I’m just happy to hear the story, that she trusts me enough with it, even after everything we’d been through together. After what I’d done.
Mabel turns her head away from mine and brings her plastic glass up to her lips to take a sip. Feelingher body untensing I reach for mine and do the same, still holding one arm around her small frame.
She puts her glass back down and leans to reach her phone, unpausing the music she no doubt done upon hearing horses feet galloping towards her.
It shocks me that she never suspected that I wouldn’t follow her out here as soon as I knew she was gone from around the fire.
She knew full well that only I could have known where she went, because this is where we would come every year, together.
A country song I don’t recognise comes through her portable speaker and she relaxes her back once again onto my chest.
She isn’t moving away from me, and I’m so relieved.
“So, now you know,” She sighs out, hands tightly gripping onto my arm.
“Now I know.” I nestle my face back into her shoulder. The electricity buzzing through our touch.
Austin will live to see another day.
Mainly because we probably won’t ever find the son of a bitch.
We sit in silence for what feels like hours, but it can’t have been that long. Feeling her breatheagainst my chest is a feeling I can’t explain into words.
I’m still so in-love with this girl, nothing else matters, except this.
Except her.
“Hey, Mav?” I hear her ask and I pull my chin away from her shoulder to look at her, once again her face extremely close to mine.
“Yeah, Firefly?” I answer her.
“Where did you go?” She asks me, a little above a whisper.
Shit.
I should’ve known she’d ask me eventually. I shift in my seat on the hard floor, refusing to let go of her.
“I stayed in California,” I reply to her, not knowing what else to answer.
I watch her digest the answer I’ve given her, waiting for the why to follow. “Why did you come home?” she asks, her bright blue eyes shining back at me.
I wasn’t expecting her to ask that, however more along the lines of why I left. I’m glad she hasn’t, because I’m still trying to find the words, she so well deserves.
“Because I couldn’t be away from here anymore,” I answertruthfully.
I couldn’t be away from her anymore.
“That’s fair...” she nods at me. “This place sure has a way of pulling us back.”
No baby, you have a way of pulling me back.
“It does.” I smile back at her.
Another gust of wind hits us as we sit on her pre-prepped blanket, causing her hair to fly back onto her face. Without thinking, yet again, I bring my hand up and tuck her hair behind her ears, never losing eye contact with her.
Instead of moving my hand away, my body takes over, and I rest it on her cheek, using my thumb to stroke her face. Mabel brings her own hand up and rests it on mine. Her eyes reflecting the stars above us.
“You’re so beautiful,” I whisper out, without thinking of the repercussions. Because in this moment, with her, I refuse to give a damn about them.
