quick note- some people still think she's STILL wearing her wedding dress cmon ppl read chapters 2 and 3 she got her suitcase that she had for the honeymoon and changed her outfit deer gODDD

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mia

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 I woke up very dazed and confused the next morning. I was laying on the couch in the living room of the RV but I had no clue how I had gotten there. The last thing that I remembered from the previous night was closing my eyes for a little bit during Harry's turn in Scrabble.

I yawned and scrolled through my phone for a bit, something that I had to do before I could get up and fully function and complete any daily tasks. Afterward, I got up and made myself a toaster strudel and joined Harry at the front of the bus, where he was driving.

"Good afternoon to you, sleepy." Harry laughed. I frowned down at him- was it really afternoon already? I was a late sleeper but usually the latest that I slept in was eleven in the morning. "You fell asleep during my turn in Scrabble last night. I was very disappointed in you."

"Sorry." I said groggily. "I think I just got tired from all the walking we did yesterday." I explained, plopping down in the passenger seat and biting into my strudel.

"It's fine." He reassured me. "You need your rest for tonight, anyways." He smirked over at me and for a second I paused everything I was doing and just gave him a look. Was this supposed to be referring to something dirty?

"God, no!" He said. "We're going to a party tonight, Mia! No!"

I immediately covered my face with my hands. Usually I was never one to really sexual innuendos or dirty jokes, I was literally the perfect depiction of the person who gets the joke last, but apparently not today.

"Don't be embarrassed, I totally set myself up for that one." He said as he looked onto the road. We were definitely out of the city now. All I could see for miles and miles were railroads and highways and some rest stops here and there.

"So we're going to a party, then? Where at?"

"It's in New Jersey, but practically on the other side of the whole state. I started driving a few hours ago and we've stopped once already. I also went through your suitcase and laid out the dress for you to wear tonight."

"You went through my stuff?" I asked.

"Okay, well you make it sound worse than it really was." Harry said defensively. "It wasn't like I tried your lacy red bra on or anythi-"

"You did what now!?" I demanded, slightly horrified.

"I'm just kidding." Harry chuckled. "But now you've confirmed that you have a lacy red bra in there."

"Well, I was going on my honeymoon." I pointed out. This immediately shut Harry up and I felt sort of bad for saying it that way. Harry delicate, almost. He had this idea of love and believed that it was perfect and it wasn't. It made me not want to open up about my almost-marriage to him, because in a way I didn't want to taint his imagine of love like mine was.

"Right." Harry finally said. "Has he tried to contact you...?"

"Yes." I mumbled, nibbling on the last bit of my toaster strudel.

"What did he say?" Harry asked. I wanted to point out that he was being nosy, but I decided against it.

"Many things. Most I can't repeat. They were mean." I said briefly. I heard Harry sigh and saw him run the hand that wasn't on the steering wheel through his curls. I remembered last night when he told me to stick up for myself and assumed he probably was frustrated that I didn't stick up for myself to Matthew. But how was I supposed to when I was taught by the people that raised me to submit to my fake husband and basically let everyone walk all over me?

"I'm sorry." I mumbled.

"For what?" Harry asked.

"I didn't stick up for myself."

"You shouldn't need to in the first place." Harry said genuinely. "A pretty girl like you should never have to defend herself, because she should never be in a situation like that. And I'm sorry that you've ever had to be in one."

This shut me up real quick. First- he called me pretty, and second- he was apologizing for another man's behavior. His words burned through my head and seeped into my brain, looping themselves on repeat as they sunk in. It was like there was no indecent bone in this man's body.

"Thank you." I said.

We sat in silence for a good half an hour. I went back to the kitchen once to grab some lunch for Harry, we exchanged a 'thank you' and 'you're welcome', then I ate some lunch myself and reclined my seat back as I read a book. I didn't know many details of this party, but my stomach was flopping just by thinking about it. I wasn't one of those goody goody girls who had never been to a party- I've had my fair share- but I always had that nervous excitement in me before a good party. And what party wouldn't be good with Harry attending? It wasn't going to be like those crappy house parties in high school.

"By the way, whose party is this?" I asked Harry.

"His name is David Cannoway, he's in a few movies. Really nice guy, up and coming actor. I believe he's in an animated film coming out later this summer, I just can't remember the title. But anyways, he's got a house along the beach and I figured we could go."

"So is this some A list party that I'll embarrass myself at?" I asked.

"You won't embarrass yourself, Mia." Harry said. "And it's not all a bunch of... celebrities. There are also just people who are in the industry and friends of David, so you'll be fine."

I sighed, a bit relieved. At least if I embarrassed myself, it wasn't in front of Channing Tatum or a Kardashian.

"We'll be stopping soon and we've got a few hours to kill, so I thought we could go to the beach for a little bit. I know a guy who has a private access beach, so that's where we're headed now. I'm gonna learn how to surf."

