35 | Get Down

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Hi bestiesss! I hope you're all doing well.

It's time for the trip and our Tiger is back. I think I really just enjoy writing Harry's perspective. This chapter got to me a bit, but it's also a bit personal in a way.

Also, if you haven't followed me on Twitter, please do so. Snippets and sneak peeks on there. Same @ as on here!

Enjoy my precious rosy tulips 🌷

♬ ✥*

Harry.

"Do you have everything?"

"Snowboards, check. Scarves, mittens, check. Luna picked up by Amara, check. Most importantly, road trip snacks, double-check." Looking up at Essie, I saw the widest grin on her face. "What? Priorities, dude."

I shook my head, letting out a small laugh.

It was just after six when I knocked on Serenity's door earlier. I expected a tired face, but I saw the opposite — her excitement was through the roof, and it was infectious. She was dressed and had her things already placed by the door. I called her at five to make sure she was awake — she wasn't. This was probably the first time she'd gotten ready, and I was glad because it was going to be a lengthy journey.

"Come on, petal. We've got a long drive ahead of us," I spoke, tugging her towards me so I could place a soft kiss on her lips.

I missed her.

"I know," she said with a smile.

"It's almost a ten and a half-hour drive, love. We need to get out of the Vancouver area as soon as we can. Fucking traffic will be crazy. If we have to, we'll stay a night someplace," I suggested, but she quickly looked up at me.

"Not a chance, H. When you get tired, we'll switch, and I'll drive."

My brows furrowed. "Not a chance, E. I'm not risking it for you to drive in the mountains."

Her head tilted in confusion, letting out a short laugh. "It's not my first rodeo, you know."

"I know, Starlight. But we'll be in the mountains. There are moose, deer, goats, and who knows what else that can come out of nowhere."

"I'm well aware of that, pretty. It's called nature and its wildlife." She grinned, but I frowned.

"I don't want us to crash. You can get hurt," I spoke quietly, and noticed Serenity's expression soften.

"We'll be alright. I know what to do if it comes to animals. Not exactly the safest, yes, but it's not the end of the world. We're together, and heck, if we have to camp in the woods someplace, I'm prepared to do that too."

Dumbfounded by her words, I raised a brow. "Um, if you're saying that to make me feel better, it's not helping. You know bears exist, right?"

And she just chuckled, grabbing hold of my hands to pull them up to place a kiss on each, then settled them against her chest.

"We'll fight them off. If we fail, then we'll be delicious meals for them. I'm okay with that," Essie spoke, and I shook my head at her, unamused. "Baby, if you don't want to go to Banff, we don't have to. I know you're nervous about it."

Letting out a deep sigh, I thought about everything she was saying. The way she was looking into my eyes, I could see the pure sincerity in them — she was serious. If I didn't want to go, I could easily say no, and we'd just stay here — at home — together. But I could also make her upset by doing that. It was important to her, and even though everything made me nervous, I could do this for her.

Just take things one step at a time.

Or, in this case, one kilometre at a time.

"No, I want to."

She smiled. "Then, let's hit the road. How's about I drive now? We can switch when we get further into the mountains. What do you say?"

Serenity was good. I loved how she was able to make me feel comfortable so quickly.

"You drive a hard bargain, Miss Hayes," I spoke, pouting my lips and shaking my finger at her.

"I'm also pretty good at compromising, Mr Styles."

"Alright then. Deal." I grinned. "Let's go."

Grabbing ahold of her carry-on in one hand, her snowboard in the other, I headed off to place them in the trunk while she locked her door — with a tote bag filled with snacks in her hand.

When she met me at the curb, I hid the keys behind my back until she gave me a proper kiss. I just hoped her neighbours weren't awake at this hour or looking out their windows. That wouldn't have been very appropriate to find Serenity pinned up against the side of my car.

But I didn't care, it was quite pleasant.

♬ ✥*

Serenity and I were about an hour in on the highway, driving to Banff; and it was the first real vacation I was ever going to experience.

Essie had already finished a breakfast wrap she made herself, and started with some cut up fruit in a small container. Every time she swallowed it, she'd open her mouth so I could pop another one inside. She also may — or may not — have playfully bit me a few times.

She was very cheeky.

I knew she was starting off everything healthy at first, planning to follow with other treats. She didn't fail to consider me with her meal prep, because she also prepared two different options for me, depending on what I was in the mood for — an egg wrap with greens or avocado wrap with cucumber slices.

The fact that she gave me choices warmed my heart.

This trip was starting out wonderful, and I couldn't stop thinking about how things were in the past, and how they are now.

With my ex, there was nothing more to the story than what I told Essie. It wasn't even a trip, but a disaster. Not to mention that I spent the time at the business convention with her father — a man who hated me. Like his daughter, he only 'liked' me for my money — and to be seen with me in public. My surname and company name were a curse when it came to being known in the corporate world.

Anyone knew who the Styles family was, they knew Styles Inc. — and Urban Corp.

