AN: Thank you all so much for the feedback on this story! The biggest thank you goes out to May for being the best beta, quite literally couldn't do it without her!
So this is the last chapter/epilogue - there is NO epilogue to follow! Thanks so much for reading along! - xxS
Chapter 16 - The First Rule of Being Exes
The day after Donna returns from visiting Marcus, she arrives back at her dorm after class to find Rachel and Katrina waiting for her.
"Is this an intervention?" she jokes as she tosses her book bag on the floor.
"Kind of," Katrina admits, motioning for Donna to sit down between her and Rachel.
"Oh god, I was joking."
"We're worried about you," Katrina says, "It's been over two weeks and you and Harvey haven't said a word to each other."
"It's just easier this way. I know you guys will never fully understand, but this is how things have to be. Marcus will never be alright with me and Harvey being together, and Harvey will never stop comparing himself to Marcus as long as we're friends."
"But-"
"You don't think I wish there was another way? I love Harvey more than anything but I just can't imagine my life without Marcus in it."
"Maybe if you talked to him you two could work it out?" Rachel suggests.
"The only thing that's going to happen if I talk to him is me making a fool of myself because I won't be able to lie and tell him I don't want to be with him. And then Marcus will hate me and we'll be back to square one."
"How do you know Marcus will hate you? Sure, he was upset you lied to him but doesn't he want you to be happy?"
"I-" Donna pauses. "I don't know. We didn't talk about it."
"I thought you guys cleared everything up?"
"We did. We just didn't talk about Harvey."
"Donna! That's a huge part of the problem. How do you know Marcus doesn't want you two to be together if you didn't talk about it?"
"Because I know him, okay? Besides, Harvey isn't exactly Marcus' biggest fan, it goes both ways. I value my friendship with Marcus far too much to jeopardize it over a boy."
Katrina and Rachel exchange a glance that Donna chooses to ignore.
"Things are just easier if Harvey and I spend some time apart," Donna adds. She doesn't know if she's trying to convince her friends or herself.
"We don't mean to pry Don, we just hate to see you hurting," Katrina says.
"I'm not hurting," she protests but quickly realizes she isn't fooling anyone. "I'll get over it."
Rachel tosses her a pitying look while Katrina mumbles something about things working out the way they're supposed to and Donna sighs.
"Now, can we please change the subject. I want to talk about anything else."
"Like?"
"What's new with you guys?" she laughs.
"Mike and I practically did it in the library last week," Rachel offers.
"Waaay too much information," Donna says, giggling.
"You asked," Rachel scoffs.
"I meant with classes and everything. I feel like I've been so distracted these past few weeks that I've been missing out."
"Speaking of missing out, guess who spilled an entire jar of salsa on her new white shoes last week?" Rachel smirks at Katrina.
"No!" Donna exclaims, "The ones you just bought?!"
"The ones I just bought," Katrina sighs.
The girls spend the rest of the night joking around and even talking a bit about Donna's show. Rachel shares some of the photos she took during the performance and the three of them spend an hour coming up with the perfect caption for Instagram. They crack open a bottle of wine and put on a romantic comedy (at Donna's request). For the first time in weeks, Donna forgets about the drama and the chaos in her life and she just laughs and enjoys the company of her friends.
.
.
A month after the show, just a few weeks before exams, Katrina finds herself at the diner with Rachel, sharing a plate of french fries. It was a relatively quiet day on campus, most students packed in the library cramming for finals, but they had decided to take advantage of the sudden campus calm and catch up.
"It's weird, don't you think?" Rachel asks with a mouthful of potatoes.
"I don't know," Katrina replies.
"They just like, completely stopped talking to each other. That's weird."
"I guess so. I don't know. I might see Donna's point. It would be harder to pretend to be friends."
"But how do you go from talking to someone everyday, to icing them out. If Mike and I broke up, I don't think I could do it."
"They're still in love with each other," Katrina points out. Rachel knows she's right. Donna, though too proud to admit it, was still head over heels in love with Harvey and constantly trying to convince herself she made the right decision in prioritizing her friendship with Marcus. Harvey wasn't as skilled when it came to hiding what he was feeling. When their group of friends got together (without Donna), he moped around alot and she could tell he was hurting.
"I don't understand why she can't be friends with Marcus and date Harvey," Rachel says.
"Boys are dumb," Katrina replies, reaching for another fry.
"What if we did something? Set it up so they had to talk to each other?" Rachel asks.
"I've thought about it, but honestly, I don't think it will do anyone any good. If they want to start talking, they need to do it on their own."
