Chapter 17.

Summer Sky by Asking For a Friend

I walked down the streets, listening to quiet morning whispers and sweet greetings. The air held up its reputation of liveliness and effortless goodness, I knew I'd never fail to love this city. I walked past a sweet lady who I spoke to briefly in Italian, she said that she loved my hair. Amo i tuoi capelli.

I remembered the sweetened eyes of my mum, the thought of the city reminding me so much of her caused my head to tilt to the side. I saw her in the delightful cheers coming from the older man handing out flowers to passing people. I met his eyes and he went out of his way to give me one. Grazie mille.

I saw her kindness in the colors of every building, alive with potential stories and past loves. Warmth and comfort in aging, no worldly mediocrity able to steal away from it.

I watched the sky for a minute, I watched its clouds pretending to be the passing people itself, moving swiftly with icy breezes of the early hours. On my way to Anna's I found myself passing the florist. I looked down at the lily in my hands, and decided not to stop in. But my mind found its way inside, gracing every bit of memory with its fingertips, placing kisses on my undecided most favorites.

I let my feet walk along with the beat, feeling like nearly skipping down the entire street. This is what I wanted out of life exactly. If I never published a book in my life I would regret it just the same as never living here. Looks like that was the next step.

"Darby you look unmistakably joyful this morning." Anna called to me as I arrived at the café. "It is a lovely morning, Anna." I cheesed, feeling my smile exposed, a reminder to myself of my own radiance. I shied away soon after. Her face read once more a sarcastic 'alright'.

"I'll have you know, Anna, I haven't seen him for nearly three days now."

"I never said I was talking about him, did I?" She got me. I shook away my flushed cheeks, feeling slightly disgusted and surprised at my own actions. But I was supposed to let myself be vulnerable, right. I was alright with that.

And the day would pass quickly as well, Harry texted only a couple minutes earlier. Telling me to arrive at his house at 7 p.m. Dressed up, with no other information. And though it typically would have been wretched to wait with no idea of what I was waiting for, he seemed much too excited about it.

...

"Harry!" I threw my hands up to my mouth as he spun in a circle to show off. "That's so pretty on you." I smiled. He wore a teal-blue suit coat with some plaid pants, and a striped button-up underneath that. I pulled out a little pearl necklace from his collection and held it up to his neck.

His room was bland, interestingly enough. I wouldn't think it would be. All that was in it were a couple of printed pictures, a ukulele resting on a dresser, which confused me. A load of different necklaces and his plethora of rings waiting to grace his hands, and a single daisy sitting in a tiny cup of water on his bedside table. It was nearly dead, but he must have quite a knowledge of keeping flowers alive. I dried mine out, it was hanging upside down in my apartment for weeks.

"I think this one is perfect." I said, smiling as he turned for me to put the necklace on him. I hardly ever saw him dressed up like that, I almost forgot how stunning his sense of fashion was. Definitely looked up to him in that area. He had a confidence about him, it wasn't just the clothes he wore, you could tell that he felt in his element and I found that sweet.

"Your hair is getting so long." I giggled, pulling it up out of his eyes. He snatched me up as I did so, pulling in my waist and spinning me around. "You seem to still outshine me, Darbs." I looked down at my mid-length dress filled with an odd little postal stamp pattern that I adored.

It matched Harry's outfit effortlessly, the feeling of it as well. I ran to slip on some dusty blue heels to complete it.

"Mitch, are you ready?" Sarah yelled as we all gathered around the door ready to leave. I felt Harry behind me, he ran his finger over my tattoo without saying anything. I turned to meet his eyes, emerald as they were. He gave a cheeky smile, grinning out of excitement. "Ready!" Mitch yelled back, hurrying to catch up to us. Harry was being jokingly impatient and silly which I'd think was quite typical.

"Darbs you look fabulous." Sarah leaned over to me to say, I blushed. "You as well!" As we walked outside, Charlotte noticed my tattoo as well. "That's beautiful." I felt completely overwhelmed with love and I was nowhere near used to that.

