by G. Bailey
“Harper, are you still coming tonight?” She says, stopping in front of me and not looking at me as she talks, no her eyes are on Colton. Not that he even looks her way, he never has. Skye has tried to get me to set her up with Colton many times, but I don’t know how many times I’ve told her that he isn’t interested. I do get her interest, even I have to admit Colton is extremely good looking compared to the guys at this school. Or any school I’ve ever been too.
“Yeah, I will meet you there at eight,” I smile at her, even if I’m getting annoyed at how she acts around Colton. I roll my eyes as she twirls her blonde hair around her finger and steps closer to Colton.
“Are you coming Colt? I know I would love to see you there,” she says, her words laced with suggestions. She may as well strip down naked and lay herself out for him at this rate.
“No, and its Harper’s birthday, and I have plans for her. See you around Skye,” he says, tugging on my hand as she frowns. I give her a small smile as I walk past her with Colt and get into his car. Colt has a Land Rover, a red one and he fixes it himself. The car runs like a dream, and the inside has dark blue leather seats he fitted in here. They are even heated.
“Urgh, I wish I had your car,” I say as I snuggle down in the seat and clip my seat belt on.
“I would give you anything Harper, but not my car.” He winks at me, and I laugh. Colt does his seatbelt up before turning on the car and driving us the ten-minute drive out of town. I smile and lean back in my seat when I see where he is driving us to.
“The water tower?” I ask him.
“Where else? We always go there when we want to be alone,” Colt says, and I turn the heating on the seats.
“Alright, anything is better than going back home,” I comment.
“What did she say?” Colt asks, picking up straight away that my foster parent has done something.
“The usual, she wants me to move out, but it’s still difficult to hear on your eighteenth birthday, you know?” I comment, trying not to think of my foster mum and how she needs me to move out as she doesn’t get paid to look after me anymore. Every foster home I’ve been in has been about the money, and they want a child that they basically don’t have to deal with. Not one of them I can remember being loving. I’ve been in foster care for as long as I remember since I lost both my parents, but I was too young to remember their deaths. I don’t even have photos of them, anything from them as it was all sold or lost over the years. I wonder if I look like them as I see my reflection in the window, my big green eyes, my long brown hair and my gold skin. I wonder what parts of my face look like my mum or dad?
“You could come and live with me,” Colt tells me, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“I’m sure your parents would love that, they don’t like me remember?” I chuckle.
“They don’t get you, not that they don’t like you. I can’t explain it but trust me, they wouldn’t say no. I won’t see you out on the streets Harper,” he tells me, resting his hand on my knee for a second and squeezing it.
“I know you wouldn’t,” I smile at him as he moves his hand to turn the wheel. Colton drives us into the old road, where the water tower is at the end. The water town hasn’t been used in years, it just left here, and it looks like it’s close to falling apart. I get out the car and follow Colton up the pathway that is made of crumbling stone and weeds. He doesn’t have to worry about the car being stolen around here as no one comes this far out, so he doesn’t lock it. I climb up the old ladder that has bars around it to stop people falling and pull myself on to the top of the tower. I wait for Colton to climb up, before we go and sit on the edge, holding my arms over the bars as my legs dangle off the side. I used to be scared of the height, but eventually when I started to look around at the town, and the lights. It's better not to let the fear of falling, stopping you from seeing the beauty of where you are.
“I like it when you watch the town, your whole face lights up,” Colton tells me, I turn my head to look at him as he takes a piece of my brown hair in his fingers and lets it fall.
“Colt,” I whisper as he moves closer and pulls a box out of his pocket.
“It’s your birthday gift. Well, the first one and the second one I will have to give you tomorrow as it’s not done,” he tells me, but I find it hard to look away from him as he moves that bit closer to me.
“Oh. You didn’t have to get me anything, but I’m not going to say no,” I chuckle a little and accept the box. My eyes widen when I open it and see the bracelet inside. There are three silver crystals in the middle of a silver bracelet. The crystals are shaped like roses.
“This is amazing, thank you so much,” I tell him as he takes the bracelet out the box for me and I offer him my wrist. He ties the bracelet and smiles at me.
“It’s meant for you,” he says, moving to brush a piece of my hair behind my ear and his face is so close to mine. When his finger trail down my cheek, to my neck as we stare at each other, my breath hitches. Colt has never touched me like this before.
“What are we doing Colt?” I ask him, and he goes to answer when his phone rings. The phone ringing ruins the moment between us and I move back. Colt swears under his breath as he gets his phone out of his pocket.
“Hello?” He answers as I lean back and annoyance crosses his face.
“Yeah alright, alright, bye,” he tells whoever is on the phone and then turns the phone off.
“I have to go, but I’ll drive you home first. Can we meet up tomorrow? There’s something I really need to tell you,” Colt tells me.
“Should I worry?” I laugh, and he shakes his head with a sad look. He goes to say something, but his phone rings and he swears under his breath as he stands up.
“Not at all,” he smiles. Yet I can’t seem to make myself believe him.