The Boy with the Butterfly Tatoo
Broken Inside
HARRY'S POV
I help Jovy our of the car and she smiles at the sight before her. In a park, I had the lads lay out a blanket and put a few candles around it to make it look romantic.
I smile. "Care to star-gaze, my lady?" I say, offering her my arm.
She giggles and takes it, allowing me to lead her over to the blanket. We lay down side by side and stare at the stars. They are quite beautiful tonight, spotting the dark sky with little specs of light, disorderly and beautiful.
A thought hits me. "Hey, Jovy?"
"Yes, Harry?" she answers.
"How come you talk about your parents in past tense?" I ask. I feel her tense beside me.
"Uhhh. . ." She says, gulping.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," I say quickly, sitting up on one elbow so I can see her face. Her blonde hair is spilled out around her head like a halo. Her mouth is closed tightly. She has shimmering tears in her eyes. I take her hand in mine, rubbing my thumb over the back of it comfortingly.
"No, it's alright. I'd have to say it sonner or later," She says. She sits up and criss-crosses her legs. I sit the same way, caty-corner to her, still holding her hand.
She takes a shaky breathe and stares at our enwined hands. "It was a few years ago, three to be exact. I was seventeen. My brother and I were racing home from the grocery store with the weeks grocceries my mother had sent us to get. We always race home from the store. We went into the condo and noticed our parents hadn't come home from dinner yet. So I made us dinner and we watched TV for a few hours. Around 10:00, I tried to get my brother, Jake, to go to bed, but he wouldn't, claiming he was mature enough at 14 to stay up late on a school night. So we sat up and waited, but they didn't show up. We xalled their cells phones, but they went straight to voicemail. Then we got a call--"
Her voice catches and a tear falls down her cheek. I squeeze her hand and say, "You don't have to go on. If it makes you sad, then don't talk about it."
She shakes her head. She takes a deep breath and continues, "We got a call. It was from the hospital. They said there had been an accident on Congress, a bad one, three killed. One man who was a father of three who lived five stories down from us, and--" she chokes "--my parents." She begins to sob and I wrap her in a tight hug, my heart breaking with her shudders. "They were killed instantly, which is better. I'm glad they didn't suffer. But my dad was my best friend. I loved him more than anyone in the world. This watch--" she says, pulling back and showing it to me "--was his. My mom was my teacher and mother. She was so wise and sweet and comforting. This ring was hers--" she holds up a gorgeous silver ring with a small diamond circle in the middle "--that my dad gave to her as a promise ring in high school. My brother and I mourned together in the condo for hours when we got a call from the family downstairs. It was the boy calling, since his mother was hysterical. He is about my age. His name is Tanner. Tanner Smith. He said that he was sorry for our loss, which I said in return. He said his mom also homeschooled them so when our families were done mourning and ready to get back on our feet, we could come study with them. The Smiths were very kind to us. My parents lawyer said that since I was nearly an adult, my father's life insurance could dupport me and my brother in the condo, so we stayed there and studied with the Smiths. They were angels."
She nuzzles into my chest and cries some more. "I miss my parents so much it hurts."
I pull her in tight and hold her there while she cries. It hurts me for her to be like this. Nobody should feel this way. Especially not such a lovely girl.
When she's done crying, there's a small wet spot on my chest from her tears. She blushes embarrassed and says, "Sorry, Harry. I'm such a mess."
"Don't you dare apologize. I don't care about the shirt. I care about you," I say. She meets my eyes and gives me a small smile.
"Thank you," She says as a final tear falls down her cheek.
I wipe it away gently and say, "You want to head home?"
She nods and stands up, me following, and we walk back to my car, hand-in-hand. The car ride home is silent, but I hold her hand and she holds back, so it's not at all awkward. It's relaxing. We pull up in front of her flat and I walk her to her door.
She turns and faces me. "Thank you for tonight, Harry. It was all absolutely wonderful," she says, smiling.
"I'm glad you had a good time," I say back. "Listen, the lads, the girls, and I were gonna hang out at mine and Louis' flat tomorrow just for some group time. You want to come?" I ask, preparing for denial.
She smiles widely and says, "Yes, of course. I'd love to!"
I grin. "Great!" I'll get you at 10:00 in the morning, okay?"
"Sounds good, Styles," She says, still smiling.
I place my hands on her cheeks and look into her eyes. They shine with such livelyness I've never seen. They reflect strength and brokenness and happiness. They are as blue as the sky and as deep as the ocean. They captivate me entirely in one glance.
I slowely lean in. I see her close her eyes, beckoning me to continue. I close the gap between us, and its like fireworks are going off. Butterflies erupt in my stomach. There's a spark between us that makes the kiss magnetizing. I feel her hands curl into fists on my chest and I can't help but think about how right this feels.
When we break away, we both smile.
"Wow," I say and she nods, giggling softly.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Jovy," I say, pecking her cheek and turning toward the car. I walts down the steps and onto the sidewalk. I look up at her door when I get to my car and wave. She waves back and opens the door. I hear chattering and squeals, which could only mean El, Dani, and Perrie were still there. I laugh to myself and get in my car. As i drive home, I replay the kiss in my mind. Jovy is amazing. She's so easy to be around and so wonderful. She laughs perfectly. She knows exactly what to say. She plays video games. She loves her brother and parents more than anything. She is strong. I can't believe I met such a masterpiece. I hope to be seeing much, much, more of this girl.
