Page 37 of Rev

We get out of the car, and I quickly grab the backpack of clean clothes from the back before, I follow her up the path to the front door. The night air is cool, and the sky is dotted with stars. It’s a peaceful contrast to the turmoil inside me and the chaos we left behind. Harley steps inside first, and I trail after her, closing the front door softly behind us.

She leads me through the house, which is very modern in its decor with glass everywhere, and when we reach the lounge, the floor-to-ceiling windows reveal a spectacular view.

“What made you choose this location?” I ask, but when I stop at the window and look out, I already know the answer. In direct sight of where I’m now standing is our stone bench.

“It was an obvious choice,” she says, her voice trembling slightly.

I take her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “It’s ace.”

“I… I want tonight to be perfect,” she admits, her voice shaky. “But I’m so nervous.”

I step closer, taking her hands in mine. “It doesn’t have to be perfect,” I say gently. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for. We can just be together. I’d like to take a shower and change first, if that’s okay?”

We ascend the stairs, and I can feel the tension in her grip. When we reach the landing, she leads me down a hallway to her bedroom. The door is ajar, and pushing it open, she steps inside, and I follow. The room is cosy with soft lighting, and the faint scent of her perfume lingers in the air.

Harley turns to face me, her eyes wide and uncertain.

“We’ll take this one step at a time.” I tell her, hoping to ease some of her anxiety.

She looks up at me, gratitude and relief shining in her eyes. “Thank you, Hadrian. I’m just… I’m scared.”

I pull her into my arms, holding her close. “I know,” I murmur against her hair. “It’s okay to be scared. We’ll take things slow. There’s no rush.”

We stand like that for a moment. The steady beat of her heart against my chest calms my own racing pulse. When she finally pulls back, she looks a little more at ease.

“Feel free to use my bathroom,” she offers, pointing towards her en-suite.

I don’t want to be away from Harley for too long, so the moment I step under the spray, I lather up and clean off the dirt from today. It’s refreshing to feel the cool water on my skin, and as much as I wouldn’t mind a longer shower, I have a beautiful woman waiting on me, so I don’t linger. I exit the shower, and grabbing a towel, I quickly dry myself off, and put on a clean T-shirt and boxers before returning to the bedroom.

“Thank you,” I tell her.

“Let’s sit down,” she suggests, leading me over to the bed.

We sit, side by side, on the edge of the mattress, and I keep hold of her hand, drawing circles with my thumb on her skin.

“Harley, you mean everything to me,” I tell her softly. “I want this to be special for you, but more than that, I want you to feel safe and comfortable.”

She nods, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I do feel safe with you, Hadrian. More than I ever have with anyone else.”

I smile, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. “That’s all I want, Magpie.”

Harley leans into me, resting her head on my shoulder, and I wrap my arm around her and hold her close. We talk for a while about everything and nothing. The conversation flows easily, and I can feel her tension slowly melting away.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about us,” she says after a while, her voice wistful. “About what all this means for our future.”

I take a deep breath, my heart swelling with emotion. “Me too. I want a future with you, Harley. Whatever that looks like. Wherever it takes us, I want to be with you.”

She lifts her head to look at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of hope and uncertainty. “Even if that means leaving everything you know behind?”

I nod, my resolve firm. “Even then. You’re worth it, Harley. We’ll figure it out together.”

She smiles, and it’s like the sun breaking through the clouds. “I want that too,” she says softly. “I want to be with you, Hadrian. No matter what.”

We sit in comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying each other’s presence. Eventually, Harley shifts, looking at me with a tentative smile. “Can we lie down?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Of course,” I reply, standing up to pull back the covers. She slips off her shoes and slides under the sheets, and I join her, lying on my side, facing her.

I reach out to gently caress her cheek. “You’re beautiful,” I say, the words slipping out without thought.

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