"You're probably right. I hate this. I miss having both of them around."
"Me too."
They fall into a comfortable silence while they finish the food. As they begin to pack up, Katrina's phone buzzes and a smirk creeps across Rachel's face when she reads the notification.
"Still?" she teases.
"Is that bad?" Katrina asks.
"Nah, at least she knows about it."
"I don't think she was thrilled, but she was reasonable."
"Everything works out the way it's supposed to," Rachel winks.
.
.
Across campus that same afternoon, Mike and Harvey find themselves in a study room on a lower library floor, working on a final case study. Bouncing a rubber band ball against the wall, Mike slouches against the battered old sofa and extends his legs.
"Are you going to help? Or just sit on the floor and pretend to help?" Harvey calls from the table.
"I'm thinking."
"About?"
"The case," Mike states as if it's obvious.
"Rach wants to know if you're coming to the movie with us later," he adds, reading an incoming text off his phone.
"I- I'll think about it," Harvey stutters.
"Donna's not coming if that's what you're worried about."
"That wasn't what I was worried about," Harvey fires back.
"Yeah. Okay," Mike scoffs. "Have you even tried talking to her?"
"I have nothing to say, Mike."
"I just don't understand why you two are avoiding each other? Can't you talk it out?"
"It's over. End of story. Got it?" Harvey grumbles. Mike takes the hint and stops talking, continuing to bounce his rubber band ball against the wall instead.
.
.
The end of the semester comes and goes quickly, everyone swamped with exams and final projects leaving little time for emotional goodbyes. Donna gets out of going to the year end sorority event because she has an early morning exam the following day and she counts her blessings for the excuse. She knew Harvey would probably be there and she still wasn't ready to face him.
She, Katrina and Rachel spend their last night on campus having a girls night, complete with nachos and cheap wine. Despite being the least emotional all year, Rachel can't help but blubber about how much she's going to miss her friends over the summer. The three of them had signed a lease for an off campus house in the same neighbourhood as Mike and Harvey's for the fall, along with Scottie, Katrina's roommate.
"It's not going to be the same not seeing you guys everyday," Rachel pouts as she snuggles between Donna and Katrina on Donna's bed.
"You're going to see us. You have to come and visit!" Donna says.
"You two are going to see so much more of each other than me. You're going to forget about me."
"Now you're being ridiculous," Katrina laughs.
"Promise me we'll go on a fun summer adventure?" Rachel asks.
"Promise," they reply in unison.
The next afternoon, Donna says goodbye to Rachel and begins to pack up her things. She starts with her closet, removing items from their hangers and tossing them into a box. Once everything is cleared out of the closet, she moves to the bathroom and empties it out. She was leaving in just a few hours but it was just beginning to hit her that the year was coming to an end.
Thinking back on how nervous she was the day she moved into this room, back when she didn't know who her roommate would be or if she would successfully make any friends, she smiles to herself. All drama aside, she was pretty damn proud of how her first year had gone. She crushed it in her first university performance. She made amazing friends. She even fell in love for the first time. All of these were things that she would cherish for the rest of her life. She'd learnt so much about herself, and life, this past year and she was looking forward to what came next.
She closes two more boxes before settling down on her bed to pack up the last of her belongings. She removes the framed photo from her nightstand and tucks it into the box beside her hair brush and then reaches for her music box. Opening it, she grasps the small flower shaped charm in her palm.
She feels a tear beginning to form, but rather than cry, she exhales a deep breath and undoes the clasp around her neck. She slides the charm back on her necklace so it doesn't get lost in the move and takes the music box in her palm. She reaches for the pendant, now secured around her neck, and places it into the slot on the music box springs to life, flipping open once again, playing a familiar tune as the two dancers twirled around.
She missed him. She missed them.
But she doesn't let herself crumble into the heap of sadness that beckons. Instead, she chooses to focus on the positive. Everything her relationship with Harvey had taught her that she'd spent the past two months reflecting on. She knew that she would likely always love him, but everyday the pain of losing him lessened and she was certain that one day she would wake up and it would be gone. Until then, all she could do was reflect on what they'd had. She was never one to believe in soul mates, but Harvey Specter may have been hers.
She wraps the music box in a towel and places inside the final moving box. Sealing the final box, she looks around her empty, white-walled dorm room. It was time to go home.
.
.