We were climbing into a black Range Rover and an idea came to me, "Harry I think you failed to tell me where we were actually going." "Should I keep it a surprise then?" Harry teased, eyebrows raising.

"I can't stand surprises, they're agonizing—" "A Jazz club. Occhi Stellati Jazz Club." Mitch informed, he tilted his head back casually. Harry turned to me, "It has a food too, you'll love it. And dancing... And drinks but you wouldn't love that."

Stella By Starlight by Miles Davis

We walked down the street, catching an alarming amount of eyes, definitely because of H. It wasn't far of a walk, I tried to enjoy the feel of the city at night before we found the steps that went down to the club. They were a bit steep, Harry held out his hand for me after going down a couple first. I laughed sweetly, then stopped abruptly when I heard the music. I took a quick deep breath and Harry nodded excitedly. "I told you, it's one of my favorites ever."

We entered through another door, and immediately my heart fell in love. There were illuminated neon signs and frames with faces of legends, sweet music filling the air with its electrified improvisation. For an evasive romantic like myself, it was perfectly whimsical. The star-like lights scattered the ceiling like the name of the place, I tried to hold in my excitement but I think to Harry it was most obvious.

Immediately Harry spun me around, catching me off my guard. I kept my eyes locked on his as we were given a table, snapping out of it when he pulled out a chair for me. "Thank you." I gushed. The lights reflected in them, I couldn't help it. Occhi Stellati...

We ate an overly expensive dinner, I stayed quiet most of the time. I didn't have much to say and when I didn't have much to say, I stayed close to my thoughts and far from the people in front of me. No matter how hard I tried.

There were quite a lot of people there. I felt Harry's hand on my back even as we sat down, he noticed. I listened to the music to calm down, I took a deep breath. I worried for a moment that it wasn't enough to stop me, that was right up until Harry stood from his seat.

"Darby, would you like to dance?"

"Would I like to dance?" I touched my hand to my collarbone.

"Well I was hoping to ask you that, looks like you're asking yourself as well." His smile was incandescent. I rushed up out of my chair and brushed off my dress. "Well I would love to."

I realized that Sarah and Mitch had also already gotten up to dance, there were a few people dancing on the space in between the tables and chairs. I didn't have to worry, no one was paying attention to me. He wrapped one hand and around my waist and held my hand with his other. Now even the thought of not having to worry left my head.

"Have you written anything lately?" I noticed the way he said 'lately'... like late and ly were two very distinct syllables.

I thought about what I had written a couple days ago, before Harry called and took me to the studio.

The rippling emerald waters he sees the world through are not rose but Gold... I can only hope he sees me through the same lense.

"I have..." I said as he smiled. "May I ask?" "You may..."

He took a breath, "What have you been writing about, Darby?"

"I... have been writing about..." I thought about it some more, tilting my head and averting my eyes. I had been writing about him an absurd amount. I felt the warmth in a pit of my stomach sweetly begging me to release my thoughts.

"You, oddly enough." I played off my nerves with a slight giggle, letting my shoulders fall naturally. I watched his expression change, from something inquisitive to another thing in full blossomed awe. "May I ask what it is you've found so... inspiring to write about?"

"Maybe your eyes. Much more importantly what they say about your mind." I said easily. "What are they saying about my mind?"

"You sure are asking a lot of questions."

"Well, I want to know everything about you."

"There's no way to do that... I fear it's impossible." My head spun with thoughts but I had no ability to make out what any of them were. I shook my head, clinging to unmelodious thoughts that ritually ate at my mind.

Nobody Else Will Be There by The National

"I'd have to disagree but it's all up to you." I didn't answer him, I felt his hand shifting and it's all I could focus on.

Time passed without being recognized, sneaking through cracks of transparent silence. I was on the verge of words, finding what they were once again. "I think I'm going to write a book, Harry."

Saying it aloud sparked a flame of excitement in me, sending a bubbly smile to my lips. As haunting as I used to find it, I felt like grabbing my hesitation by the neck and throwing myself at my work.

