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I could feel Liam watching me all morning. It was a reminder not to speak where I could bee seen. But it made me wonder: What would happen if Harry wasn't the only person I spoke to? Would this end? Would he feel as if he didn't have a special part of me anymore?
"You must be fucking him now." I recognized Sage's voice even before turning around to face her. I had gone to the restroom to wash my hands before lunch.
I glanced up into the mirror to see her glaring back at me with hatred.
"It'll end when he's over his grieving. He's using you to get through this thing with his dad. You don't talk, so he likes it. Now you're fucking him. He must like his girls silent when he fucks them now."
I dried my hands on a paper towel then headed for the door. I wasn't going to stand there and take it.
"When he's over this, when he isn't hurting over his dad, he'll come back to me. We have a thing. He loves me. He just couldn't deal."
I continued ignoring her, and opened the door.
"He used to tell me he loved me when he was fucking me. Said I made him feel incredible. Nothing would ever be that good. Bet he doesn't tell you he loves you, does he?" she said as I walked out the door.
I was glad I hadn't been facing her when she'd said that.
Because she would have seen the answer on my face.
As wonderful as my time with Harry had been last night, he never told me he loved me. He didn't say much at all. When it was over, he held me to him. I enjoyed being in his arms. The one tear he'd let fall was... I believed, him dealing with grief.
But maybe it had been about more than that.
Maybe I had been a mistake.
"There you are." Harry's voice always made my heart rate pick up. And especially now, with me worrying that maybe he did love Sage, I was happy he was here.
I glanced over to see him walking toward me. A frown touched his face as he got closer.
"What's wrong?" he asked when he reached me.
His hand cupped my face. I loved when he did that. It made me feel safe. Like his large hands could protect me.
The restroom door opened behind me, and I felt him tense. Oh God, he still reacted to her. He had loved her. I hadn't known he loved her. The feeling of safety left me, and I shook my head in answer to his question while simultaneously moving away from her. Away from him. Away from my confused emotions.
"Did you do that? Is she upset because you said something to her?" Harry was angry. I turned to see him glaring at Sage much the same way she'd glared at me. His glare was just more intense. And frightening.
Sage shrugged and flipped her dark hair over her shoulder as if nothing had happened.
"I've moved on, Harry. I don't care who you do," she snapped at him before strutting away. I knew she didn't mean what she'd said, but she was a great actress.
"She said something to you," he said, closing the distance between us again.
I shrugged.
"Nothing much. She's just... not over you."
He slid his hand over my hip.
"Whatever she said, don't listen to her. She's trying to hurt me, and she's figured out that hurting you will hurt me. That's all."
I didn't think he was right about that, but I wasn't going to correct him. Instead I changed the subject.
"I thought you'd be eating by now," I said.
He smirked, then bent his head to kiss my lips once.
"Not without you."
Oh. I didn't know what to think about that. What were we now? Had last night really changed us?
He put his hand on my back.
"Come on. Let's go eat."
I went. Because I had no idea how to ask him what we were now.
"We texted." I reminded him of the many texts he'd sent me throughout morning classes.
"Can't see your face in a text," he replied.
The butterflies in my stomach woke up.
When we got to the cafeteria door, Harry reached in front of us and opened it, and we walked inside together.
Every eye in the cafeterias was on us... or it felt like it. I could feel people staring. Wondering what had happened with us. Why our friendship seemed more intimate now. I glanced over at his table, and Liam, Ashton, and Zayn were all watching us. Niall was the only one who didn't find us entertaining. He was too busy glaring at his phone while he texted something.
I didn't look at anyone else as we walked through the line. Harry's arm around my shoulders, and he tugged me close to him as he placed a kiss to my temple. Surprised, I glanced up at him, but suddenly he was looking at someone else with a scowl. Following his gaze, I saw that Louis had stopped to watch us, his tray in his hands.
Louis looked at me, then shook his head and walked off toward the table with the other guys. I was sure they'd seen that interaction between Harry and Louis. Would Liam make it okay with them now that Harry and I were... doing whatever this was?
"Is he mad?" I whispered. I didn't want his friends upset with him. He needed their support right now.
"Don't care. If he is, he'll get over it."
That wasn't the answer I was hoping for.
He grabbed my tray and his, and we walked over to the table and our seats in between Liam and Louis.
Harry sat down next to Louis, which is normally where I sat. He was making statement today. I just wasn't sure what it was yet.
"So, y'all are a thing now?" Niall asked, dropping his phone on to the table and reaching for his soda. "Thought she was off-limits and shit."
"Don't," Liam said before Harry could react. "This doesn't have anything to do with you."
Liam seemed more amused than anything. He picked up his apple and smirked. "Sure don't." Then he glanced at Louis before taking a bite and grinning.
I wanted to be anywhere but here.
"I was wondering, though, Evelynn. You got a date for the homecoming dance yet?" Niall asked.
"Niall, shit, man," Zayn muttered.
I didn't look up. I studied the fries I was about to eat and pretended like I didn't hear him. I hadn't thought about the homecoming dance. I'd seen the posters and I'd heard the announcements, but I wasn't thinking about it. I'd never been to a dance. I didn't expect to go to this one.
"She's with me, Liam. She's going with me. Everywhere," Harry replied. "Is that enough clarification for you?"
His hand slid over my knee and squeezed as he spoke.
"Well, that clears that up," Ashton said with a chuckle.
"We gonna let this slide or what?"
I glanced up at Ashton to see who hew as talking to. His gaze was fixed on Liam.
My cousin simply nodded. Nothing else was said.
Talk of Friday's game began to take over, and I eventually relaxed enough to eat most of my lunch.