The trip back to the west coast is draining and the sadness about the year ending finally hits in full force, leaving Donna an emotionally exhausted mess when she arrives at the airport. Her parents pick her up and ask about exams on the ride back to the house. She knows Lily filled her mom in on what happened with Marcus, but Clara doesn't bring it up. When she asks Donna how things with Harvey are going, Donna simply shrugs and says things didn't work out between them.
Marcus is waiting on her porch when she pulls up to her house and she immediately jumps out of the car and runs to hug him.
"You're home!" he cries as he lifts her off the ground.
"So are you! I thought you weren't coming back until next week?"
"I wanted to surprise you. Surprise!" he cries and she wraps her arms around him again.
"How did exams go?" she asks as he begins to help her family unload the car.
"Better than expected. I'm going back next year."
"Marcus that's amazing! I'm so proud of you."
"Thank you," he says softly.
"For what?"
"Being such an incredible friend."
She and Marcus spend the afternoon unpacking her boxes into her childhood room. They'd talked nearly every other day over the past few months, but they still had tons of things to catch up on. Marcus stays for dinner and then convinces Donna to join him down at the pier where they play skee ball and grab ice cream before Donna complains she's tired and calls it a night.
He invites her over to swim the following day but she declines his offer to prepare for a phone interview for an internship position for the next fall. She hadn't considered how the summer would go now that she and Harvey were both home. She couldn't avoid the Specter's house forever, she'd spent every summer there since she was a kid. She supposes it was about time she faced him. What's the worst thing that could happen?
.
.
She heads to the Specter's for a pool day three days later and is welcomed by Gordon and Lily with open arms. Gordon raves about her show and tells her repeatedly how talented she is while Lily asks about her exams. She hadn't seen them in the two months since the show, and it was great to have such a warm welcome from them.
She doesn't see Harvey all afternoon, but subconsciously, she's on high alert. Every time the wind blew a certain way and the gate hit the fence, she looked up expecting him to enter the backyard.
By some miraculous twist of fate, she'd never run into Harvey on campus after they broke up. Part of her wonders how it's possible, when they seemed to constantly run into each other at the start of the year, but she figures it has something to do with their conscious effort to avoid one another; and Harvey's effort to put himself in her orbit at the start of the term.
Four visits to the Specter house later, she was starting to doubt Harvey had moved back home. She couldn't ask Marcus about where he was, so she was left wondering. Was he avoiding her? Or was he just out with friends when she happened to come over?
On a particularly sunny Friday afternoon spent by the pool, she pushes her sunglasses up onto her head and marches into the house wearing nothing but her two piece bikini. Lily and Gordon were visiting friends for the weekend so she and Marcus had had the house to themselves all afternoon. She heads to the kitchen, looking for a snack, when she walks face first into a topless Harvey.
His hair was wet, like he just showered, and he was wearing nothing but sports shorts, the top of his boxers peeking out above the elastic.
"Oh god, sorry," he apologizes as he reaches out to steady her. He blushes when he looks up and locks eyes with her, slowly releasing his grip on her shoulders and taking a step back.
She folds her hands over her chest, suddenly feeling very exposed.
"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. I didn't think anyone was here," she mumbles, not letting herself stare at his bare, chiseled chest.
"Well, I do live here," he jokes.
She feels herself relax when he laughs. Why was she so worked up about seeing him? This was Harvey. They'd know each other forever.
"How are you, Donna?" he adds. His slight smile causes her heart to lurch and she does her best not to blush.
"I'm fine. How are you?"
"Can't complain," he replies. "Exams went well?"
"I think so. How was that big case thingy?" she asks. Big case thingy. C'mon Donna, she thinks to herself, you can do better than that.
"It went well. Mike really came through in the end."
"That's great," she says, awkwardly staring down at the floor. She lets the silence linger for a moment longer before speaking again. "I guess I should get going, it was good seeing you."
"You too," he smiles, watching as she walks back out to the pool and flops down beside Marcus.
He stares for a moment longer before angrily smacking the counter with his palm and going out for a run.
.
.
A month after returning to LA, Donna finds herself at the pier with Marcus. She's munching on cotton candy while they watch the surfers begin to pack up for the night. With the sun beginning to set across the water, the sky was painted a faint shade of orange that made Donna's hair shine and Marcus' cheeks look flushed.
She wasn't sure why he insisted they hangout at the pier, but the fresh sea air and the snacks were always an upside.
Marcus was telling her about his Skype date the night before, and while she was listening, she was distracted.
She loved that Marcus had found happiness again and had moved on after Katie broke his heart, but last night it hit her that she missed the happiness Harvey used to bring her. She'd run into him a handful of times, in town and at the house, and while each time it was slightly less awkward, it wasn't the same.
