Unexpected

8. Harry

We shouldn't even be under just the same roof and we're about to get under the same blanket. The last time it happened then I woke up alone.

Helen tonight is different from the Helen I'm used to know. From a blazing fire she has become a faint flame. It makes me strange to see her like this, but on the other hand I have the impression that I too am not myself.

"Coming," I tell her before I go to the bathroom. I just hope we can sleep peacefully.

When I return, I find her already crouched under the covers. She is cute in this way.

Before getting under the covers, I take off my hoodie and remain with the white undershirt. I lie on my back and stare at the ceiling; Helen almost falls out of bed. "Everything good? The bed is big enough for both of us, you can move a little more in the center," I tell her, laughing.

She laughs, then she turns on her side, towards me. "Aren't you going to turn off the light?"

"No, I can soften it, I usually do," I explain. "Is it all right?"

She nods and looks at her hands. "Harry, why did you..." she starts to say, but she leaves the sentence hanging. "Nothing, leave it alone."

I turn on my side too, now we are face to face, I can look her straight in her eyes. "Oh, no. Now you tell me. Why did I... what?" If she doesn't tell me I won't be able to sleep.

She shakes her head slightly. "It's nothing important."

"Anything is important, even a simple hello, so now you say it. What were you going to say?" I force her more.

She sighs, with her eyes closed, all in one breath, she asks me, "Why did you react that way?"

"When?" I ask confused.

"For that Daniel thing."

Uh, well... "He's an asshole."

She bursts out laughing. "Is this your answer? You're an asshole too, but tonight you're acting weird..."

I frown. "What do you mean weird?"

She shrugs. "I don't know, you're usually grumpy and unbearable."

I chuckle. "You too."

"It's not true!" and she playfully pushes me by my chest. "Oh, sorry," she says as soon as she realizes she touched me.

"Are you apologizing to me? Oh, Scott, you're running out of steam. I don't deserve her apologies," I tell her ironically.

The sound of her giggles is comforting, I don't know why. "Davis, why are you laughing with me? I thought you hated me." We laughed together until a second ago, but now she is the only one laughing. "Why that face?" she asks confused and comes a little closer to me.

I take a deep breath and release it. "I don't hate you, Helen," I tell her in a very serious tone.

"I thought that after that time—"

"No," I interrupt her. "You did well, and you are right to hate me even now."

She sighs. "Harry, I hate you because you treated my best friend like shit, and who knows how many others you did it with." She looks me in my eyes. "I don't let myself be treated like that."

I know it very well. "That's why you're different," I tell her with all my sincerity.

She fakes a laugh. "How many others have you told? How many have you slept and fucked with in this bed?"

"None." It's the truth, I've never let a girl into my room; it was an emergency tonight.

"I know you're lying," she says, I can feel her breath on my lips.

My eyes can't help but fall on her plump lips, if I didn't know how soft and warm they are maybe I wouldn't have all this desire to kiss them. "I'm not."

She wets her lips, then looks at mine and says, "Who knows what it's like to feel 'one of many.'"

She has an eyelash on her cheek and I move it with my thumb; I leave my hand on her face and continue to caress her gently.

"Oh, Davis, you hate me so much for doing this to me—"

I couldn't resist.

My lips are on hers. Shit, they're just like I remembered them. She doesn't flinch from the kiss when my tongue search for hers.

She breaks away for a second to say in a low voice, "We shouldn't..."

"Who cares?" I gasp, and we are now seated, my hand wrapping around one of her small hips.

She puts her hands on my shoulders and starts pushing me lightly. When I begin to descend towards her neck, she pushes me completely away. "No, Harry. I care."

I look at her confused, I was enjoying it.

"I mean, Jade would take it to death. More with me than you," she is breathing heavily as she speaks.

"Helen, it's nothing, it's just a kiss or whatever you want, there are no feelings, it's just a matter of the body."

She raises her eyebrows, shocked. "You see? You always end up there, I prefer you leave me alone. In my life I will never want to be one of many." She rearranges under the duvet and has her back to me.

"You're the first to come in and the first I've kissed in this room," I explain, trying to make her change her mind.

She snorts. "That doesn't justify you, and besides, I'm not interested in being the first. And you are a piece of shit, so why should I care?"

Well, my time as a good and kind person has just ended, she got me nuts. I never wanna be with her, God, how am I supposed to handle her? "Well, I think you are right. So there will be others after you and after anyone else."