"I'm proud of you." He started subconsciously rubbing his thumb across the back of my hand, sending my memories to the night we rode home from the ocean where he did the same thing. "You hardly know my writing, how can you be proud?"

"I know that you put all of yourself into everything you've determined to do. That's why I am proud of you." Home is what his words felt like, like a new old feeling of halcyonic peace.

"Those... those words are quite the antidote, aren't they." I kept losing my train of thought, playing with a loose curl on his forehead or focusing on the glazed over look in his eyes. He looked at me often with those, focused yet detached. I dare say in awe.

"Antidote, yes." He said, moving his arm further around me, so that I would be closer to him. He wasn't much taller than me, but I hadn't noticed it as consciously as I did then. It was probably only a few inches, really. Though I felt refreshingly vulnerable looking up at him.

"What do you say we leave here."

"Leave here?" "Just take a walk. Outside, fresh air. It's Italy, baby, I wouldn't let you miss out on the nights here." His voice was soft. I nodded my head, not bothering to ask about the others. Nor having the time to comprehend the 'baby'. Or the way he said "It-ta-ly." He spun me again, holding onto just one of my hands and pulling me behind him, out of the room, up the stairs, out in the open again.

"People could see us, I know but—" I hardly had the breath to truly care, all that left me was a smile as he looked at me for reassurance. "We're completely safe.

He once again, with his thing for pinkies, took mine like he was holding my hand and let them drop to our sides. "It smells wonderful." I said, simply. We walked and I hadn't yet thought to look up. Once the thought hit, I did. There were stars, of course there were. There were millions of them, more seemed to be showing up as I searched longer. Mozzafiato.

I tapped Harry's shoulder, pointing up. "You remind me of them, you know."

"They remind me of you."

"Man, you're extra cheesy tonight, aren't you." I laughed sweetly, dismissing the butterflies that seemed to occupy my being and all my existence.

He leaned into me doing the same. "I genuinely can't help it," He turned away from me, "And the dress you are wearing is quite fantastic." His voice was low and shied away.

"What?" A smile kissed my lips once again, I peeked at his avoiding eyes. His warm smile, sprezzatura. An effortless elegance.

"You're very pretty and it has quite the effect, Darby!" He blushed, even noticeable in just the street lights that lit the black night. "You're not saying you like me, are you?" I teased.

"I really thought kissing you would give you that idea," He spoke sarcastically, "I hope it hasn't taken you this long to figure. "

"No it really wasn't obvious to me." I faked, bursting into giggles. The air was warm, but for once it wasn't horribly humid. It only felt refreshing, walking through the streets of midnight Italy with my stars and my sun in the midst of lovely darkness. A sentence I have thought about since I was much younger. Now I can say it with the confidence I always had but never had the knowledge to use.

...

"Tonight feels indefinitely like one of those fine line moments, Harry." We sat on a bench that looked over the canal. It was open enough to see the stars, the moon, the people. Clear enough to learn to understand.

"It is exactly." He ran his fingers through his hair as we watched the sky. "I remember you telling me about those very certain times where we're allowed to feel at peace. You said it was always when you were looking at the stars for you, even though I know you've always wanted more than anything to be compared to the sunrise."

"Where are you going with this?" I questioned, agreeing with everything he said.

"You just tonight said that I remind you of the stars." I nodded my head, agreeing with him there as well.

"I am the stars to you... I'm your comfort and your breath of serenity, peace... like you said."

"It's all too peaceful to allow doubt and it's much too lovely for the disgust of anxiety to enter. That's why it's the closest we can be to absolute serenity." I recited, I wrote that one down the night after I had said it to him.

"And I want to be that for you Darby." I watched in wait, searching for his words as he did the same himself. He was nothing but right and nothing but enchanting.

"I think it's fascinating how I've always been so infatuated with the stars, you've always been in love with the sunrise. I just... like that." He said, I could tell he was thinking hard. There was a crease between his eyebrows, one that showed up whenever he thought about something. "I like that too."