Spending time with Marcus had served as a perfect and welcome distraction, but now that he was scheduling dates, a feeling of loneliness began to creep up and she began to resent him for having what she gave up.
"Donna, are you listening?" he asks, nudging her side. She turns, angling her body away from the water and back towards the crowded pier, propping herself against the ledge using her elbows.
"Yeah, sorry. I guess I'm just a bit distracted," she admits.
"Is everything alright?"
"Look Marcus, we've been best friends for over a decade and you know that I love and would do anything for you, right?"
"Of course," he nods.
"I love being your best friend, I really do. But I can't keep pretending like this. I love your brother, more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone and I just really wish you could be happy for me and support it."
He takes a moment to process what she's just said and carefully thinks about his words before opening his mouth.
"How can you love him? After watching him hit on girl after girl for all those years. You know what he's like."
"He's a good man, Marcus. A good man that I love and if you can't accept that then I'm sorry I don't think we can do this anymore."
She's overcome with emotion and feels the sudden need to flee, so she takes off down the pier. Marcus catches up to her in a few paces and reaches out for her arm to stop her.
"Donna."
When she turns back to face him, there are tears in her eyes and he can see that she's been holding this back for a while.
"This is really what you want?" he asks in a whisper.
"More than anything in the world." As she vocalizes the thought, she realizes it's all she wants. Her Harvey back. She's not sure what to say next, after everything she and Marcus had been through in the past few months, they were in a good, back to normal place. Here she was once again, jeopardizing it. She reaches for her necklace and runs her thumb over the flower shaped charm. Shit. She loved Harvey Specter and she needed him back. If he would have her. She didn't dare think about what would happen if he didn't feel the same way - after all, it had been nearly three months since they had had a full conversation.
"Alright then, go and get him back," Marcus says, surprising her. She stares at him quizzically, but he nods and she knows he means it.
"What?"
"You heard me. Go and get him back," he repeats.
"I doubt he wants me back, he won't even look at me."
"You love him, right?"
She nods.
"Go fight for it."
The dramatic effect of Marcus' 'run to him' speech is lost when Donna realizes she needs him to drive her back to his house, but she appreciates the gesture all the same. She isn't sure what (or who) helped change his mind, but she doesn't question it.
She fiddles with her thumbs the entire car ride back to the Specter house. She has no clue what she plans on saying to Harvey, she doesn't even know if he's home, but she was ready to put herself out there and win him back.
When Marcus pulls into the driveway, she unbuckles her seatbelt but doesn't make a motion to move.
"Well, go on," he encourages but she stays fastened in her seat.
"I can't."
He stares at her confused, then reaches over and takes her hand.
"What if it's too late? He's the one who broke things off with me. What if he doesn't want to fix things. Or what if he can't accept you and I being friends?"
All the fear she'd conjured up over the past few months, every uncertainty or doubt she had about her relationship with Harvey was bubbling to the surface and she didn't know how to stop being afraid.
She meant what she told Marcus at the pier. She wanted Harvey back.
But what if that wasn't practical? What if they couldn't make it work or worse, he didn't want her back? Was it worth going through the heartbreak she'd been struggling with all over again?
She wrestles with the thoughts a while longer before releasing her grip on Marcus' hand.
If she'd learned anything this year, it was that love was hard to come by, and she wasn't going to give up on Harvey without a fight.
"Donna. He loves you," Marcus states, getting out of the car. "Check the backyard," he instructs.
She does as he suggests, rounding the side of the house to the little gate that leads to the pool. The lights in the yard were off but she knew the small winding path by heart. Marcus trails a few feet behind her, but she stops hearing his footsteps once she reaches the gate.
She considers turning back to see where he'd run off to, but stops when she notices shimmering lights on the opposite side of the pool.
.
.
Two days before Donna's revelation at the pier, Harvey found himself alone with Marcus by the pool. He'd hardly said a word to his brother since returning home from school, blaming him partly for what happened to his relationship.
Marcus, seemingly also noticing the awkwardness, clears his throat and offers Harvey a beer.
"Sure," Harvey nods, accepting the can but not saying anything else.
"Look Harvey," Marcus begins, "are we good?"
"You tell me," Harvey remarks.
"It just seems like you're still angry with me."
"Wouldn't you still be angry with you?" he asks Marcus. "I know you see me as this total asshole, but I'm not that guy. Not anymore. I think part of that has to do with Donna, but I haven't been that person in a long time."
Marcus stays silent and waits for Harvey to speak again.
