Self-preservation. Be at the house later. She’s ready.
Fucking hell, I hope she’s right.
I’ve no idea what I’m meant to do to waste the day, but an hour or so after Harlow walked away from me, I find myself standing at my aunt and uncle’s front door. The camper that I have such fond memories of is sitting in the driveway, and I can’t help but remember that night.
My chest aches as it hits home just how much I’ve missed her.
Somehow in only a short amount of time she managed to find a place in my heart that I wasn’t even aware existed.
I ring the bell and wait.
“Corey!” my aunt announces in surprise when she pulls the door open to greet me. “Shouldn’t you be at work?” she asks before realising what she’s just said and corrects herself. “Not that I don’t want you here, of course. Come in, come in.”
The scent of her home cooking fills the house, and my stomach grumbles loudly.
“Perfect timing. I’ve just pulled fresh sausage rolls out of the oven.”
I want to tell her that food isn’t what I came for, but the second my eyes land on the golden, crisp pastry sitting on the counter, I can’t.
“Would you like a coffee too?”
“If you don’t mind.”
“Of course, I don’t mind, silly. Take a seat.” She rattles around, sorting everything out. “I’ve got a cake in the oven too. It’ll be ready in a few minutes.”
“Sounds fantastic. Thank you so much.”
She brings everything over and takes a seat opposite me.
“So to what do I owe this pleasure?”
I shrug, wondering exactly what to tell her. “I… um… I’m having a rough day.”
“Is everyone okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, everyone is fine. I… I met someone.”
“The girl Austin mentioned when you were here last?”
“Yeah. Harlow.” I can’t stop my lips curling at the mention of her name, and if the delight that appears on my aunt’s face says anything, she didn’t miss it.
“Okay, so what’s happened?”
“I fu—I screwed it up.”
She reaches over and squeezes my hand that’s resting on the table. “I’m sure that’s not true, Corey.”
“She did something really nice for me, and I freaked out. Now she’s lost someone close to her and she’s not let me anywhere near her to support her and…”
“You’re in love with her?”
“Um…” My heart pounds and my head spins, but I know that I need to stop running from this.
“Yeah, I think I am.”
“Oh, Corey,” she sighs. “Relationships are hard. Especially the beginning. Trying to figure out who each other is, all their little quirks.” She smiles fondly as she reminisces. “But if you think she’s worth it, then you’ve got to fight.”
“I know,” I mutter, ashamed that I haven’t fought harder for her.
“So why are you here?”
“It was the funeral today. I sat outside the church so I could be there for her. I’m planning on going to her house once she’s home. I just needed… I don’t know. But being at that funeral, it’s the first one since…” My words falter, and my aunt reaches for my hand once again.
“Does she know?” I shake my head. “If you think she’s the one, then you owe it to her to tell her everything.”
“I know,” I whisper. “It’s just finding the words. She’s been through so much herself, and I’d hate to burden her with more of my baggage.”
“If she feels the same, then your past won’t feel like baggage. It will help her get to know you, know what’s in there.” She nods down to my heart.
“To be honest, I didn’t think there was anything in there until I met her.”
“Sometimes all it takes is the right person. Some just have the ability to see inside us and help take the weight of the things that weigh us down.”
I stare at my aunt, wondering for the first time what her story might be. She shakes her head, clearly sensing where my thoughts are at.
“You need to go to her tonight and tell her, show her how you feel. And when she’s strong enough, you need to tell her everything.”
The buzzer on the oven beeps and she jumps up. “My cake!”
We chat about much more mundane things until my uncle comes home and I end up eating with them. The cake my aunt had made for dinner is out of this world, but I struggle to focus on it, knowing that my time here is coming to an end.
“I should probably head out,” I say after being forced to stay where I am and not help with the cleaning up.
“Would you like to borrow the camper?”
“That would be fantastic, are you sure?”
“Of course, keep it for the weekend if you like. Make use of it.”
Walking over, I pull my aunt into my arms. “Thank you,” I whisper in her hair.
“You’re welcome. If you ever need anything, you know where I am. Your mother would never forgive me if I weren’t here for you.”
As always at the mention of my family, guilt twists my gut. I probably should have called my mum for advice right now, but the thought of putting more on her plate puts me off, so when we do talk, I skim the surface of my issues right now.
After she hands me the key to the camper and I get my uncle’s speech once again about looking after his baby, I climb inside and head towards the place I want to be more than anything but am equally terrified of.
I sit out on the street outside Harlow’s for long minutes. I’ve had a message from Bailey to say that they’re home but nothing more.
After giving myself a pep talk, I climb from the car before collecting the doughnuts I stopped to pick up on the way over. I wanted to buy more flowers, but after seeing her living room the other day, I already know she’s got enough of those.
With the box in hand, I make my way over. I don’t get a chance to knock on the front door,
