Serendipitous: Harry's Story

Be My Valentine pt. 2

Harry angrily walked through the unlocked door.

"Harry! Harry stop!" Hope yelled after him, trying to walk as fast as possible to keep up with his long strides.

However Harry didn't slow down as he ironically stomped to her room, his and Liam's for the duration of their visit.

Hope bit on her bottom lip in a grimace as she followed after him. "Harry, listen to me-"

She was cut off though as Harry cornered her against her door, effectively closing it with her trapped between him and the door. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place. She immediately closed her eyes as she waited to be yelled at again for the blind date she'd set Harry on with one of Corey's classmates, an electrical engineer major that was as smart as a whip and cute enough to pass as Shirley Temple's descendant. Illiona had been exactly the kind of girl Hope saw Harry hitting it off with, and he had been, until he learned that he was being set up on a blind date and it had been like Jekyll and Hyde as soon as he found out. The smile fell from his lips and he had stormed out the restaurant, telling her that they were leaving now. Corey had been seconds from pulling her from Harry's hold but Hope shook her head guiltily at him. Even if Harry was angry, he would never do anything to her.

"No Hope Matherson, you listen to me." Harry said as he slammed his palms on the door, right by her temples as she leant against the door, his head hanging in near defeat. "I'm not going to accept anything less than you, so don't you ever do that again to me." Harry closed his eyes. "I'm going to wait for you, I've resolved myself to it, but do not test my patience."

Hope swallowed nervously as her heart pounded furiously in her chest. Neither made a move, she still trapped between him and the door though his palms slid down the door from her temples to where her waist was as he lightly grasped her waist and buried his anger between the crook of her shoulder and neck.

"I sha, should," Hope stuttered, her eyes still closed, not daring them to open them as she knew herself well enough to know her resolve would end if she saw Harry. "Never have become your friend," She finished with a tremor.

"No," Harry agreed as he tightened his hold on her hips.

"But it's too late now," Hope said as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Yes,"

"What do I do? Harry you mean so much to me, but you know I can't... I don't want to be that girl. Mark. I feel something for you but I don't want to be that girl and Mark's too good for me to do that to. You're too good for me too Harry."

"No I'm not," Harry said with a sad laugh. "I knew from the beginning you weren't mine to take, but I pursued anyway. Because you are like no one else I've ever met. I love you, I love your family, I love hearing your voice, seeing your smile... and I can't accept anything less than you. Not after all this time."

This time Hope wrapped her arms around Harry as he leant against her, almost exhausted from his anger and their confession.

Liam awkwardly scratched his head as he stood at the doorway of Hope's bathroom, having to wash off the makeup he'd been manipulated into wearing with a gorgeous smile by a certain six year old that had innocently asked him to play dress up with her. Lacey had to hastily leave because her in laws were having trouble with Landon, leaving him to watch Belle for her. In which the little one proceeded to paint him with Hope's makeup.

They, Lacey's In-laws had just learned what Ian knew long ago, that the little boy would only fall asleep at the sound of either Hope's or Lacey's heartbeat when he was afraid or in a new place. He had been apparently crying for hours and they had finally relented when his face had reddened so much they were worried that more was wrong with him than just exhaustion and using his lung capacities to an impressive extent.