I help Jovy our of the car and she smiles at the sight before her. In a park, I had the lads lay out a blanket and put a few candles around it to make it look romantic.
I smile. "Care to star-gaze, my lady?" I say, offering her my arm.
She giggles and takes it, allowing me to lead her over to the blanket. We lay down side by side and stare at the stars. They are quite beautiful tonight, spotting the dark sky with little specs of light, disorderly and beautiful.
A thought hits me. "Hey, Jovy?"
"Yes, Harry?" she answers.
"How come you talk about your parents in past tense?" I ask. I feel her tense beside me.
"Uhhh. . ." She says, gulping.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," I say quickly, sitting up on one elbow so I can see her face. Her blonde hair is spilled out around her head like a halo. Her mouth is closed tightly. She has shimmering tears in her eyes. I take her hand in mine, rubbing my thumb over the back of it comfortingly.
"No, it's alright. I'd have to say it sonner or later," She says. She sits up and criss-crosses her legs. I sit the same way, caty-corner to her, still holding her hand.
She takes a shaky breathe and stares at our enwined hands. "It was a few years ago, three to be exact. I was seventeen. My brother and I were racing home from the grocery store with the weeks grocceries my mother had sent us to get. We always race home from the store. We went into the condo and noticed our parents hadn't come home from dinner yet. So I made us dinner and we watched TV for a few hours. Around 10:00, I tried to get my brother, Jake, to go to bed, but he wouldn't, claiming he was mature enough at 14 to stay up late on a school night. So we sat up and waited, but they didn't show up. We xalled their cells phones, but they went straight to voicemail. Then we got a call--"
Her voice catches and a tear falls down her cheek. I squeeze her hand and say, "You don't have to go on. If it makes you sad, then don't talk about it."
She shakes her head. She takes a deep breath and continues, "We got a call. It was from the hospital. They said there had been an accident on Congress, a bad one, three killed. One man who was a father of three who lived five stories down from us, and--" she chokes "--my parents." She begins to sob and I wrap her in a tight hug, my heart breaking with her shudders. "They were killed instantly, which is better. I'm glad they didn't suffer. But my dad was my best friend. I loved him more than anyone in the world. This watch--" she says, pulling back and showing it to me "--was his. My mom was my teacher and mother. She was so wise and sweet and comforting. This ring was hers--" she holds up a gorgeous silver ring with a small diamond circle in the middle "--that my dad gave to her as a promise ring in high school. My brother and I mourned together in the condo for hours when we got a call from the family downstairs. It was the boy calling, since his mother was hysterical. He is about my age. His name is Tanner. Tanner Smith. He said that he was sorry for our loss, which I said in return. He said his mom also homeschooled them so when our families were done mourning and ready to get back on our feet, we could come study with them. The Smiths were very kind to us. My parents lawyer said that since I was nearly an adult, my father's life insurance could dupport me and my brother in the condo, so we stayed there and studied with the Smiths. They were angels."
She nuzzles into my chest and cries some more. "I miss my parents so much it hurts."
I pull her in tight and hold her there while she cries. It hurts me for her to be like this. Nobody should feel this way. Especially not such a lovely girl.
When she's done crying, there's a small wet spot on my chest from her tears. She blushes embarrassed and says, "Sorry, Harry. I'm such a mess."
"Don't you dare apologize. I don't care about the shirt. I care about you," I say. She meets my eyes and gives me a small smile.
"Thank you," She says as a final tear falls down her cheek.
I wipe it away gently and say, "You want to head home?"
She nods and stands up, me following, and we walk back to my car, hand-in-hand. The car ride home is silent, but I hold her hand and she holds back, so it's not at all awkward. It's relaxing. We pull up in front of her flat and I walk her to her door.
She turns and faces me. "Thank you for tonight, Harry. It was all absolutely wonderful," she says, smiling.
"I'm glad you had a good time," I say back. "Listen, the lads, the girls, and I were gonna hang out at mine and Louis' flat tomorrow just for some group time. You want to come?" I ask, preparing for denial.
She smiles widely and says, "Yes, of course. I'd love to!"
I grin. "Great!" I'll get you at 10:00 in the morning, okay?"
"Sounds good, Styles," She says, still smiling.
I place my hands on her cheeks and look into her eyes. They shine with such livelyness I've never seen. They reflect strength and brokenness and happiness. They are as blue as the sky and as deep as the ocean. They captivate me entirely in one glance.
I slowely lean in. I see her close her eyes, beckoning me to continue. I close the gap between us, and its like fireworks are going off. Butterflies erupt in my stomach. There's a spark between us that makes the kiss magnetizing. I feel her hands curl into fists on my chest and I can't help but think about how right this feels.
When we break away, we both smile.
"Wow," I say and she nods, giggling softly.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Jovy," I say, pecking her cheek and turning toward the car. I walts down the steps and onto the sidewalk. I look up at her door when I get to my car and wave. She waves back and opens the door. I hear chattering and squeals, which could only mean El, Dani, and Perrie were still there. I laugh to myself and get in my car. As i drive home, I replay the kiss in my mind. Jovy is amazing. She's so easy to be around and so wonderful. She laughs perfectly. She knows exactly what to say. She plays video games. She loves her brother and parents more than anything. She is strong. I can't believe I met such a masterpiece. I hope to be seeing much, much, more of this girl.
Notes
AWWWW they're cute. How do y'all like this story so far?:)With love,
lifeisabook
5/31/13