However, not many people know that problems existed between my father and me. We had separate companies, and I'm sure that some wondered why I didn't work for him. Of course, he 'covered' for himself, saying that I wanted to try my luck elsewhere, and I'd eventually find my way back to work for him.

That man was simply delusional.

A fraudulent being who only cared about money and success — and he didn't care how he got them.

So this was going to be a completely new experience for me. Not only was I going to be on a trip with the girl, but I'd also coexist alongside her family for a couple of days.

As much as they'd grown quite dear to me, and I was invited, I was still nervous as fuck.

I hoped that one day this feeling would disappear, but I just wasn't sure when.

I was holding onto my confidence as much as possible, but it faltered whenever I thought about spending a lot of time with them. I had a panic attack the first night I met her brother because I was surrounded by only three people I didn't know. At the hockey game, I still had that familiar experience, but deep down inside, there was a tiny spark of anxiety that I just hoped wouldn't get fuelled by trepidation.

But then, things changed — at least, temporarily.

During the drive, I somehow managed to doze off for what I thought was twenty minutes, when it was around three hours. Essie said she didn't want to wake me because she wanted me to be rested for later on. In all honesty, I was thankful for that. It helped eased the uneasy feeling that ran through my veins.

We stopped a couple of times at a petrol station for a gas fill-up, not forgetting to get an extra few containers — just in case. In the convenience store, she refused to get anything, saying it's why she brought food with us because they overpriced everything. There was no doubt it was true, but if she wanted anything, I'd still get it for her.

I'd give my petal the world if she asked for it.

Little did she know that I changed a major part of the plan for this trip.

I managed to get ahold of Milo to send him a text of the hotel's address we were all staying at and told him to share it with the rest. He tried to get more information out of me, but I didn't say a word. Her brother was just as inquisitive as Serenity, but he was more subtle. Of course, when it came to that nature, I was the best at it.

None of them knew that I cancelled their reservations at the hotel they booked. Instead, I booked separate suites at a four-diamond property, and whichever services they wanted were on me.

I wanted to do something special since they invited me to go on their family trip. Apparently, it was the first time Essie was bringing along a 'boyfriend' — at least, that's what Charlie said. Milo has been bringing his girlfriend Destiny with him for a few years now, which Essie assumes he's going to propose sometime before the end of the year.

It turned out that Amara had tagged along in the past a few times, but she wanted to take the time to spend it with River instead. In a way, I was glad. I'd gotten used to the fact that he would be around a lot — but I still wasn't a fan of him.

After we switched seats, I had the company of myself for a few hours since I encouraged my girl to sleep for a bit. I could see her getting tired, struggling to stay awake. She refused at first but then involuntarily gave in. It was nerve-wracking to do this drive on my own, especially the further we got into the mountains. The lack of phone service simply added to the uncomfortable feeling that kept coming and going. Obviously, I had the destination in my GPS, along with an actual map — in case we needed it.

There was only one lane at several times, so I had to pass many vehicles on our route, but whenever the road curved gave me anxiety. The thing that kept me going was when I thought back to how Essie did it before, and if she managed, then so could I — and her presence beside me.

There was no doubt to say that the route was absolutely breathtaking. I could see the view clearly from my condo, but seeing it up close and personal was no comparison.

Aspen and Evergreen trees covered the mountainous region, with snowcaps blanketing their tips. Astounding as the sight was seen with pine and juniper tones and a sudden separation to massive stones. Neutral hues scattered along the rocks, creating their own natural painter's palette. The vivid sky was painted in azure with pure marshmallow dotting it in clouds. Slowly, they rolled in, hinting that snow and ice filled them.

Everything was spectacular and captivating, just as the sapphire gems that were a blessing to my eyes.

Suddenly, I felt a hand reach over to grasp my hand as I turned to glance at Essie, who wore a soft, tired smile. I noticed that she tended to cross her arms over her body when she fell asleep — it was similar to me. We still kept our same gestures, but now we just made room for each other in between.

I loved that.

Once she woke up, we made some small talk and road trip games which helped time pass by as there were only a couple of hours left until we got to Banff. She distracted me a lot by getting me to laugh and smile throughout the journey. The way time was going by so quick was something I didn't expect. With one hand on the wheel, I held hers in the other, caressing her soft skin.

As the sun started to set, comfortable silence surrounded us. The light began peering through the mountain peaks, the colours of the sky morphing into another beauty I couldn't explain.

But there was someone much more alluring than it — one that was my own personal starlight.

Her head was turned, gazing out the window, occasionally smiling when she saw a mountain goat within the steep rocks. Whenever she'd look at me, I could see a rosy blush creep upon her freckled cheeks. The way her face was so bare, yet the contrast of her deep sapphire gems made her entirety stand out in a crowd. And the way her glasses rested upon her nose made my heart pound. I was still amazed by the confidence she had and how she was so comfortable around me.

Of course, mine grew quite a bit, too.

