Unexpected

35. Helen

I'm still thinking about the things I said to Harry. I can't believe I did. I admitted that I am afraid of falling in love... of falling in love with him.

At first I didn't believe it either, I tried to deny it with all my strength, to convince myself that it was impossible. But here I am, scared, because slowly I'm falling in love with an asshole like him. Except that's not the worst of it. The worst part is what he did to my best friend.

He used her and he "broke her heart". If she knew that he and I are — I don't know what we are or if we are at least a thing — she would kill me. I care about her, I love her, I can't do that to her. But what would I do if I really loved Harry Davis? Friendship or love? I have no idea.

I heard what Harry said earlier when he thought I was already asleep. "I have fallen already."

How is it possible? He loves me? Is someone like him capable of loving? To love someone like me?

Now that I think about it I'm not sure if he really said it, maybe it was all a dream. But if it were true—

"Baby, the phone. It's vibrating, they're calling you." His voice hoarse and still thick with sleep wakes me up.

I take my cell phone and see who it is. My father.

"Dad, hi," I reply.

"Ellie! Where the hell are you?!" he yells from the other end of the phone. Harry looks at me worried.

I rub my eyes and clear my throat. "I told you I'd sleep over at Bryan's..." Yes, I told him, right?

"No, Helen, you didn't tell me! Try to go home immediately, please!" and he hangs up.

Fuck. I was convinced I told him. But why are they treating me like I'm still fifteen?

I snort irritably and run my fingers through my hair as if to comb it.

"Are your parents strict?" Harry asks me.

"A little, sometimes it seems to me that they treat me like a little girl. But they only do it when I'm home, in Seattle they don't even call me that often," I explain.

He takes off the blanket and steps out of the trunk.

"Where are you going?" I ask him.

He turns his back to me, stretches and yawns. I can see every movement of his muscles from under the tank top. "I'll take you home," he replies. "Or do you have your car at your friend's?"

"Oh no, he came to get me yesterday."

He gets in the driver's seat and I next to him in the passenger seat. In the meantime I hum the songs on the radio that I know, he has learned to hear me sing and now I know how much he likes it.

He puts his hand on my still bare thigh and strokes its inner part with his thumb. "In the end we fell asleep and didn't see the sunrise," he says suddenly.

I chuckle. "Yeah, that's right."

"We had a good chat, though," and he turns to smile at me.

I smile at him in turn, but I don't remind him of yesterday's discussion. Some things are less scary at night than during the day.

We get to my house and I tell him to park in the back. The cars of my parents are not there. Sure, they'll be out to go to work, it's Monday!

"Wow... and this is your house?" Harry exclaims in amazement.

"Yes, it's not much."

He opens his eyes wide and looks at me in bewilderment. "What?! This is a fucking luxury multi-story apartment."

I shake my head and roll my eyes. As I pull on the sweatpants I went to Bryan in, he gets out of the car and walks halfway around the house. He comes back when I'm ready.

"Your parents...?" he starts asking.

"At work."

He grins as he looks at every detail of the modern style living room. "Fantastic." He takes a few steps towards the transparent glass staircase and climbs as if he is afraid of falling. "Helen, when we move in together someday I want a house like this."

I am surprised for a moment. When we move in together someday. He said it as if it were the most certain thing in the world and didn't even notice. Why am I starting to love this guy? I shouldn't, but it's impossible not to.

We go upstairs and Harry immediately sees a door that says "GYM". "I don't believe it... there's a fucking gym!" he is so thrilled that he almost screams.

He makes me laugh, he looks like a child when you take him to a toy store where he doesn't expect to find more than what he was looking for.

I go to get the key hanging from a hook inside a small door at the end of the corridor, go back to him and give it to him. "Open if you want," I tell him, smiling.

He turns the key and enters. He looks around in amazement.

It is a nice gym indeed. It is full of equipment and all around there are mirrors, here and there. There is air conditioning, a refrigerator with water and energy drinks. A counter with snacks and a coffee machine.

"It's crazy..." he says again.

I'm glad to see him like this, it had never happened before.

He comes towards me and puts his hands on my waist, bringing my body closer to his. "Why are you so smiling?"

I look away from his eyes and a chuckle escapes me. "You're cute when you do that."

He arches his eyebrows, surprised. "Cute? And would I be cute?"

I nod smiling.

He tilts his head and whispers in my ear, "Do you want me to show you how cute I can be?" He starts kissing my neck with warm, moist kisses.

My breathing has already changed, it is heavy, slightly out of air.

He undoes my bra from under my shirt and drops my straps so that my breasts are free. He pushes me back until my back half bare touches the cold mirror surface, and I shiver.

"So, do you?" he says, but I can't remember what he was talking about a few seconds ago.

He puts his hands under my shirt and takes one of my breasts with his hand. He pinches the nipple with two fingers and a moan escapes my lips.

On the mirror, behind me, there is a halo of heat that the glass has fogged up.

He kisses me, opens my mouth with his tongue and mine begins to intertwine with his. He reaches down with his hands up to my hips and starts to pull my pants down, but I stop him. There are cameras.

"Harry, stop. Not here." I point to a camera with my eyes and when he sees it he immediately understands. "Come with me."

He takes my hand and follows me, both of us are breathing hard.

In this gym there is also a bathroom, and there is no better place.