, Cass,” Harry whined and shut his eyes. I laughed evilly and steered us safely through the challenging terrain.
Behati's POV:
I had just arrived back at the hotel in Portree, when a small, black Renault showed up on the driveway. I tugged on Liam's arm and we turned around to see Harry and Cassie get out. Harry looked a bit pale, whereas Cassie was grinning from ear to ear.
“Cassie!” I shouted and started off towards my maid of honour. I stormed into her arms and we hugged tightly. In the background, I could hear Harry and Liam talk.
“I swear to god, mate, she takes the craziest roads,” Harry complained. I laughed to myself. Welcome to the club, Hazza. I hugged him, too and we got inside.
“I hope you guys don't mind, but you'll be sharing a suite,” I filled then in. Both their eyes widened slightly. “They don't really have that many rooms, and we expect a rather large party,” I said apologetically.
“It's fine, I don't mind,” Harry finally said and Cassie nodded, too. We all got settled in and decided to meet in their room in an hour.
“You're a little manipulative, you know that?” Liam asked me while embracing me from behind. I was just putting on a change of clothes.
“What do you mean?” I asked innocently.
“There are more than enough rooms, you just want them to get together,” he laughed.
“Hey, friends look out for each other, and these two need to figure things out for real,” I said and turned around in his arms. He smiled blissfully.
“They will, Bee, in the end at least,” he said ominously and kissed me. “Let's get there now,” he then said and took my hand. We arrived at Harry's and Cassie's door and could hear loud music coming from the inside. We knocked and Harry opened, shirtless.
“What's going on?” I asked and we stepped into the room to find Cassie on the bed, only wearing her underwear. She was holding a Vodka bottle in one hand, a joint in the other and danced around frantically to the hard rock tune blasting out from the sound system. Liam and I practically stared at her with our mouths wide open. She finally noticed us and stopped dancing.
“My friends! Welcome to Wonderland,” she then announced and gestured for us to sit down while she got off the bed. Harry caught her and she jumped on his back. “Let's have a last day of complete and utter carelessness before you two tie the knot, shall we?” she suggested cheekily. I swallowed hard and looked at Liam. He was never really into these things... he looked at me as well and a smile played on his lips.
“Do you want to?” I asked him, not quite believing what I was seeing.
“Hell yeah, why not?” he then said and I literally jumped on him, snogging his mouth off.
“I love you so much, Liam Payne, I really do,” I said once I detached myself from him. Then, I turned around to face Cassie who was reaching out her arm to me. She pulled me into her side and placed the joint between my lips.
“Good girl,” she commented when I inhaled deeply “That should help with your nerves.” I giggled. She was right, I needed to cool down. Suddenly, I felt fingers at the hem of my shirt and I turned around to see an already shirtless Liam slipping it off my body.
“Let's party, babe,” he said with a dark and husky voice. God, I love this man!
Notes
so sorry for not updating yesterday, but i met a couple of friends and we sorta accidentally got drunk... and I was also pissed, cause i wanted to update my other story, but no frikkin website let me upload the one-shot I wrote... must be in some sort of secret code...anyway, this is in 3 parts, and I really, really love them! sorry if it's a bit of a love song to Scotland, but I just love where I sorta come from. so - ENJOY!
9/16/13