Ever since the day I wore that coloured suit, she mentioned that my eyes turned a brighter shade of green. Her expression was everything to me that day, and I haven't stopped wearing colours. There were attires of many hues — some including navy, pine, chocolate, lime, and punch pink.

When I showed up at Serenity's apartment wearing that, I'd never made her so silent for several minutes before. I stood at her door, waiting for her to say a peep, but she suddenly showed me that she wasn't quiet at all — rather, quite vocal. I made sure her neighbours knew my name by the end of that night. It was fun.

Like her, I was also wearing my glasses. A white hoodie adorned my torso, along with a pair of grey sweatpants and my trusty white runners. Essie told me to pack a pair of boots because I'd need them. I'd also snuck in my fancy loafers, knowing they'd be of use during dinners. But as of now, it was a long drive, and all I wanted was to be comfortable.

She, too, was in comfy clothes. An olive sweater that was mine, but was now claimed to be hers, a pair of leggings, and boots.

When I turned to glance back at Serenity, our eyes met for a brief second, seeing hers widen. But as I was about to ask if I was okay, she turned up the music and started to belt out the songs from a 90s boy band. We'd alternated between it and her phone throughout our journey — and clearly, the radio found some signal.

It wasn't the first time we sang along to some tunes on the way, but this was a bit much.

"You're the one for me. You're my ecstasy. You're the one I need!"

"Oh, fuck." I groaned.

The grin on her face was priceless, and I mocked in a cry. "Harry, I know you know the lyrics. Everyone knows the lyrics."

She was right.

They played this song at every school dance after it came out. Sometimes I wondered why because the lyrics were not appropriate for children. I never actually danced, though, because I never had anyone to go with.

A sister school would invite the girl's, and it would be the only time we had with the opposite sex. The problem was that we were forced to go, so I always sat in the corner while I watched everyone have a good time. I never asked anyone — and no one asked me. Who would want to ask the geek who still wore a school uniform at the dance because he didn't have a suit to wear?

My father only sent me to school with the bare necessities — and that's it. It was another reason why I was bullied. I mean, I was the rich kid with worn-out clothes with some that even had holes in them. They knew he didn't care for me, and it was amusing for them.

But now I had Essie. She danced with me, and I was having the time of my life.

And there was another thing that she didn't know — I knew how to dance.

I suppressed it in my memory for so long that I genuinely believed that I had two left feet. It surprised me when it came out the day I dipped her — when she 'taught' me to dance. I didn't know why I forgot something so significant, but I could easily blame it on the awful moments of my past.

I was just going to wait for the right time to tell her — or show her.

If she wanted to tango, that's exactly what we were going to do, because I also may — or may not — have booked out one of the ballrooms just for us.

"Do I have to?" I replied, letting out a groan.

"Get down, get down, and move it all around!" she sang instead of answering me.

"Hey, baby love, I need a girl like you. But tell me if you feel it too," I mumbled, and she squeezed my hand tighter, encouraging me to increase my tone.

"I'm in delusion every minute, every hour. My heart is crying out for you." Dramatically, her hands pressed against her chest. "Come on, Tiger. Sing it with me!"

"I feel in heaven when I look in your eyes. I know that you are the one for me..." We sang together.

Heaven really was in her eyes — and she was the one for me.

Fuck I was such a sap.

We continued on the rest of the song, harmonizing together — or at least, she tried to. I still made fun of the fact that she couldn't sing. She attempted to say that I was the same, but it wasn't true because we both knew I did.

One of the times I came home for the summer, one of my nanny's heard me humming some tunes in my room and complimented my voice. She was one of the nice ones. Then again, most of the people who worked for my parents were lovely. They even congratulated me when I took over as CEO, but they were private messages.

It was unfortunate, but I ended up finding out a few were fired when my father found out. I took the liberty of sending them money to help them, and they couldn't be any more grateful. It did take some convincing, but they finally accepted it.

Through the rest of the trip, icy flakes began falling from the sky, and I was thankful that we were close enough to town. I could see the Serenity swaying from side to side in enthusiasm as time passed, and I knew that feeling was only going to intensify.

"I love it here so much. Look at all the snow!" She exclaimed, and I rolled my eyes.

"Gee, great. The snow," I spoke sarcastically, and she lightly hit my shoulder.

"Oh hush, Tiger. You love it," she replied, rolling down the window. All of the warmth in the car escaped within seconds as the cold air rushed in. Of course, Essie just had to.

Blowing into the cold air, her eyes twinkled in excitement as she spoke, "Look, you can see my breath."

"Yes, darling. It's called condensation." A smirk tugged at my lips.

And the look she gave me, let's just say I absolutely had a death wish.

"I had no idea, smart ass," she deadpanned, and I laughed.

"You've made your point, love," I spoke, closing her window — and locked on it.

"Hey! That's rude, you know." Her pretty eyes narrowed on me.

"I'd rather not freeze my arse off before I see your parents, Essie."

As we drove into town, I saw exactly why she

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