Running Rainbows

Josh’s POV
I looked over at Hannah in the car, and smiled at her, reaching out to grab her hand. “We can come back some time in August? If you want...” I told her. “Yes! Can we really? I had the best time here,” she said, grinning widely. I laughed. “Of course!” And then we were off. An hour or so later, we went through a Tim Horton’s drive through. After we ate, I turned the music on. For The Nights I Can’t Remember by Hedley was on. Hannah and I started to sing along, and partway through, I stopped, completely mesmerized by Hannah’s voice. She looked at me. “What?!” “I can not get over how amazing your voice is. Ooh Hannah! I will have to ask the band about this, to O.k it, but would you...would you sing a song with us? Your voice is so perfect for all our music!” “Oh Josh, I-” “Please Hannah? Pretty please?” I pouted, making big puppy dog eyes at her. “Oh-oh fine! But only if it’s totally okay with the band.” “Yay! Oh my gosh, they’ll love your voice so much, I guarantee it!” Hannah just shook her head, and laughed a little. Then we went back to singing along with the radio. And all the while, I couldn’t get over not just how amazing her voice was, but how amazing our voices were together.
A few hours into our drive later, at twelve thirty, we stopped again, for lunch, and gas. “Josh, will you please let me buy our lunch?” Hannah pleaded with me. “Not a chance, sweetheart,” I winked at her. “Josh! I have the money you know! This isn’t fair!” She whined at me, and I laughed. “I know you have the money. It’s just with me around, you won’t be using it. So.” She groaned at me. “I’ll wait for you in the car.” She said, venomously. “You-you’re going to leave me? You can’t!” I said. She looked at me, and her expression softened. “Fine,” she replied, and we grabbed our lunch and headed back for the car.
A few hours later we were still -surprise- in the car. Hannah looked upset about something. I reached over and put my hand on her arm, awkwardly trying to be comforting. She gave me a sad smile. “Han?” “Yeah?” “Are you okay?” I asked her hesitantly. “Yep! Just..uh..tired.” “Hannah.” “Seriously!” “You just pulled a major Josh Ramsay. I know you’re lying to me. But if you don’t want to talk about it, I get it.” “Oh Josh, I’m sorry. I was just thinking about seeing my mom tomorrow. I’m a little nervous about it. That’s all. Sorry, I wasn’t trying to...I don’t know, it’s nothing really. Sorry.” She started sobbing, pulling her knees to her chest.

Crap. I pulled over. She looked up at me through her tears, confused. I turned off the car, and pulled her over onto my lap, so she was sitting on me, one leg on either side, facing me. I gave her the biggest, most compassionate hug I could. All I could think was ‘Josh, what if you’re making this worse?! Are you doing this right?! Why is she crying harder?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WRONG?!’ But then she wrapped her arms tightly around me, and her crying subsided. When her grip loosened a little, I held her out at arms length. I kissed her petal soft eyelids gently, then kissed her tears away. “Hannah, I will always be here for you, you know that? I love you SO much. It even scares me a little,” I told her honestly. “Thanks Josh, sorry about that....I love you too.” She managed to smile at me, and I took that as a good sign. “Don’t be sorry. You’re perfect.” I told her. She kissed me, then crawled back into her seat. “You do everything perfectly. You’re perfect.” “Well, maybe I’m just a perfection-est,” I winked at her, and she giggled. Then we were back on the road.
The rest of our travel went on without any hitches, we had grabbed dinner at some random diner along the way. We pulled into our apartment, and grabbed the bags of things we needed to bring in. Then, exhausted, we both collapsed into bed.
When we woke up the next morning, Hannah’s head was at the wrong end of the bed. “Hannah? What on earth?!” I asked her, laughing. She looked up at me groggily. “Huh? Josh, I’m..oh!” She said, and started giggling. “Weird dream?” I asked her, winking. “Guess so!” She replied, sitting up, the crawling up to lay down the right way. She turned to face me, and I draped my arm over her tiny waist, hugging her to me. She wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me even closer, sighing contently. “I could lay here forever,” she whispered, giggling softly. “Me too,” I mumbled into her hair. Delicious smelling hair, I might add. Finally we got up, showered, dressed, and ate breakfast. While we were cleaning up, Hannah whirled around to face me.

“Josh, I have to ask you something,” she said, hooking her fingers through my belt loops. “Yeah?” I said, distracted a little by the way she had me held. “Do you ever have to get someone to cut you out of your jeans? They’re so tight, it’s as if someone dipped you in liquid jeans, and you had to wait until they hardened, molded to your skin!” She laughed, and tugged me closer to her, so my tall body was looming over her tinier one, looking down at her. I laughed. “I’ve managed so far, but if I ever need someone to cut me out, you’ll be the first to know,” I winked at her. “I’d be glad to help,” she winked at me, and I laughed. “Down girl,” I teased, and she playfully went to smack me.

I caught her hand though, and laughed again, leaning down so I was looking into her eyes, and her innocent smile melted me. My grip on her hand loosened a little, and I kissed her, my other hand wrapping itself along her waist. She snaked her arms up around my neck, raking her hands through my hair. Then she pulled away. “Josh?” “Mmm?” “Maggie’s going to be here in ten minutes to take me to see my mom.” “Oh. Okay,” I said. “Sorry babe. But she’s dropping me off, ‘cause my truck is still not working.” “You’re sure you don’t want me to come...I can wait in the waiting room?” “No Josh, I’ll be fine. Really.” “Promise?” “Promise.” “Hannah, no matter what happens, I’ll always be here, okay? I love you.” “Promise you won’t leave me?” She said, her expression breaking my heart. “Never.” “Promise me.” “I promise I will never leave you, and I will always love you. For ever. I would never want to leave.” “I love you Josh.” “I love you too. Call me if you need me.” She giggled at me again. “I’ll be fine Josh,” she said, pecking me on the lips quickly before leaving.

An hour later, I was sitting in our living room watching t.v, when I heard the door slam. “Hannah?” I called. “Yeah,” she called back, clearly crying, and I heard her run up the stairs, and another door shut. I sprinted after her. “Hannah! What happened? Can I come in please?...Hannah?” I called to her, knocking on the bathroom door, where I could hear her sobbing. “Go away Josh. Just leave me alone.” She said, between sobs. I’d be lying if I said that didn’t hurt. I ran down into the kitchen grabbing the yellow roses I had bought her off the table. I raced back upstairs, and jiggled the bathroom door, finding it unlocked. “Hannah? I’m coming in.” I tip-toed through the door. Hannah was sitting in a crumpled heap on the bathroom floor. I sat beside her, silently wrapping my arms around her tiny body, and pulling her onto my lap. I gently lied her head down on my shoulder, rocking slightly side to side, stroking her hair as her sobs slowed into a steady stream of tears. “Hannah, what happened?” “She hates me.” “Oh Hannah.” “Josh?” “Right here.” “Good. I need you. Don’t leave me. Please.” She said it in the most innocent sounding voice it almost broke me. “Never. Hannah?” “Yeah?” “I...I got you some flowers.” Hannah giggled at me through her tears. “Why?” “‘Cause I love you! They’re your favourite. Yellow roses.” “Oh Josh, I love you too. Thanks. I’ve felt kind of broken a lot lately. Thanks for sticking with me, and listening to my sob stories,” she laughed. “Hannah, what exactly happened?” “Well.”