"I love her. More than I ever thought it was possible to love someone."
"Then why aren't you two still together?"
"C'mon man, we both know that as long as you're against us being together, she'll always choose you."
"That's not what happened… she didn't choose me," he flounders for the right words.
"She didn't?"
"Didn't you end things with her?"
"Because I knew that she'd always prioritize your friendship. That's just the type of person she is. You not wanting us to be together would just hurt her more so I did the right thing. I ended things and made it easier for her."
Marcus stares at Harvey, mouth opening and closing like a fish starved for water.
"You really did that for her benefit?"
"What can I say, I love her too much to see her hurting."
"You know, I still don't like it, but I care about her too much not to at least try and pretend it doesn't bother me. You do know that if you hurt her, I'll hurt you, right?" Marcus asks.
"Yeah," Harvey chuckles to himself.
.
.
Curiously, she rounds the corner into the backyard and is immediately winded by the sight.
Harvey, standing with a bouquet of yellow roses at the end of a candle light path, a huge grin on his face.
"Hey," he says softly, watching as she crosses the yard and stands at the beginning of the candlelit path. "I didn't think you'd come."
"How did you know—"
"Marcus. He told me he was going to talk to you."
But he hadn't. Her sudden outburst beat him to the punch and she realized that in this instance, the universe was on her side.
"What is all this?" She asks, taking a step closer to him.
"An apology. I'm really sorry for the way things ended between us Donna. I need you to know that I've thought about you every day since then."
"Every day?" she smirks with amusement.
"Every single day."
"But I thought—" she begins but he speaks at the same time.
"I made a mistake," he admits.
"So did I."
This time he takes a step towards her and she nervously reaches for her necklace out of habit. Her fingers run along the edges of the charm and his gaze shifts down to where she's holding on to it.
"You didn't take it off?"
"I couldn't."
"You couldn't," he repeats, breathless.
"We really messed up, huh?" he laughs nervously. Seeing him so unsure of what to say next, she relaxes.
"I miss you," she admits. "I miss us."
"I want us back, Donna."
Her heart hammers so hard against her chest she's certain he can hear it but she doesn't let herself get swept away in the moment. Not yet. They still had some things to work through before she let herself believe this was really happening.
"What about Marcus?"
"Donna, I love you. I'm so helplessly in love with you. I feel like such an idiot for thinking I was making things easier for you by ending things. These past few months have been horrible and I'm so sorry. I know he's your best friend and I'm going to work to try and get used to that. Please, give me another chance?"
"I—" she stutters. He steps closer and reaches for her arm. His fingers trace a gentle pattern from the point in her elbow to her palm until he's holding her hand and staring into her eyes.
"For the record, he's also willing to try," he adds in a whisper. "So, what do you say? Can we give this another chance?"
"I say yes, Harvey. Yes."
He wipes away the single tear rolling down her cheek with his thumb before finally closing the distance between them and kissing her.
She gives herself to the kiss, tossing her arms around his neck and slipping her tongue past his and into his mouth.
The kiss is everything she'd been missing. It's passionate and delicate and it serves as a reminder of her love for him. It reignites a hopeful spark within her that makes her believe they can really be something.
"God Donna, I love you," he sighs when they finally part for air.
"I love you too," she smiles.
He leans down and presses his lips against hers again.
"I missed your lips the most," he breathes against her lips.
"Oh really?" she smirks as she brushes up against his chest.
"I take that back, ask me what I missed most again in a few minutes."
"What's in a few—oh!" her sentence is interrupted when he scoops her up and carries her into the house.
"Wait!" he calls, backing up and putting her down on the patio. She giggles at his ridiculous attempt to walk them backwards and stares up at him with adoring eyes.
"I almost forgot, I have one more thing!"
He moves to the table where he had set her flowers down and grabs a small black book. He hands it to her with a grin and waits for her to read what's written on the cover.
In the center of what she now realized was a scrapbook, was a photo she'd never seen before of her and Harvey laughing outside of her dorm. She was dressed in her gown from the Valentine's Day dance and she realizes someone must have snapped the photo without them knowing.
"What's this?" she smiles.
"Exactly what the cover says," he nods towards the silver letters scribbled across the cover.
The Book of You and I.
.
.
Two Months Later...
Donna adjusts her sunglasses and turns to smile at Harvey who was laying in the chair next to her, drying off after his and Marcus' never-ending game of volleyball. He catches her staring and she sticks her tongue out at him with a little wink. Harvey gets up out of his own chair and walks over to her, blocking the sun as he does so.