"In just a few hours? Without an instructor?"

"Yes." Harry scowled at me. "It's possible. You can get changed into your swimsuit now if you want, we'll be there in five minutes."

I nodded and stalked off to the back of the RV, closing the door that connected the back to the driver's seat so that I had some privacy. I saw the dress that Harry had picked out for me and was a bit surprised to find that it was the longest one I had brought. But then again, Harry was always trying to look out for me and keep me safe, even though I had known him for such a short time.

I grabbed the only swimsuit that I had brought- a black bikini. It was simple and cute, hence why I had brought it along, and I quickly removed my clothes and replaced them with the bathing suit. I rummaged through the rest of my clothes until I found a t-shirt and pair of shorts to go over top. Within two minutes the RV had come to a stop and Harry walked to the back room to change.

I was always horribly self-conscious of my body and a bit uncomfortable wearing my bikini around Harry, but I told myself it was fine as he came out of the bedroom in just his swimming trunks, holding a boogie board.

"You're planning to learn how to surf... with that thing?"

"I didn't do much planning in advance." Harry pouted. "But we can make some sand castles and play the game where we run from the waves."

I giggled at his childishness and simply nodded as I grabbed a towel. It wasn't even a beach towel, just one that I stolen from the bathroom under the sink. I followed Harry out of the RV and waited on him to lock it up. The beach was completely empty and the waves were perfect for swimming in. I kicked off my flip flops and ran toward the shore, despite Harry yelling 'wait for me, Mia!'. I turned around to see him running with his leg already strapped to the boogie board. He hobbled along as he tried to run with it, causing him to trip a million times.

"I swear you are a four years old!" I called out. I laid my towel out on the sand and quickly took my cover up clothes off as Harry was preoccupied by the boogie board strap that he was tangled in. That was another thing I was funny about- even though I had a swim suit on underneath, taking off my clothes in front of guys was... weird.

Harry finally got to the place I had chosen to set our stuff, completely out of breath. He unstrapped himself and laid his towel beside mine before running right for the waves. He was very much like a dog who had never been to the beach before.

"Come on Mia, the water isn't even cold!" Harry yelled.

I rolled my eyes and ran to the shoreline where I tested out the water. Harry was bobbing up and down in the small waves and to my surprise he was right- the water actually felt a bit warm.

Once a wave hit, I ran out to where Harry was and hopped in the water. He had already gotten his hair wet and everything, treading water happily beside me with a huge grin on his face. A wave came our way and we both ducked under it.

"Most girls don't even get in the water." Harry panted.

"That's because I'm actually a boy." I said sarcastically.

Harry splashed me, getting a bit of salt water in my mouth, so I splashed him right back. Neither of us were paying attention and we both got hit by a wave. When I came up for air I was laughing so hard, but the wave had carried Harry the whole way back to shore. I was laughing so hard at him that I was gasping for air.

"Come back!" I yelled.

I never went in the ocean alone. Something about the deep water and high waves scared me and for some reason being with a group or even just another person comforted me.

Harry swam back to where I was, still spitting from some salt water that he had inhaled on accident. We both rode a few waves out to the shore and then Harry forced me to play the "let's run away from waves like we're five years old" game, and then we ran back into the water.

"The party starts at eight so we should head to the RV soon so our hair isn't all wet for the party." Harry shouted over the waves.

"Who cares?" I shouted back, laughing. "If my hair is wet then those people can deal with it." Harry splashed me, something that he had done over and over today, and I glared at him. He flashed me a smile to get on my good side and I rolled my eyes, diving under a wave. When I came back up for air, I saw Harry's eyes bulge out of his skull as he pointed under the water.

"It's a jellyfish!" He yelled.

My heart stopped in my chest. I shrieked loudly and without even thinking I clung onto his body. I wrapped both my legs and arms around him and screamed at the top of my lungs.

"I'm allergic to nematocysts!" I shouted, feeling like I was on the verge of tears. "Don't let it get me!"

"Relax, relax!" Harry laughed, looking down at me. "I'm just kidding, Mia. There's no jellyfish. I promise. They aren't going to get you."

I sighed in relief. The butterflies were still fluttering around in my stomach from the panic. I had been stung when I was little and that's when I found out I was allergic to the chemical in their venom and ever since I was deathly afraid of jellyfish. I awkwardly climbed off of him as he tried to look sympathetic, but then he just ended up laughing. Eventually I laughed with him because I probably looked absolutely ridiculous.

"Sorry, I get really freaked out by jellyfish. I just kinda lost control." I said.

"No control af." Harry smirked.

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 a/n: lol i had to

 WATCH OUT THEY GONNA PARTY NEXT CHAPTER WOOOOOO

pls vote and COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT and i actually have a question for this chapter (i'm thinking about doing that for every chapter idk)

question: what do you think will happen at the party?

alright i'm out YEET

- del