A Hit In The Making | H.S | 1D |

Chapter 11

Rachel's POV:

It's currently 5:24pm and after an hour of swimming and a series of pool volleyball match-ups, you could say the seven of us have worked up quite an appetite. "I still don't think that last match was fair" Louis remarks while lugging two grocery bags outside and sets them on the kitchen counter. "Hey, you guys did good!" I say, popping him on the shoulder. "Yeah but we were at a disadvantage" he replies and walks back into the house. "The point is everyone had fun" I state as Liam rolls his eyes across from me. "You only say that because you guys beat us twenty-one to fourteen" he shakes his head, popping a piece of watermelon into his mouth. I laugh and turn my attention to Harry and Niall standing over the grill.

"You guys had fun, didn't you?" I ask, taking ask sip of my water. "'Course we did! I liked it when Eden spiked the ball past Louis' head. That just about drove him mad" Niall laughs. "Speaking of, where is Eden?" I ask and peer over my shoulder to Zayn. "Oh, shes inside. Said she wanted to cool off."

I nod in response and open the grocery bags Liam brought, pulling out various bags of vegetables along with a pack of skewers. "Where are the potatoes? I can get started on those if you guys are good out here" I ask. Harry glances at me sweetly and smiles to himself. Hmm.

"Erh, somewhere in the pantry. Ask Lou to help you find whatever you need" Liam responds while chopping a few vegetables before attaching each piece carefully to a single skewer. I nod and begin walking towards the house. "Okay. Y'all good out here?" I ask. "Yes, as long as there's more watermelon somewhere around" Niall mumbles, finishing off his second bowl. I chuckle and walk towards the house, making my way towards the kitchen.

"Louis! Hey, are you in here?" I call out into the large space. Most of the downstairs is an open floor plan, so everything is pretty much connected. Eventually I make my way into the kitchen and begin looking for the potatoes, only to find them in the floor beside the fridge. I chuckle to myself, taking the five pound bag and dumping it into a large strainer before walking to the sink. Footsteps sound in the distance and I turn to see Harry walking towards me.

"Did you find everything you need?" He asks woth lazy grin playing across his face. "Yeah. Just a matter of getting these suckers washed and chopped" I respond and gesture towards the potatoes. "then a little salt, a little pepper, some butter and olive oil and I can throw em in the oven. How're things with the grill?"

"Liam and Zayn have it covered for now." Harry says and leans against the counter. "I brought a few boxes of brownie mix earlier; we can make those for desert. But not yet; maybe once it gets dark out." I peer out a nearby window, once again appreciating the beauty of this place. "I used to work in a bakery, you know. Before all of this" Harry smiles nostalgically and gestures the space around us. "A bakery? Like, cupcakes and stuff?" I ask curiously. I had no idea he could bake, too.

"Not really, no. Mostly just breads and pastries and things" Harry says thoughtfully. A few moments pass before his grin forms into a full smile. "Those were the best times, y'know? Back when life was quiet and peaceful. Many of my fondest memories were made back there..."

I hum in response I think on that a few seconds. Harry's eyes meet mine; flickering the slightest bit of interest followed by a deep sense of sincerity. Just standing under his gaze is enough to make a girl melt right into the floor. We stare into each other's eyes for a while before he speaks up.

"I'd like to take you there someday" Harry says quietly. I give him a questioning look, not fully understanding his statement. "You know, to my hometown. Show you around Homes Chapel a bit, maybe even introduce you to the sweet ladies I used to work with. They'd love you, I'm sure of it." My heart flutters at Harry's words. Is he being serious?