"Harvey!" she whines, sitting up and trying to shove him out of the way. "You're getting me all wet."
"Oh really?" he smirks, plopping himself down on the edge of her chair.
"Ew! Gross!" Marcus shrieks from his place in a chair on the other side of Donna's. "What did we just talk about guys? Save the gross PDA for when you're at school."
"You mean gross PDA like this?" Donna smirks, grabbing Harvey's shoulder and pulling him in for a quick kiss.
"I hate you," Marcus teases, holding his hands up over his eyes to prevent himself from seeing.
She had to admit, they'd come so far from where they were just a few months ago. Back then, when she and Harvey first got back together, Marcus was still wary of the relationship and they did their best to tone down the PDA when he was around. He was supportive, she'll give him credit, but he wasn't shy about vocalizing his discomfort.
"I'm just saying, it didn't seem like you were against the whole PDA thing last night," Donna wags an eyebrow at Marcus as Harvey settles in on the chair next to her, his arms wrapped around her shoulder. The chair was made for one, but they were somehow making it work for two.
Harvey chuckles at Donna's remark and watches as Marcus' cheeks redden.
"That's different," Marcus mutters.
"What's different?" Katrina's voice calls from behind him.
"Nothing," he smiles, accepting the glass of water being handed to him. After placing it down on the ground next to him, he leans up and kisses her.
"Ew gross. I don't want to see that," Donna whines.
"You are literally dating my brother," Marcus remarks before pulling Katrina back in for another kiss. "How did the phone interview go?" he asks her.
She takes a seat next to him and explains that she thought it went well and she would find out if she got the internship the following week. The theatre program at Yale offered a three-month exchange program to students in their second year, granted the students found a position in the industry on their own. Katrina had already interviewed with a few programs and was hoping that lucky number three would offer her a spot.
"I'm sure you'll get it," Donna smiles at her.
"I sure hope so. Not all of us get an on the spot offer after one interview," she remarks.
Donna blushes and runs her hand along Harvey's forearm. She knew her decision to apply for the exchange program wasn't something he loved, but he was doing his best to be supportive of her.
"I haven't accepted it yet," she points out.
"What's stopping you? Boston is beautiful in the fall and that program has an amazing reputation."
"I know, it's just… I'm not sure I want to go."
Harvey nuzzles his head into the crock of her neck and places a small kiss above her collarbone.
"You should do it. It's only three months, what's the worst thing that could happen? If you hate it, it'll be over before it even really begins," he says. She had to hand it to him, he was an ace when it came to playing the supportive boyfriend.
"Ugh, I don't even want to think about it right now. It's a problem for when we get back from the cottage."
"Speaking of, Rach texted to ask me to ask what we were bringing," Katrina says to Donna.
"We can call her tonight while we pack. She and Mike are meeting us there a day late anyways."
"You mean to tell me you two haven't packed when we're leaving tomorrow?" Marcus teases.
"Technically, I'm already packed because my things never left the suitcase when I got here last week," Katrina replies.
"I'll pack after dinner," Donna shrugs, "that way I can rope this one into helping," she gestures to Harvey.
"Do I have to?" he asks.
"Would you rather talk to my dad while I get my mom to help me pack?"
"Packing sounds fun," Harvey remarks and Katrina laughs. She'd heard all about the bribing Donna had to do to get Harvey to agree to have dinner with her parents before they went away for the week. For such a cocky, confident guy, Harvey was terrified of Jim Paulsen and she found it hilarious.
"Alright, who wants lunch?" Harvey claps, getting up and leaving Donna to sprawl out on her chair.
Everyone nods and Harvey heads to fire up the grill. He pauses near Donna's head and leans down to whisper in her ear.
"Care to help me?"
"I would. But I'm starving and we both know if I join you the food will take twice as long."
"You have a good point. What do you say after we get back from dinner you and I take a walk on the beach?"
"We're spending all of next week at the beach."
"All the more reason for some time alone before we're surrounded by friends."
He leans down and cups her cheeks in his hands, kissing her deeply before drawing back and winking playfully.
"Maybe I'll come and give you a hand," she calls after him.
He's already in the house preparing the food for the grill when she gets up and tosses a summer dress on over her bikini.
Marcus and Katrina are watching a video on her phone but Marcus looks up at her and smiles.
"Donna, do you realize if you do the exchange, we can be roommates?"
THE END.
Thanks for reading guys! I'm going to be taking a break from writing here for a while & I'm glad this little story will be where I leave things! - Sarah